Anonymous Dating Adds
One of the ways in which gay men met in the nineties was through anonymous dating adds in print press. The announcements however, rarely provided a phone number, and if they did, one understood that it was not that person’s main phone number that other people might recognize. They offered P.O. boxes for anonymity where interested people could send their letters to.
In the second issue of Gay 45, we already have a number of people who wrote to find potential partners.
45 years old, 1.73 m, 69 kg, looking for Romanian friend, similar, between 25-35 years old to live in Holland. Answer with photo to the address:...
Young man, 25 years old, 1.72 m, 76 kg, intellectual, I want a serious, handsome and tender friend for a long-term relationship. Preferably between 18 and 20 years old. Answer to C.P. 68-100 Bucuresti for M.R.
Gentleman, 37 years old, 1.80 m, 65 kg, sexy, serious and tender, I want a friend for a long-term relationship (Between 18-40 years) from Bucharest. Answer to C.P. 68-100.
37 years old, 1.78 m, 68 kg, green eyes, passive blond, but not only! Wanting friends. CP 107-74 Bucharest!
C.P. refers to P.O. boxes, which were used to avoid revealing one's real address and identity. It was a way to ensure one kept their annonimity in their search for a loved one.
While both men and women resorted to dating ads in magazines to find a partner, men found more public ways around the repressive and hostile environment.