Mary Brennan works as a dominatrix under the name Mistress Mariah, at her BDSM (bondage, discipline and sado-masochism) salon in Lower Hutt. A dominatrix is a female sex worker who specialises in bondage and discipline (both physical and psychological). This does not usually involve sexual intercourse. Brennan says that people who pay her to act out their fantasies of being dominated find her establishment a place where their desires can be fulfilled. She argues that it is therapeutic for people to act out their desires in a safe way without fear of judgement or ridicule.
Sound file: Mary Brennan, interview by Caren Wilton for oral history project Selling sex: the New Zealand sex industry, 2009. Alexander Turnbull Library, OHC-0976-01
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