WIITWD

WIITWD, pronounced as an acronym and standing for What It Is That We Do, is an intentionally vague and inclusive term used within BDSM and alternative sexuality communities as a collective reference to the full range of kink activities, relationships, dynamics, and identities. The phrase serves as an umbrella term that avoids the need to enumerate or categorize specific practices.

The term is valued for its inclusivity. Rather than defining the community by specific practices such as BDSM, leather, fetish, or any particular kink, WIITWD encompasses all forms of consensual alternative sexuality under a single phrase. This allows people with diverse interests to identify with a shared community without their specific practices needing to be explicitly named or categorized.

WIITWD is also valued for its discretion. In contexts where explicit discussion of BDSM practices might be inappropriate or unwelcome, the phrase allows community members to reference their shared interests without detailed explanation. It functions as a kind of in-group language that communicates community membership without disclosing specifics.

The deliberate vagueness of the term reflects a philosophical position within kink communities that what matters is not the specific practices but the shared values of consent, communication, and respect for diversity. By referencing 'what we do' rather than naming specific activities, the term foregrounds the communal and relational aspects of kink over the cataloguing of individual practices.

WIITWD is most commonly used in written communication, community discussions, and educational contexts where participants share an understanding of its meaning. For those outside the community, the phrase may require explanation.

WIITWD emerged from within BDSM community discourse as practitioners sought inclusive language to describe the diversity of their community. The phrase gained currency through online forums, community publications, and event discussions during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

The development of WIITWD reflects the ongoing challenge within kink communities of finding language that is both inclusive enough to represent diverse interests and specific enough to be meaningful. As the community has grown more diverse, encompassing an ever-wider range of practices and identities, the need for broad umbrella terms has increased.

The term remains primarily used within BDSM and kink communities and has not achieved the same mainstream recognition as terms like BDSM or kink. It serves primarily as an internal community reference rather than a term used in external communication.