What do Memory Grove, Sugarhouse Park, and Fairmont Park all have in common? They've all been the subjects of local news stories on cruising, usually during sweeps weeks in the spring or fall.
So who cruises the parks? Ask any of the police officers of the GLBT Public Safety committee and they will tell you that the majority of guys caught with their pants down are married, and often Mormon. They see cruising parks as their only option if they want to stay in the closet.
There are several gay groups in town that are reclaiming the parks as a place where gay men can have fun without getting arrested. Utah Pride is the ultimate example, encouraging participants to come out of the closet and celebrate their sexuality, instead of feeling guilty about it. Flag Football, Pride Softball, Ultimate Frisbee, and other gay sports groups meet at the parks weekly and often draw a crowd of spectators.
This past Sunday, QUAC and The Village held our 2nd annual Bar-B-Queer at Fairmont Park. For the volunteer planning group here at the Village, the purpose was two-fold: strengthen the community by bringing a diverse group of guys together, and promote open discussion about safer sex.
Lube was the theme. We hung lube-themed posters all over the bowery and gave away big bottles of lube (thanks ID Glide for donating it all!) to everyone who participated in lube wrestling. A couple of the volunteers acted out a humorous safer sex skit. We tried to take back the park in a fun, safe and sexy way.
