What is a gay bathhouse

Why San Francisco Needs a Gay Bathhouse

Bathhouses, a staple in gay communities worldwide, have been glaringly absent from San Francisco since 1984.

I made a novel friend recently. He just moved here from New York. Having tried to visit the Eagle but finding it closed, he texted me one evening. “Does SF end down at favor, 11pm? I’m used to NYC where we don’t even start going out until then.”

Oh honey. “We’re not prefer you East Coasters lol. Though I wish we were sometimes. The dearth of late-nite options here is staggering.”

“Wtf? This is a city, isn’t it?”

I’m tired of confronting the fact that, for being a high-profile gay destination, San Francisco is surprisingly prudish.

It’s understandable that my companion was let down by SF’s integral sleepiness. If only there were a twenty-four-hour destination for him and other gay men to meet and build friends. A bathhouse, also known as a sauna, traditionally steps in for our kind at this point. At one time, San Franciso hosted over sixty gay bathhouses. But now the city is bath-less, and has been since 1984, so my buddy walked home and lay away his leather gear.

Navigating SF for the gay transplant is an article for a differ

The Freddie Guide to: Bathhouses

What is a bathhouse?

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Bathhouses – also known as baths, saunas, or same-sex attracted saunas – are spaces where gender non-conforming men* meet to socialise, relax and have sex. They are legal, licensed sex venues, as opposed to regular saunas or steam rooms where people cruise.

The number of gay bathhouses in North America peaked in the 1970s. Most of them closed in the 1980s, as local governments made common health rules to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These rules were often rooted in homophobia.

Today, there are still bathhouses in most major cities across the world. You can find them through Google or on cruising sites appreciate Squirt and Sniffies.

‍* Historically, bathhouses only admitted cisgender men. They are generally becoming more inclusive. Many have more relaxed door policies or dedicated times and events that are safer spaces for trans and non-binary people. If this applies to you, it’s optimal to check online or ring ahead before visiting a venue for the first time.

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When you arrive

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When you land at a bathhouse, you’ll get to a front desk with an attendant. This is where you’ll pay for your entry along with any extras like private rooms (if the venue

bathhouse

Murphy said:
Obviously not all bathhouses are gay. However my point was that google's very first link refers to "gay bathhouses", so maybe Benzene is not psychic, but just a fan of google. He may well possess a crystal ball, though - I don't know
Click to expand...

Dear Murphy,
I don't have any crystal sphere and I am not even a magician! But, I lived for many yeras in Denmark and, there, the phrase bathhouse is connected with the world Gay, while the phrase Sauna (from Finnish: Sauna=Smoke) is specific for a healthy task if this is practiced in a private structure at payment or at own home. A lot of Scandinnave private houses are endowed with Sauna and not Bathhouse.
This my answer is not polemic but is only an explanation for all regarding to my extravagant interpretation!!!
Ciao!
Benzene

What goes on inside a gay bathhouse?

Blalron41

matt_mcl:

I’ve been, once or twice, to a classy establishment downtown called the 456 (one of my friends works there).
Upon entry, you may choose either a room or a locker. You are then issued a towel and some condoms. You go in and disrobe. At the 456, the lower floor is, indeed, a bathhouse: there is a big swimming pool, hot tub, showers, and a sauna. There is also a sort of drawing room with a TV and an Internet terminal, and a bar where health foods and light snacks are served. (In the basement is a gym; the place doubles as a health club.)

Damn, you gays have everything so easy. And another upside is that everyone in there is a potential sex partner. Even in a hypothetically heterosexual bathhouse, at least half the people there are competitors and you don’t need to see them naked.

Ethilrist42

Huh. I find myself wondering, do lesbians do the bath-house thing, or is it just gay guys?

iampunha43

Blalron:

Damn, you gays have everything so easy. And another upside is that everyone in there is a potential sex partner. Even in a hypothetically heterosexual bathhouse, at least half the people