Revision Notes Tearoom Trade - Selected Topics in Criminology PDF

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Chapter 1. Public Setting for “Private” Encounters - expectations that sex can be had without obligation or commitment o search for “instant sex”

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the only “true” tearoom is one that gains reputation as a place where homosexual encounters occur - in April-October that Midwestern homosexuals call “the hunting season”- tearooms may surpass any other locale of homoerotic enterprise in volume of activity - they are accessible, easily recognized by the initiate, and provide little public visibility Availability - most cities my prof has seen were constructed of a native white stone with men and women’s facilities back-to-back under one red roof o heavy wooden doors, usually screened from public view o 3 urine. 2 stalls - most of these are located along the expressway - tearoom activity reaches its peak at the close of the workday, restrooms draw more customers if located near principal commuting routes of the metropolitan area - the two facilities he found that attached the greatest numbers were adjacent to four-lane traffic arteries Locating the Action - some might wait for months before observing a deviant act - the prof would enter, wait and watch - during warm seasons, those restrooms that are isolated from other park facilities, such as playgrounds, tennis courts, etc are more popular for deviant activity - the most active tearooms studied were all isolated from recreational areas, cut off by drives or lakes from baseball diamonds - an ideal setting for homo activity is a tearoom situated on an island of grass, with roads close by on each side o getaway car is just a few stops away - woman’s side of the washroom is barely used - active tearooms are identifiable by the number of cars parked nearby o if 2 or more cars remain in front of the relatively isolated washroom for more than 10 minutes then it’s a clue - a lone arriver will usually wait in his car until at least one other has parked nearby - men who play the tearoom game must know when someone is approaching - if the windows are opaque glass, nailed shut and no problem panes, the researcher presume that it is rarely used for homo encounters - popular tearooms have at least one pane broken from each window, unless the windows have been opened o so they can see whose approaching

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graffiti used to provide some indication of deviant acts restrooms of lower class or close to schools tend to encourage more writings than those of middle class - in more active tearooms, it says “show hard-get sucked” “will suck cocks-10/12/66 all morning” or “I have 8 inches- who wants it” - writings of walls of true tearooms are straightforward Volume and Variety - men will come to be known as regular participants - popular b/c they attract a variety of men, a minority of whom are active in homo subculture Privacy in Public - no talking to guarantee anonymity

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less personal than any form of sexual activity if the person wants to see the person again, they will have certain standards for that person

Chapter 2. Methods: Sociologists as Voyeur Other Tearooms - department store tearooms, most men wear ties - some places, there are no doors on the stalls in public parks, signals from the stalls are all bodily motion variety Neatness versus Accuracy - hypotheses should develop out of such ethnographic work, rather than provide restrictions and distortions from its inception Serving as Watchqueen - a man who is at the doors or window from which he may observe the means of access to the restroom - he coughs when someone approaches, nod when coast is clear - the lookout falls into three main types - “waiters”, men who are waiting for someone with whom they have made an appointment or whom they expect to find at the spot - the others are masturbators while observing sexual acts - voyeurs who appear to derive sexual stimulation from watching others o as being this, he can move around the room at will and observe all that was going on without alarming his respondents - waiters sometimes masturbate while waiting Sampling Covert deviants Hooker noted that homos who lead secret lives are usually available for stud when they get caught or seeks psychiatric help - entered the tearoom, left, waited in car for the men and recorded their license plate and brief descriptions Systematic Observation - developed a systematic observation sheet to record observations - report sheet includes place or recording the time and place involved, description of participants, description of weather and other environmental conditions, diagram on which movements of a the participants could be plotted, along with location of the places of contract and sex, as well as complete description of the progress of the encounters and reactions of the observer Obtrusive Measures - majority of the participants were married and nearly were all secretive - we was asked to develop a questionnaire for social health survey of men in the community so he used that to ask his participants - did the interviews a year after the time passed - changed his car and appearance so he wouldn’t be recognized - mens whose interviewed were completed were middle-upper class and more highly educated - those who were lost respondents a more transient group - largest single occupational class in the same was truck drivers Chapter 3. Rules & Roles - if the player use things like hope, and luck they will experience excitement in the action o such feelings higher the reward and lowers the costs, and increasing the profit Role Flexibility Players: Insertee is the cock-sucker Insertor is the one being blown, in anal the “fucker” Lookouts (watchqueens)

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Waiters- men who are waiting for a particular person, a particular type of “trick” or for a chance to get in on the action Masturbators- those who either are present just to masturbate or engage in masturbation while being waiters Voyeurs- those who get their kicks out of watching others engage in sex, sometimes are masturbators Agents of social control - vice squad members, park policemen and other park employees - insertees and insertors are identifiable only in an sex act - waiters or even straights can be transformed into players - the aggressor was defined as the player who first made commitment Chapter 4- Patterns of Collective Action Approaching - gesture with hands, motion with eyes, physical movement, erection, movement - while waiting, he looks at the situation over, if theres any police cars o trying to look as natural as possible while checking out the place Positioning - once he positions himself at the urinal, hes already begun his first move of the game - occupies the end stalls - if he stands close to the fixture, and his front side may not be easily seen, and gazes downward, he is straight - if playing, he will stand back form the urinal, allowing his gaze to shift from side to side or to the ceiling - next step is, the other man move to the urinal at the opposite end being careful to leave a “safe” distance between the two o indicates that those who occupy a stall upon entering are playing what might be called the Passive-Insertee system Signaling - For insertees, positioning is vital for informing others of their intentions o Watching for “handling” to see whether he is going to play with himself o Going to pretend to masturbate and that’s a signal

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willing player (esp intended insertor) steps a few inches back form the urinal so that his penis may be viewed easily o most who are insertors will engage in casual masturbation at the urinal o then begins to stroke it or play with it o as soon as another observes this, he will begin autoerotic manipulation aka erection o the prospective partner will look intently at the other’s dick and occasionally breaks his stare only to fix directly on the eyes of the other - if there are doors on stalls, foot tapping or note passing may happen - if there is a small hole called “glory hole” carved at about average penis height, it may be used as a means of signaling from the stall Maneuvering - the third move of the game is optional - conveys little info so it may be skipped - others may use this stage to move closer t someone or to move from urinal to stall - the restrooms floor plan is the strongest determinant of what happens during this phase of the game Contracting - contracts depend by the intended role of the initator - those who wants to be the insertee makes this move b holding his partner’s erect penis - one who wants to be an insertor steps into the stall where the prospective insertee is seated

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in the positioning and signaling phrases, they already indicated their intentions at this stage, there is an agreement and sets the term of the payoff man who is seated in the stall and is the passive party to the contract will generally end up as the insertee the man who stands at the urinal and is passive in the contract stage, will be the insertor usually the glory hole serves as a peephole for observation, a signaling device and as a place of entry for the penis in the insertee’s stall

Active

Passive

Insertee Position: urinal Signal: casual masturbation Contract: manipulates partner’s penis Position: sits in stall Signal: masturbation (sometimes beckoning) Contract: accepts Partner’s entry

Insertor Position: urinal Signal: casual masturbation Contract: steps into partner’s stall Position: urinal signal: masturbation contract: accepts partner’s manipulation

Foreplay - may be seen as a fifth phase, it is optional - foreplay may help maintain the level of stimulation required for proceeding The Payoff - insertors will sustain the action by clasping the back of his head, or placing his hands on his partners shoulders - using the hand to stop the penis from gagging - handplay tends to raise level of involvement - sometimes the act happens in front of the window so the insertor can act as the lookout - anal is rare in most tearooms b/c of the time require - mutual masturbation is common for reaching orgasm Clearing the Field - once sexual exchange is accomplished, most insertors step into a stall to use toilet paper - after the penis is cleaned, clothes are rearranged and flies zipped - when a man is an insertor, he left for his car immediately after cleansing - the insertee frequently waits in the tearoom for someone else to enter o but sometimes he becomes the insertor

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a pat on the shoulder, wave of a hand and a thanks conclude the action these games take between 5-40 minutes Coping with intrusions - the first is zipping the fly o he wants to cover his exposure - the 2nd is looking innocent - straights stay for no more than two minutes - the third where participants in the tearoom game cope with disruptive entries involves what he calls “speculative inquiry” o every man becomes his own self-appointed investigating committee o if the newcomer is safe, nods may pass around the room Chapter 5. Risks of the Game - they fear discover most - someone who discovers them and knows them from outside the tearoom is a fear - a possibility of bodily harm

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The Police - before technology was produced, they spied, used decoys and raids - decoys are the most popular of catching - raids are popular for reactive purposes and for prevention of sex Police Lawlessness - the decoy’s M.O may be to loiter inside engaging a suspect in friendly convo, using hand washing or urinal

Blackmail - most black mailing is done by law enforcement and as a result of decoy operations, some is practiced by those who pose as police officers, a small amount is attempted by close friends of victims - sometimes police were paid off by sexual service, donations were made to charity fund in return for release, or just pay them - “instant alibi” I have to go to the washroom so I stopped by here Teenagers and toughs - hustlers are looked as annoying or a threat - often ask for smokes as an opener for the game Chapter 6. The People Next Door - 54% of profs sample was married and living with wives - married people were segregated conjugal role-relationship refers to relationship in which the predominant pattern of martial life involves activities of husband and wife that separate and different but fitted together to form a functioning unit o 40.7% of the married couples were in this sort of relationship

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independently employed when his job allows him freedom and security from being fired most married men with dependent occupations are of upper –lower or lower-middle classes independent occupations are upper-middle or upper classes nearly all single men in this sample is “vaguely middle class” four general types of tearoom customers: married men with dependent jobs, married men with independent, unmarried men with independent, unmarried men with dependent Type I: Trade - 38% of the sample may be called trade - all have been married - most work as truck drivers, machine operators, or clerical workers (jobs dependent) - most of their wives work at least part-time to help raise their income to 8k - 1/6 of these men are black - all are normally masculine in appearance and manners - George is a representative of this group o His wife doesn’t believe in birth control, they only have sex twice a month o They have plenty of children - No friends engage in tearoom trade for these types o They also have fewer friends than other classes

- They are usually lonely and isolated Type II: Ambisexual - Dwight is a sales manager for a small manufacturing concern, he fires men who has the same sexual interests as him o He makes long-lasting friendships with tearoom people o Has social advantages in public washrooms and society 5

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Annual income of 16k, his marriage is successful and his education is high From his tearoom friends, he learned about which cities are popular and where police are He knows which officers are looking for payoffs and how much Has sex 3-4 times a week with his wife, but is almost a daily visitor at tearoom

Upper class men have more resources to stop the blackmailing To them, blackmail, risks, are all exciting They tend to switch roles with greater facility Expresses a liking for anal They recognize their homo activity as indicative of their own psychosexual orientations They think of themselves as bisexual or ambisexual

Type III: the gay (ricky) - unmarried with independent are locked in a strong subculture, a community that provides them knowledge about tearooms - “truly gay” types - learned through friends already experienced - shows little preference in sexual roles, it depends on the other guy - this class has more sex than any other - they are least representative in the tearoom population - they want more personal sex, more permanent relationships Type IV: Closet Queens (Arnold) - single with dependent occupations, “closet queens” - keeping deviance hidden - very similar to the trade b/c they have few friends, they ten to play the insertor role, half of them are Roman Catholic in religion, annual income 6k, work as teachers, postmen, salesman for large companies, most of them completed highs school, one in six is black - report poor father relationships than any other groups - many seem to prefer teenage boys as sexual objects - social isolation is more severe than in trade Chapter 7- The Breastplate of Righteousness - ambisexual and gay men have no need for breastplate of righteousness MARRIED UNMARRIED High reception INDEPENDENT Moderate reception High skills OCCUPATION High skills Low capital High capital High resistance Moderate resistance (no need for breastplate) (some need for breastplate) Some reception DEPENDENT OCCUPATION Low reception Some skills Low skills Low capital Low capital Low resistance Low resistance (breastplate needed) (breastplate essential) Chapter 8. Kicks, Commitment and Social Control - motivating forces that draw the participants: availability, invisibility, variety and impersonality - as both social visibility and sanctions decrease, the danger to society of sexual activity increases - Hoffman recognizes two factors as justifying police actions in tearooms: first. The possibility that such encounters may “outrage passer-by” and second, that a substantial portion of adult male homo engage in such behavior Impersonal Sex in public places- the book? Humphry

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the doors that were taken off the stalls so he could see if anyone was approaching, etc tearoom activity taken place in the stalls he jotted down license plate number, and then was able to find their home addresses he contacted these men a year later and interviewed them in their home (no one recognized him, he disguised) he went in with his question about their life, etc he interviewed 50 of them the interviews in their home, interviews with men who are willing to participate put it together, these types of data o 54% of these men were married, living with their wives o 38% were single o 8% were single/divorced these datas are rich and detailed no indication that he was recognized by any of them a lot were okay with participating a small bit refused to he wanted to know how you approach someone in the washroom and ask them for sex? o Very carefully o He found that one of the norm is silence

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They don’t speak to one another, they don’t make questions or reveal any personal information -> protects your identity and keeps the sexual interaction very impersonal (non-verbal gestures) these gestures involve a variety of different kinds of techniques o non threatening o ways to signaling that your interested in playing the sex game o lingering in the washroom, looking about o sometimes there’s graffiti “if you want a blow job, tap your foot” o if the guy beside your foot moves his foot close to you o the person that receives the sex usually just say thanks and leaves

 they don’t leave together some takes around 20 minutes If people come in, they will stop and see if the other is gay or not THE PROF, only one pair of men lead to conversation - Theres a guy who spend his lunch who brings his lunch in the washroom and eat in there and masturbate and wait for someone to come in and give the signal - Big threat is the police - One possibility of a risk is blackmail, mens are attacked, - The main risk is public exposure - Hes very sympathetic to these men and thinks these men should be left alone - He looked at how vulnerable these men were, then looking at whether they were married or not o If your married, your more vulnerable b/c if you get caught your going to lose your spouse o In terms of occupation, he talked about dependent and independent occupation o Dependent occupation= one you would lose if you were caught EX. high school teacher, grade school teacher o Independent occupation= when you wouldn’t be fired from EX lawyer - He looked at married and unmarried, and the biggest loss is if you were married and have a dependent occupation, he called these men TRADE b/c they are putting most at risk o He found that these men tend to be very lonely o For them, tearooms were the alternative for meeting their sexual needs o They value their children, and marriage or even religious too so they don’t divorce -

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o These are the men that are most nervous, they aren’t comfortable in the tearooms  They see themselves as primarily heterosexual -

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Bisexual men who are married and have independent occupation o They are more open about their sexuality o They will engage in wide variety of sexual acts o They seek more excitement, more kinky DEPENDENT INDEPENDENT MARRIED trade bisexual UNMARRIED SINGLE Closet queens when Humpthy went to these mens home to interview them, he was stuck by the fact that their presentation of themselves was super propriority (proper), presented themselves as really righteous, and conservative their cars and house were nice they dress very well, their hair cut was short and conservative they expose attitudes and values that were very moral he thinks that they build ...