S2E10 - Stephen: "The Golden Age of Cruising"
Before the apps moved hookups online, before Giuliani sanitized Times Square, before Pacino put on leather drag for a Hollywood movie, “cruising” in New York City was an extreme sport practiced in places like the Port Authority bus terminal, the subway platform, The Ramble in Central Park, not to mention sex clubs and even the World Trade Center. In the 80s and 90s, sex was always right around the corner in New York City and Stephen was there for it.
As the only child to immigrant parents from Trinidad, Stephen grew up in Queens but would escape into New York City with his friends to attend punk concerts.
After having his first gay sex experience during his freshman year in college, he returned to New York City and started to explore the backrooms and bathrooms of New York City: first in the gay bars of the West Village and the piers near the West Side Highway (made famous by the documentary PARIS IS BURNING) and then on to one location after another. Along the way, he met James, a fellow sex enthusiast, and a weekend fling turned into a decades long friendship.
Stephen also has some advice for black men who think bottoming isn’t masculine: get over it. The same goes for white gay men who fetishize black men.
Fruitbowl Cliff Notes for this episode include:
The DL - Here’s a definition of the Down Low, a term that is used to describe black men who secretly have sex with men. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20DL
The Ramble - a notorious location for public gay sex as well as the location of a recent viral video that featured a racist dog walker and a black, queer bird watcher. https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/ramble/
Larry Kramer - A gay playwright and screenwriter and a legendary queer AIDS activist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Kramer
Stephen would like you to know about www.theokraproject.com
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Check out host Saira B’s awesome podcast about erotic fan fiction, FREAKY TALES 4 U! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freaky-tales-4-u-a-queer-fanfiction-show/id1463915467
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