Revisiting Luther College, the Site of my First Sexual Experience

I  had my first sexual experience when I was fifteen years old, at a summer music camp at Luther College, in the far northeastern corner of Iowa  (See: Spending the Night with Todd).

It was a memorable week for other reasons, too: hanging out with real college boys in the dorm lounge, touring the town of Decorah with two cute cellists, buying books in the college bookstore (The Iliad), feeling a little frisson of Nazarene dread at the presence of so many Lutherans.

Having free time, without every moment of my day planned out, like at Nazarene summer camp.  The first time I really felt free.








I always thought of Luther College as ultra-conservative and homophobic, which makes having my first time there especially ironic. 

But it turns out that they've had a LGBT student club since 1979, they have a LGBT student center and a PRIDE festival and classes with gay content.  Plus classes on topics like neo-colonialism and Islamophobia.

They have an online gallery with hundred of photos of every aspect of campus, from art class to guest speakers to swim meets to the statue of Martin Luther.  Thus allowing us to check the beefcake potential.  Are there still cute college students hanging out in the dorms and the student union?


Wrestling singlets are always nice, of course.



















Even those of rival schools. 


















And there are many beefcake photos taken at the swim meets.



















But what makes Luther College unique are the candids, shot after shot of guys going about their business, walking across campus, posing with friends and romantic partners, taking selfies.  Sometimes shirtless and buffed.














Sometimes just shirtless.















Usually neither.













I like these photos the best. They remind me of that long-ago week at Luther College, where everything was fresh and new.