Gay bathhouses san francisco bay area
San Francisco Abolishes Gay Bathhouse Ban After 36 Years
It’s been almost four decades but San Franciscans will soon be able to earn down and grimy in their neighbourhood gay bathhouse, just like the wonderful old days. Gay bathhouses can now open in the city under looser restrictions for the first time in almost 40 years.
The laws that resulted in the closure of bathhouses were left over from the early days of the AIDS crisis. These rules were enacted out of fear that such establishments were contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and included the prohibition on confidential locked rooms and mandated surveillance of patrons, all of which combined essentially amounted to an outright ban on such premises.
The archaic and easily avoidable laws, (it’s just a quick cheeky trip across to San Jose or Berkeley, less than an hours cruise for those unfamiliar with the area, if you own a hankering to hunker down with an anonymous extraordinary someone), have been rescinded thanks to the efforts of gay local government representative, Rafael Mandelman.
Symbolic Significance For Now
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San Francisco supervisors crave to expedite gay bathhouse revival
SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES: A rainbow flag raises above Castro, the gay and lesbian neighborhood in San Francisco (Photo credit should read HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images)
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SAN FRANCISCO - Gay bathhouses in San Francisco could see a revival under new legislation spearheaded by District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.
Mandelman, whose district includes the Castro neighborhood, is looking to repeal a section of the police code that puts the burden on the police department for permitting new gay bathhouses.
The ordinance would also repeal outdated and unnecessary regulations that require the bathhouses to maintain a daily register of patrons and "confusing language regarding the permissibility of locked rooms," according to the supervisor's statement.
Mandelman introduced the legislation targeting SFPD's Article 26 on Tuesday. It's because of this article, he says, that SFPD has been unable to issue permits to potential bathhouse operators who h
Why San Francisco Needs a Gay Bathhouse
Bathhouses, a staple in gay communities worldwide, have been glaringly absent from San Francisco since
I made a modern 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 next to down at verb, 11pm? I’m used to NYC where we don’t even start going out until then.”
Oh honey. “We’re not enjoy 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 inherent sleepiness. If only there were a twenty-four-hour destination for him and other gay men to meet and construct 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 , so my buddy walked home and p
Castro Baths
San Francisco and the broader Bay Area have one of the highest concentrations of LGBTQIA+ folks in the world. We verb explicit legislation creating a favorable business environment (Supervisor Mandelman, bless 🙏). If there was ever a time to revive our city’s once burgeoning bathhouse culture–it’s now.
Castro Baths is hustling to open our doors in time for Pride and you’re invited!
Our Vision
Last summer, we visited bathhouses around the world: Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Istanbul, Adj York, Los Angeles, London, and more. (If Lorraine at the IRS is reading this - this was an absolutelynecessary business expense!)
Repeatedly, we were asked: “I’m going to San Francisco next month - which bathhouses should I visit?” Sheepishly, a tad embarrassed - we explained that there isn’t really a gay bathhouse scene in San Francisco. “Your finest bet is probably in Berkeley.”
While there are a handful of local traditional bathhouses we frequent (shoutout to the newest addition: Alchemy Springs) - gay bathhouse culture in San Francisco never recovered after the AIDS cr