Lecter: Created page with "The anti contact zoosadist flag '''Zoosadism''' is an attraction towards nonhuman animals in a state of pain or distress. This attraction may be more focused on the pain, more focused on the animal, or focused on both equally. This term is used here as a sexuality label and should not be conflated with an act of abuse towards animals or having intentions to commit such an act. {{Note|text=This article is a part of MAP Wik..."

2025-07-08T06:36:23Z

Created page with "thumb|right|The anti contact zoosadist flag '''Zoosadism''' is an attraction towards nonhuman animals in a state of pain or distress. This attraction may be more focused on the pain, more focused on the animal, or focused on both equally. This term is used here as a sexuality label and should not be conflated with an act of abuse towards animals or having intentions to commit such an act. {{Note|text=This article is a part of MAP Wik..."

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[[File:Anti contact Zoosadist.png|thumb|right|The anti contact zoosadist flag]]
'''Zoosadism''' is an attraction towards nonhuman animals in a state of pain or distress. This attraction may be more focused on the pain, more focused on the animal, or focused on both equally.

This term is used here as a sexuality label and should not be conflated with an act of abuse towards animals or having intentions to commit such an act.

{{Note|text=This article is a part of MAP Wiki articles on Other Paraphilias.}}
== History of the term ==
The term "zoosadism" was coined by Ernest Borneman, a German psychoanalyst and crime writer<ref>[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zoosadism Zoosadism], Wiktionary.</ref>.

Contemporary medical community defines zoosadism as "a paraphilia in which sexual arousal and satisfaction are obtained from torturing a nonhuman animal."<ref>APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). https://dictionary.apa.org/zoosadism.</ref>

As an identity that refers to the attraction, separate from the acts of animal abuse, the concept of zoosadism dates back at least to autumn 2019 and creation of the anti contact zoosadist flag<ref>[https://paraflags-wiki.org/index.php/File:Zoosadist_by_Lecter.png] Paraphilia+ Flags Wiki.</ref>.

== Statistics ==
It is unknown how many people in the general population are zoosadists. Zoosadists make up 10.2% of the online paraphila community<ref>Common paraphilias – Lecter A.A. Wierstamann. (2023, October 10). https://wierstamann.net/2023/10/10/common-paraphilias/.</ref>.

According to a community survey of 20 zoosadists<ref>Zoosadism – what it is and what it isn’t – Lecter A.A. Wierstamann. (2025, June 17). https://wierstamann.net/2025/06/17/zoosadism-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt/.</ref>, 80% of zoosadists also have nonsadistic attractions towards animals, 75% are positive zoosadism is a component of their zoophilic attractions, 40% report their zoosadism includes romantic feelings.

== Community ==
Due to pushback and harassment, the zoosadist community is still small and poorly organized, with few resources<ref>Boon’s corner! (n.d.). https://boonzoos.neocities.org/zoosadist_resources.</ref>.

The community is probably most known for its flag (shown in the beginning of this page) and code letter: ξ. Both these symbols represent exclusively anti contact zoosadists. Guidelines proposed for the zoosadist community in 2022 also explicitly oppose animal abuse<ref>Zoosadist community guidelines – Lecter A.A. Wierstamann. (2023, March 18). https://wierstamann.net/2023/03/18/zoosadist-community-guidelines/.</ref>.

== Discourse ==
The Twitter zoophile community has reacted to the existence of anti contact zoosadists with rejection since at least 2019. The rejection seems to stem from a belief in incompatibility of zoo activism with anti contact ethics.

Lyc, a zoo influencer and community organizer, has shared the following messages on his account Zoo-X-Perience (@zooxperience):
<blockquote>
There is no place in our community for zoosadism!
</blockquote>
- <ref>https://x.com/zooxperience/status/1924097023596232792</ref>
<blockquote>
"Attraction ≠ Action" is often used as a cover for those who are acting on their harmful attractions, or networking after gaining access to zoo spaces, trying to shield themselves from accountability.
</blockquote>
- <ref>https://x.com/zooxperience/status/1932819973979644231</ref>
<blockquote>
Anti contact is anti zoo
</blockquote>
- <ref>https://x.com/zooxperience/status/1934772280913170627</ref>

Acceptance of anti contact zoosadists in the zoo community is one of the purposes of the [[Zoophilia#Alef|alef zoo]] identity, formed in late 2023.

In 2024-2025 the zoosadist identity has been subjected to renaming attempts, notably promoted by people who do not share this type of attraction and rejected by zoosadists themselves<ref>Bestiasadophilia - paraphile wiki. (n.d.). https://www.paraphile.com/index.php/Bestiasadophilia#Controversy_and_Criticism.</ref>.

== References ==

[[Category:Other Paraphilias]]

Zoosadism - Revision history