(analog) Cruising: a manual

by Leo Herrera

(analog) Cruising is a step-by-step guide to sex outside of our phones. Leo Herrera tackles Queer cruising etiquette with a blend of history, humor and poetry alongside his own personal cruising fairy tales and failures. From what to expect checking into a bathhouse, to the rules of consent in a darkroom, Leo shares tips helpful for first-timers and rusty old-timers.(Analog) Cruising builds its own language, defining implied consent, caressing cues and the museum technique.

Genres: Queer, LGBT, Nonfiction

164 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2025

Reviews

[Jays · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as much a guide to cruising as it is an extended poem and a recollection of personal history with a bit of cultural history explainer thrown in. Which is not to say it's bad or not worthwhile! If you're a gay man who really doesn't feel like you've got a good grasp on how to connect with a new person outside of a hook-up app, there are good strategies here. And as younger and younger people get more comfortable with parasocial relationships and living more of their lives virtually, there's probably a really good argument to be made that learning how to read people face to face to get what you want (at least, if what you want is a sexual or otherwise romantic experience) is a good skill to develop.

Herrera has a good use of language, even if the editing is a bit off. I'd recommend this to lots of people just for the experience of reading it, regardless of whether or not gay cruising is an activity you ever want to engage in. I'll also admit I love these types of one-off, small bore books about hidden cultural traditions, which make no mistake - that's what cruising is for the gay community. These are the kinds of books that don't become best sellers, only publish a relative handful of copies, and generally remain underground, only to turn up in some obscure private collection in 50 years, at which point they become historical gems. If those kinds of books or if gay cruising is up your alley (pun intended), you'll enjoy this.

[thegreatfoxby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part memoir, part manual, I laughed, I took notes, it made me think. Thank you!

[Vin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beach read asfff… love this man’s style of writing. It’s like having a bar talk with a bestie who’s doing their PhD in Queer Studies

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

a guide to queer cruising etiquette that is as funny and informative as it is a heartfelt ode

[Noe · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Eye contact is still the mother tongue. Learning to hold eye contact when we cruise is more than just our eyes, it's about deprogramming our sense of self-worth and safety. Two areas, which, let's face it, are historical challenges for Queers. We learned to avert our gaze as a survival instinct, when we had to avoid other Queer people to not be "found out." It's also a reflection of our insecurities; when we think someone is too hot for us, we dart our eyes away. A bar is a safe place to practice this skill. Learning how to take up space and communicating with one another are the reasons we created these venues. Once you can hold your gaze at a bar or club, it becomes easier in other cruising areas.”

Filmmaker and activist Leo Herrera shares his experiences and the honor system of manners individuals practice in bathhouses, on the street, in nature, darkrooms, arcades, sex clubs and bars.

Part history, part memoir and part instructional, (analog) CRUISING is a lithe and vibrant read.

You can acquire it at his linktree: https://linktr.ee/herreraimages

Other favorite quotes:

“Don’t assume everyone wants to fuck their clones”.
“The worse thing someone can say is ‘no’ and that leaves room for someone else’s ‘yes’”.
And finally the greatest pickup line ever:
“Where were you before you got here?”

Wise, poetic and vivid, I found it to be a fascinating read.

[River Crabbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute treasure. Leo Herrera is so generous in dishing on sacred cruising spaces past and present. It opened my mind to places I've never adventured, gave me new layers to others I had, and with such a warmth and firey love for these essential realms. Additional big fucking shout out for unapologetically loving on trans folk, fat folk, and criticising the centering of whiteness in gay spaces.

[enric · Rating 4 out of 5]

boníssim. si li busques problemes, en trobaràs, però és conscient de les seves limitacions i les gestiona tan bé com pot. la barreja d’historietes i consells és fantàstica, i se m’ha fet fins i tot curta.

la reflexió sobre diversitat al penúltim capítol (bars) és per tatuar-se-la, i el comentari sobre les apps et fa pensar.

qui per?

[TA Inskeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

STUNning. If you’ve any interest in gay cruising — or gay history, frankly, of which cruising is a huge part — you need to read this tenderly-written tome. Herrera has done generations a huge good by writing this.

[Kevin Gr · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was a treat to read. memoir, history, manual about being a sexual active queer man. This book opened my eyes to basic etiquette, stories, tips and passed on generational knowledge. I’ve learned a lot, as i have a only a bit of experience in these spaces and they have been anxiety provoking and leaving feeling not confident and but confused. i like “rules”, im autistic and all books like these are a great ressources for me to understand things i had not learned. being a trans man too, i appreciated the explicit support, i feel so much safer now with all this information. i really appreciated that this information made it to me in this form which i don’t think would make it to me another way. i treasure this book and is sending me safely and confidently on my way so so so much more well equipped. thank you.

[Ranger Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally getting my hands on the say gex book hahaha yessssss !!!!!!!! he has a really lovely way of using his own experiences to analyze cruising in diff spots. been thinking a lot recently about queerness as self invention etc in the obvious transgendered way but also socially culturally etc etc so i guess the genre of autofiction is obviously well suited to this sort of thing. but still, so nice to see it employed so successfully. and still, man, i wish i could get my hands on a book about cruising for transmascs. or a biological peanits.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really informative. Split into chapters named by each site of gay cruising, this is incredibly easy to read with the charming anecdotal memories followed by the etiquette + tips and tricks that are slightly different in each space. Emphasis on the structure of these spaces, their interior, the exterior and what non verbal language to use to navigate them.
time for us to stop relying on the apps.

[Hugh Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when the new bathhouse opened in Providence and I went for the first time. I had no idea what to expect or what to do. This book would have come in handy many times over throughout my life. I really enjoyed its style, grace and generosity. It renewed my appreciation for both the nostalgia and the continued need for safe sex spaces for our ever evolving community. Ultimately it left me feeling like going cruising, analog style.

[Sergio Portesan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Equal parts practical guide to cruising, poetic musing, and autobiographical recollections, this book provides a concise overview of gay cruising in a variety of settings.

Having never been to (m)any of these spaces, it was fascinating to read a straightforward and no-nonsense guide to the logistics of them and how implied consent is established. Although the bolded lists felt kind of repetitive by the end, they were surprisingly practical and read well as a step by step how to guide.

I appreciated Herrera’s personal experiences, and would have liked more of them; his descriptions were fairly straightforward, and lacked the vividness and detail of Cheves’ stories in My Love is a Beast, leaving a lot to the imagination.

There were a couple of poetic lines, but overall I found the writing to be no nonsense and pretty direct, telling rather than showing.

The book was interesting as someone who has always wondered about the non-verbal cues inherent in cruising, it scratched my practical/logistical itch, but largely fell short on broader connection. While Herrera does contextualize cruising, it is not the primary (or even secondary) focus, so there is plenty of room for expansion.

While I appreciated the brevity of the book, it would have benefitted from a bit more fleshing out — it felt like a glorified how to guide and I would have liked to see more anecdotes or commentary on the greater context.

Despite it feeling a bit underwhelming, passing along queer history through the oral tradition is incredibly important, and I appreciate Herrera’s perspective as an elder queer, his contribution to the literature, as well as his step by step explanations.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

[Andrew]

This was an interesting read. While it aims to serve as a quick guide on gay cruising, broken out by venue, I found it more to be a mix between memoir (or more vignettes of the author's past escapades) and advice for how to approach cruising. I think the author probably was more interested in writing about his experiences as that is most of the book, and the advice provided was largely the same for most of the cruising locations (be polite, this is how you reject someone, there's a level of implied consent), but I think it still serves a purpose of being "entry level" for anyone who has ever been passively curious about the act of cruising, how to do it, or what it looks like. In fact, I find the author's vignettes complement the "advice" sections well for how they painted a picture of what this looks like in the real world, both successful cruising and rejection. I think it has a good place in the canon of nonfiction cruising literature.

[Wade · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book. I expected it to be more stories than a manual but that’s my fault not the book or author’s. I really enjoyed it and ended up finding the manual to be fun and insightful.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you Leo for your work fr fr

[itsthetrees · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We couldn't take photos, but we could be visions."

[1]

Gay men tend to get tense and rude when sex energy has nowhere to go.

compelling...

pero cuando existen herramientas que te permiten pasar por encima la incomodidad del delicioso en un espacio público, el cruising pasa a ser una diversión / una fiesta / un fetiche. el argumento ¿emocional? (por todos los que no pueden hacerlo, es algo cultural que nuestras viejas hacían, es algo que nos libera de las ataduras de, etc. etc.) en este contexto me parece más una excusa para las cochinadas (que legítimo pero ¿por qué intelectualizar esto? puestos a pasarlo bien, ¿por qué no mirarse al espejo de las cochinas y verse reflejado en paz?)

sí compro que depender de una o varias empresas privadas que se aprovechan de la posición de middleman para hacer el delicioso tiene toda la problemática tecnofeudalista asociada, que salir y conocer gente siempre es mejor que estar en tu casa con el móvil (y más aleccionador: una noche sin delicioso cuando buscas delicioso en persona te enseña mucho más que una vivida a través de una pantalla. ¡y más si te rechazan!)... pero defender el cruising me parece algo generacional. soy desolado

70 páginas de libro y mi review más larga hasta la fecha not bad leo herrera

[Κωνσταντίνος Γραμμενίδης · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very tender and loving book on cruising. A book about how to foster communities of desire, connection and pleasure. Herrera's writing is caring, charming and liberating. Reading it as a queer man, it carries an invaluable message of de-stigmatization and celebration of male-to-male erotic desire. The material, a combination of memoir and practical guide, encourages us to cherish and respect the sex spaces that men have created for themselves, in all their history, set of norms and customs, and all their liberating glory. Very importantly, it practically explains how to navigate consent l, rejection and respect for each other, in such situations where these are negotiated with mostly non-verbal cues.

I would recommend this book to any queer man, be they curious, experienced or indifferent about cruising. I think it's liberating message and practical advice are important in their own right. Also, for anyone outside this identity, who wants a better understanding of queer spaces, or to take a look through the looking glass.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so in awe that we live in a day and age where such a powerhouse of a manual exists! What an homage to queer culture and our queer elders. To quote LH, "The power of analog cruising is its timelessness. There was no way to replicate this online. The dopamine of swiping and the Pavlovian bells of our phones had been replaced by anticipation and pheromones. Here was only the unforgiving, thrilling present. We couldn't take photos, but we could be visions. So many died creating, protecting and enjoying these kinds of spaces, through wars and plagues and financial ruin. Prince Charming may not always show, but when we cruise face to face, we honor heaven."

[Nikolaj Tange Lange · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much love just the sheer fact that this book exists. I love the personal anecdotes, and I especially love the epilogue.

However, if you are familiar with cruising, the manual itself feels a little 'it is what it is' - the unwritten rules written down. And though many might find this informative, I was probably hoping for a bit more of 'how to take it to the next level', a bit more utopianism, rather than just working it the way it already works.

It's a wonderful read full of love and passion for queer culture and history. Still, I found that Leo Herrera's other book, Post, had a lot more to offer me.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captures all the things about gay cruising I missed before the apps —hell! before the internet!— and combines them with the post-PrEP era. The book serves as a manual for those who never lived the analog years, and a reminder that spaces still exist for (analog) cruising.

If you've been around, then this book may be a bit too "gay cruising 101" for you, but it's still fun to celebrate cruising culture with such positivity.

[Jamiil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book ended up being a nice collection of personal stories and lessons learned from those experiences. This was a super quick read, like listening to your friends' recent escapades at brunch. There are some minor editing issues and the advice can get a bit copy-paste repetitive. Still, I could see younger generations of queers stumbling on this book and picking up some history and tips that they might not find elsewhere.

[Alvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For promiscuous gays of a-certain-age (like, ahem, moi) Herrera's manual won't contain any surprises. And yet, by interspersing his personal reminiscences and using a charmingly conversational tone it's still a delight to read. And newbies to the subterranean twilight world of lavender lovin' may rest assured that the lore and secret codes of conduct associated with various in-person cruising locales are clearly elucidated.

[Silvermoth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leo has written such a book full of warmth and I really appreciated looking into a world I haven’t gotten to experience. I suppose as a concept though it doesn’t quite stretch as far as the book goes so the same general rules apply over again. I really enjoyed reading Leo’s private insights and memories scattered throughout though

[Shane Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The **only** book this year that has succeeded in brewing excitement within me about sticking my D into an anonymous lil hole in the wall for a twink to suck on it. Kirkus Reviews and 4/5 dentists all say: give Leo a Pulitzer for this beautiful celebration of sexuality, this love poem to, and practical guide for, the queer community. 🖤

[Brent Taghap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute, fun, sexy, and easy read. Most of the cruising etiquette I was aware of already, but I loved reading about the history and the author’s personal experiences. What really resonated with me was the liberation the author felt venturing into these spaces and his emphasis on the importance of these spaces for queer people.

[Jack Harrison-Quintana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this once before but jumped in for a second round when I got the opportunity to interview Leo Herrera as part of Creating Change 2026, the biggest annual convening of LGBTQ activists in the US. It was extremely pleasing to hear how smoothly he articulated the ideas from the page in our verbal back-and-forth.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so important. The author writes with such warmth and generosity with his wisdom. I feel like I learnt so much about general communication in these spaces. I’m feeling more confident and adventurous after reading this. Very grateful for this book!