We’re very excited to present our Sex Issue. So excited, in fact, that we went ahead and released one of the pieces — “Casual Encounters” — online on Monday evening. Perhaps you read it. If not, we advise you to. It’s a University senior’s riveting account of gay cruising in the age of Craigslist and Grindr. In the story, he describes a series of random hookups with students he’s met on Craigslist and other sites. But beyond its salacious premise, the piece is an astute commentary on the nature of intimacy when sex is as easy as, in the words of the author, “logging on, perusing, messaging, waiting.” Sites such as Craigslist, Grindr and Manhunt constitute an entire sexual sphere — a space where anything goes, and where gratification is almost instantaneous. After publishing this piece online, we were surfing around the Craigslist “m4m” section when an entry caught our eye: “Casual Encounters MI Daily Article.” “To the guy who wrote the Casual Encounters in the Michigan Daily article,” the post read, “wanna have some fun?” The Internet can be a terrifying place. But it is also be a place where meaningful connections begin. And who’s to say that something that starts through Craigslist can’t lead to something special? If the author of “Casual Encounters” is reading this, there’s a 6’2” stud who’s interested in you. He’s a successful guy with bedroom eyes, and he’s looking to “have some fun.” Message him.
Envying the anglerfish
When I was 16, I had a panic attack in my high school’s cafeteria because I got the urge to push a beautiful ballerina against the menu-plastered bulletin board, grope her ass and feel her pulse under my tongue.
Casual encounters: Tapping into a secret sex space
I have sex with men. Usually it’s late at night, and usually it’s with men I’ve met on the Internet. I also have sex with women, though that’s a bit more complicated than getting online, sending a few e-mails, and dropping my pants in a stranger’s bed.
A not-so-sexy threesome
I lay there, on the floor of Sara’s dorm room, while the two wanton lovers consummated their relationship. Twice.
Portraits: ‘Honey, they’ve got a full line’
I’m sure you get crazy phone calls here. What’s the weirdest call you’ve gotten?
Any of the prank phone calls start off really hesitant and then they go into it, and then the person kept on asking for sex and wouldn’t stop. The funny thing is that the prank phone calls pick up when school lets out. When the parents are away, they have nothing to do so they think it’s funny to prank us. Sometimes you do know that somebody is on the other end pleasuring themselves and that’s very uncomfortable.
Random Student Interview: Let’s talk about sex
What’s your most embarrassing sex story?
Most embarrassing sex story … I guess I’d just have to say my girlfriend’s mom walking in on me and her. It was pretty terrible.