This Saturday, Projekt 6 (P6) celebrated 25 years working with safeguarding the sexual health of Lund’s students. They think the hetero-norm is well on its way to loosen up – but columnist Marcus Älverbrandt is wondering where all the gays of student life are hiding.
Being gay is in again. Oscar Zia, contestant in the Swedish Song Contest, has been applauded for his coming out, grand-parents proudly boast with rainbow-coloured profile pictures on Facebook, and Adidas have tremendous success with their campaign aimed at homosexual athletes. Previous generations have planted their seeds meticulously, and we now have the absolute best conditions to reap the benefits.
In many ways, Lund University is a pluralistic stronghold, where any homophobic expression equals social suicide. Being gay is what’s in. Being hetero is so… 90s. A woman friend of mine told me how she had “come out” as straight at a party and was met by astoundment:
“Hold on – have you never been just a bit attracted to a girl?”
Straight men are very open as well. Many are curious and not afraid of intimacy. But when my beloved heteros stagger home to their girlfriends and I stand on the dance-floor alone, I wonder once more – where the hell are all the gays?
I have a hard time believing that I’m the problem. Having a flowing blonde mop of hair, well-trimmed runners’ calfs, and a sexy position as a columnist, at least a few Lund-guys should get hooked. Even so, my sex life in Lund is about as exciting as Dick Harrison’s wardrobe.
I try to find answers with the sexperts of Projekt 6 (Project 6), that celebrates 25 years in the coming days. The organisation, founded to prevent the spreading of STIs in student life, agrees that the hetero-norm has begun to loosen up during its existence. At the same time, there is not a single gay club in town.
“With everyone seeming so open-minded, the existence of sexual minority groups is also made invisible,” says former coordinator of the organisation, Clara Vallmark.
I think that she is right. Many people think that there should be no need for special forums for LGBTQ-people nowadays, since it has become so normal. But why do we never see two guys making out at a nation, or holding hands in Stadsparken? The absence of natural meeting places forces us – willingly or no – to go onto the dating app Grindr and its abyssal arse.
So, whilst waiting for the fruits to ripe… Lundagård reaches almost 40,000 readers each month. Statistically, around 1,000 of these should be men sleeping with men.
Call me maybe?
Column: Marcus Älverbrandt
Translation: Richard Helander
