Cruising – And I don’t mean ships!

OK people, let’s talk about something that just makes my blood boil. And I am not talking about spice, even though I’d rather be.

Cruising. You know, not that thing you do on a ship while traveling to exotic locals all over the world. Even though I am sure it is nice, I have never been on a cruise. Someday, I hope! Now, what I am talking about is the cruising where you pick up someone to get your jollies off. You know, the thing that happens in most clubs, bars, and even parks, truck stops, rest stops, and restrooms! Yep, the good ole days of cheap casual sex. The stuff that Fire Island legends are made of.

What I don’t get, is why even do it? Why risk yourself? It may be quick and easy tonight, but think of the ramifications of it tomorrow, next month, 10 years from now! AIDS, STD’s, and our image as homosexuals didn’t get to the bad proportions just by existing. They got this way because people didn’t think with the head between their shoulder blades, but instead with the one between their thighs! How do you think most STD’s and AIDS gets spread? By unprotected sexual encounters with people! The more partners you have, the higher the risk. Involve the cruising lifestyle (into the partner/sex arena)and all the hang-ups that are associated with it, and the risks are even higher. Drugs and Alcohol may make you feel good, but they also lower your intelligence and the ability to think rationally!

What ever happened to love? What ever happened to monogamy? What ever happened to knowing the person you are about to have sexual intercourse with for more than a couple hours? Yes it seems like fun and is thrilling, but it isn’t. It makes you cheaper.. like you don’t care about yourself. And no, I am not talking about those who have multiple sexual partners, I am talking about those who do it in a risky and off-handed casual manner.

People wonder why the image of the queer community is so bad. Take a look at the way we handle ourselves. Look at the Southern Decadence, Mardi Gras, Circuit, and Pride Parties. Drugs, Alcohol, and non-inhibited people seem to go hand-in-hand with that tarnished image. What happened to being able to commit yourself to one person at a time, and not an hour? What happened to having relationships that meant more than what his size was, the position you were in, and how long it lasted?

Wake up community! We are under a microscope set on the highest setting possible. We want to make strives in relations with the hetero community, but how we do this when we can’t even respect ourselves enough to not endanger not only our lives, but those we come in contact with. I may be naïve only having had 2 sexual partners (which took up 8 years of my 27 year old life), but I remember the Ryan White’s, The Pedro Zamora’s, and the countless other victims of the AIDS pandemic. All you have to do is go to an AIDS hospice and see the faces of the numerous victims to know why this activity is dangerous and why our attitudes need to change. WAKE UP QUEER PEOPLE!

Cruising is fun. Cruising is exhilarating. Cruising is Pleasurable. Cruising is just plain stupid, dangerous, and not worth the risk and heartache it inevitably leads to. So think next time, and just use your head… the one between your shoulder blades and not your thighs!

Just my 2 cents!

Jase ;0)

Jason P. Ruel
Editor, Gay Lesbian News at BellaOnline.com

For Further Reading and Understanding or shock of cruising, might I suggest: