Freedom in Oppression: The Promise of Sexual Democracy on the New York Cruising Scene, 1945–1982

Abstract

In opposition to the conventional view that the Seventies’ gay liberation brought freedom to gay men and diversity to their sexual realm, this thesis points to some of the paradoxical effects of sexual freedom and democratic tolerance. By focusing large parts of its analysis on situational interactions between “cruisers,” i.e. homosexual men who searched for sex at public places like parks and restrooms as well as private establishments like bars, bathhouses and discotheques, it uses the history of cruising in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies as a case study for a broader discussion of sexual democracy. Prominent theorists of sexual democracy have denounced anonymity as a sexual strategy, while presenting diversity as an ideal avenue for social equality and personal freedom. By directing attention to some of the practical considerations and personal dilemmas that gay men faced “on the cruise,” this thesis not only defends the personal value of sexual anonymity in some situations, but it also advocates a definition of diversity that encompasses not only respect for personal and group differences, but also more genuine interactions between different social and cultural worlds.