Section B · Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, February 12, 1999
Dance presents animalistic side of sex
Museum teaches love in the wild
By Matt Merkel-Hess Special to the Kansan
Dance the night away next to the diorama and learn how wild things do the wild thing tomorrow night at the Natural History Museum's second annual "Survival of the Sexiest Dance."
The event includes desserts, coffee and soft drinks catered by the Kansas Union, music by Lawrence's Swing 39 and presentations by scientists about love and romance in the wild kingdom.
The dance lasts from 8:30 to midnight. Tickets can be purchased at the museum and cost $21 per person in advance and $25 the day of the event.
"It's not the kind of thing your biology teacher in high school taught you," said Jama Kolosick, director of public education at the museum. "It's decidedly an adult event."
There is no student discount offered because this is the lowest possible price the museum could afford to charge for the event, Kolosick said.
Swing 39 will return this year to get the dance floor hopping. Reese Wendler, manager for Swing 39, said last year's crowd was tentative about dancing at first, but by the end of the night, everyone danced to the band's mix of originals and standards.
"It's an innovative way to spend Valentine's Day." Wendler said.
About 160 people attended last year, Kolosick said. This year, she expects 300. She said that she hoped the event would attract a new audience to the museum.
"The music is compelling, but we're making the other stuff interesting as well." Kolosick said.
Four floors of the museum will be filled with tables illuminated by candles, presentations and games. Prizes include candy, massages and a hotel stay.
"It's far more special than a candlelight dinner," said Alex Fraser, Lawrence graduate student and event volunteer, who will give the presentation on aphrodiasiacs.
Fraser's presentation will cover everything from red wine and chocolate to a bloody elephant trunk.
Fraser said that an aphrodisiac was anything that increased sexual desire or sexual performance.
She said aphrodiascias fell into four general categories: blood rushing, magical, nutritional and doctrine of similarity. Doctrine of similarity aphrodiascias are anything that looks like something sexual, such as a rhinoceros' horn, she said.
Fraser also gave a presentation on aphrodisiacs at last year's dance.
"Some older gentlemen were very interested in items that increased blood rushing to certain areas," Fraser said.
While chocolate, a mare's tale or a bloody half of an elephant's trunk are used as aphrodisiacs. Fraser said they still were just things to get you in the mood.
"The best aphrodisiac is the human mind," Fraser said.
Other presentations include how female frogs recognize their mate's voices in the dark and dinosaur vocalization.
"We think all this stuff is ridiculous," Kolosick. "But we do the same stuff other organisms do to get mates."
The museum chose this event because sexual reproduction is central to living organisms, Kolosick said.
"For biologists, sexual reproduction is how species survive," she said. "But in the human context, we have a lot of layers of ideas that affect the way people feel about sexuality."
Beth Huerter, visitor services manager, said the dance wasn't meant just for couples or dates.
"Come as a group with friends," Huerter said. "It's not nasty; it's not dirty. It's just the animal kingdom."
Illustration by Matt Lord
Group to bring issue of same-sex marriage to light
By Clay McCuistion Special to the Kansan
Politically Active Queers, a new campus group, is sponsoring a presentation today that explores the topic of same-sex marriage.
Marvin Decker, co-president of Politically Active Queers, said he hoped the presentation would start a dialogue.
The presentation's headline is Neil Axton, an attorney at Axton's Legal Services, 2412 Alabama St. He will speak at 3:30 p.m. at the Jayhawk Room in the Kansas Union.
The presentation is scheduled for today because Feb. 12 is both Lincoln's Birthday — signifying liberty — and two days before Valentine's Day — signifying love.
"In the short term, we want to answer questions people have about the issue. We want to bring the issue to light," Decker said. "Once we've exposed this to people, we can get feedback and determine a course to take for future action."
"The purpose of Freedom to Marry Day is to bring more attention to the issue of same-sex marriage and to promote activist work in the area." Decker said.
The Freedom to Marry Coalition, a group of human rights activists, first observed the date in 1998.
"The ability to marry affects health insurance, housing, adoption," Decker said. "Special privileges are denied to same-sex couples because they can't be legally married."
According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, no state in the United States allows legally binding same-sex marriages.
In 1996, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which federally defines marriage as a contract occurring between members of the opposite sex. Thirty states, including Kansas, have laws of their own specifically banning such marriages.
"You get really, really mad," said Lisa Braun, co-president of Politically Active Quers. "You're totally excluded from something society holds so up there and valued. This is a think some people take for granted."
The Freedom to Marry Coalition founded the day to change the law.
"Ideally, marriage laws won't say that only a man and a woman can get married." Braun said. "Instead, they will say two people can marry — including all the benefits that go along with it."
Decker said he agreed.
"Relationships should be a private matter between individuals," he said. "You shouldn't dictate to others how they should live their lives — who they have relationships with, who they marry. It's a matter of respect."
"Any sort of inequality is a serious problem," Decker said. "It sets a standard for the inferiority of a group, and it promotes hostility toward queer folk."
Braun said she believed marriage laws would change someday.
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