My research examines the S/M dyke scene in 1980s-1990s Britain, with a focus on the politics of belonging, community and identity. Through an exploration of the feminist 'sex wars', I am considering the language used in these debates to establish the instability of categories of sexual and political identification, even in the recent past. The hope, in doing so, is to open up the feminist positions that can be held on topics like S/M, and to demonstrate the critical role community played in identity construction during the sex wars.