Park were mainstays for many gay men simply because of their centralized location, as the drive to Lake Hefner might be too far for those on their lunch hour. The police responded to these areas, but usually only close to election time. “It was on the news--Will Rogers and others. They were in the newspapers too. It was almost an annual event: ‘Clamp down on the restrooms’ campaign.”6 The substantial degree of freedom continued into the 1970s, and gay and bisexual residents took advantage of this lull in police harassment, but authorities eventually heeded calls for a major cleanup by the vice detail. Nearby residents and park patrons noticed the increased presence of gay men, and that they used parks for anonymous – and sometimes very public -- sexual encounters. A group of senior citizens complained to police that gay men were taking most of the available parking close to a brand new community center built for them at Will Rogers Park and then headed into the wooded trails for sex.7 The police worked undercover and arrested those making indecent proposals, and their presence made a difference, but they never drove gay and bisexual men from the park completely. In 1978, the Oklahoma City vice squad unit, sex crimes division, stepped up surveillance of areas reputed to be popular hangouts for gay men. Unit commander Kenneth “Sugar” Smith reported that in January of 1978, the number of officers patrolling parks, municipal buildings, and other areas would increase. In April of 1978 following surveillance of the second floor restroom at the Oklahoma City-County Library, undercover officers arrested two men for soliciting sex from them. Later that 6
Joe, interview by author, Oklahoma City, 3/14/2005; Terressa Terrell, email interview, 4/16/2005. 7
“Park Gays Rile Elderly,” Daily Oklahoman, 5/18/1978; “City Police Arrest Four On Charge of Lewdness,” Daily Oklahoman, 6/29/1978, 23; “Two City Men Accused of Homosexual Activity,” Daily Oklahoman, 7/5/1978, 9. 269