Fury as shops, gyms, university make gay websites

Hamish Heard and Alex de Vos
A website lists a northern suburbs skate park as a meeting place for gay sex.
A gym at Norlane’s Waterworld, Geelong West Town Hall and toilets at Deakin Univ-ersity and a central city shopping centre are also among the 25 gay beats on the website.
The site, whose subscribers are as young as 18, describe the Vines Road skate park, in Hamlyn Heights, as a good place to meet “young skatey, surfie guys”.
The site instructs male readers to “just hang around in the toilets then you go to the back of the buildings” where there’s a “huge area to take a guy once you meet him”.
The site also earmarked toilets at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Business and Law Building and Waterfront campus as sex haunts, with university staff and students arranging times to meet.
City-owned leisure centres Splashdown and Waterworld made the list but the site advised visitors trawling for sex at both locations to “be cautious”.
Market Square shopping centre toilets, adult bookshops and the region’s nude beaches also appeared as gay pick-up places.
Geelong Family First candidate Gary Plumridge, who lives near the Vines Road skate park, slammed the website.
He feared it could lead to “predatory behaviour” against children.
“Of real concern is that the (skate park) is adjoining an area where my children play sport,” Mr Plumridge said.
“Obviously, we’re not thrilled that this is being broadly advertised and the issues of people meeting in public for sex is of real concern to Family First.”
Geelong Police Chief Inspector Wayne Carson warned that sex in public places was illegal.
“If adults were targeting children or their behaviour is offensive to other members of the public, we would be concerned and we’d take action,” he said.
Meanwhile, a man’s “horrendous” sexual display in front of young boys at Ocean Grove’s main beach has alarmed police.
Bellarine Police Senior Constable said the bald man terrified the four 13 and 14-year-old boys when he exposed his genitals and masturbated in front of them in the surf.
The incident followed reports last month of a separate “serial flasher” at Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads.
Sen Const Lawry said the man in the latest incident was naked when he began “splashing around in the water” behind the boys.
The boys described the male as in his late 40s to early 50s, about 177 centimetres tall with a shaved head and a beer gut.
Sen Const Lawry described the incident as “pretty horrendous”.
“Stuff like this just shouldn’t be happening.”
Sen Const Lawry said the latest incident had heightened fears for the safety of children at Ocean Grove.
He urged witnesses and victims to come forward immediately.