I came across a fascinating article in news the other day about the reopening of the  4-Play swing club in Edmonton, Alberta.  4-Play had just relocated their club to a new location within the same neighbourhood. As part of the relocation process, 4-play applied to the City of Edmonton for a development permit.  The new development permit would allow 4-Play to operate their club in the new location. The approval process caused a lot of controversy because some residents complained that the swing club would increase drug use, violence and general nuisance within the neighbourhood. The City of Edmonton did not find any basis to these claims and approved 4-Play’s development permit. I have reprinted the article below:

Edmonton swing club is harmless fun, says owner - By  Andrew Hanon, Sun Media - 18th July 2009

Joe leans casually against the bar and shakes his head.

“People think we just come in here and rip off our clothes,” he says, glancing around at the small crowd scattered in the lounge. “As you can see, it’s not like that at all.”

It’s Saturday night at 4-Play, one of Edmonton’s two swing clubs. It’s early and people are still filtering in.

They range in age from their 20s to about 60. Most are in their 40s and early 50s. The majority are couples, but a few singles are mingling.

Most people’s casual dress would fit in at any bar in the city. A few women dress more provocatively — one is in a tight corset while another wears a bikini and chap-like pants.

The club, which opened a few weeks ago in its new facility at 10120 156 St., has tight security. Visitors must be buzzed in at the front door, and there’s a sign-in sheet at the entrance. If you haven’t called ahead to get on the list for that night, you don’t get in, even if you’re one of the 200 paid members.

Privacy is paramount here — two video screens in the lounge flash reminders that cameras are forbidden and media are only allowed in on condition that nothing they report can lead to people being identified.

Swingers, says one long-time 4-play member, “are the gays of the 21st Century. People hate us and try to stop us doing what we like to do.”

Two women say that they were fired when their coworkers found out they were swingers.

When the club first applied to city hall to renovate the empty Jasper Cinema earlier this year, some residents and nearby businesses went ballistic, saying the club would bring chaos to the area.

Some warned of drug use, increased vandalism and out-of-control noise at night.

“Do you see any of that going on?” asked Joe, who owns the club with his wife Marie.

There’s no question that the atmosphere is sexually charged, but unlike most other bars in Edmonton, there’s no sense of predatory menace. No one seems worried that they might not score tonight.

“Nah,” says one tall blonde. “Everyone understands. If you meet someone and you click, fine. If not, you’re going to go home with your partner anyway.”

A man explains that here, the women call the shots. It’s entirely up to them who they have sex with, and any man who is disrespectful or too pushy is quickly shown the door.

The “play area” is upstairs. There are rooms where people can have sex in private and a room with a swing and a few other, uh, gizmos.

But the room most people talk about contains “Goliath,” a massive bed that holds four queen-sized mattresses. There’s a bench at the foot of Goliath, for people who just want to watch — or if they need to rest.

Alcohol is strictly forbidden on the second floor, and free condoms are never far from reach.

“I’ve never gone upstairs to play,” says one woman. “For me, attraction is mostly mental. I need to get to know people before I have sex with them. And I’m picky.”

Marie agrees. She likes to trade partners, but only in the privacy of her own home. “The club is all about social interaction.”

By 10 p.m. most people are in the lounge, speed-dating in pairs. A few couples are on the small dance floor.

Once in a while men will step away from their partners, saunter up behind other women and nuzzle their necks or grind against them. The women never appear shocked or offended. A few will turn and make out with the men, while their husbands, unconcerned, continue chatting with other people.

Over the next couple of hours, a handful of “couples” will wander upstairs to the playrooms, returning 15-30 minutes later.

Most people, however, stay in the lounge. By 1:30 a.m. the place is emptying out.

Shortly after 2 a.m., Joe and Marie are gently shooing the stragglers outside.

“That’s it,” Marie says. “That’s pretty much all that goes on here. Is it really that bad?”

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The challenges that 4-Play face in overcoming opposition are not uncommon among swing clubs in Canada.  For years, Canadian swing clubs were often subject to court challenges and legal harassment.  All this nonsense thankfully came to end in 2005 when the Supreme Court of Canada legalized swing clubs. The court’s decision was based on evidence showing that swing clubs do not cause harm to the community. While the Supreme Court of Canada did not see any problem with swing clubs, there is still a lot of mass hysteria out there surrounding swing clubs and swinging in general.

In Canada, social conservatives tend to protest loudly against the granting of any sexual rights or freedoms to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals or swingers. These social conservatives believe sexual morality should be regulated by the state and should conform to their narrow range of “acceptable” practices. The following are a few comments posted by social conservatives on the CBC website protesting the 2005 Supreme Court Decision:

How in the world could it not affect society especially when allowed in a public place? The more things I read like this the more it embarrasses me to be a part of a country that would allow this type of behaviour.[sic]

With all the diseases, violence and chances that not everyone would be a willing participant I can’t imagine how it will not effect [sic] society.

—Linda | London, Ontario

I’m disturbed at this ruling. Though it does not affect me personally as I would never go to one of these clubs, it bothers me that the federal courts are condoning this sexually deviant behaviour [sic].

Why must people indulge themselves in sexual practices such as these? I’m ashamed that we are arrogant enough as a nation to make silly statements like “keep the government out of the bedroom” when people treat sex as just another desire to be indulged in rather than a sign of commitment and love between two individuals.

—Joel Bain | Lions Bay, B.C.

So, what other activities will the Supreme Court approve of because in their opinion does not cause harm to society? And what makes them experts in determining what constitutes harm? Our country is slipping into moral decay, with people cheering on as the authorities pave the way.

To simply say let people do what they want is potentially destructive to society. For hundreds of years, societies have recognized the harm that comes with certain types of behaviour [sic], such as substance abuse, hostility, and immorality.

Those who support immoral activities are short sighted and not looking to the long term strength in the fabric of society. Moral decay was one contributing reason that the Roman empire fell.

—Jim | Vancouver

Are swingers such morally decrepit people causing chaos in society as these posters suggest? I believe this is not true at all. Rather, I would argue that negative comments made about swinging are made by people who have positively no clue what they are talking about. People who go to swing clubs do not pay for sex, no one is treated as a sex object and no one is pressured to have sex. Swinging takes place in private among those who freely consented of their own free will.

While we have not paid a visit to the 4-play club in Edmonton, we have visited a number of swing clubs in the Calgary During any of our visits to these clubs, I have never witnessed any drug use, violence, or unsavoury criminal activity. Swing clubs are not even licensed to sell alcohol. If you want to drink any alcohol, you have to bring your own (BYOB). If drugs were present, or there was criminal activity going on we certainly would not want to be there.

When you visit a club for the first time you are usually given a tour of the premises by the host. During your tour, the host will explain club rules to you. For example, the most important rule is No means No! Swinging is a world in which women reign supreme and it is all about the women. While this may be hard for many to believe, this is how it operates. The beauty of this system lies in its simplicity. Since women have the pussy, they make the rules! Any men caught pestering or pressuring a woman to have sex after they have been told NO will soon find their ass out on the street. I have never seen any men get ejected since they usually understand their place in the scheme of things.

What kinds of people participate in swinging? Popular opinion suggests that only creeps, weirdos and social outcasts participate in swinging. Nothing can be further from the truth. One of the remarkable things we have found to be true about this alternative lifestyle is that swingers come from all walks of life. We have personally met swingers who are firefighters, engineers, truck drivers, stay at home moms, lawyers, receptionists, programmers, accountants, business owners, doctors, nurses, school teachers, writers, contractors, oil workers, farmers, florists, dental hygienists, graphic designers, hairdressers, mechanics, librarians, real estate agents, equipment operators, electricians, university professors, shop assistants, civil servants, managers, carpenters, entrepreneurs, cameraman and architects. Well, I think you get the picture!

These people are not exactly what you describe as sleazy dregs of society. Swingers are your normal, average run of the mill people, who have families, pay taxes and obey the law. They could be your neighbour, your friend, or your co-worker and you would be no less the wiser. The only difference with swingers is they like to have a bit of erotic fun every once in a while. So if being a family oriented, law abiding, taxpaying, responsible citizen who likes to have some extracurricular activities makes me a deviant, then so be it!

This of course will not be my last word on this topic. In some future posts, I will delve deeper into many of the issues that surround this alternative lifestyle. There are many beliefs and social taboos that a person must overcome before they are able to participate. I will go deeper and explore what those issues are. There are also issues surrounding sexually transmitted diseases and safety that need to be discussed. One of the above comments cited an argument about moral decay leading to societal collapse. This is one argument I will certainly deal in the future showing that it is unfounded by historical fact.