I have lived off and on in Los Angeles for over 20 years, and even lived in your hometown of Minneapolis for an extended period of time. It's true that some of the parks and other cruisy places in LA used to be MUCH, MUCH more active and fun than they are now. For example, the action at Griffith park was rampant and visible at every turn. You couldn't swing a stick without hitting a gay man who was cruising. Now, there are only a few men here and there.

However, while some of the lack of public fun is due to "overactive vice," part of it is due to a change in behavior among gay men, some is due to fear, some is due to increased social conservatism, some is due to men meeting on the internet instead, and undoubtedly there are a myriad of other reasons as well.

It is amazing how much things have changed in LA for gay men. Now, women frquently patronize the gay bars, many of the meat market bars are now closed, most men online feel obligated to describe themselves as "bi", etc. Clearly, the repression is in place now, and I would even guess moreso now (in some ways) than in the 80s and early 90s. Gay visibility is now more obvious in the media, but not on the street. At least not so much in LA...

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