Cottaging: British slang for anonymous gay sex in a public men's room--the sort of sex U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was reputedly soliciting when he was arrested last June in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. Craig later confessed to a charge of disorderly conduct; he resigned his Senate seat on Sept. 1.
As writer James Hannahan explains in an article in Salon, "In England, [bathroom] stall doors usually extend to the floor -- like little cottages, how quaint! -- providing maximum privacy for enterprising fellows." Hannahan, who is homosexual, goes on to theorize why cottaging (or "cruising," as it's usually called in the United States) is popular:
Men are sluts. Gay men who have embraced their slut (not technically an "inner" one) may feel they have less at stake when participating in a bit of lavatory horseplay, but the transgression and fear of being caught add an extra thrill to the experience ... Some gay men are also turned on by servicing straight guys, perhaps especially while in service stations. And no one cares about your "orientation" in a lavatory -- in there, it's all business.
Eh...last time I checked, I wasn't a slut. Let me check again. Nope, still not a slut.
Posted by: John | September 03, 2007 at 11:39 AM