NCJ Number
157043
Date Published
1994
Length
149 pages
Annotation
Male prostitution in New York City is explored.
Abstract
This paperback discusses the results of a study of male prostitution in Times Square, initially begun as an attempt to examine how high-risk groups deal with AIDS. Approaching hustling in Times Square as an income- producing activity within a structured marketplace, the goals of the study were to understand the rhythm and flow of the culture, its shapes and textures, and how the interactions, rituals, and relationships are constructed and understood by its members. Data was collected using classic ethnographic methods of direct observation and open-ended, unstructured interviews. From January to December 1992, the author spent an average of three to five hours per day, two to three days a week, observing, interviewing and interacting with male prostitutes. Interviews also were conducted with peep show managers, employees, shopkeepers, hotel clerks, and various other street people including drug dealers, con artists, and homeless people. Results of this study indicate that there is a sense of community among the hustlers of Times Square, but that this community is on the verge of change due to three major pressures. First, AIDS is a prevalent theme among young hustlers. Second, the influence of crack cocaine has changed the relationship between hustler and client as well as the relationships among the boys themselves. Third, gentrification of the Times Square area has resulted in a major shift in the nature and location of the hustling trade, altering the boys' perceptions of hustling and their place in it. The effects of police crackdowns in this area also are explored. A selected bibliography and index are included.