NEWS RELEASEGay Cruisers Brace for Sweeps MonthWebsite To Use Twitter, Other Tools To Help
May 4, 2009 -- Immediate Release The website CRUISING for SEX is urging gay and bisexual men to be unusually cautious during the month of May when looking for hookups in places men frequent for sexual liaisons. Using a combination of online tools including tweets posted via Twitter and other tools, the website has launched "Cruiser Beware Month" to make sure men are better informed.
"May is not only the time of year when the weather heats up and more guys head to the bushes for action, it is also a major 'Sweeps Month' for local television," stated Keith Griffith, who started the website 12 years ago. "Sweeps is the time local media often finds itself in bed with the cops to carry out sting operations of men cruising for sex. Just last week we got a report from a Bakersfield, California location where one customer saw not just cop cars and a cop van parked outside, but also a news van for a local television station. I'm sure it was a joint sting in which the media gets to film and photograph those men cops arrest. In fact, I would not be surprised to learn a reporter instigated the whole thing, asking the police to come along so they could get some good footage." "Media started noticing our website back in 1998 and every year it has become almost like a ritual to target cruising during 'Sweeps Month'. Local TV needs ratings and men who want to have consensual sex with one another end up paying for their profit gain," said Griffith. To help men avoid trouble CRUISING for SEX will tweet instant alerts to anyone who starts following the CRUISING for SEX Twitter page. The site has also posted legal opinions of commonly asked questions from men who cruise in a posting called "Legalese." The legal opinions reflect the legal knowledge of lawyers in Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, and California, but can be useful for men in all 50 states. Additionally, a political primer to argue the case for decriminalizing public sex is also online. "The double standard of how laws are applied is especially galling to see," added Griffith. "Esquire and New York magazines recently did stories glamorizing public sex, but of course their audience was mostly straight and for heterosexual sex this is nothing more than pleasure. For men cruising other men you can have your life ruined if you get caught." Griffith cited the contrast between how mainstream media write puff pieces on heterosexual public sex with recent police actions like the one recently in Oklahoma City in which 16 men were arrested in a public park. After being arrested, each man had his photograph and name posted in local media. "Public sex is either a crime for all of us or it should not be for any of us," stated Griffith. "Obviously we at CRUISING for SEX wish America would try a more rational approach to people who prefer consensual sex outside the confines of their bedrooms." CRUISING for SEX is the website that keeps tabs on public sex venues with a comprehensive database of hookup spots for men around the world. KEEP ALERT: Check alerts in your area by going to our 'Heads Up' section: http://listings.cruisingforsex.com/cfs/index.php?file=h Subscribe to our Twitter page for instant alerts: http://twitter.com/cruisingforsex GET EDUCATED: Why is cruising targeted during the month of May? Find out how the news media play a major role in this: http://www.cruisingforsex.com/features/sweeps.html Legal opinions on how to cruise more safely and what to do if the cops catch you: http://www.cruisingforsex.com/features/legalese.html How to argue in favor of decriminalizing cruising: http://www.cruisingforsex.com/features/cruiserprimer.html SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES: Vote in our poll on cruising: go here for the poll Share your story about getting caught in a sting operation: go here to read and contribute to a discussion about getting busted. |