The vast majority have no interest in being seen. They may be meeting in public locations, but they will be as discreet as possible,' Griffith said.Ĭruising areas traditionally have been those parts of town 'women and children are told to avoid,' but through word of mouth, bathrooms at places like Wal-Mart or Home Depot can become cruising locales, he said. Griffith said that officers involved in such stings tend to be young and that anecdotal posts on his site indicate the local arrest rates increase around the time of elections or when media attention focuses on the issue.īecause much of the signaling is itself benign behavior, some gay rights activists and lawyers have admonished police departments for arresting men who have done little more than tap their feet. 'Citizens have a right not to confront lewd activity in public places,' said Steve Sanders, a lawyer and gay rights activist. 'But if there is evidence that a sting is motivated by anti-gay animus, that may represent a more troubling issue.'Īt trial, Sanders said, police would have to prove that actions such as foot tapping were known signals for soliciting sex.
