This is increasingly true in Canada since the Supreme Court decided in December 2005 that clubs that feature group sex and partner swapping are perfectly legal. Prior to this ruling such clubs were frequently fined and shut down for being 'bawdy houses.'
Since then, some pretty slick and sophisticated clubs have opened their doors across Canada, where swingers, exhibitionists and voyeurs can go to get their kicks. Then of course there is the popular, prime time TV period drama Swingtown airing now, which takes us to an affluent Chicago suburb where neighbors swap more than recipes. If this new era of permissiveness has got you and your lover thinking about swinging, here's a guide to get you started.
Deciding to Swing
Julie runs an online swinging community, www.swingersboard.com, and has been in 'the lifestyle' (the term that swingers use to describe swinging) for the past 10 years. Julie says that any couple thinking about swinging better make sure that their relationship is absolutely strong before adding anyone else in to the equation.
"Communication is the number one thing you should concentrate on when entering the lifestyle," says Julie, "If you cannot communicate openly with your partner how can you even think about swinging?" Paul, Julie's husband echoes this, saying that couples have to take the communication in their relationship to an all time high before taking things further, and when they do they should take things really slow.
As an experienced swinger, something Julie often observes is couples where one person is obviously not really in to the idea, usually the female partner. "You have to both be interested, sometimes women are pushed in to it and you can tell that while the husband is all gung-ho, she's not happy to be there. We avoid those types of couples because we don't want to be pulled in to their dramas," she says.
Hooking Up
Once you decide to swing, there are plenty of places to start looking for couples to play with. However you start, before you get too carried away you need to keep yourself, and your privacy safe. Julie advises discretion at all times when hooking up with other couples. "Only give out your full names to people you really trust, as we've heard stories on the message boards of people being stalked at their workplace by a couple they played with," says Julie, "You just have to be sensible about sharing too much information."