Who would have ever guessed that Bloomington, Indiana would host the international campus for sex research? Probably not the founders and early benefactors of Indiana University! As the story is told, professor Alfred Kinsey, a specialist in a type of wasp (yes, the insect), was recruited by the school to create a course to answer ‘marriage’ questions coming primarily from female students. Kinsey was chosen because he was considered so dull that even the subject of sex would appear uninteresting and boring if it came from him. No one could have anticipated that Kinsey would become so determined in pursuing his new assignment that it would eventually lead to research of human sexuality on a scale previously never done, or that in 1947 his work would lead to the founding of an institute devoted to studies in sexual behavior.

It was a beautiful summer afternoon when Junior Cruisemaster and I made our way across the Indiana University campus to the unassuming building where Kinsey is based. While it’s founder died in the fifties, his work has continued thanks to the support of the people of Indiana and a host of private donors. For years, the Institute was very much out of bounds to the general public. Even now, getting inside is greatly limited though the public can take guided tours at specific times (call 812-855-3878 to confirm the schedule). I was honored to have the opportunity of a private tour, not to mention a chance to meet with Kinsey’s lead researchers to discuss issues relevant to public sex.

You’d never know you were in the fulcrum of sexual studies by the looks of the ordinary reception room. The Midwestern lady who greeted us looked like she could be anybody’s mom. Indeed everything appears relatively ‘normal’ but for the erotic art collection that hangs from the walls, piles of porn videos on a desk, and the various phallic and vaginal symbols adorning the desks of the research staff.

The folks at Kinsey are preparing to do major research on the role the Internet plays in helping us connect for sex and they wanted to recruit our help to reach the audience at cruisingforsex.com. We sat down with Erick Janssen, a Dutch-born researcher who was putting together the study and talked at length about what motivates men to seek sex via the Internet, how it is supplanting other methods of connecting, and what special issues may arise as a result. After lots of talk, Erick introduced us to our tour guide, whom, to her credit, didn’t blush once as we talked about subjects of how erectile function is studied to how sexually active women really are. While I’m sure we saw sections of the complex not available to the general public, any tour of the Kinsey Institute is worth the effort to get to Bloomington.

In addition to their research, Kinsey himself began collecting erotic art shortly after he established the Institute. Police departments began forwarding to him confiscated art and objects taken from homes and businesses after raids. Prisons supplied collections of erotic art from their inmates. In what must be the only publicly sanctioned collection of child porn, Kinsey has, safely locked away from general view, representations of all types of sexual expression including kiddy porn and bestiality. Just looking at the labels on their boxes can tell you a great deal about the sexual abilities of the human species!

One section, set aside to house their collection of major art, includes erotic work attributed to Rembrandt, Matisse, Chagall, Picasso, and Hogarth. Of special pride is an outstanding collection of photographs from George Plat Lynes who, in addition to his ‘above ground’ fashion photography, also took hundreds of photographs of an erotic nature, mostly handsome young men. Pamplets can be found including works by Magnus Hirschfield, examples of erotic pulp fiction and comic strips, even a letter from Sigmund Freud in which he addresses the concerns of a mother who suspects her son to prefer sex with men, advising her that this is “nothing to be ashamed of� -- pretty amazing when you consider it was written in 1935!

Kinsey continues to lead in it’s field, and being deep in the ‘heartland’ of America gives it a unique perspective. If you’re looking for a group to support the Kinsey Institute would be an excellent choice. While there is a liaison with the University, much of the work is done through a non-profit entity created by Kinsey precisely because he anticipated political pressures to halt or control this work. Even now there are pressures to close down research. Visit their website, www.kinseyinstitute.org, to learn more about this vitally important organization.

[ September 28, 2001: Message edited by: Keith ]

So did you guys have sex there?

A 3-way with the tour guide sounds hot.

We spent one night in Bloomington and since the boyfriend and I had been apart for several months, no, we didn't venture out to find sex. The freshman class was just arriving that day so I'm sure it would have taken a few more days before they managed to locate the cruisy toilets!

Dont be so sure, As a graduate of IU, I can assure you that the men and boys of Bloomington are among some of the finest. I have lived in Ft Lauderdale and San Francisco and believe it or not, sex in Bloomington is almost as easy to find as in Lauderdale or San Fran. Must be something in the water there.