Student to lose his virginity for performance art

We all remember our first time. For some, it was a magical moment in their lives. For others it was just sort of okay. Or maybe your first time was a complete disappointment you pretend never happened because it only lasted for about 30 seconds, felt awful, and he never called back. Matthew.

For Clayton Pettet, an art student at Central Saint Martins in London, his first time will be performed live. In front of an audience. As a piece of performance art. Did I mention he’s an art student?

[Image via ToothpasteForDinner.com]

According to Queerty, Pettet has dubbed his piece Art School Stole My Virginity ( . . . *groans*) and explained that he hopes to explore how society upholds virginity as a virtue. “Since culturally we do hold quite a lot of value to the idea of virginity I have decided to use mine and the loss of it to create a piece that I think will stimulate interesting debate and questions regarding the subject.”

Admittedly, Art School Stole My Virginity rings a bit heavy-handed, which I guess comes with the territory of being in art school, but let’s take a step back and look at this as rationally as possible: who is he objectively hurting? No one, really. Did he think long and hard about this decision? Apparently, this has been in the making for three years. And is he okay with his decision? Obviously, he seems pretty chipper about the whole thing, so we’ll put that down as a yes.

What I’m trying to say here is that yes, the entire thing smacks a bit pretentious, but it’s his body and his choice. As long as everyone involved consents to it, it’s no one’s place to say how he can lose his V-card.

Keep Reading

A still image of Anne, played by Amybeth McNulty, in braids and a coat, looking at another child in Anne with an E.

Why the adaptation ‘Anne with an E’ speaks to queers and misfits of all kinds

The modern interpretation of Anne of Green Gables reflected queer and gender-diverse people’s lives back at them 
Karla Sofía Gascón as Emilia Perez in Emilia Perez. Gascón wears black with colourful embroidery, has long hair, and a brown purse and delicate chain.

Trans cartel musical ‘Emilia Pérez’ takes maximalist aesthetic to the extreme

REVIEW: The film’s existence raises intriguing questions about appropriate subjects for the playful machinations of French auteurs
Dorothy Allison sits behind a microphone. She has long, light-coloured hair and wears glasses and a patterned button-up shirt.

5 things to know about Dorothy Allison

The lesbian feminist writer passed on Nov. 6

‘Solemates’ is a barefoot stroll through the history of our fetish for feet

Queer historian Adam Zmith’s newest book allows us to dip our toes into the past of a common, yet stigmatized, kink