Closing Thoughts

Dear Dominion Friends,

As I close this chapter of my life, I am filled with so many emotions and beautiful memories. 40 years is a long time and I have grown and learned so much. Like many Ladies who have passed through this place The Dominion changed me and my life. Like many of you I was searching for somewhere I would be understood and not made to feel “less than”.

The Dominion provided a safe space for me to grow and learn to accept myself as the person I was and to take away the stigma of being “different” in a world that prefers cookie-cutter perfection.

I had the great privilege to work with Lady Laura, the first woman to own a dungeon in Los Angeles. Lady Laura was my mentor, Mother, Mistress and friend. She was a trailblazer in the community, a true Diva and inspiration.

This has not always been an easy journey. There were a lot of obstacles to cross to keep the place going, including fighting City Hall and male competitors who did not feel a woman had the right to run a dungeon. Boy were they wrong!

One of the great moments in Los Angeles BDSM history was the day that all the BDSM clubs were owned by women and “Sisters were doing it for themselves”. The 80’s and 90’s was pretty exploitive to women in the houses, and we were able to change that which I am very proud of.

I have much to be proud of. I tried to instill in the women who passed through here a sense of pride in who they were and teach them they were in charge no matter what their position and the most important thing was that NO MEANS NO!

The Dominion is a Sisterhood and that was part of the success story. The other part of the success was caring for our friends who came to visit. There are so many fond memories of people who have been with us from the beginning of The Dominion to the precious “newbies” we are meeting in our last days. The Dominion gave me self-esteem and I became proud of who I was and valued my kinks and differences as a bonus.

I was a single mother of 3 and The Dominion afforded me the luxury of making a living sufficient to care for my children completely on my own.

I love being a Dungeon Mother. I think I will miss this the most.

I have so many people to thank.

I thank all the ladies that had my back and tried their damnedest to keep this place going and have stuck by me until the bittersweet end.

I thank our Dominion friends who kept coming back and sharing their fantasies with us.

I thank my husband who I met here for his constant support and love. The Dominion and I have been a lot of work and he rose to the occasion!

What can I say about my dearest friend in the world?

Lady Francesca who has been with me through so much and has stuck with me through the best and the worst of times. I have always said I could not have done it without her and that is just a fact. She is my chosen Sister and my best friend, and I love her dearly. We did it together and we will remain friends for life.

There is too much to say… too many stories, too many good times and bad and there is just no way I can express to all of you what this journey has meant to me.

The Dominion has been a blessing to me, and I am confident I did Lady Laura proud. There will never be another place like The Dominion with a Sisterhood like we have. We have learned and grown so much together.

I am filled with pride and gratitude as we close the doors and I know you will think of us on occasion and smile. I know I will once I get past the tears.

I have loved you all.

Lady Hillary,

Headmistress of The Dominion

Closure

Dear Dominion Friends and Family,

It is with great sorrow I must announce the closure of The Dominion in December.

The Dominion has been a legendary and magical place in the community since 1980 when Lady Laura first opened the doors of her West Hollywood apartment. It has been a safe place for kinksters to come and share their deepest darkest fantasies without fear of judgment or reprisal. We have formed many wonderful relationships with our friends and over the years many legendary Dominas have learned their craft here and formed lifelong friendships with their Kinky sisters.

I began my journey with Lady Laura in 1981. I was a true submissive seeking a place to realize my dreams. Lady Laura’s Dominion became that place for me. Lady Laura took me under her wing and made sure I was safe and remained sane in the process. Lady Laura was a true Diva whose boots I could never have filled. When she passed in 1997, she left The Dominion in my care to carry on her legacy. I am proud of my years as a dungeon mother and the reputation of excellence The Dominion has attained all over the world. I took great pride watching the Ladies grow from BDSM babies to blossom into some of the most amazing and experienced players in the business.

The Dominion was a sanctuary for those of us that were into BDSM. We learned from each other and supported each other. Because we loved BDSM and we needed it. We took it very seriously. It was about OUR fantasies as much as our clients. We loved what we were doing. We learned from the bottom up in a safe and nurturing environment.

The heart and soul of commercial BDSM has changed dramatically, but mine hasn’t. I find myself with the same high standards and Old School values, unwilling to compromise them.

Since Covid-19 there have been drastic changes to the commercial BDSM community which make it impossible to run The Dominion up to my standards. I cannot compromise my principles so I must let her go. I once asked Lady Laura how long I should keep it going and she told me until it no longer brings you joy.

I tried my hardest to make this work after Covid, but The Dominion is more than just a room to rent. The Dominion is a place of sisterhood and pride in the work you do. It is love and care for our friends who visit us every week or just when they can get into town. It is the happiness and pride you feel after doing a good session or the loving care you receive as a submissive if you have a bad session. It is a place of love and respect for each other and Old School values I had hoped to pass down to the those receptive to the idea.

The Dominion has been my life for over 40 years. When I started, I was a meek submissive with no self-esteem. The love and care within these walls have made me a better and stronger person. I am proud of what I have done, and I wish I could continue, but it is not possible in this new era. I would rather shut it down with dignity than compromise my values.

I started doing this 40 years ago because I love it and I needed it. I am leaving it now because I love it too much not to honor the protocols, rituals and honesty of those who mentored me and raised me.

I thank all The Ladies who have passed through these doors for making The Dominion the legend it has become. I am so grateful to all our friends who visited us and played and trusted us with their fantasies. You will never be forgotten.

I am sorry we must go but please think of us fondly in the future.

All my kinky love and respect,