The Trans & Autistic Guide to Cruising

Exploring desire in bars, backrooms, parks, saunas, and beyond.

Just outside the Magic Hedge in Chicago, a notorious cruising spot. Photo by author.

Leo Herrera (a writer, photographer, and filmmaker whom I really admire) has already written several guides to the art of cruising. I’m a big fan of Leo’s work in general, which blends an easy, gimlet-eyed humor with great compassion, sensibility, and a healthy awe for queer history, and I consider his cruising how-to’s to be the definitive introduction to the subject. I recommend reading them before diving into this piece.

You can find the full collection of Leo’s writings about cruising in his book, or at the following links:

Bathhouse 101

Park Cruising 101

Leo Herrera’s writing explains cruising to a gay male audience that is primarily cis, though I’ve followed his advice to the letter and found it applies just as easily to me…