Harvard Offers “Anal Sex 101” Class During Sex Week 2014

And the full name of the class, I shit you not, is “What What In The Butt: Anal Sex 101”.

Not apologizing for that pun, by the way. 

Rutgers University offers a class on Beyoncé - “Feminist Perspectives: Politicizing Beyoncé” is what it’s called - it examines Beyoncé as a Black feminist, and discusses the social change her music has caused. The University of South Carolina-Columbia offers a class called “Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame”. My own alma mater offers a class where you basically learn how to drink, called “Beverage Survey”. And there are many more universities out there with crazy courses. 

Not to be outdone with progressive, one-of-a-kind courses you can’t find anywhere else, last week, Harvard had a whole week dedicated to sex. And on Tuesday, they offered a class on Anal Sex. 

And they called it “What What in the Butt: Anal Sex 101”.
And you missed it. For the fourth year in a row. 

By the way, if you don’t get the reference, here you go:
 

“Sex Week” at Harvard is coordinated by a group called Sexual Health Education and Advocacy Throughout Harvard College.

Or, if you’re into acronyms (and / or foreskin): SHEATH.
These puns really write themselves. 

The SHEATH describes itself as “dedicated to empowering the Harvard community to explore their experiences with love and sex by providing comprehensive programming addressing a wide range of issues relating to sex, relationships, dating, sexual health, and sexuality”. 

But back to “What What in the Butt”.

Topics that will be covered during the class include:

• Anal anatomy and the potential for pleasure for all genders
• How to talk about it with a partner
• Basic preparation and hygiene
• Lubes, anal toys, and safer sex
• Anal penetration for beginners
• And much more! (I’m really intrigued to know what more. Fisting? Dp? What is it?!)

“They will dispel myths about anal sex and give you insight into why people do it and how to do it well. Learn the facts about this exciting yet often misunderstood form of pleasure, find out the common mistakes people make, and get all your questions answered!”  

Could “Anal Sex 101” ACTUALLY Be Beneficial?

After I got over the outrageousness of such a class, I began to wonder if I could have benefitted from it or something like it, both in the past and today. It’s always good to brush up on your skills, and maybe even learn something new. But unlike our straight counterparts, the majority of gay men grow up without a positive, older gay influence in their lives (unless I’m living under a rock). And we couldn’t necessarily talk to our parents about things like butt sex, sucking cock, and lube, the way a girl may be able to go to her mom when she gets her period. So often times, we get our sex-ed in other ways (read: Porn). 

While I’ve seen a HEFTY amount of porn, and some may call me a gay porn connoisseur, or even a gay porn fanatic, I now know that porn isn’t reality; it’s fantasy. 

You don’t need to fuck the bottom in 20 different positions to get him off (though that can be REALLY fun sometimes). You don’t need to jackhammer the shit out of his hole until he gets off (though that can be REALLY fun sometimes). You might need to use some lube, when you fuck, though (because that could be REALLY painful). And you don’t need to moan like a banshee (but throw the other person a little bone to let them know if you’re enjoying it or not). 

Unfortunately, sometimes I feel like, though us gay men have gotten most of our sex education through gay porn, many of us haven’t necessarily forgotten those bad habits we were taught through it, and our sex hasn’t evolved. 

We’ve all been there and had sex with those guys; the guy who just tried to brute force his cock into your hole (after slapping a little lube on your cheeks): the guy who treated you like a glorified hand, basically using you to jack himself off, and came in 2 minutes flat: and the guy who was above sucking cock (but wasn’t above getting his sucked).  And while all of us like to THINK we are gods in the bed, even the best lovers could always learn a thing or two, even if we’d never fully admit it outright. 

“Gay Sex 101”: What Are YOUR Rules?

Could you imagine if there was a “Gay Sex 101” Class? What if I was the teacher, and you were my TA (besides the fact that we’d be totally naughty)?  

What would you like to see in the curriculum? What are the essential things you’ve learned over the years about sex, from cock sucking, to fucking, to kissing? What about what NOT to do?