Not OP, but a thing I am pretty heavily involved in. It depends a lot on the community you’re in and the culture around it, and my experience is that most people who practice kink in a community setting also consider it an integral part of their sexual life, but not exclusively so. There are many that approach it as a connective practice that focuses on power exchange, communication, and sensory exploration as much or more than as a form of purely sexual gratification. The kind of intimacy and connection that you cultivate with mindful, consistent kink, even if not explicitly sexual, often cultivates a safe environment for negotiating and potentially exploring sexual chemistry with a partner if the feeling is mutual.
Generally, it’s considered normal for sexual boundaries or interests to be a part of negotiations when you’re exploring a kinky connection with someone, however it is rarely a deal-breaker in my experience if either partner isn’t interested in that, nor is it often the primary thing being negotiated. I have a few partners that I regularly do kinky things with and also have sex or do sexual things with. Many of the people in my community do consistently integrate kink with sex, but most of what goes on in public or semi-private spaces are non-sexual scenes.
Not OP, but a thing I am pretty heavily involved in. It depends a lot on the community you’re in and the culture around it, and my experience is that most people who practice kink in a community setting also consider it an integral part of their sexual life, but not exclusively so. There are many that approach it as a connective practice that focuses on power exchange, communication, and sensory exploration as much or more than as a form of purely sexual gratification. The kind of intimacy and connection that you cultivate with mindful, consistent kink, even if not explicitly sexual, often cultivates a safe environment for negotiating and potentially exploring sexual chemistry with a partner if the feeling is mutual.
Generally, it’s considered normal for sexual boundaries or interests to be a part of negotiations when you’re exploring a kinky connection with someone, however it is rarely a deal-breaker in my experience if either partner isn’t interested in that, nor is it often the primary thing being negotiated. I have a few partners that I regularly do kinky things with and also have sex or do sexual things with. Many of the people in my community do consistently integrate kink with sex, but most of what goes on in public or semi-private spaces are non-sexual scenes.