A study of Laud Humphreys Tearoom Trade
...tion is highly constrained because homosexuals find it difficult to discuss in detail their sexual behavior and how they feel about it (Humphreys: x). Central to the analysis of this behavior is a specific aspect of this interaction: the protection of the identities of the participants. Tearooms are notorious as places where sex can occur on an impersonal level and without any delay. Sex is a sure thing and if you know where to go, it can always be found. However, those who participate in sexual encounters in tearooms do not typically consider themselves to be homosexuals and see this title as a threat to other identities they might value, such as father, husband, masculine individual, and respected member of both the community and the workplace. As is the case with all interaction, the contact in tearooms is structured to avoid these threats as much as possible. Throughout most of the homosexual encounters that Humphreys witnessed, he found that little to nothing was spoken: "Of the fifty encounters on which I made extensive notes, only fifteen included vocal utterances" (Humphreys: 12). At first he believed this silence was due to a fear of being caught, however, after further research, he found that the silence of these encounters, like all other characteristics of the tearoom setting, served to guarantee the anonymous identity of the participants would remain. There are several settings for this type of sexual encounter, however, public restrooms provide the most attractive benefits for those in search of instant sex and a concealment of identity. These restrooms are easily accessible, simply recognized and provide little public and outside interference. Thus, they offer the advantages of both public and private settings (3). They are usually located next to busy roadways and are recognizable enough to attract a large variety of sexual partners, a minority of whom are active in the homosexual lifestyle and culture. Humphreys notes that many of these men frequent the same facility again and again, gaining the reputation as a regular, known for stopping in daily to and from work. In his section entitled "locating the action" Humphreys describes the methods he used in finding the hot spots for homosexual activity. He states that tips can occasionally come from unexpected sources, but most of the time he could only enter and wait for something to happen (7). He became able to identify more popular tearooms mostly by their location. During the warm seasons he found that those restrooms that are isolated from other park facilities are more common settings for deviant behavior: "Drives or walks that separate a public toilet from the rest of the par are almost certain guides to deviant sex" (7). He also found that active tearooms are identified by the number of cars parked nearby: "If two or more cars remain in front of a relatively isolated restroom for more than ten minutes, one may be reasonably certain that homosexual activity is in progress inside" (7). This sign that the sexual activity is up and running is an important one to the participants, who Humphreys noted, will rarely park unless the presence of other unoccupied cars indicates that potential partners are waiting inside. Another clue to an active tearoom is the condition of the windows and doors (8). Because of the nature of the encounters, these men must be able to tell when someone is going to come and interrupt their fun. If the windows of the restrooms were see-through glass, nailed shut, or had no broken panes, Humphreys was able to presume that the facility was not used for the behavior in which he was interested. Graffiti can also be a helpful clue. Restrooms found in lower class neighborhoods invite more of these markings than those in middle class or residential areas, but the type of graffiti is what is important. "Writings on the walls of the true tearooms are straightforward, functional messages, lacking the fantasy content of the graffiti in most men's rooms" (9). What all of these characteristics have in common is their ability for the concealment of one's identity. These disguising features are absolutely necessary if activities of such a stigmatized nature are going to occur. Furthermore, Humphreys realized that most of these men did not identify themselves as homosexuals and knew that being labeled as such could ruin life as they know it. As a result, he did everything in his power to conceal their identities to the best of his ability. In his conclusion, he notes that no one was harmed during the course of his study. His master list of names and license plates, which he traced to gain further information into these men's lives, were kept in a safe-deposit box, each interview card was destroyed with completion of his research, and no specific names or other identifying labels were used on questionnaires (42). He also went to great lengths to not be recognized once he visited these men's homes for interviews more than a year later, concealing his appearance, dress, and car from the earlier days of passing as a deviant. He states that these strategies were of the utmost importance because it allowed for him to approach his respondents as normal people; he assures the reader that they were not pu...