How known is the meaning off the BDSM emblem to the vanilla crowd?

[m wisdom]

First off, the emblem I'm thinking off is this one: BDSM Emblem

I'm curious if anybody have meet any person that was not into or interested in BDSM that have known what the symbol means?
And for those off you that have the symbol in one form or another, have anybody asked what it means and what did you answer?

The reason I wish to know is that I'm going to get a toy chest to keep my toys in, and I'm thinking about putting the emblem on it. So more or less all off my friends will probably see it sooner or later. I don't mind if my friends know what I like but at the same time I don't see any reason to tell them.

 

[Sheaf_Beast]

First off, the emblem I'm thinking off is this one: BDSM Emblem

I'm curious if anybody have meet any person that was not into or interested in BDSM that have known what the symbol means?
And for those off you that have the symbol in one form or another, have anybody asked what it means and what did you answer?

The reason I wish to know is that I'm going to get a toy chest to keep my toys in, and I'm thinking about putting the emblem on it. So more or less all off my friends will probably see it sooner or later. I don't mind if my friends know what I like but at the same time I don't see any reason to tell them.

I have this emblem painted on my shop floor, and have metal cutouts hanging. Most all that see them just say what a neat emblem and have no idea.

 

[Etoile]

I would say the BDSM emblem is not well-known among the vanilla types and sometimes not even among kinky types. It's a nice symbol, but it's not well-known. Of course, this means that if someone is wearing it that means they are not only kinky but are interested enough in it to learn something about it and represent it on their person.

 

[Wizard]

I had a fairly large one on my van's rear window for quite some time and no one had a clue.
I hoped other in the know would spaek up but most all were clueless...

 

[m wisdom]

Thank you for the replys so far. It's going on my toy chest, but I would like to hear more from people that have used it.

I'm also hoping , a bit like Wizard, that if any off my friends recognizes the symbol they let me know. Would be a good way to figure out if any off them are into BDSM.

 

[Wizard]

Thank you for the replys so far. It's going on my toy chest, but I would like to hear more from people that have used it.

I'm also hoping , a bit like Wizard, that if any off my friends recognizes the symbol they let me know. Would be a good way to figure out if any off them are into BDSM.

That's what I was doing....Looking for like minded folks... But so few really know what it is...

 

[m wisdom]

That's what I was doing....Looking for like minded folks... But so few really know what it is...

A good plan, to bad you didn't have any luck.
I seriously doubt any off my friends are into BDSM but would still be fun if some off them where.

 

[four]

i wouldnt mind having a pendant like that.

 

[Etoile]

I have a sticker on my car from a now-defunct fetish club (Bound), and somebody actually recognized it the other day! I was getting onto the shuttlebus from the parking lot and a guy asked me if I was a sysadmin. I said I had done that work in the past, why? He said "well, you have a Red Hat Linux sticker on there" (which I had forgotten about) "and a sticker from Bound, did you know so-and-so who used to go to Bound?" I was floored!

 

[flowerchilde]

I hadn't heard about it until just now, so I wouldn't worry about any one from the vanilla crowd knowing what it means. I will have to keep an eye out for these from now on! And I have to get me one too, maybe a necklace or something.

 

[caela]

I have one on a necklace and I work in retail...I can pretty safely say very few people recognize it. Lots of new age types ask me is it's some sort of goddess symbol and a lot of people think it is pretty but in the roughly 9 months I've been wearing it only one person has recognized it and she had the same emblem tatooed on her arm! The only vanilla's I know who understand what it means are the one's I've felt comfortable enough explaining it to.

As for explanations there is a similiar symbol of celtic origin (triskele) thats meaning is similar to that of a yin-yang but with three balances of power instead of two.

 

[BlueSugar]

I have one on a necklace and I work in retail...I can pretty safely say very few people recognize it. Lots of new age types ask me is it's some sort of goddess symbol and a lot of people think it is pretty but in the roughly 9 months I've been wearing it only one person has recognized it and she had the same emblem tatooed on her arm! The only vanilla's I know who understand what it means are the one's I've felt comfortable enough explaining it to.

As for explanations there is a similiar symbol of celtic origin (triskele) thats meaning is similar to that of a yin-yang but with three balances of power instead of two.

I was going to say that it looks too closely like the triskele symbol ... and most people take it for that w/o question. So many of them are modified ... both the bdsm symbol and the triskele they are almost interchangeable to an untrained or a clueless eye.
I've found this to be the same thing about the "=" sticker/flag/whathaveyou for a person in the gay community.

 

[Etoile]

I've found this to be the same thing about the "=" sticker/flag/whathaveyou for a person in the gay community.

That would be the Human Rights Campaign logo - do "normal" straight people really not know what it is? I get a ton of mail from them, we have address labels with both our names that have their logo, we have their car stickers too...I'm so used to it that it doesn't really occur to me that it's a "code word" so to speak!

 

[BlueSugar]

That would be the Human Rights Campaign logo - do "normal" straight people really not know what it is? I get a ton of mail from them, we have address labels with both our names that have their logo, we have their car stickers too...I'm so used to it that it doesn't really occur to me that it's a "code word" so to speak!

yes.
the average person over all doesn't know what the symbol means.
Alot of people I know use it, on their cars and such like you mentioned .. because it isn't as out as purple triangles, rainbows or the boyboy/girlgirl linked signs ... they can be 'out' without actually telling their family etc.

Cuffs, leather, mini floggers and such dangleing from a car window or to have on a toy box ... a bit out there ... even the little story of O ringis a little more well known. I wear the ring, and have the least likely people give me a knowing glance or make a quick joke about it to let me know they know. The bdsm symbol itself what we would feel as obvious... just isn't for whatever reason.

 

[redelicious]

If I didn't know better I would think it was some kind of satanic symbol. But then, I'm silly like that.

 

[AAkasha]

If I didn't know better I would think it was some kind of satanic symbol. But then, I'm silly like that.

Yeah, I would agree.

There are other vanilla symbols people can use to alert others they are kinky. The right small talk, a woman wearing black patent leather boots and responding to the question the right way, little handcuffs on a key chain, etc. When I want someone to know I'm kinky, I find a way that won't put me in a bind if they're totally vanilla but will alert me if they aren't.

Akasha

 

[marieR19]

That would be the Human Rights Campaign logo - do "normal" straight people really not know what it is? I get a ton of mail from them, we have address labels with both our names that have their logo, we have their car stickers too...I'm so used to it that it doesn't really occur to me that it's a "code word" so to speak!

Yeah, nowadays I know what that means, and display it everywhere I can (meaning places my mom doesn't object to). But I was "out of the closet" for almost two years before I even learned what that logo really was, and I learned it from my godmother, who is totally straight. I felt like I totally should've known!

Marie