A Guide For the Naïve Homosexual
page 21
The Law


How do you go about picking one up? They ply their trade usually on the main street of a city. If you see a likely looking prospect loitering late at night, walk past him two or three times within ten minutes. He will notice you and will stare as you go by. If he starts walking beside you, starts talking to you, or offers to buy you a coffee, then you can assume that he is not a hustler, but merely someone out cruising so you get it for free. If he just stares, you can walk up to him and ask Are you a hustler?. If he acts confused and asks What’s a hustler?, you can assume that you have just pounced upon some unsuspecting straight. If he says No, I was just cruising then you have not dreadfully offended him. And if he says Yes! then you have found a live one. You are expected to provide a place for the proceedings and to provide breakfast the next morning.

If you pick up a hustler, do not go where he suggests as he will likely have a few of his friends there to rob you or beat you up just for the hell of it. Do not take him to your apartment or you will likely have an unwelcome gang of hoods banging at your door some future night. Count on being robbed. Do not carry any more money, valuables or I.D. than you feel are worth losing for an evening’s entertainment.

If you are lucky you might even get some sex. After the whole ordeal is over, watch for signs of gonorrhea and get a syphilis blood test.

Theft

One of the hazards of bringing people who are complete strangers into your home is that sometimes they get up in the middle of the night and walk off with your valuables. Hustlers and boys who seem to prefer older men are especially prone to light fingeredness.

The possibility of theft is one of the reasons why you must insist con knowing a guy’s full name. It is also a reason why you should stick with people who are introduced to you (presumably by someone who knows them well enough to know they are trustworthy) than with people you pick up on your own.

The police will not be too helpful in cases of such theft as they feel it was your own silly fault you were robbed.

On Saturday night September 19, 1970 I allowed a boy to spend the night who was passing through Vancouver. During the night he walked off with my posh electric typewriter, cash and most of my lover Ben’s clothes totalling some $500 worth of goods. His name is Frank Howes, age 20, about 5’ 11”, with brown hair, a skinny body, a thin nose, thin lips and an acned complexion. He was dishonourably discharged from the American army. He comes from Maine and thus has a slight New England accent a bit like the late Bobby Kennedy’s. He has a preference for orientals and Spaniards. He is not at all handsome and has a washed out personality to boot. I could feel sorry for him if I were not so furious with him. If you see him, please contact your local police saying that he is wanted for theft in Vancouver B.C.

The Law

Canadian gays can look back on a long remarkably cordial relationship with the police — especially in Vancouver.

Even though homosexual acts in private between consenting adults (over 17) was made legal only recently, there were almost no prosecutions previously and there have been none since — even between under 17s. The drag queens have not been so lucky.

 I will relate three anecdotes that demonstrate the Vancouver police force’s hands-off policy. One evening a man parked across the street from the B&B and got out of his car carrying an open bottle of liquor. Now it is illegal to carry an open bottle of liquor in your car in B.C., and the ruling is strictly enforced. Just then a police officer saw and stopped him. The man was not drunk and he explained he was going to the B&B — motioning with his hand. The police officer said, In that case you can go. Had the man been straight he would have had to pay a stiff fine.

The second anecdote concerns the only raid that ever occurred at the B&B. An officer asked at the wicket if he could come in. After he was let in, he took a quick look around at the bottles behind the bar. He asked, Are these bottles yours or the customers’? the owner answered, the customers’ and the police officer left.


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