Night and darkness in the hunt for gay sex

Abstract

This study proposes the practice of cruising, particularly sex in dark rooms, as a metaphor for nocturnality; performing noctem as a means of engaging with the nebulous realm that veils homoerotic desire as anonymous, impersonal, and uninhibited. The methodology is qualitative, employing five dialogic interviews and the author’s own lived  experience, incorporating elements of autobiography into the analysis. The results indicate that cruising was a form of hidden sexual homosociality among an excluded and criminalized population. The role of culture in connecting the concept of night with the practice of cruising is revealed, tracing back to the early visibility of LGBT+ communities in Mexico City in the past century. A conclusion drawn is that LGBT+ visibility in the era of democracy does not equate to full rights nor is it free from social prejudices.