He believes that the first gay cruising grounds and gay brothels in London may have sprung up in the early 17th century theatres were sometimes denounced as such by moralists of the time. Rictor Norton, author of Mother Clap's Molly House (a reference to Margaret Clap), is one of the few historians to address the topic. The history of gay cruising is sparsely documented, as the illegality of gay sex meant that those who used such cruising grounds were likely to be discreet about them.
