Cruising around
There are many places where gay men cruise each other, and meet to have sex. As well as bars, clubs, saunas and websites, there are also open spaces where men cruise each other for sex.
Cruising in public places has been an integral part of gay life for hundreds of years. Men of all different kinds, including those who do not use the gay scene, meet at cruising grounds. Cruising grounds are generally open spaces where men look for consensual sex with other men, such as parks, heaths and lay-bys. These are sometime referred to as public sex environments.
There is no law specifically prohibiting cruising, and sex in public places is not illegal as long as other people who might be offended cannot see you and are unaware that you are having sex.
Police guidelines advise that the police should only respond to complaints from the public and should not mount proactive operations designed to catch people cruising. However, there are circumstances when the police may mount patrols or intelligence led operations, for example if there are reports of homophobic attacks or robberies.
It is not against the law for people to loiter, engage in conversation or walk around a cruising ground with the purpose of meeting others. In other words, you can not be arrested simply for going cruising.
Having an idea about what you want to get from cruising before you arrive should make things easier.
This cruising guide produced for Bolton NHS is intended to help men avoid any problems when cruising for sex.
Even if you tend to meet men in bars and clubs, or on the internet, some of the inforamtion outlined in this 44 page credit card size resource will prove useful.
Information in this guide includes:
- The Five Golden Rules to Cruising.
- The law around Sex in public.
- When is public sex legal?
- What the police have to say about cruising.
- Tips on checking out a cruising area.
- Exit and safety strategies.
- Looking after personal safety and avoiding trouble.
- Other forms of cruising: Bars, Internet, Saunas.
All this and a list of useful contacts and information on LGF Services.
If you would like copies of this resource just email us for more information. We'll need to know where you want them sending to and how many you'd like.
Cruising Around
Released/updated: 2009
Our guide for men who have sex with men.
We created this guide for Bolton NHS who wanted a credit-card sized guide which informed on the risks - personal and sexual health-related - associated with cruising.
cruiser
im lucky to stay i avery beautiful city called perth in scotland unfortunately it is very antigay & the police are far from understanding we have a local cruising area in a woodland area and the residents feel the need to write our registration numbers down and pass them to the police generally as a rule i dont have outdoor sex but do loiter in the woods in the hope of meeting someone to either chat to or maybe take it further in private . i do not cause litter or trouble loud music etc but on several; occasions have now had my reg like i said taken and the police nearly manged to stop me fortunately i was going the opposite way so they were unable to , we have no gay bars or meeting places do i have any rights over this at all??