Sex is always a controversial topic, even in contemporary student newspapers. The Flat Hat has long run a sex column, “Behind Closed Doors,” in its print edition and subsequently online. The weekly feature is among the most read and talked about in the campus community, and so to further that conversation we launched a sex blog, “The Daily Grind,” this fall, with the goal that it provide a place for alternative sexualities to be heard alongside with more mainstream ideas.
Several readers have complained about one recent post concerning frottage and other non-penetrative sex. Aside from general objections to the topic, the major concern was that The Flat Hat, as a student publication, is an inappropriate venue for such discussions.
While we respect readers’ comments and welcome all feedback, we feel that the post in concern, as well as the topic of sex in general, is one well suited for The Flat Hat’s intended readership: the students of the College of William and Mary. Sex is a part of many students’ lives and is a topic worthy of discussion in the campus community. The sex column and blog, therefore, are an integral part of our mission on campus.
However, in response to reader concerns that the content may be more explicit than typical Flat Hat articles, we have decided to run the following warning with all future posts to The Daily Grind:
_Warning: The content of The Flat Hat’s Daily Grind blog contains adult themes and explicit language. Please contact the editor-in-chief if you have questions or concerns._
As a news organization catering to an adult audience, sex is an appropriate topic for discussion, and the ultimate choice to read an article is the reader’s.