What is a gimp?

A gimp can best be described as a sexual submissive who is dressed in a rubber or leather suit that covers the entire body, including the hands and head. Harnesses, gags, posture collars and other restrictive gear is often used to further objectify and subdue the gimp for its Mistress or Master.

A convenient phrase to understand the role of the gimp in BDSM is that all gimps are submissive, but not all submissives are gimps.

Gimps exist as servants, playthings and recipients of torment for their Dominant and must adhere to the 5 S's of Gimpitude:

1. Service - Gimps should always be of service and provide utility to their Dominant 
2. Suffering - Gimps are born to suffer and should offer their pain and discomfort to their Dominant as a gift to the Divine
3. Silence - Gimps should remain quiet unless their Dominant requires them to speak (a gag is often used to prevent noisy gimps from being heard)
4. Storage - When not in use, gimps are often stored away in a cage or box until it is time to "bring out the gimp" (immortalized in the classic scene from the movie Pulp Fiction)
5. Sex Toy - A gimp should always be prepared to be used as a sex toy – all gimp orifices are simply holes to be filled by the Dominant in whatever manner He or She chooses*

Gimps often have a sexual fetish for latex or leather, which helps the gimp to endure the discomfort and restriction of being in the gimp suit, but this fetish is not a requirement to be a gimp. It just makes it more exciting for the wearer.

Being a gimp is the most strenuous, physically-demanding submissive BDSM role that someone can experience, and the capacity to endure sweat, bondage, penetration, sensory-deprivation, physical labour, being used as furniture, and pain are attributes that make the top gimps renowned for their abilities.

A true gimp must not only embody all of the typical attributes of a sexual submissive, but must also do it with a strict code of dress, absolute obedience to their Dominant, and live a lifestyle that perpetuates its role in a D/s relationship. A gimp cannot exist without an Owner, just as a Dominant cannot exist without property. Well, they can, but it's like being called an actor without ever starring in a film or television show.

Being a gimp isn't about an occasional play scene with some latex or leather. True dedication must be shown in and out of the suit. The true gimp must learn how to make its own clothes, fashion its own gear, constantly work to perfect the bondage that it is to be put in, all with the advice and consent of its Dominant. The gimp must be prepared to heed Her or His call, be willing to push itself past its own limits, and always put its Dominant first. The gimp is an object, a possession, and is constantly reminded of this fact. It is led around on a leash, a sign that it is not free. 

The gimp's proper place is on its knees and at its Dominant's feet, completely attentive to Her or Him, ready to receive a command, or capable of kneeling there in place for hours while its Dominant occupies Her or His self or admires the well-behaved rubber creature in front of them. 

For the gimp, there is no better place to be. 

For more on this topic, and to sign up to a growing community of sexual submissives who identify as gimps, check out G.I.M.P. (Guardians of International Masochism and Perversion) at gimp.community  

*Proper negotiation and consent should always be obtained in all BDSM play, whether it involves being a gimp or otherwise. Play should be safe, sane and consensual and only performed by willing, capable participants of sound mind and body and of legal age of consent.