UNC Davis Library of Gay Cruising

About the UNC University Libraries

Having written before of "Gay Cruising in Public Library Bathrooms," I now write on gay cruising in a public school library's bathrooms and stacks, featuring the University of North Carolina's Davis Library.  Quoting:

Besides the posts, library employees cite graphic evidence, including semen-filled condoms draped over chairs and stuck to the walls.
....
The Craigslist posts are evidence of a pattern of sexual behavior witnessed by employees, including public masturbation and viewing pornography.
....
Brady said they are generally classified as "men seeking men," and she has never seen a post by a man looking for a woman, or by a woman seeking a woman or a man.

Notice how "Student Attorney General Amanda Claire Grayson" says it could be a violation, but who cares?  "It's something that could be considered a violation, but I'm not sure the Honor Court has a reason to adjudicate that."

The Daily Tar Heel article is so packed with eye-popping information, I'll just reprint it here for you to make up your own minds, thanks to Copyright Fair Use provisions, and perhaps comment below:

• "Craigslist Thread Reveals Subculture of Sexual Activity in UNC's Davis Library," by Josie Hollingsworth, The Daily Tar Heel, 9 April 2012:

For some students, study breaks in the library come in all shapes — and sizes.

As students begin to fill up the libraries in preparation for final exams, an active thread on the online classifieds website Craigslist reveals a subculture of illicit sexual activity specific to Davis Library, the University's largest.

A search for "Davis Library" on the personals section of the Raleigh Craigslist turns up a series of requests for sexual favors, posts that have caught the attention of some library employees.

Besides the posts, library employees cite graphic evidence, including semen-filled condoms draped over chairs and stuck to the walls.

"Out of curiosity one day, we were all in the library because, you know, there's all kinds of weird shenanigans. We decided to look in personals and there it was," said Davis Library employee and student Matthiew Morel, referring to the Craigslist posts.

Morel said he has only seen evidence on the seventh and eighth floors.

"The higher you go up, the more likely you are to encounter it," Morel said.

"On campus for a marathon study day," reads one Craigslist post published April 1.  "Would be interested in a study break at Davis Library if you're interested."

Others include post titles "UNC student seeks BJ" and "studying in library — help me relieve some stress."

The body of each post typically describes the author's physical appearance, including height, weight, race, penis size and whether or not he is circumcised.

Abbreviations like "DDF" — drug and disease-free — and "HMU" — hit me up — are commonly used.

Morel said he has seen the most action on the site during exams.

"The most postings were four to five in one day during finals," he said.  "Stress breeds romance, I guess."

The Craigslist posts are evidence of a pattern of sexual behavior witnessed by employees, including public masturbation and viewing pornography.

But whether asking for sex in Davis Library is a violation of the Honor Code is another matter.

Student Attorney General Amanda Claire Grayson said she has never heard of the Honor Court dealing with inappropriate behavior in Davis Library in her three years dealing with cases.

"It's something that could be considered a violation, but I'm not sure the Honor Court has a reason to adjudicate that," she said.

Kori Brady, another Davis Library employee, said the posts on Craigslist often fit a distinctive mold.

Brady said they are generally classified as "men seeking men," and she has never seen a post by a man looking for a woman, or by a woman seeking a woman or a man.

And the posts come primarily from undergraduates, she said.

A recent post suggested exceptions, though, when the poster identified himself as a male graduate student looking for an attractive young woman.

"I know of more stories of sex in the library," Brady said.  "But I don't know necessarily if they were connected to Craigslist."

Davis Library policy prohibits "behavior that interferes with the appropriate use of the library," including "inappropriate sexual behavior" and "viewing sexually explicit material on a computer."

University librarian Sarah Michalak declined to comment on the issue Sunday, adding that she wanted to be better informed on the issue.

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

Follow @SafeLibraries