Gay beat
Encyclopedia
In Australia
, the term beat is used to refer to an area frequented by gay
men and non-gay-identifying men who have sex with men
(MSM) who are cruising for casual sex
, and where sexual acts occur. This use of the word parodies the beat walked by a police officer
or a prostitute. Most commonly, public toilets
, parks
, and nightclubs are used as beats, though sometimes suburban car parks become beats once night falls. Sex researchers have found that a considerable proportion of men who use "beats" are MSMs rather than gay-identifying. This is possibly because, whilst gay men have a plethora of venues for meeting legitimately, MSMs - who are often closeted
- do not risk being observed in (or reported as attending) gay venues.
, Melbourne
and Brisbane
have recorded histories of use for this purpose through the 20th century to the present .
. Due to the casual nature of most of the encounters, beats have been identified as areas of high risk for the transmission of HIV
, syphilis
and other sexually transmitted infections.
is commonly used by those caught when charged. People using beats are also more likely to be subject to homophobic hate crimes and other general crimes than gay men who don't use beats, prompting some to welcome the police presence . In Sydney at least, gay beats have attracted some attention from some sections of the media. This has led to a police presence at those identified.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the term beat is used to refer to an area frequented by gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men and non-gay-identifying men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, regardless of how they identify themselves; many men choose not to accept sexual identities of homosexual or bisexual...
(MSM) who are cruising for casual sex
Cruising for sex
Cruising for sex, or cruising is the act of walking or driving about a locality in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety...
, and where sexual acts occur. This use of the word parodies the beat walked by a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
or a prostitute. Most commonly, public toilets
Glory hole (sexual)
A glory hole is a hole in a wall, or other partition, often between public lavatory stalls or adult video arcade booths for people to engage in sexual activity or observe the person in the next cubicle while one or both parties masturbate. The partition maintains anonymity...
, parks
Cottaging
Cottaging is a British gay slang term referring to anonymous sex between men in a public lavatory , or cruising for sexual partners with the intention of having sex elsewhere...
, and nightclubs are used as beats, though sometimes suburban car parks become beats once night falls. Sex researchers have found that a considerable proportion of men who use "beats" are MSMs rather than gay-identifying. This is possibly because, whilst gay men have a plethora of venues for meeting legitimately, MSMs - who are often closeted
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
- do not risk being observed in (or reported as attending) gay venues.
History
Although little is known about beats in the early colonial and Federation periods, it is known that specific areas in larger cities, such as SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
have recorded histories of use for this purpose through the 20th century to the present .
Social and sexual behaviour in beats
Presently, beats are known to be actively used by men who have sex with menMen who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, regardless of how they identify themselves; many men choose not to accept sexual identities of homosexual or bisexual...
. Due to the casual nature of most of the encounters, beats have been identified as areas of high risk for the transmission of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
and other sexually transmitted infections.
Law
Engaging in sexual activity in a public place is against the law in all States and Territories in Australia. Police have been criticised for excessive patrolling of known beats, and the defence of entrapmentEntrapment
In criminal law, entrapment is conduct by a law enforcement agent inducing a person to commit an offense that the person would otherwise have been unlikely to commit. In many jurisdictions, entrapment is a possible defense against criminal liability...
is commonly used by those caught when charged. People using beats are also more likely to be subject to homophobic hate crimes and other general crimes than gay men who don't use beats, prompting some to welcome the police presence . In Sydney at least, gay beats have attracted some attention from some sections of the media. This has led to a police presence at those identified.
External links
- Queer Australia's list of beats by State
- Medical Journal of Australia 2005; 183 (4) - Epidemic syphilis among homosexually active men in Sydney
- The Anti-Violence Project's Sydney Safety Information
- Squirt's global listing of gay cruising areas
- User-editable global directory of gay cruising hotspots
- Community-maintained gay meeting places in Australia