What is your name and identity? If you’re a woman practicing a Gorean lifestyle, you don’t have one. You identity is kajira, a slave, and you serve a master, who orders you to do whatever he pleases. You have no rights and never address yourself as “I” or “me” – instead, you address yourself as “master’s slave”. Refusal to do this results in punishment, usually a whipping. Would it surprise you that many women in America today practice this lifestyle willingly? This is a sobering look into the sexualized lifestyle of Gor: Gor’s bookish beginnings, why Goreans think slavery is necessary, living as a Gorean slave, and the controversy surrounding it, including stories of abuse and death.
How Gor Started
In 1967 John Norman (real name John Frederick Lange Jr.) released a book called Tarnsman of Gor, a book detailing life on Gor and its inhabitants. This turned into a series with 26 books in print today, called Chronicles of Gor. His books are carefully detailed that explain everything from Gorean food to Gorean rituals, and focus on adventures in Gor and the natural role of genders. Gorean philosophy believes that men have a natural drive to dominate women; women have a strong desire to submit to men and give up their rights. Women are either free or enslaved, but free women can be enslaved at any time.
Philosophy of Gorean Slavery Here is Gorean philosophy concerning slavery of women:
– As stated before, Goreans believe that women have a natural desire to be slaves. Every woman has this desire.
– Also, they believe that women have a huge desire to please men. They strive for perfection. They want to be submissive. Women want to be controlled by men. A man’s word is final.
– Gor strictly believes in the ‘natural order’. There aren’t any exceptions to this rule. Men always dominate, women always submit.
– All women ‘beg the collar’ (desire a master). Women slaves are collared once owned and beg to be owned, according to Gorean philosophy. Here is an excerpt from Marauders of Gor explaining this view:
“It is the nature of the female to submit; accordingly, it is natural that, when she is forced to acknowledge, accept, express and reveal this nature, that she should be almost deliriously joyful, and thankful, to her master; she has been taught her womanhood.” – Marauders of Gor, Pg. 155 – Masters consider their slaves property. They are to keep their property in top condition. If slaves don’t meet their standards, they are disciplined. This involves punishment, including imprisonment and whippings.
– Although Gorean philosophy says that all women have rights, free women can be enslaved at any time.
– Beautiful slaves are prized the most. If slaves are not beautiful, both in looks and personality, they are killed or do menial work.
Additionally, there isn’t much evidence of a traditional family in Gor. There is only a master and slave relationship. Free women are not slaves but they obey all men’s orders, because men are naturally stronger than women.
Rights of Gorean Slaves
Followers of Gor believe Gorean slaves have rights of being a woman. They want to perform, act, and be a woman. Being a woman, according to Gorean philosophy, is pleasing a man in various ways.
Here are other rights of Gorean slaves:
– Once you are a Gorean slave, you lose all human rights. Anything you did before enslavement is erased from your past. You are not to talk about it, since your identity is kajira, a slave.
– Slaves aren’t seen as people. They are, according to Gorean followers, human animals.
– Masters make decisions for them. They lose rights to their name. Their master chooses their name, although slaves are not allowed to refer to themselves by name.
– Their master can discipline or destroy their property at any time. Gorean law fully supports this.
– A kajira’s only goal in life is to bring pleasure and comfort to their master.
– There are different types of women slaves. Some slaves purely serve as sexual objects, while others are masterful at cooking.
– Slaves do not question anything. They do as they are told. Refusal to do anything results in discipline.
– Slaves must strive for perfection.
– Not only must slaves do their work well, but it must be done in a feminine, graceful way that expresses their sexuality.
– Gorean women retain the right to refuse slavery. If a master wants to enslave a woman and she refuses, however, she may be killed.
Types of Gorean Slaves
Here are the types of Gorean slaves.
White Silk Slaves: A woman slave who hasn’t lost her virginity. This is indicated by tying a white ribbon to her collar.
Red Silk Slaves: A woman slave that has had sex. This is indicated by tying a red ribbon to her collar.
These are how slaves are usually separated. From there they are separated into these categories:
– Pleasure Slave. A slave trained in the arts of pleasure, including slave dance, slave positions (note: these are not sexual positions, but positions used in their culture), cooking, being pleasant, and sexual services.
– Passion Slave. A slave trained and used for sexual services only.
– Feast Slaves. A slave that serves food along with other personal services decide by their master.
– Serving Slaves. A slave usually owned by a woman master. They prepare warm baths, help remove clothing, comb hair, and complete most domestic chores.
– House Girls. Same as Serving Slaves, but they only complete domestic chores. They are owned by Masters.
This does not include all categories. Gorean slaves typically wear a tunic and a collar.
Controversy Over Gor
In the 1980s Norman’s Gor series was banned from bookstores and libraries. Feminists viewed his books as extremely misogynistic and petitioned against him, succeeding. Norman stopped the series in the 90s but returned when Gor was recognized in the BDSM community, where the Gorean lifestyle started.
Followers of the Gor series have applied Gorean teachings to their life, resulting in the Gorean lifestyle. In May 2006 an apartment in Darlington, England was raided by police, uncovering a sex cult directly influenced by Gor. The enslaved women said they participated willingly.
Gor Ruined One Woman’s Life
In July 2004 A. Vandis ran away to northern Illinois to participate in a Gorean lifestyle with a master she met online. Just weeks away from her senior year of high school, she dropped out. Living with another woman who was enslaved under him, she was repeatedly whipped and raped by her master for 3 months, unable to contact anyone because of no telephone access. She escaped in December 2004 but ran away to live with another master in Kentucky. Vandis returned home in March 2006 to receive therapy. She suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa, which occurred from her treatment in Illinois. She successfully completed her GED but decided to find another master in July 2007 and is currently missing. She is possibly dead.
Why Do Women Choose Gor?
There are many theories, but the most common one is their desire to be submissive – to have a master control her life. This is known in the BDSM culture itself, so it’s not uncommon. Other theories are history of sexual abuse and manipulation (some Gor masters manipulate women to join them). Either way, most Gor slaves agree that they willingly participate in this.
For more information about Gor, visit Wikipedia’s entry on Gor.
