The history of cruising from England in the 1600’s to the current practice is a fascinating discourse on ways in which gay men meet and have sex in public bathrooms, bookstores, and parks. Alex Espinoza explains how this behavior has evolved from the pre 1969 closets era to stonewall gay pride and through the AIDS epidemic. His perspective as a “brown” person gives him a unique vision. He writes that “Latino queers are able to not only challenge the foundational dogmas of religion, family and nationhood inscribed onto the body since birth, but also to dismantle cultural appropriations and racial assumptions by calling attention to their existence.” I know pretty heavy stuff. But his writing clearly documents cruising in all forms along with the differences of the coming out process between white gays and queer people of color.
