Conversio Virium
{{Short description|Columbia University BDSM group}}
Conversio Virium (CV), one of the oldest university student-run BDSM education groups in the United States, is the central Columbia University student organization that represents the college's collective population who engage in consensual BDSM and related activities.[https://lionlink.columbia.edu/organization/conversiovirium Columbia University][http://www.conversiovirium.com Official Website of Conversio Virium] CV is a not-for-profit group that advocates strongly for freedom of sexual self-expression and is particularly concerned with creating a safe and welcoming environment for young people to explore their interest in alternative sexual practices, especially consensual sexual dominance and submission (D/s).Bleyer, Jennifer. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/nyregion/thecity/20ouch.html?_r=1&oref=login&pagewanted=print&position= "Have You Been Naughty? Exploring the World of Corsets and Kink"], The New York Times, March 20, 2005, accessed June 29, 2012 CV participates in many of New York City's sexuality community events alongside similar organizations such as The Eulenspiegel Society.
History
In 1994, soon after Conversio Virium's inception, a Columbia University Christian group accused CV of violating its own constitution and as a result the university expelled CV from its grounds.{{cn|date=June 2017}} The accusations were eventually proven untrue and CV was reinstated as an official Columbia University student organization.{{cn|date=June 2017}} In the process, CV gained many allies from both the BDSM community and elsewhere, including Robert B. Chatelle, board member of the National Writers Union at the time, who wrote to CV offering support.{{Cite web|url=http://users.rcn.com/kyp/schools/cv941204.html|title=NWU Letter to Conversio Virium, by Robert B. Chatelle|first=Robert|last=Chatelle|date=December 4, 1994|accessdate=February 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208181828/http://users.rcn.com/kyp/schools/cv941204.html|archive-date=February 8, 2011|url-status=dead}}
In 2007, Conversio Virium made national television headlines when Fox News invited Ann Coulter{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/report-x-rated-behavior-at-columbia-university|title=Report: X-Rated Behavior at Columbia University|first=Ann|last=Coulter|date=November 29, 2006|access-date=February 24, 2011|publisher=Fox News}} to comment on an article published in the New York Daily News about the university's sex clubs called Wild Sex 101,{{Cite news|first=Douglas|last=Feiden|title=Wild Sex 101|publisher=NY Daily News| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2006/11/26/2006-11-26_wild_sex_101__s_m_clubs__nud.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018040439/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2006/11/26/2006-11-26_wild_sex_101_sm_clubs_nude_parties_porn_.html|archivedate=October 18, 2007|location=New York|date=November 26, 2006}} in which the club and the university was criticized.{{Cite news|url=http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2007/02/09/safer-sex-week-covers-bases|title=Safer Sex Week Covers Bases|publisher=Columbia Spectator|date= February 9, 2007|first=Elizabeth|last=Kraushar|accessdate=February 24, 2011}}
Conversio Virium's records are housed at the Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago.{{Cite web |title=Conversio Virium Collection |url=https://leatherarchives.org/ca/index.php/Detail/collections/4 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=leatherarchives.org |series=ORG-0021}}
See also
External links
- {{Official website}}
- [https://lionlink.columbia.edu/organization/conversiovirium Link on University website]