Marcella Wigg’s Reviews > Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places > Status Update

According to this book, many tearoom regulars were actually more socially conservative than their peers. They assumed “the breastplate of righteousness” to avoid being found out.

“There’s a witch behind every witchhunt” is also an expression I haven’t heard before but makes me think instantly of Roy Cohn.

Also… does he really expect us to believe he was a wholly detached observer for sixty hours in these places? Not too credible!

I get why this book is controversial but damn if it isn’t interesting. Speculation of Humphreys’ own motives in studying tearoom assignations as a closeted gay man is interesting enough, but it is also fascinating documentation of the minutiae of a bygone era.