"Tearoom Trade" debunked many of the stereotypes associated with individuals who participate in anonymous male-male sexual activity in public places, demonstrating that many of the participants lived otherwise conventional lives as family men and respected members of their communities; further, their activities posed no threat to non-participants. As Humphreys misrepresented his identity and intent to his subjects, and tracked their identities through license plate numbers, "Tearoom Trade" has been the subject of continued debate over privacy for research participants, with "The New York Times" noting that "Tearoom Trade" is "now taught as a primary example of unethical social research."