Swingism

Swinging, as we now know it, began in the early 1950s, although the practice is as old as man. The term swinging is attributed to an anonymous minister who accused member of his congregation of swinging from bed to bed like monkeys. Swinging has its roots among U.S. Air Force fighter pilots during World War II. Due to their closed social circle and high fatality rate, not to mention the lengthy periods couples spent apart, a type of swinging became acceptable among these couples. By the end of the Korean conflict in the mid-1950s, this practice had extended to the suburbs surrounding Air Force bases. Swinging became especially popular in Southern California. Within a few years, a number of magazines catering to swingers began to appear. These periodicals ran personal ads of swingers. At the time, this was the main way for swingers to meet. The next step in the evolutionary process of modern swinging came in the form of clubs that catered to this lifestyle. One of the first of these was The Group in Orange County, California, which was later called The In Crowd. Other clubs opened in California that gained national publicity. The Sexual Freedom League in Berkeley, California may have been the first group to host open and public swing parties during the 1960s. Soon clubs began to spring up in New York and other cities on the East Coast. However, unlike in California, swinging was done "off-premise", with the club serving only as a gathering place for swingers. This changed with the opening of Plato's Retreat in New York City. Today, organized swinging can be found all over the world from the United States to Japan. Today's computer technology also enables swingers to meet with others from around the globe, making swinging easier than ever.