I am livid. I am a dominatrix for a living... a non-sex performing, law abiding, safe sane and consensual BDSM player who advertises on the "domination and fetish" section of Backpage. I've tried to contact BP NUMEROUS times and never heard so much as a basic response. I have been banned from editing my ad several times - typically ads that I paid to have reposted 26 times - because I used a word I had NO IDEA was banned and that IN NO WAY implied illegal services. THIS IMPEDES MY ABILITY TO UPDATE CUSTOMERS AND GET BUSINESS - I AM PAYING FOR THE AD, I SHOULD GET AT LEAST A POLITE REPLY. The last one was the kicker. I used the term "small wee wee" in reference to small penis humiliation - this is not illegal - it is not illegal to humiliate someone. I WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM TAKING IT OUT OF MY AD - but there is no banned words list, there is no way to know what is banned and what isn't. Apparently the word "double" is banned (I use it in the context of double domme sessions, I assume it was banned because of a sexual practice). My website is also banned from being linked to, even though it is much more mild than other sites I've seen linked - no sex, no nudity - I have to link to my blog, which is inconvenient as hell. I am REALLY ANGRY. First it was limiting ads to 500 *characters* which doesn't even give the provider the chance to say she doesn't offer sexual services or what she does and does not offer... only enough room to write a couple of sentences. GUESS WHAT? That's an escort thing, not a domme thing - a domme is happy to give you *all* the information, straight out, and answers your questions - while escorts offering an illegal service write one or two line ads because they don't want to incriminate themselves.

I don't appreciate being treated like this. Backpage is one of the main places people look to find others to fulfill their fetish and BDSM impulses or needs - and quite honestly at this point the vast majority of ads have been banned from being edited which hurts both the clients and the honest hardworking dommes trying to make a living. I don't appreciate being equated with an escort or a hooker. And I certainly don't appreciate a company that is getting my money to post ads NOT EVEN BEING COURTEOUS ENOUGH TO PROVIDE A LIST OF BANNED WORDS OR INFORM ME THAT A WORD IS NOT OKAY TO USE instead of preventing me from updating an ad I bloody paid for.

Anyone who wants to look down their nose at me for my profession or think that my opinion means nothing - it's not about that. This is about customer service and fairness. If Backpage doesn't want our business, get rid of the section - it's really as simple as that. Stop screwing up legitimate law abiding providers and actually *read* the ad and realize the implied meaning instead of doing a search of keywords and banning any ad that has that word - not all uses of the word "double" mean double penetration, and not all uses of the word "wee wee" indicate that there is something involving contact with one in the ad. Though on that note, CBT is technically legal. CBT does not mean hand job, trust me on that.