Gay student, 19, planning to lose his virginity in front of audience

Clayton Pettet, 19, said he will have sex for the first time at the Orange Dot gallery in Bloomsbury for a project entitled 'Art School Stole My Virginity'.He said he hopes his 'performance art project' - followed by a question and answer session -  will challenge the idea of sexuality.Clayton, who has been planning the event for three years, said he and an anonymous partner will have protected sex and then ask the audience what they thought of the performance.He wrote on his tumblr page: 'When all my peers at school were losing their virginity it was incredibly hard for me to ask why I was still a virgin and why it meant so much to the people all around me.'My piece isn't a statement as much as it is a question. The whole aspect of virginity was incredibly emotional for me and has been ever since.'Clayton has not told his parents about the project, but has informed his tutors at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design.Speaking about the event last year, he said: 'The key thing about performance art is that it should only be performed once, and this is the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime performance.'I've held on to my virginity for 19 years, and I'm not throwing it away lightly.'Basically it's like I am losing the stigma around virginity.'I want the audience to see if anything has changed between me and my partner.'Since culturally we do hold quite a lot of value to the idea of virginity I have decided to use mine and the loss of it to create a piece that I think will stimulate interesting debate and questions regarding the subject.'The second-year student at Central Saint Martins art school in London has been accused of cheapening sex and art with the stunt, which will take place on January 25 next year.The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement believe the project is not art and cheapens the special relationship of sex between loving partners.Spokesman Rev Sharon Ferguson said: 'I'm not quite sure how that's art.'My view is that we believe that all sexuality is a gift from God.'It's about what you do with it and how we use it is an expression of our love for God.'For my imagining in sex as an art form, I don't think this falls into that category.'My issue is around is this the right expression of someone's bodily sexuality? As an art project in front of an audience, where is the love, respect and mutuality in that?'Stunts like this cheapens our own sexual relationships.'Alex Schady, Programme Director of Fine Art, Central Saint Martins, said: 'Clayton Pettet’s project is not part of his course and has not been endorsed by Central Saint Martins. 'Staff are discussing with him the implications, both legal and emotional, of the performance and he is exploring the possibility of alternative means of expression.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az