 SEARSH |
Swinging has probably gone on since the dawn of time. Many cultures hold
no stigma to the sharing of married pardners, the Inuit tribe of Alaska
being an example. But the beginnings of modern swinging is not known. It
was first reported by the media as "wife-swapping" in the 1950's
practiced in Southern California and within the military. The latter at
"key clubs" where husbands reportedly tossed their house keys into a
pile in the center of the room where they were drawn at random by the
wives. The owner of a selected key was the sexual partner for the
evening. It is a colorful but probably fanciful story. Within a few
years, a variety of national and local magazines catering to the needs
of swingers appeared. At that time the chief way of meeting other
swingers at that time was through personal ads. These publications
offered column after column of such ads, many illustrated by nude and
revealing photos placed by swinging couples and hopeful singles.
Swinging quietly evolved in many parts of the United States,
particularly in the Berkeley - San Francisco and Hollywood - Los Angeles
areas, Chicago and perhaps New York City. One of the earliest swing
clubs, wasThe Group, later called the In Crowd, in Orange County,
California. At first, swing clubs were informal gatherings at members'
homes or at the homes of leaders of the clubs. Most clubs were informal
in nature and membership was generally through another member by
referral. Certain cocktail lounges and bars began catering to a growing
clientele: Topley II in Los Angeles and the Swing in nearby Encino,
California gained national publicity and notoriety. The Sexual Freedom
League in Berkeley, California in the 1960's may have been the first to
be open and public about swing parties. The SFL regularly held swing
parties for members along with other social and political activities.
Clubs, in tandom with cocktail lounges, then began in New York and a few
other cities. The lounges were meeting places for members of the clubs.
Actual swinging (arranged privately among members) was reserved for
private homes or rented motel rooms. In other parts of the country,
principally the South, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Socials and
Circles developed. The activities of this style of swing club were and
still are generally dances. Swinging was a private matter arranged among
the member couples attending the dances and was engaged in elsewhere.
Swinging in California evolved along different lines. By the spring of
1972 there were eighteen party houses and social swing clubs in Southern
California, principally Hollywood, Los Angeles and Orange County. Some
had been in operation for several years. All offered what later became
what later became known as "on-premise" parties: swinging took place at
the party sponsored by the club. A few of these had straight forward
club names; Sexual Freedom Movement, Wide World Social Swing Club,
Caberet; but others were more exotic; Ecstatics, House of Love and Love
of Blue Light. Plato's Retreat in New York City, and the publicity it
garnered, was the catalyst for "on-premise" swinging on the East Coast.
Swinging in the east was primarily "off-premise" until Plato's, hence
the new terms. Though swinging at most California swing clubs had always
been on-premise, the term was not used prior to the advent of Plato's.
Though the swing clubs and magazines helped swinging to grow, the real
backbone of swinging has always been the individual men and women who
adopted swinging as part of their lifestyle. These people live in every
part of the country. No one knows their total number but it is
substantial and growing. A published report by two well-known
sociologists predicted that eventually 15% to 25% of all American
married couples would adopt swinging as part of their livestyle during
some period of their marriage. Today, organized swinging can be found in
most parts of the United tates, populous areas of Canada, parts of
England, France, Germany and Japan. In addition, there are a great
number who swing privately with friends and others met through personal
ads in swing publications. Many swing clubs offer group discussions and
travel in addition to swing parties and socials. Computers and the
Internet are fast become the most important tools for swingers. With its
globalwide reach and instant communication it will probably replace the
magazines and personal ad papers in the next few years. Soon most all
personal ads and swinging information will be available in the World
Wide Web. Swinging has come a long way since the early days of the
1950's. It is probable today that more new people begin swinging yearly
than the combined number of the first two decades of modern swinging. |
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