Swingers Not Just On Playgrounds Anymore :: essays research papers

Swinger's Not Just on Playgrounds Anymore Dave's marriage had hit the rocks. His wife had lost interest in sex, and Dave did not know how to deal with it. He did not know whether she was bored with him or simply bored with sex. In his search for an answer Dave and his wife attended a swinger's party. This would eventually end Dave's marriage, but it would also lead him to greener pastures. "She did not want to share the lifestyle with me, and sharing is an important part of swinging. Swingers swing to enhance the relationship with their mate, not to destroy it," Dave said. Dave met his second wife more than 15 years ago at a swinger's party. The couple has now turned their lifestyle into their business. For the past nine years Dave and his wife Dawn have run their own swing club in the Chicago suburbs. "We own Couples Choice, and though it's listed as a swing club it's a lot more social than people imagine," Dave said. This socialness includes dances, special theme parties, dinners and vacations. The couples who attend are also interested in learning about relationships, meeting new friends and for exposure to something new. One of the most common misconceptions is that people come just to have sex. However, this is an option at Dave and Dawn's club. Their club is known as an ‘on-site' club. This means that Dave and Dawn provide bedrooms for their members' enjoyment. "Ours is an on-premise club. We have bedrooms where sex does take place, but only if it is consensual. We do not force our activities on anyone," Dave said. Dave adds that having sex is something most people associate with a swing club, but often this is not true. Bob McGinley, whose self-given title is the grandfather of swing, believes many people have misconceptions about swinging. He says swinging cannot be categorized as mate swapping or as group sex. In fact McGinley believes swinging cannot be put into a category at all. "Putting a label on the activity is wrong. People call us swingers because we have sex with someone other than our mate, but you don't call someone a tenniser because they enjoy hitting a ball over a net. Someone involved in swinging is also involved in many other things . . . it's really unfair to label that person a swinger," McGinley said. McGinley has been involved in the swinging lifestyle since 1969. He has since founded Lifestyles Organization in Anaheim, Calif. His organization holds a swing convention every year and this year he expects more than 3,000 to attend.