For straight travelers, the word 'cruising' may only mean traveling via cruise ship. But in queer culture cruising has an entirely different meaning. It is the act of seeking sexual partners in public spaces such as parks, bathrooms, or alleyways. In a book named Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime, Alex Espinoza argues that the origins of the practice go back to Ancient Greece. Cruising in England was documented in 1698 when the first recorded instance of entrapment involved a gay man lured to a private room in a London tavern. Once upon a time, cruising was the only way for gay men to meet other men for sex.
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