The term slave makes a lot of newer husDoms quite uneasy, myself included. As my journey progressed I 
began to realize that the term slave in the BDSM community can be, and often is, defined differently by many people. It may be beneficial to the contemporary husDom if the differences were identified and discussed from the perspective of husDom.
Everyone has their own perception of the meaning of the word slave, most of which, rightfully so, are not good. When we hear the word slave most people envision a person or individual that is owned by another person and who is being forced to serve that person against their will. In general most people would agree that this type of slavery is abominable.
There are some notable differences between this type of slavery and slavery in the BDSM community. Probably the most significant difference is that the slave in the BDSM community is not a slave against their will, they have submitted to their Master willfully. With this submission they have given themselves to be owned and cared for by another. And in today’s society, since slavery is not legal in almost every corner of the world the slave is not legally owned by their Master and has the power to leave at any time. This BDSM slavery is often referred to as consensual slavery.
A slave in a consensual slavery relationship has given up all of their rights and privileges to their Master. The slave is now the property of another, metaphorically speaking. The slave does not set their own limits, hard or soft; those limits are set by their Master. In other words, the slave is not afforded the right to have any definitive input as to her comfort level or limits.
A slave in a consensual slavery relationship is not provided the luxury of a safe word. The slave is completely at the mercy of her Master’s judgment relying solely on his intuition and instinct.
In fact, the Master does not require the consent of the slave for anything. They have complete power and control over all aspects of the slave’s life. A slave should be extra vigilant before surrendering to a Master.
If a slave and their Master were attending a party and the Master ordered his slave to crawl over to another Master on her hands and knees and orally pleasure him, the slave would without hesitation. She has surrendered all of her rights to her Master and is now considered his property to do with as he pleases.
A submissive, on the other hand, does retain some key responsibilities in a D/s relationship. The submissive, unlike the slave, has the right to set and alter her limits. This allows the submissive the ability to help set the basic boundaries of the D/s relationship. The submissive will also be given a safe word to use in the event that she would require everything to slow down or stop altogether.
The rules that I have structured for my LK and myself allow her to have a voice and be heard anytime she desires. The rules that we agreed to ensure that she communicates with respect. And if I am who or what I say that I am, I will be communicating with respect as well.
Mr. Fox
HusDom 