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Show 145 unini tiated. The public spaces comprising the gay male social and sexual geography of Salt Lake during this period could be best described as "semipublic," or conversely, "semiprivate." Although the bars, baths, and cruising spots seemed daringly visible and very much a part of the public space utilized by heterosexuals, consciousness of homosexual activity depended on an ability and willingness to discern subtle and not so subtle clues to its existence. Some spaces, such as bars, featured clearly recognizable temporal or spatial boundaries demarcating straight and gay use while others, such as parks, bus terminals, and public baths required a mastery of gestures, vernacular, and other protocols intelligible only to gays in order to create gay territory in otherwise heterosexual milieus. In Salt Lake's predominantly Mormon culture, a collective denial also tended to safeguard a degree of privacy at the margins that might otherwise have required more specialized physical spaces. Nonetheless, the continuing vigilance of law enforcement against homosexual conduct and the repercussions of being caught, especially for married, middle-class men, required that they tread softly while pursuing pleasure and companionship. Various types of space offered comparative advantages in terms of privacy, safety, and accessibility. Whereas the bars' atmosphere fostered sociability and group identity but constrained overtly sexual behavior, the parks, bus terminals, "Bare-Ass Beach," and the Wasatch Springs mineral baths favored sexual interaction between individuals and relied to a greater extent on nonverbal communication. However, although the bars and parks generally catered to different needs, boundaries tended to be flexible given the |
