09-03-2025
Hampstead Heath dog walkers launch campaign to stop gay cruising
Dog walkers have been branded 'homophobes' for trying to stop gay men cruising on Hampstead Heath.
The popular walking spot has been at the centre of a row after residents put up signs in an attempt to deter gay men hooking up for sex in such close proximity to children playing.
Hampstead Heath has been a popular cruising spot since Victorian times, and the practice has continued since homosexuality was decriminalised in 1967.
The posters read: 'Cruising for sex? Homosexuality is legal. Use a hook up app like Grindr or Sniffies and get a room.'
They also feature a map of the park with a red circle labelled: 'This is not a cruising ground'.
Opponents of the posters have now hit back with claims they 'embolden homophobia ' and perpetuate 'inaccurate stereotypes' about gay people.
They claim cruising is part of a wider cultural movement and only happens on a very small part of the heath, which has been a 'special meeting place for over 200 years'.
Lola Pony, 34, performance trash artivist and music alchemist, told The Telegraph that the counter-protest was organised to counteract hate crime because the poster targeted a marginalised community.
'The poster creates division, and because of the current global political climate, can incite hate crimes. We are a vulnerable community. Our action is protection and emphasises care and human connection,' she said.
A video of the counter-protest showed four men exposing their bottoms as a blindfolded man squeezed their cheeks in a competition of 'whose bum is it anyway?', while police officers watched on. Nearby, people held up signs that read: 'This is a cruising ground, release the pups' and 'let's go outside'.
Nestled in the woodland, some distance away from the footpaths and open areas that are often packed with runners, buggies and picnickers, people meet at all times of the day for sexual encounters – but it is usually busier at night.
'I talked to some locals there and they didn't even know this [cruising] happens, some joined us for a while,' Ms Pony added.
'The times I have been in the heath, I haven't seen needles or condoms. Cruising in the area is frequent but it needs to be supported by safe sex measures [and] harm reduction.'
Other protesters said the posters are 'yet another attack on queer culture', which has frequently been targeted in hate crimes.
One speaker at the event stressed the importance of meeting people away from dating apps.
'The last thing that we need is to take away the face-to-face interaction of coming out in the sunshine like we're all doing today and meeting each other in real life,' they said. 'That's like a lifeline for some people. It's important. We need that.'
'This is my culture'
The event was planned by the activist group ACT UP London and This Is My Culture, a collective best known for the eponymous party they throw on the heath each year to mark the birthday of George Michael, its most famous cruiser.
The group takes its name from an encounter Michael had with a News of the World photographer while out walking the park: 'Are you gay'', Michael recounted asking the paparazzo in 2007. 'No? Then f--- off – this is my culture!'
The row has divided the public. One person said on a forum that the practice was no longer relevant. 'I understood the necessity before the internet; casual sex was incredibly difficult for gay men but what's left now are basically just voyeurs and exhibitionists,' they wrote.
