Hello and welcome to another edition of Outward Slate's monthly show about LGBTQ culture, politics, life, and whatever else we fancy, because we as a people are, if nothing

else, fancy.

I'm Ryan Lauder.

I'm an editor at Slate, and if you guys don't hear from me in the next month, it's because

my summer crush on the microgreens and mushrooms guy at my CSA pickup has really blossomed,

and I might have become an urban, like, co-op farm

meta, and that's kind of my life path, I think, right now, for the rest of the summer, at least.

I'm surprised you weren't already on that path.

I'm Christina Cotarucci, a senior writer at Slate. So great to be back.

And I'm Jules Gil Peterson, feeling hot and humid,

but that's just because of the weather. Well, actually, you're sort of apropos of the introduction

I have for the show. This month, we are taking a cue from the sultry essential heat of summer that's finally here in July,

and we're going to take a look at the venerable queer practice of cruising for sex and for sex work in public space.

First, we'll be making eyes at a new essay collection on cruising and parks, called very helpfully Park Cruising,

that explores the pleasures,

the politics, and complexities of that gay old pastime. The book's author, Marcus McCann,

will join us to discuss. Then we'll head down to Christopher Street with the trans women of the stroll,

a new HBO documentary that's streaming on Max as they revisit a time when New York's now grossly gentrified meatpacking district was rich with Johns, and more importantly, a unique and affirming form of sisterhood.

Kristen Lovell, the director of the film, will be here as well.

Finally, we'll have your monthly updates to the gay agenda, but first, it is time, as always,

for a round of prides and provocations.

Jules, why don't you start us off?

...