A "phallic brotherhood" for collective masturbation
Maribel Arenas and Lydia Hernández (Chronicle)
Madrid, Jul 29 (EFE).- Thirty years ago, accessing pornographic content "was a novelty" that teenagers, attracted to the world of sex, celebrated and shared. This was the case of Nacho, the founder of Pajas Entre Colegas (PEC), the first club of collective masturbation for men in Spain.
"The idea arose in the year 2013, when a friend and I created a blog about masturbation techniques. He went to the USA to study medicine and, when I visited him, we went to the clubs in New York and Seattle. That's where the idea of opening a venue in Spain came up," he tells Efe from the headquarters, located in the town of Alcorcón, Madrid.
For Nacho, PEC is a "phallic brotherhood" in the form of a "non-profit association," where one "creates connections with people" that end up becoming "brothers and friends." The rules are clear: "nothing goes inside anything" and "no lips below the hips". Alcohol consumption is not allowed, beyond beer, nor access to the event for "members" who are under the influence of psychotropic substances. Although the average age of attendees is around 30 years old, the founder explains that there is no specific profile. He also estimates that around 70% are homosexual or bisexual men, while the remaining 30% are heterosexual, many of them married or in a relationship.Events are held exclusively among members, approximately every week. Users are called an hour in advance to get to know each other and then have around two and a half hours of collective activity. The organization of the meetings is also carried out by volunteers like Ricardo, who are responsible for welcoming attendees and "welcoming" the "newcomers" who initially feel more "insecure" when it comes to undressing and participating. Also, volunteers can enjoy the experience.
Indeed, for Ricardo, this space represents a "meeting point beyond Chueca (Madrid's LGTB+ neighborhood) or a `cruising´ bar (anonymous sex in public places)" and a place "where you will feel understood, no one will judge you, no one will doubt you, and no one will ask you for more explanations than you want to give."
The taboo of masturbation
For Nacho, the word "wanker" carries negative connotations because"people think it's a loser who has no one to go to bed with." However, he believes that "the man who says he doesn't masturbate, whether married, widowed, or single, is lying."
Sexologist Marta Fuentes explains that there is still a "very large taboo" regarding masturbation in Spain, partly caused by ignorance and lack of sexual education.
On the other hand, Ricardo believes there is a "double and triple standard" regarding masturbation. "I don't understand the fact that here there is a `cruising´ area or a brothel where women are mistreated and nothing happens; instead, there is shouting and outrage when a group of men gather freely and for a fee to masturbate. I think that's a subject for Cuarto Milenio." "Anonymity, excitement, and the feeling of being part of a group within certain limits" are the main attractions for this volunteer, who likes to feel included in this "phallic brotherhood."
This perception is shared by Fuentes, who identifies two types of profiles among attendees at these venues: men "with few social skills who, in some way, do not know how to have sexual behaviors with other people" and men with a "more narcissistic" profile who seek a "sexual competition" with things like "erection or who ejaculates first." Likewise, the sexologist understands that these experiences can be related to "exhibitionism" and "voyeurism" (pleasure in observing erotic attitudes in other people).
The legal battle
Social prejudice hinders PEC's activity, which, after complaints from neighbors, has halted events at the venue until obtaining registration as an association. The goal of this is to safeguard the anonymity of attendees, by preventing the police from entering what would be considered a "private meeting." They are even forced to hide from the landlords of the premises they rent the true reason for their meetings, for fear of being rejected or hindered.
"You have to say it's for a yoga event, for example, so that the host who rents you the space isn't there. That's how we manage," Nacho laments.Ricardo concludes that it "would be very interesting to have a more open mind, let people do what they want, within the law, and pursue what is being done outside of it."
Thirty years ago, accessing pornographic content "was a novelty" that teenagers, attracted to the world of sex, celebrated and shared. This was the case of Nacho, the founder of Pajas Entre Colegas (PEC), the first club of collective masturbation for men in Spain.
