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After all, anyone who has been to the Castro location knows it is dominated by gay men.

“It’s just because the showers are old and gross and they want to replace them,” he said. There are many bars where gay men can meet and feel comfortable — but gay bathhouses, which once proliferated throughout the city before being shut down due to panic over AIDS (opens in new tab), no longer exist.

“This is kind of the final nail in that coffin of gay cruising in a shower or steam room,” said Marke Bieschke, a gay historian and co-owner of The Stud, the city’s longest-operating gay bar.

The Fitness SF location was franchised as Gold’s Gym until 2012, when it was rebranded due to protests over Gold’s anti-gay CEO (opens in new tab).

These spaces are often frequented by men who enjoy voyeurism or group play in a controlled indoor setting.

🚶‍♂️ Footpaths, Trails & Canals

In some areas, long walking trails or canals become informal cruising areas, especially near towns and cities. “But the gay community is kind of making it a sign of one less space we have.”

Fitness SF vice president Don Dickerson said the closing of the showers is business as usual — a needed renovation to give members “a much nicer experience.”

… A place where hundreds of men gave new meaning to the word, ‘shower head.’”

Another speaker was even more explicit.

Here’s a helpful overview of the most common environments where men meet for spontaneous, discreet encounters.

🌳 Public Parks & Woodlands

Quiet areas with paths, wooded sections, and hidden corners are popular for cruising. “But, you know, gay men find a way.”

Bieschke doesn’t believe Fitness SF is being homophobic by shutting down the showers.

Discretion is key, and not all public toilets are suitable—some are well-known, others are not.

🅿️ Car Parks & Lay-Bys

Remote or less-trafficked car parks and motorway lay-bys are common cruising locations, particularly among men who drive or travel for work. Seven years earlier, Gold’s Gym closed its sauna due to inappropriate behavior, leaving only the communal shower as a place gay men could nakedly cruise in the gym.

“The communal shower was known as a gay cruising space where sex was not allowed,” Bieschke said.

Places Men Go Cruising

Where Do Men Cruise? Some prefer late-night visits when the area is quiet.

🧖‍♂️ Saunas & Bathhouses

Gay saunas are a more structured, safe, and private space for cruising. This tradition goes back decades and still occurs, especially in larger cities.

While exact spots vary by location, there are certain types of places where cruising has naturally become part of the culture. These spots often attract men looking for privacy and spontaneity, especially after dark or during quiet hours.
🚻 Public Toilets (aka Cottaging)
Cottaging is the slang term for cruising in public toilets.

These offer privacy, open-air access, and limited foot traffic.
🏨 Hotel Bars or Changing Rooms
In more urban settings, some men connect in places like hotel bars, gyms, or leisure centre changing rooms—usually where there’s an opportunity for eye contact and mutual interest to be expressed discreetly.
Reminder: Always cruise respectfully, follow local laws, and prioritise consent and safety at all times.

Dozens in San Francisco’s gay community gathered Saturday night for a tongue-in-cheek candlelight vigil to honor the closing of a local gym’s communal showers.
Before they closed for construction this week to make way for individual stalls, the showers at Fitness SF’s Castro location were a place where gay men gathered to, well, be gay.
“It was more than a place to rinse off after a workout,” said Kevin John Scott, 41, in a speech to kick off the vigil.

These venues are designed for men to meet and explore with freedom and consent. Many have private rooms, dark areas, and group spaces.
🎥 Adult Cinemas & Video Booths
Adult cinemas with private viewing areas or booths are also known for casual, anonymous encounters. “It was a haven for stolen glances, knowing nods, and the unspoken bond of those who understood its significance.”
Jared Scherer, 50, was more suggestive.
“[It was] a place where a proper leg day wasn’t complete without a proper leg spread,” Scherer said during a speech.

“A place where the gym’s real cardio workouts took place.
“There’s something so beautiful about being able to wash your hands and see hard cocks — to be standing next to someone, and watch them slowly get erect next to you,” said Eli, a 28-year-old consultant who declined to give his last name.
While all of the tributes to the showers were humorous, there was a serious underpinning to the event.