In 1971 the early incarnation of Pink Triangle Press (PTP) came into existence. 33 years later, this not-for-profit organization publishes Xtra, Xtra West, and Capital Xtra, in addition to running the popular squirt.org website and CruiseLine phone system. Their mission statement: "Pink Triangle Press is a not-for-profit organization born out of and committed to the struggle of lesbians and gay men for sexual liberation and human fulfillment." GayCalgary.com spoke with Tony Murillo in Toronto about CruiseLine.
There is ample choice when someone dials into CruiseLine. Many enjoy visiting the "manhole" for erotic stories or checking out the safe sex tips, but most clients pick one of two choices - Talking Classifieds or Live Connection.
"The classified feature allows members to create and post personal ads about themselves. Once posted, others can listen and, if interested, send [them] messages. We have had many success stories about our Classified Ads. We recently received an email thanking us for our phone service. A couple met by using this feature and have now been together for 12 years," said Murillo. "Our most successful feature is our Live Connections. Men can listen and talk to men live using this feature. Our Live Connections is hugely successful and we continue to have more live men using this feature nationally than any of our competitors."
While the service is a benefit to the community, they do have to balance member’s privacy with ensuring activities such as underage callers or illegal activity is not occurring.
"It certainly is a very careful balance. Of course, both the decision to use CruiseLine, and all of the communication that occurs on CruiseLine are always the responsibility of the parties involved. Private communication on the line is exactly that - private - and is heard only by the men involved. That said we are committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for our members and their sexuality. We take any concern voiced by our members very seriously and follow up to the best of our ability. Based on legal guidelines, we also pre-screen all of the Talking Classified ads that are recorded before they go live on CruiseLine."
It has been a slow growth to the audiotext service, which now run in 9 cities - Toronto was the first in 1990, followed by Ottawa (1993), Calgary (1995), Edmonton and Winnipeg (1996), Halifax (1998), Vancouver (2000), London and Victoria (2002), Regina and Saskatoon (2003), and finally Montreal in 2004. With the explosion of the Internet and its free chat services, CruiseLine is still a top choice for men seeking men. Murillo feels there are a number of reasons for this.
"CruiseLine continues to be as successful as ever despite the growing number of online users. We attribute this success [to] several reasons: First everyone has a phone or easy access to the phone. Although the number of Internet users is growing, not everyone has a computer within their home. Also our product is more anonymous and more discreet. Most Internet chat users will not talk with people unless they see a picture. This is not true with our product. The voice in a very erotic tool and people’s fantasies come to life when they hear a voice talk back to them. In addition, using a telephone keeps your hands free [for use of] other things."
It is those advantages that have kept CruiseLine growing; they just expanded to Montreal in July 2004 and hope to continue to grow. As it is, they add to their client base daily.
"Living in Toronto, gays and lesbians are much more visible than when CruiseLine first came to existence. That being said, there are still other cities across Canada, where it is difficult to be openly gay. CruiseLine is proud that we are able to offer gay/bi/curious men, in these environments, a safe and discreet outlet to talk with men with similar interests and desires."
When people buy a membership for CruiseLine they are giving back to the community. Their customer’s dedication to the CruiseLine service allows it to support numerous community and HIV/AIDS organizations across Canada, such as the Canadian Gay & Lesbian National Archives, Canadian AIDS Society, Pride events across Canada, local gay & lesbian support groups and more. The list of community organizations that are nurtured and supported by CruiseLine’s successful and spirited approach to business, life and community is always growing.
"We help maintain a sex positive voice within the gay community by supporting the PTP. CruiseLine also is a SAFE outlet for gay/bi/curious men to talk with other men discreetly. Despite the forward progression that the gay movement has made, there are many closeted men who need anonymous spaces like CruiseLine. In addition, we give thousands of dollars to support various charitable organizations and community functions nationally each year. In 2003, we gave $63,000 in cash donations and over $129,000 in in-kind contributions."
Related Articles
Contributor Jason Clevett |
Topic Business Review | Community |
