Is it Weird to Listen to my Flatmates Have Sex?
In defence of the voyeuristic joys of listening in
Is it weird to listen to your flatmates have sex?
When I was younger, the answer would have been an emphatic yes. That’s their private business. I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to discover someone was listening to me having sex.
But now I’ve realised hearing them isn’t a sign you’re being voyeuristic, as I would have argued back then. Instead, it’s about embracing sex positivity.
This is a new experience for me.
It’s been fifteen years since I’ve had flatmates. In that time, it’s just been my partner and me living alone. We could be as loud as we wanted, whenever we wanted, while at the same time never having to pretend to ignore the sounds of other people.
But that time is over. For the first time since I was 22, I’m living with a flatmate. And I’m dating someone who also has a flatmate.
And my new partner is, for lack of a better word, loud. But then, my flatmate and their partner aren’t exactly quiet. And so, being fully aware when the other one is having sex has simply become part of our lives.
And while I would have once found this uncomfortable and something we didn’t talk about, I’ve now grown…
