![gay men cruising in woods gay men cruising in woods](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/cc1/041/7130f5b7c7cd878a131a613c4490ec1d5b-25-kevin-riverdale.rsocial.w1200.jpg)
The sheriff's office said the suspects approached and in some cases fondled the deputies.” 10. Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.Undercover male deputies went to the parks to see what would happen.
GAY MEN CRUISING IN WOODS FULL
Violence wasn’t uncommon at the piers, as drug smuggling and prostitution were just as common.Īlvin Baltrop, who published a book titled The Piers, full of history and photos, has said the piers were akin to “the poor man’s Fire Island.” A daytime trip to the water could uncover nude sunbathers, openly gay men socializing or the occasional orgy. Instead the piers along the Manhattan side of the Hudson River offered plenty of action.
![gay men cruising in woods gay men cruising in woods](https://powerhousebooks.com/site/wp-content/uploads/cruise3.jpg)
It wasn’t uncommon for closeted New Yorkers of the 1970s and ’80s to refuse to welcome a trick into their family abode (unsurprisingly, as his wife could be home), and refuse to step into one of the city’s many gay bars. Untitled photo by Alvin Baltrop (courtesy of Alvin Baltrop Trust, Third Streaming, and TF Editores) (Just watch where you step so as not to trip over anyone on their knees.) Depending on when you visit Provincetown, you may even encounter the occasional performance art gig. On a good night, still today, a drunken stumble down to The Dick Dock could put you face-to-face with dozens of anonymous guys looking to get their rocks off. These days you’re perhaps more likely to walk upon a photo shoot taking place in Vaseline Alley than actual gay cruising, although this is West Hollywood, and really, in any town full of strapping gay men, isn’t anyplace a makeshift cruising spot? While the Gold Coast Bar recently closed due to the COVID pandemic (fingers crossed we’ll get it back!), the former Circus of Books location is now home to a sex shop owned by famed porn directrix Chi Chi LaRue. For years it sat behind some of West Hollywood’s most bustling businesses, like the local Gold Coast Bar, vintage shop Out of the Closet and formerly the notorious head shop-slash-porn shop Circus of Books. Traditionally men would sit in parked cars along Vaseline Alley and wait for the right match to stumble along. It’s an infamous (literal) alley, located just off Santa Monica Boulevard in the heart of West Hollywood, and for decades Vaseline Alley and the residential and commercial area surrounding it was one of L.A.’s most popular gay cruising spots. And it’s conveniently close to the windmill in Golden Gate Park, as well as Marshall’s Beach, which are themselves hotspots for making a date.Ī vintage shot of West Hollywood’s Vaseline Alley (The nude sunbathing area is the beach’s north section.)Ī shot from Marshall’s Beach, not far from Baker BeachĪ clump of boulders found amidst one of the city’s most popular gay cruising spots provides a convenient place to slip away if you’re looking to escape prying eyes.
GAY MEN CRUISING IN WOODS PLUS
Baker Beach is your best bet for admiring the sun, sand and sea air, plus naked bodies on this clothing-optional stretch of land not far from the Golden Gate Bridge. Baker Beach, San Franciscoīeautiful views abound in San Francisco, and although the city has basically been converted into corporate housing for Facebook, there’s still plenty of gay fun to be had on the city’s outskirts. (Anonymity was key, and at night lights of any kind were banned.) Even today, Fire Island visitors are able to take advantage of this most infamous of gay cruising spots. Hugely popular in the ’70s, it’s said that anyone could step into the Meat Rack and find a playful partner, day or night. By 1952 it was officially a three-level underground parking garage. Pershing Square, 1920s (photo courtesy LA Times)Īs always, authorities were determined to push queer people out of public life, and an eventual redesign discouraged foot-traffic, not just in terms of cruising but for neighbors as well. (Hey, nobody ever claimed Los Angeles was a masterpiece of civic infrastructure.) But for decades Pershing Square had wooded areas that facilitated private rendezvous among men. Pershing Square, 1918 (courtesy LA Times)Įstablished as a cruising spot in the 1920s due to its proximity to other queer-friendly venues, Pershing Square, located in Downtown Los Angeles, is today undeniably ugly. Here are 10 of America’s most popular gay cruising spots through the years: 1. (That’s not to say it doesn’t still happen, of course.) And nevertheless, the memory of America’s great gay cruising spots lingers. Times have since changed, of course, and it’s no longer necessary for gay men to wander the trails of public parks to meet others also seeking a little fun.
![gay men cruising in woods gay men cruising in woods](https://www.amoderngaysguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/thanos-pal-uNAptMCSl-Y-unsplash-scaled.jpg)
While it’s illegal to have sex where others might stumble upon you, it’s also a fact that repressive, regressive laws left LGBTQ people with few options for most of the 20th century.