Bed-Stuy Dominatrix Faces Outraged Locals In Church Meeting

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN – A Bed-Stuy dominatrix faced off against a crowd of angry residents who demanded she immediately shut down the dungeon they argued put their children in danger

"I'm a strong black b----, I'm not afraid of much, but her customers scare me," said Laurie Miller, the Quincy Street resident who has mounted a campaign against Charlotte Taillor and her school of domination and kink. "This is a community, not a red light district."

"Please stop trying to break us, we're already leaving," replied Taillor. "We're bullet proof in legality and we've already said that we're going to leave."

Miller and Taillor were among about two dozen neighbors, a row of reporters, one police officer and an attorney who gathered in the Macedonia Church of Christ basement Wednesday night for the heated meeting to discuss Taillor's business, The Taillors.

The Taillors is a school of domination and kink that opened in December and offers a place for dominatrices and their submissives to meet, but also provides workshops on fetishes, lectures on feminism and free self-defense classes.

"Genuine and devoted members of the New York City kink community got together to produce workshops, events and scenes like no other ever before," the website promises. "Our team of gorgeous dominant women goes through constant training, making far ahead the best and most qualified group in the city."

When neighbors became aware of the workspace, Taillor promised to leave the Quincy Street location at the end of April. But her pleas that Miller stop shouting at staff and reporting her business to authorities did little to appease the Quincy Street parents who said Taillor's clientele endangered their children.

"I'm taking vengeance if something happens to my kids," Miller said. "If something happens to my kids, put me in a penitentiary that's got books, because I like to read."

Mary Patrick, 35, also came to the meeting out of fear for her six children, who frequently walk to the corner store by themselves, she told Patch.

"She needs to leave immediately," said Patrick. "Being as I know what I know ... I was very scared."

Other neighbors debated Taillor's right to run her business on a residential block, arguing they would have had no objection to The Taillors operating on nearby Nostrand Avenue.

"This is a residential block, there are kids," said Josh, a member of the Quincy Street Block Association who asked his last name not be published. "If there was a bar on this block I'd be concerned."

But Taillor's attorneys contend that her business is legal because she does not have a store front and her customers do not change traffic flow on the block.

"Even though is it's completely legal it's still not accepted in the community," Taillor's attorney Cary London told Patch in a phone interview. "Which is a shame, because it's 2019."

Josh also quizzed a local police officer from the 79th Precinct on what residents could do to protect themselves from potential threats.

The officer clarified that standing on the sidewalk or in a doorway is not a crime and assured the attendees they were free to take pictures, but could not shine a bright light on Taillor's door or request background checks on her clientele.

"Why is it legal for them to harass her?" asked Rebecca Israel, 33, who argued Taillor has as much right to run her business as anyone else who worked from home. "If it was a knitting business we'd probably not be here."

"If it were a meth lab I'd be just as concerned," Miller replied.

Taillor assured the crowd she was trying to raise the money to break her lease and move out by launching multiple crowdfunding campaigns and, to the residents' dismay, staying in business.

"That's not our concern," responded Patrick.

"The only reason you want us to leave is because you don't like what we do," Taillor replied. "You don't have to kink shame, you don't have to say people are creepy because of what they enjoy doing."

At least two residents were swayed by Taillor's arguments. At the end of the meeting, they approached Taillor to ask for more information about the kink workshops she holds in the contested space.

When Taillor's friend told them about the free self defense classes for local residents, they smiled.