Eulenspiegel Society Convention Raid

The Eulenspiegel Society (TES) is a New York-based organization that sponsors leather/SM/fetish events, distributes information and promotes sexual liberation. In 2001, they scheduled their thirtieth anniversary celebration at a major convention center in New Jersey for the weekend of August 10-12. Organizers tried to keep the event's profile low, but the Star-Ledger previewed the convention two weeks beforehand. The event's publicity promised seventy vendors, the largest dungeon space in North America, events like "naked hot oil Twister" and a fetish fashion show.

Late on opening night, however, police raided the convention, photographed and videotaped BDSM activities, and scrutinized vendor displays for obscene material. Police argued that these activities and displays violated the terms of the convention center's liquor license, even though no liquor was available at the TES event. No one was arrested, and the convention was allowed to continue, albeit under strict guidelines regarding vendor displays, nudity and sexual contact. Afterwards, many participants and BDSM activists faulted TES for failing to do proper outreach with local law enforcement before the event.

InPhilly.net has collected several accounts and documents from the police raid on the Eulenspiegel Society's thirtieth anniversary celebration in New Jersey last weekend. Included are some posts from a BDSM mailing list criticizing TES organizers for not discussing convention guidelines with local law enforcement beforehand.
InPhilly.net

The Star-Ledger previews next month's BDSM convention at the Garden State Exhibition and Convention Center, celebrating the Eulenspiegel Society's 30th anniversary. Organizers are touting "the largest dungeon space in North America" at the three-day event. Predictably, the local religious conservatives are in a tizzy over the impending pervert invasion.
Star-Ledger (July 26, 2001)

The Star-Ledger editorial board urges tolerance and discourages rumored protests toward the upcoming Eulenspiegel Society thirtieth anniversary celebration at the Garden State Convention and Exhibit Center. "There are issues far more pressing than whether some folks prefer whips and chains to satin and lace. Besides, the Eulenspiegel Society members aren't hurting anyone, except maybe themselves. And that's their business."
Star-Ledger (August 6, 2001)

Police in New Jersey raided the Eulenspiegel Society's thirtieth anniversary celebration at a convention center in Somerset, New Jersey, over the weekend.
Star-Ledger (August 14, 2001)

Pursed Lips has a first-hand account of the Eulenspiegel Society raid (August 12, 2001 entry).
Pursed Lips

The Home News Tribune quotes area residents and hotel guests angry over the presence of Eulenspiegel Society convention attendees in their community. Kris Grippo, the wife of a town councilman, was running an uplift seminar for women entitled "Time for Me: Lessons from Five Unstoppable Women" at the local Holiday Inn, where many convention attendees were also staying. Grippo complained that "patrons clad in lewd outfits ambled in the hallways and screams could be heard from various bedrooms." Ambling down hallways in lewd outfits? Sounds like most high schools today, from what I read. And since when is it a crime to have sex, even noisy sex, in a hotel room behind closed doors? Usually it's the person standing outside the door listening who's considered at fault. Grippo's complaint that the perverts ruined her seminar is laugh-out-loud funny: "I'm killing myself to fill the room with an Oprah Winfrey kind of day, and surrounding me is everything degrading, disgusting and demeaning about the human race." Personally, I find this sort of bigotry degrading, disgusting and demeaning.
Home News Tribune (August 17, 2001)