I received the following e-mail from one of Swarthmore’s über-gays yesterday:
In a way, I think it manages to encapsulate quite nicely most of my problems with being gay at Swarthmore. Namely:
- The tendency to over-analyze almost everything; see also, the “gender free orgasm” workshop that was part of the Sager Symposium two years ago.
- The fact that there are groups on campus that honestly think it’s okay to spend administration money on organizing meetings telling students where to find kinky queer sex.
Don’t get me wrong: I respect a person’s right to engage in whatever kind of sex they want, kinky or otherwise; I just fail to see the need to hold a meeting to discuss it. My general opinion on the subject is, if you’re considering going to this meeting, you probably (a) already know what kinky queer sex is, and (b) already know where to find it. I have no doubt that students at Oxford are having exactly as much, if not more, kinky queer sex as Swarthmore students, and yet they don’t feel compelled to caucus on the subject. So, I ask again: what, exactly, is the point of this little get-together, other than to out fellow kinky queer sex enthusiasts to each other, making future Paces parties that much more horrific?
Also, where the fuck did anyone get the idea that it’s okay to have “Do YOU want to learn about kinky queer sex?” be the subject line of an e-mail? My parents would probably have stopped paying my tuition if that notification had popped up while they were around.
Ha… I think I addressed this issue in a column I wrote a while back:
http://thedartmouth.com/2009/05/15/opinion/osserman
Ahh, and here was the (strikingly similar) mass e-mail I composed (complete with gratuitous ASCII, because most students on campus use our text-based Blitzmail)
> &%&||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||%&%|||||||||||||
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> |||||||||||||||||||||||||%&%
>
>
> P A N A R C H Y
> and
> Gender, Sexuality, XYZ
> p r e s e n t
> …,,,..,,…,…,…,,,…,,,,…..,,,..,,,……,,,…,,,…,,
> “”““”’““””“`’“`”’“`””“”`”’“`”’“`”’“`”’““”’“`”’`
> “We tend to think of the erotic as an easy, tantalizing sexual arousal. I speak of the erotic as the deepest life force, a force which moves us toward living in a fundamental way.”
> ~ Audre Lorde
> …,,,..,,…,…,…,,,…,,,,…..,,,..,,,……,,,…,,,…,,
> “”““”’““””“`’“`”’“`””“”`”’“`”’“`”’“`”’““”’“`”’`
>
>
> BONDAGE 101:
> an interactive* introduction to erotic rope tying
> Tuesday, May 12
> 8:00 pm
> Panarchy
> 9 School Street
>
>
> featuring Dov, NYC-based bondage expert
> …,,,..,,…,…,…,,,…,,,,…..,,,..,,,……,,,…,,,…,,
> “”““”’““””“`’“`”’“`””“”`”’“`”’“`”’“`”’““”’“`”’`
> “Thou art to me a delicious torment.”
> ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
> …,,,..,,…,…,…,,,…,,,,…..,,,..,,,……,,,…,,,…,,
> “”““”’““””“`’“`”’“`””“”`”’“`”’“`”’“`”’““”’“`”’`
>
>
> On a campus with little exposure to a kink-friendly community, Dov (and Panarchy, Sexperts, DCP, GSX, and Tabard) seek to offer students a space to learn and discuss safe, consensual methods of exploring BDSM. Dov will be teaching students how to perform erotic rope tying based on an intricate style originated in Japan. No assumptions will be made about gender and sexual preference; we seek to make this event as safe, queer-friendly, feminist, sex positive and inclusive as possible.
>
>
>
> *Participation is optional (fully clothed). Ropes will be available; feel free to bring a partner.
>
>
> Cosponsored by: Dartmouth Coalition for Progress, Gender Sexuality XYZ, Tabard, Sexperts
> …,,,..,,…,…,…,,,…,,,,…..,,,..,,,……,,,…,,,…,,
> “”““”’““””“`’“`”’“`””“”`”’“`”’“`”’“`”’““”’“`”’`
> “Stars hid your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
> ~ From The Talented Mr. Ripley
> …,,,..,,…,…,…,,,…,,,,…..,,,..,,,……,,,…,,,…,,
> “”““”’““””“`’“`”’“`””“”`”’“`”’“`”’“`”’““”’“`”’`
>
>
> %&%|||||||||||||||||||||||||
(incidentally, the subject line to this e-mail was “All tied up?”)
(Okay I’m going to stop commenting now. This post just got me really excited/nostalgic.)
1) no money was spent on this meeting. it was two people asked to come in and lead a workshop for squ, based on interest of the members of the group. also the point was not to “tell students where to find kinky queer sex.”
2) why are you on the mailing list of a group that you have such problems with?
3) why do your parents read your email/stand over your shoulder while you read it?