Gay bathhouse 484125 225523929 2008-07-14T03:40:20Z 69.210.204.117 /* Modern gay bathhouses */ [[Image:The Bowery - 10 cent Turkish Bath.jpg|thumb|The Bowery "Ten Cent Turkish Bath" New York (c.1884)]] '''Gay bathhouses''', also known as [[gay]] [[sauna]]s or [[steam bath]]s (and sometimes called, in [[gay slang]] in some regions, "the baths" or "the tubs"), are places where men can go to [[men who have sex with men|have sex with other men]]. Not all men who visit such bathhouses consider themselves [[homosexuality|gay]]. Bathhouses for women are much rarer, though some men's bathhouses will occasionally have "lesbian" or "women-only" nights. Bathhouses vary considerably in size and amenities&mdash;from small establishments with ten or twenty rooms and a handful of lockers to multi-storey [[sauna]]s with a variety of room styles or sizes and several steam baths, [[Swimming pool#Jacuzzi|jacuzzi]] tubs, and sometimes even [[swimming pool]]s&mdash;but nearly all have at least one steam room (or wet sauna), as well as showers, lockers, and small private rooms. Unlike at [[brothel]]s, many bathhouses are membership only and customers pay only for the use of the facilities; sexual activity, if it occurs, is not provided as a service by staff of the establishment, but is between customers, and no money is exchanged. Many gay bathhouses explicitly prohibit or discourage [[prostitution]] and ban known prostitutes.<ref>{{cite newspaper|publisher=Plain Dealer (Cleveland)|date=2006-07-21|title=Let's emphasize 'safe' part of safe sex|author=Regina Brett|quote=The Flex club opens in August. It's legal. No money is exchanged for sex. It's adults only. My copy of the U.S. Constitution still guarantees a right to privacy and freedom of assembly.}}</ref> ==History== Records of men meeting for sex with other men in bathhouses date back to the 15th century. A tradition of [[public bathing|public baths]] dates back to the [[6th century BC]] and there are many ancient records of [[Homosexuality in ancient Greece|homosexual activity in Greece]].<ref>(De Bonneville, 1998)</ref> In the [[Western world|West]], [[Gay]] men have been using bathhouses for sex since at least the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when homosexual acts were illegal in most Western countries and men who were caught engaging in homosexual acts were often arrested and publicly humiliated. Men began frequenting [[Cruising for sex|cruising]] areas such as bathhouses, public parks, alleys, train and bus stations, [[movie theater]]s, public lavatories ([[cottaging|cottages or tearooms]]), and gym changing rooms where they could meet other men for sex. Some bathhouse owners tried to prevent sex between patrons while others, mindful of profits or prepared to risk prosecution, overlooked discreet homosexual activity.<ref name=History /> ===Early records=== ;1492 Florence :In [[Florence]], [[Italy]], in 1492 there was a purge against the "vice of sodomy". The places used for homosexual acts were known to be taverns, baths, and ''casini'' (sheds or houses used for illicit sex and gambling). The ''Eight of Watch'' (the city's leading criminal court) issued several [[decree]]s associated with [[sodomy]] and on [[April 11]], [[1492]] they warned the managers of bathhouses to keep out "suspect boys" on penalty of a fine. In the short period from April 1492 to February 1494 they convicted 44 men for homosexual relations not involving violence or aggravating circumstances.<ref>(Rocke, 1996) page 203</ref> ;1876 Paris :In [[France]] the first recorded police raid on a [[Parisian]] bathhouse was in 1876 in the ''Bains de Gymnase'' on the ''Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière''. Six men aged 14 to 22 were prosecuted for an ''offense against public decency'' and the manager and two employees for ''facilitating [[pederasty]]''.<ref>(Higgs, 1999) page 25</ref> ;1903 New York :In the [[United States]] on [[February 21]] [[1903]], [[New York Police|New York police]] conducted the first recorded raid on a gay bathhouse, the ''Ariston Hotel Baths''. 26 men were arrested and 12 brought to trial on [[sodomy]] charges; 7 men received sentences ranging from 4 to 20 years in prison.<ref name="Chauncey">(Chauncey, 1995)</ref> <!-- "Early" and "Modern" is the structure used by "Gay Bathhouses and Public Health Policy", see ref below --> ===Early gay bathhouses=== In [[New York City]], the ''Everard'' (nicknamed the ''Everhard'') was converted from a church to a bathhouse in 1888 and was patronized by gay men before the 1920s and by the 1930s had a reputation as ''"classiest, safest, and best known of the baths."''<ref name="neilmiller"/> It was damaged by fire on [[May 25]] [[1977]] when nine men died and several others were seriously injured. The Everard closed in 1986.<ref>{{cite news | last =Bronstein | first =Scott | title =4 New York Bathhouses still operate under city's program of inspections | publisher =New York Times | date =[[3 May]] [[1987]] | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD61F3DF930A35756C0A961948260&sec=health&pagewanted=all | accessdate =2006-12-22 }}</ref> Also popular in the 1910s were the ''Produce Exchange Baths'' and the ''Lafayette Baths'' (403-405 Lafayette Street, which from 1916 was managed by Ira & [[George Gershwin]]). The ''Penn Post Baths'' in a hotel basement (The Penn Post Hotel, 304 West 31st Street) was a popular gay location in the 1920s despite a lack of private rooms and seedy condition.<ref name="neilmiller">(Miller, 1995) page 143</ref> In [[London]], the [[Jermyn Street]] [[Hammam|Turkish Bath]] became a favorite spot (opened in 1857 under [[David Urquhart]]'s direction and survived until the 1970s). The journalist [http://ajlangguth.com/bio.htm A.J. Langguth] wrote: ''...[The baths at Jermyn Street] represented a twilight arena for elderly men who came to sweat poisons from their systems and youths who came to strike beguiling poses in Turkish towels... although they were closely overseen by attendants, they provided a discreet place to inspect a young man before offering a cup of tea at [[J. Lyons and Co.|Lyons]].''<ref>(Gardiner, 1998)</ref> Regulars included [[Rock Hudson]].<ref name="houlbrook">(Houlbrook, 2005)</ref> In the 1950s the ''[[Bermondsey]] Turkish Baths'' were rated by [[Kenneth Williams]] as "quite fabulous" in his diaries.<ref name="houlbrook"/> {{Quotation|''Steambaths in the 1930s: ''The steambaths that had been well known to me were those of [[East Ham]], [[Greenwich]] and Bermondsey. In the first two it was frequently possible to indulge in what the [[Spartacus International Gay Guide|Spartacus Guide]] coyly describes as 'action', but behaviour at all times had to be reasonably cautious. In the Grange Road baths in Bermondsey, however, all restraint could immediately be discarded with the small towels provided to cover your nakedness.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Aspinall | first =Anthony | title =Celebration! Anthony Aspinall offers his recollections of some of London's steambaths of half-a-century ago | journal =Gay Times | issue =152 | publisher =Millivres | date =May 1991 | id =ISSN 0950-6101 | accessdate =2006-12-25 }} </ref>|Anthony Aspinall|[[Gay Times]]}} ===Modern gay bathhouses=== In the 1950s exclusively gay bathhouses began to open in the United States. Though subject to [[Police raid|vice raids]] these bathhouses were "oases of homosexual camaraderie"<ref name=History /> and were, as they remain today, "places where it was safe to be gay",<ref name=History /> whether or not patrons themselves identified as homosexual. The gay baths offered a much safer alternative to sex in other [[public place]]s.<ref name=History /> In the late 1960s and 1970s, gay bathhouses — now primarily gay-owned and operated — became fully-licensed, gay establishments which soon became major gay institutions. These bathhouses served as informal gay meeting places, places where friends could meet and relax. Gay bathhouses frequently threw parties for [[Gay pride|Pride Day]] and were usually open on public holidays such as [[Thanksgiving]] and [[Christmas]], when some gay men, particularly those who had been rejected by their families due to their sexual orientation, had nowhere to go. Another service offered by the baths was [[voting|voter registration]]. In the run-up to the [[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980 election]], the ''New St. Mark's Baths'' in [[New York City]], with the assistance of the [[League of Women Voters]], conducted a voter registration drive on its premises.<ref name=History /> In [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], the first gay steam bath was opened in 1967, the ''Bondi Junction Steam Baths'' at 109 [[Oxford Street]].<ref>(Wotherspoon, 1991)</ref> From 1972 through to 1977 the following gay steam baths opened: ''Ken's Karate Klasses'' (nicknamed KKK) which is still trading in 2008 and now called "Ken's at Kensington", ''No. 253, King Steam, Silhouette American Health Centre, Colt 107 Recreation Centre, Barefoot Boy'' and ''Roman Bath'' (nicknamed Roman Ruins).<ref name=Prior >(Prior, 2004) PhD Thesis</ref> In [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]], the first gay bathhouse to be opened was ''Steamworks'' in [[La Trobe Street, Melbourne|Latrobe Street, Melbourne]] in 1979 (still open in 2008). In [[United Kingdom|Britain]] gay saunas were routinely raided by police up until the end of the 1980s (for example raids in [[1988|May 1988]] on ''Brownies'' in [[Streatham]], the owner getting a six month jail sentence and a £5,000 fine,<ref>{{cite journal | title =Policing Gay Sex | journal =Gay Times | issue =138 | publisher =Millivres | date =March 1990 | id =ISSN 0950-6101 | accessdate =2006-12-26 }} Quote:"The draconian sentence (six months jail and a £5,000 fine) on the owner and manager of Brownies sauna for keeping a [[disorderly house]] is a case in point."</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title =Sauna owner appeals against prison sentence | journal =Gay Times | issue =127 | publisher =Millivres | date =April 1989 | id =ISSN 0950-6101 | accessdate =2006-12-28 }} Quote from Judge Sir David Hughes-Morgan: "There was also, he said, an 'element of corruption'. 'Anyone who came off the street merely to take a sauna... would be able to see what was going on and be invited to take part. The possibilities are quite devastating and the sentence must demonstrate society's shock and horror at what was going on.'"</ref> and the ''Brooklyn House Hotel'' sauna in [[Manchester]]).<ref>{{cite journal | title =Christian sect joins police attack on gay sauna | journal =Gay Times | issue =117 | publisher =Millivres | date =June 1988 | id =ISSN 0950-6101 | accessdate =2006-12-25 }}</ref> By the 1990s with increasing scrutiny of the costs of such operations (charges of ''gross indecency'' in a sauna normally needing the expense of undercover officers), a reduced likelihood of successful prosecution, concerns of being perceived as [[homophobic]], and little [[public interest]] in "victimless" crime, gay saunas became free to operate without the risk of being raided by police. Being identified in such a sauna was still viewed by the press as scandalous; in [[1994|November 1994]] the ''Incognito'' sauna made mainstream press as the gay sauna where a priest had died of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] and two other priests were on hand to help out.<ref>{{cite news|date=1994-11-14|publisher=Irish Times|page=11|author=Alison O'Connor|title=Priest's body lay undetected for over two hours on floor of gay club, Medical student tried to revive curate who is thought to have had heart attack}}</ref> By then, though, gay bathhouses (or [[saunas]], as they are more commonly known there) were present in most large cities in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]]. As homosexuality was decriminalised in New Zealand and most [[States and territories of Australia|Australian states]] during the 1970s and 1980s, there was no criminal conduct occurring on the premises of such "sex on site venues". ==Bathhouses today== [[Image:Sailors health club.jpg|thumb|Sailors leaflet in 1998]] Gay bathhouses today continue to fill much the same function as they did historically, although the community aspect has lessened somewhat in many areas, particularly in Western countries, with the increasing tendency of gay men to [[Coming out|come out]] publicly. Men still use bathhouses as a convenient, safe place to meet other men for sex, although in some areas where homosexuality is more accepted, safety may no longer be a primary attraction. Certainly bathhouses still offer convenience. Many bathhouses are open twenty-four hours. There is typically a single customer entrance and exit. After paying at the main wicket, the customer is buzzed through the main door. This system allows establishments to screen potential trouble-makers; many bathhouses refuse entry to those who are visibly [[drunk|intoxicated]], as well as to known prostitutes. In some areas, particularly where [[homosexuality]] is illegal, considered immoral, or viewed with hostility, this is a necessary safety precaution. Sexual encounters at bathhouses are frequently, but not always, anonymous. They sometimes lead to relationships, but most often do not. Bathhouses are still used by men who do not identify as gay or [[bisexuality|bisexual]], but who have [[Men who have sex with men|sex with men]], as well as by those who are closeted and/or in [[heterosexuality|heterosexual]] relationships and by some men who identify primarily as heterosexual. In many bathhouses the customer has a choice between renting a room or a locker, often for fixed periods of up to twelve hours. A room typically consists of a locker and a single bed (though doubles are sometimes available) with a thin vinyl mat supported on a simple wooden box or frame, an arrangement that facilitates easy cleaning between patrons. In many bathhouses (particularly those outside the United States), some or all of the rooms are freely available to all patrons. Some men use the baths as a cheaper alternative to hotels,<ref name=KLYT>{{cite newspaper|publisher=LA Weekly (California)|date=2004-10-08|title=Best Places To Get Serviced With Zeal And Abandon|author=Ron Athey, Vaginal Davis|page=39|quote=Have you noticed that besides the deluxe safe-sex kits, every sauna we've visited has an on-site clinic for counseling and disease testing? Hopefully, they'll survive the current wave of attacks. The real survivor is the KLYT, having stayed open for almost an entire century as the Palace Turkish Baths... Nowadays, the KLYT is sexual in the day and at night they rent all the rooms (which are really just cubicles) to the homeless, which at $11 is cheaper than a hotel.}}</ref> despite their limitations: * They tend to be noisy, with [[Elevator music|piped music]], pornography, and the activity of other patrons * The rooms tend to be small (little more than a lockable windowless cubicle containing a locker, a simple bed and a small dustbin) and rather spartan. While a towel and a bedsheet are normally included, blankets or bedcovers are most often not provided. Even a simple electrical outlet may not be available in-room; many bathhouses provide only small lockable cubicles * In most cases, there are no "in and out privileges"/"passouts", ability to leave the venue and return within a short period: leaving the club means relinquishing one's room or locker and reentering requires paying again [[Image:Babylonia Prague.jpg|thumb|Entrance to Babylonia bathhouse in [[Prague]], 2006]] Bathhouses are not always identifiable as such from the outside. Some bathhouses are clearly marked and well lit, others have no marking other than a street address on the door. Bathhouses sometimes display the [[Rainbow flag (gay movement)|rainbow flag]], which is commonly flown by businesses to identify themselves as gay-run or gay-friendly places (see inset Babylonia entrance). Bathhouses commonly advertise widely in the [[gay press]] and sometimes advertise in mainstream newspapers and other media. In 2003 [[Australia]] began airing possibly the world's first [[television]] advertisements for a gay bathhouse when advertisements on [[Commercial broadcasting|commercial television]] in [[Melbourne]] promoted [http://www.wetonwellington.com.au ''Wet on Wellington''], a sauna in [[Wellington Street]], [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. The advent of the [[internet]] has made it significantly easier to find lovers and [[casual sex]] partners, and some men who used to frequent the baths may be using internet [[personal ad|personals]] instead. However, for many men the baths offer other attractions: the opportunity for group sex or sex with several partners, [[public sex]], the fantasy areas, convenience, and safety, and the use of steam saunas and [[jacuzzi]]s and other amenities (see inset Sailor's advert featuring Wet 'n' Wild and Cabins & Cruisey areas). Some even still prefer the baths to internet sites such as [[gay.com]] because they feel as if they can see what they get. ==Layout and typical amenities== On being buzzed in, the customer receives a towel and the key for his room or locker. Many bathhouses also provide free [[condoms]] and [[lubricant]].<ref name=KLYT /> Some establishments require a piece of identification or an item of value to be left with the front desk on entry. ''Homosexualities''<ref name="Homosexualities">(Bell, 1979) page 239</ref> emphasized the importance of the towel: {{Quotation|Visiting a downtown gay bath was in many ways like revisiting a high-school gym - everyone wearing the same towel, in the same color, on the same part of the body. There was no status consciousness in the social-stratification sense; the towel or loincloth created a sort of equal-status social group.|an ethnographer|Homosexualities, p239, 1979}} Bathhouses are usually dimly lit, and pipe in music via a sound system. They are often laid out in fashion to allow or encourage customers to wander throughout the establishment; such a space is often referred to as a "maze".<ref name="Woods GB">{{cite web | last = Woods | first =William J. | coauthors = Diane Binson | title=Gay Bathhouses and Public Health Policy | publisher=Haworth Press, ISBN:1560232730 | date=2003 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=t2MsjlZT1LcC | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> Rooms are usually grouped together, as are lockers. Bathhouses are frequently decorated with posters of nude or semi-nude men, and sometimes explicit depictions of sex. It is not uncommon to see [[pornographic movie]]s playing on wall-mounted televisions throughout the bathhouse. Most men typically just wear the towel provided. Some bathhouses are clothing optional and some encourage total nudity. In some bathhouses nudity is forbidden in the common areas of the establishments. While some men may wear underwear or [[Fetish clothes|fetish]]-wear, in most bathhouses it is unusual for customers to remain fully or even partially dressed in street clothes. [[Barefeet]] are customary, though some men prefer to wear [[flip flops]] or [[sandals]], mostly for foot protection. The room or locker key is usually suspended from an [[Rubber band|elastic band]] which can be worn around the wrist or ankle.<ref name="Reynolds GM">{{cite web | last = Reynolds | first =Robert | coauthors = Gerard Sullivan | title=Gay Men's Sexual Stories: Getting It! | publisher=Haworth Press, ISBN:1560233192 | date=2003 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=o5-5kyZ94LgC | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> Some bathhouses require customers to purchase yearly memberships and many offer special entry rates to members or to students or other groups.<ref name="Woods GB"/><ref name="Bedfellows PPS">{{cite web | last = Bedfellows | first =Dangerous | coauthors = Ephen Glenn Colter, Wayne Hoffman, Eva Pendleton, Alison Redick, David Serlin | title=Policing Public Sex: Queer Politics and the Future of AIDS Activism | publisher=South End Press Press, ISBN:089608549X | date=1996 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=FqMoLytiNlUC | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> In some countries, bathhouses can restrict entrance to men of certain age ranges (apart from the general requirement of being an adult) or physical types, although in other places this would be considered illegal [[discrimination]]. Some bathhouses hold occasional "leather", "underwear", or other theme nights. The customer undresses; storing his clothing in the locker provided, and is then free to wander throughout the public areas of the bathhouse, which may include: <div style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> * showers * steam rooms (sometimes more than one) * [[Hot tub|jacuzzi tubs]] (often located in the steam room) * dry saunas * [[tanning booth]]s * gymnasium facilities * swimming or lap pools (indoor or outdoor) * dance areas * mazes * [[Dark room (sexuality)|dark room]]s * [[glory hole (sexual)|glory hole]]s * theme rooms or areas * [[Group sex|orgy]] rooms (non-existent in some states due to state laws) * video areas playing [[pornography]] * relaxation areas with non-pornographic movies or television ** some with padded banquets ** comfortable couches and chairs ** free Gay and Lesbian magazines, or newspapers ** tourist brochures and health information pamphlets * smoking room - fully enclosed and vented outside; often in cities with indoor smoking bans * café areas where food and/or drinks can be purchased from vending machines or a staffed counter * bars or full restaurants (these are relatively unusual) * video games, pool tables * a counter, often at the entrance, where patrons can buy various items: ** lubricants ** condoms (often free) ** straps and rings for erection aids ** liquid inhalants (poppers) - where legal ** bottled soft drinks or water ** snacks ** mouthwash, toothbrush, toothpaste ** comb, razor, shaving cream * outdoor gardens or patios with various amenities: ** swimming pools, lounge chairs, [[Hot tub|jacuzzi tubs]] ** lush plantings with pathways ** a simple outdoor smoking area with a few chairs and tables ** some host a free Sunday Bar-B-Que * open air rooftop decks with various amenities: ** plants and small potted trees in a garden setting ** redwood deck and lounge chairs ** [[Hot tub|jacuzzi tubs]] and/or open air showers ** simple converted rooftop with artificial grass, assorted chairs, tables and lounges </div> In the 1970s bathhouses began to install "fantasy environments" which recreated erotic situations that were illegal or dangerous:<ref name="History">[http://www.gaytubs.com/ahistory.htm GayTubs.com] The history of gay bathhouses</ref> {{Quotation|Orgy rooms . . . encouraged group sex, while glory holes recreated (public) toilets, and mazes took the place of bushes and undergrowth (in public parks). Steam rooms and gyms were reminiscent of the cruisy [[YMCA]]s, while video rooms recreated the balconies and back rows of movie theaters. A popular [[Chicago]] bathhouse called [http://www.manscountrychicago.com/about.html Man‘s Country] provided a full-size model of an Everlast truck where visitors could have sex in the cab or in the rear, which served as an orgy room . . . Man's Country also offered a . . . fake prison cell made of rubber bars.|Eddie Coronado|[http://www.gaytubs.com/ahistory.htm The history of gay bathhouses]}} Many bathhouses have small shops selling such items as food and drinks, cigarettes, [[pornography]], [[sex toy]]s, latex gloves, massage oils and lubricants, razors and [[shaving cream]], aftershave and cologne, toothbrushes, hair products, and related items. Some also sell condoms, [[shower gel]], [[shampoo]], and [[hair conditioner]], but these are usually provided free. Some bathhouses also provide non-sexual services such as [[massage]] and [[reflexology]].<ref name="Chung EVB">{{cite web | last = Chung | first =Jen | title=East Village Baths Embroiled in Steamy Lawsuit | publisher=Gothamist | date=[[18 September]] [[2007]] | url =http://gothamist.com/2007/09/18/east_village_ba.php | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> ==Etiquette== Customers typically divide their time between the showers/saunas/jacuzzis and the main areas of the establishment. Customers who have rented rooms may choose to rest there from time to time, while those who have rented lockers must rest in the public areas such as the café or lounge. Customers who have rooms may leave their room doors open to signal that they are available for sex. An open door can also be an invitation for others to watch or join in sexual activity that is already occurring. In these situations, a partially open door often means that observation from outside the room is desired, but entry into the room is not wanted. A door that is completely open however, usually signifies that anyone is welcome to join in the activity inside the room. In all situations, it is considered poor etiquette to simply walk into a room without some form of invitation by the occupant. When a room is occupied only by a single person, some men will position themselves to suggest what they might like from someone joining them in the room: those who would like to be [[anal sex|penetrated anally]] ("bottoms") will sometimes lie face down on the bed with the door open, while those who prefer to penetrate others ("tops") or to engage in [[fellatio]] might lie face up.<ref> [http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/08.29.96/gay-bath-9635.html Both Sides Now]; Richard Sine; Metro: Silicon Valley's Weekly Newspaper; August 29-September 4, 1996 issue; Accessed [[2008-07-04]]</ref> In the past, the baths served as community spaces for gay men. Even now, some men choose to go to the baths with their friends (even though they may not necessarily have sex with each other). While many men talk to each other at the baths, even forming long-lasting friendships or relationships, many others do not, preferring, for various reasons, anonymity. {{Quotation|But I’ve been to a sauna recently in New Zealand, where everyone just chatted away, which I found very strange. Um, but you know, that’s because I guess it was a smaller city and people generally knew each other.<ref name="Richters">(Richters, 2006) PhD Thesis</ref>|"S Alfred"|The Social Construction of Sexual Practice (PhD Thesis, Juliet Richters)}} Interested men will usually look at each other; in this highly sexualized environment a look is frequently enough to express interest. A nod signals interest, while looking away or shaking the head is usually enough to signal a lack of interest, though sometimes people misunderstand or refuse to take the hint. Such men are called ''[[troll (gay)|trolls]]''. In darkened areas of the establishment including the mazes, video rooms, group sex areas, and the saunas or hot tubs (but not generally in the showers, toilets, hallways, gyms, café areas, and lounges), men are usually free to touch other patrons; it is expected and usually — but not always — welcomed. A shake of the head, or pushing away the other's hand, means that the attention is not welcomed.<ref>[http://www.bathhouseblues.com/bathhouse_etiquette.html Bathhouse Etiquette]; Accessed [[2008-07-04]]</ref> {{Quotation|I normally find people with groping don’t go away. You really have to as they grope your crotch area grab their hand and push it away and there have been times when I’ve had to do that three, two or three or four times before they actually get the message. There’s also been times when I actually just had to say to them to f*** off.<ref name="Richters"/>|"Richard"|The Social Construction of Sexual Practice (PhD Thesis, Juliet Richters)}} Some establishments allow or encourage sex in public areas (albeit usually excluding the hallways, toilets, cafés, gyms, and lounges) while others do not; in some jurisdictions such activity is prohibited, and sex must be confined to private rooms. In such areas individual bathhouses enforce these rules to varying degrees, often at their own [[legal risk]]. Some forbid sex in pools for hygiene reasons; in the [[United Kingdom]], the requirement is often set by the local authority's Environmental Health department. Customers are usually free to watch others masturbating or having sex in public areas, and also to join in, providing none of the participants objects. In areas where sex is either not encouraged or not permitted, customers will usually be required to wear towels and anyone not doing so will be reprimanded by a member of staff. This requirement may be waived if the establishment has a "wear what you want" day. Where condoms and lubricant are provided free of charge, it is considered ill-mannered to take away excessive amounts. If the management considers that excessive amounts of these items are being removed they will either put up notices asking people to not do this, or require customers to collect these items from the café or other staffed area. ==Risky behaviour== ===Sexually transmitted diseases=== From the mid-1980s onwards there was lobbying against gay bathhouses blaming them for the spread of [[sexually transmitted disease]]s (STDs), in particular [[HIV]], and this forced their closure in some jurisdictions (see Legal issues, below).<ref>{{cite news | first = Jane | last = Gross | title = Bathhouses reflect AIDS concerns | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=980DE7D71139F937A25753C1A963948260 | publisher = The New York Times | date = [[October 14]] [[1985]] | accessdate = 2006-12-26 | quote = At the St. Marks Baths, for the price of a locker or a room, patrons now get a free condom, enclosed in a package that bears the legend ''the contents of this envelope could save your life.''}}</ref><ref>(Woods, 2003)</ref> Sociologist Stephen O. Murray, writes that, "there was never any evidence presented that going to bathhouses was a risk-factor for contracting AIDS."<ref>(Murray, 1996)</ref> In some countries, fears about the spread of STDs have prompted the closing of bathhouses&mdash;with their private rooms&mdash;in favour of [[sex club]]s, in which all sexual activity takes place in the open, and can be observed by monitors whose job it is to enforce safe-sex practices. However, proponents of bathhouses point out that closing these facilities does not prevent people from engaging in unsafe sex.<ref name="Woods GB"/> Neither the claim that bathhouses are responsible for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, nor the claim that they are not, has been conclusively proved, but it is known that STDs are spread via [[unprotected sex]], and as part of their membership agreement, or as a condition of entry, some bathhouses now require customers to affirm in writing that they will only practice [[safe sex]] on the premises, and venues frequently provide free [[condom]]s, [[latex glove]]s, and [[sexual lubricant|lubrication]] (and/or have them available for purchase).<ref name="Woods GB"/><ref name="Richard Sine">{{cite web | last = Sine | first =Richard | title=Both Sides Now: The South Bay's only gay bathhouse profits while promoting protected sex. Bathhouse opponents wonder if casual sex can really be safe. | publisher=Metro Active | date=[[29 August]] [[1996]] | url =http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/08.29.96/gay-bath-9635.html | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> In [[New Zealand]] and [[Australia]], the [http://www.nzaf.org.nz New Zealand AIDS Foundation] and constituent members of the [http://www.afao.org.au Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations] provide [[safe sex]] information for sex on site venue users. Some anti-bathhouse activists argue that these measures are not enough, especially given that it is virtually impossible to monitor sexual activity in a bathhouse; however, while they acknowledge that closing gay bathhouses may force some men into unsafe or illegal situations in [[Cruising for sex|public parks]] and [[Cottaging|lavatories]], they point out that they may be less likely to engage in anal or multipartner sex&mdash;both of which put participants at risk for contracting STDs&mdash;in such situations.<ref>Santana, Hedimo and Richters, Juliet: ''Sites of Sexual Activities among Men. Sex-on-premises venues in Sydney'', Monograph 5/1998, National Centre in HIV [[Social research|Social Research]], Sydney</ref> Others counter these claims by pointing out that bathhouses are a major source of safer sex information&mdash;they provide pamphlets and post safer sex posters prominently (often on the walls of each room as well as in the common areas), provide free condoms and lubricants, and often require patrons to affirm that they will only have safer sex on the premises. In cities with larger gay populations, STD and [[HIV test]]ing and counseling may be offered on-site for no charge.<ref name="Alex Westerfelt ">{{cite web | last = Westerfelt | first =Alex | title=Bathhouse Norms: What goes on in the Bathhouse? | publisher=Healthy Living | date=August 2005 | url =http://www.4healthyliving.org/05aug.htm | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref><ref name="Sharon Bernstein">{{cite web | last = Bernstein | first =Sharon | title=Rising Rate of HIV Infection Renews Bathhouse Debate | publisher=Los Angeles Times | date=[[23 March]] [[2004]] | url =http://articles.latimes.com/2004/mar/23/local/me-bathhouse23 | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> ===Drugs and alcohol=== A related issue is that of [[illegal drug|drug]] and [[alcohol]] consumption. In some countries, most bathhouses are prohibited from selling alcohol, but in other countries, such as [[Japan]], they are not. (In Canada, where some bathhouses serve alcohol, a bathhouse holding a liquor license may be required to submit to liquor inspections, which activists claim are often a pretext for regulating gay sexual activity.) Many bathhouses deny entry to those who are visibly intoxicated but do not&mdash;or cannot&mdash;regulate the consumption of drugs (typically alcohol, [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]], [[poppers]], [[ecstasy (drug)|ecstasy]], and [[cocaine]]) by their patrons. This is a problem because the use of drugs and alcohol may make people more likely to engage in unsafe sex.<ref name="Nichols MAA">{{cite web | last = Nichols | first =Eve K. | title=Mobilizing Against AIDS: The Authoritative Edition from the Institute of Medicine; Academy of Sciences | publisher=Harvard University Press; ISBN:0674577620 | date=1989 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=I-h3_h0WK6QC | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> [[Intravenous drug user]]s may be more likely to share needles, considered a very high risk activity, while under the effects of narcotics. Sex clubs, which have no private areas, find it easier to regulate consumption of drugs on their premises. The use of [[Methamphetamine|Crystal meth]] is also known to lead to riskier sexual behaviour, but since gay Crystal users tend to seek out other users to engage in sexual activity, they often prefer to make such arrangements via the Internet. ===Prostitution=== In some countries straight and gay bathhouses are used by [[rent boy]]s to find customers by offering massage services, the "complete service" is often used as a euphemism for sex.<ref>(Aggleton, 1999) p.116-122</ref> {{Quotation |All interviewees were asked whether or not they used condoms, and all with the exception of Fabian, said they used them when having penetrative sex with clients. For fellatio, sometimes they used condoms and sometimes not... For him (Fabian), it was all the same whether he used a condom or not. He also talked about the drugs he had taken, pure alcohol, crack cocaine, and "sometimes I inject, maybe 15 times I've injected, crystal, cocaine and sometimes heroin." |Interviews with ''masajistas'' (masseurs) in a [[Mexico City]] gay bathhouse, Peter Aggleton |Men who Sell Sex |1999}} ==Legal issues== ===Canada=== ;Toronto bathhouse raids of 1981 :On [[February 5]] [[1981]], 150 police raided four gay bathhouses in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]: the [[Club Baths]], the [[Romans II Health and Recreation Spa]], the ''Richmond Street Health Emporium'', and ''The Barracks''. The ''Richmond Health Emporium'' was so badly damaged in the raid that it never reopened. Nicknamed ''Operation Soap'', the raid resulted in the arrests of 268 men who were charged as ''found-ins'' ("found in a bawdy house") and 19 others who were charged as "keepers of a common bawdy house". There was an immediate and angry response from both the gay and lesbian community and others who condemned the raids as unconstitutional, and over 3,000 people gathered in downtown streets in protest. Over 1,400 people joined the "Right to Privacy Committee" to set up a defense campaign for those charged in the raids and to organize a second demonstration which took place on [[February 20]], and included over 4,000 people who gathered at Queen's Park and marched to Metro Toronto Police's 52 Division.<ref name="Gulliver HA"/> See [[1981 Toronto bathhouse raids]] for more information. ;Raid on Pussy Palace :In 2000, Toronto police raided ''[http://www.pussypalacetoronto.com/news_articles.php Pussy Palace]'', a women's night at a bathhouse called ''Club Toronto''. Police, almost all of them male, entered the establishment and walked around, taking the names and addresses of some 10 women and “aggressively questioned” volunteers.<ref name="Brown ABH"/> A ''Pussy Palace'' organizer stated “[m]any women at the event were deeply angered and traumatized.”<ref name="Brown ABH">{{cite news | last = Brown | first =Eleanor | title =A bureaucratic halt at police board / While cop threatens Kyle Rae with lawsuit | publisher =Capital Xtra | date =2000-10-05 | url =http://archives.xtra.ca/Story.aspx?s=1416657 | accessdate =2008-07-10 }}</ref> :Canadian filmmaker and actor [[Sky Gilbert]] argued that the women had a right to privacy and the police had violated that right: "What happened at Club Toronto last Friday night is that these women were raped; not physically, but morally, emotionally and spiritually. They had established a haven - a safe, private space to explore their sexuality (which is still held in contempt by most of society) - and these [[police officer]]s violated it."<ref>{{cite news | last =Gilbert | first =Sky | title =Bathhouse raid a sexist outrage | work =Pink Panther | publisher =Eye Weekly | date =[[September 21]] [[2000]] | url =http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_09.21.00/columns/pink.html | accessdate =2006-12-26 }} </ref> ;Raid on Goliath's :In December 2002, [[Calgary]] police raided ''Goliath's'', one of the city's oldest baths, resulting in charges against 19 men. Fifteen men were arrested in the raid. Thirteen customers were charged as "found-ins" (found in a common [[brothel|bawdy house]] without a legal excuse) and two staff members were charged with the more serious offense of keeping a common bawdy house. The customers faced up to two years in prison. In addition, the owners of the bathhouse and a third staff member were later charged with keeping a common bawdy house. The Canadian media declined to publish the names of the men.<ref>{{cite news | last =Perelle | first =Robin | title =Goliath's Raid, Calgary Chief refuses to meet with gays after raid | publisher =Capital Xtra | date =2002-12-26 | url =http://archives.xtra.ca/Story.aspx?s=224487 | accessdate =2006-12-23 }}</ref> :At issue is the [[bawdy house]] section of the [[Criminal Code]], a law that was created in [[Victorian era|Victorian times]] to regulate prostitution. The code defines a bawdy house as a place where prostitution and/or indecent acts occur. Lawyers for the defense argued that since police were not alleging any prostitution took place at Goliath's, they were thus arguing that gay sex was by definition indecent. :On [[May 27]] [[2004]], a judge ruled that the police had reasonable justification to raid Goliath's.<ref name="Gulliver HA">{{cite web | last = Gulliver | first =Tanya | title=Harnessed anger: Living History / The sound of smashing bathhouse doors in 1981 is still with us | publisher=Xtra | date=[[2 February]] [[2006]] | url =http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=3&STORY_ID=1326&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=5 | accessdate=2008-07-10}}</ref> Defense lawyers countered that none of the anonymous information the police acted upon — for example that [[Sex show|live sex shows]] were being staged and drugs sold on the premises — featured in the charges made against the seventeen men. They also pointed out that the police failed to call in the force's [[gay community]] liaison officer.<ref name="Steele FIAB">{{cite news | last =Steele | first =Amy | title =Fishing in a bathhouse: Goliath's Bathhouse / Calgary Crown says jerking off at tubs is indecent | publisher =Capital Xtra | date =2005-02-17 | url =http://archives.xtra.ca/Story.aspx?s=2278472 | accessdate =2008-07-10 }}</ref> :Goliath's reopened a little more than a month after the raid and remains open. :In November 2004, the Crown stayed the found-in charge against the last remaining patron, saying it was no longer in the public interest to pursue the case. The case against the owners and managers of Goliath's, however, was expected to come to trial in February of 2005, with the defendants having to prove that the activity that the police allegedly witnessed at Goliath's was not indecent. :Terry Haldane, the only "found-in" patron who was actively fighting the charge against him, accused the Crown of dropping the charge because Haldane and his lawyers had given notice of their plan to challenge the bawdy house law all the way to [[Supreme Court of Canada|the Supreme Court]]. Haldane has stated that he will continue his fight, though he will now have to mount a new legal challenge.<ref name=cxg/> :In [[February 2005]], all remaining charges in the case were dropped. The court cited a lack of community support and evidence (from a poll) that the community supported the existence of gay bathhouses by a small margin.<ref name=cxg>{{cite news | last =Steele | first =Amy | title =Crown stays remaining Goliath's charges, After survey shows Calgarians tolerate gay bathhouses | publisher =Capital Xtra | date =2005-02-17 | url =http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=4&STORY_ID=354&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=2 | accessdate =2006-12-23 }}</ref> ;Raid on Hamilton's Warehouse Spa :On [[3 August]] [[2004]], ''[[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]]'s Warehouse Spa and Bath'' was "inspected" by a task force of officers from the police, [[public health]], the city's building and licensing department, the fire department, and the alcohol and gaming commission. Two men were arrested and charged with committing indecent acts.<ref>{{cite news | last =Gulliver | first =Tanya | title =Charged for bathhouse sex, Hamilton cops go after gay businesses, play dumb | publisher =Capital Xtra | date =2004-08-19 | url =http://archives.xtra.ca/Story.aspx?s=15191792 | accessdate =2006-12-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Gallant | first =Paul | title =Erection-killing cops, Lies & denials follow the Hamilton bust | publisher =Capital Xtra | date =2004-08-19 | url =http://archives.xtra.ca/Story.aspx?s=15191791 | accessdate =2006-12-23 }}</ref> ===United States=== [[Image:Club Bathbohouse.jpg|thumb|left|Club Portland, in Oregon]]In [[California]] the "[[Consenting Adult Sex Bill]]," passed in January 1976, made gay bathhouses and the sex that took place within them legal for the first time. In 1978 a group of police officers raided the ''Liberty Baths'' in San Francisco and arrested three patrons for "lewd conduct in a public place," but the District Attorney's office soon dropped the charges against them.<ref name=History /> In 1984, however, fear of [[AIDS]] caused the San Francisco [[Health department|Health Department]], with the support of some gay activists, and against the opposition of other gay activists, to ask the courts to close gay bathhouses in the city. The court, under Judge Roy Wonder, instead issued a [[court order]] that limited sexual practices and disallowed renting of private rooms in bathhouses, so that sexual activity could be monitored, as a public health measure. Some of the bathhouses tried to live within the strict rules of this court order, but many of them felt they could not easily do business under the new rules and closed. Eventually, the few remaining actual bathhouses succumbed to either economic pressures or the continuing legal pressures of the city and finally closed. Several sex clubs, which were not officially bathhouses, continued to operate indefinitely and operate to this day, though following strict rules under the court order and city regulations. The following year the [[New York City]] Health Department ordered that city's gay bathhouses closed; as an [[unintended consequence]], heterosexual sex clubs such as the notorious [[Plato's Retreat]] had to shut down as well because the city had just passed a [[gay rights]] ordinance, and allowing the heterosexual clubs to remain open while closing the gay establishments would have been a violation of the newly-approved law.<ref>{{cite news |last=Golubski| first=Suzanne |coauthors=Kappstatter, Bob |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |title=Swinging doors shut: City probe KO's Plato's | url=http://www.wmob.com/artpages/platos1.html |accessdate=2007-11-08}}</ref> ===China=== In March 2008 a series of police raids in gay bathhouses and at gay meeting spots in Beijing have resulted in arrests and bathhouse closures. This included raids on two branches of the ''Oasis'' bathhouses, known to be the most popular in Beijing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pridesource.com/rssarticle.shtml?article=29851|title=Police reportedly close Beijing gay bathhouses|publisher=Pridesource|accessdate=2008-04-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://shanghaiist.com/2008/03/31/a_big_gay_crack.php|title=Shanghaiist: A big gay crackdown in Beijing?|publisher=Shanghaiist|accessdate=2008-04-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite newspaper|title=Beijing: Police raid bathhouses|publisher=Pink Paper|page=11|date=2008-04-02}}</ref> [[Sodomy]] was decriminalized in China in 1997.<ref>{{cite news|date=2000-01-24|publisher=The Washington Post|author=John Pomfret|title=Among Chinese, a Low-Key Gay Liberation; Openness Replacing Ostracism as Homosexuality Gains Some Acceptance|page=A01}}</ref> ==Famous bathhouse regulars== <!-- in alphabetical order by family name--> [[Image:Demuth Charles Turkish Bath with Self Portrait 1918.jpg|180px|thumb|[[Charles Demuth]] ''Bathhouse and Self-Portrait'' (1918)]] ;Truman Capote :The American writer [[Truman Capote]] (1924–1984) was a regular at the baths in the 1970s and in particular the sauna at ''West 58th Street''.<ref name="TGM">(Kaiser, 1997)</ref> ;Scott Capurro :The comedian, actor and writer [[Scott Capurro]] (1962) is based in San Francisco and London. His comedy material often refers to his experience of gay life and culture. {{Quotation|How about that gay sauna in east London? I've gotten scabies there ... three times! And no, before you ask, it wasn't worth it.|Scott Capurro|Time Out, February 13, 2008}} ;Charles Demuth :American [[:Category:Precisionism|precisionist]] painter [[Charles Demuth]] (1883-1935) used the Lafayette Baths as his favourite haunt. His 1918 homoerotic self portrait set in a Turkish Bathhouse is likely to be set there.<ref name="neilmiller"/>[[Image:Un dessin de Foucault.jpg|180px|thumb|Drawing of Michel Foucault]] ;Charles Griffes :The American composer [[Charles Griffes]] (1884-1920) wrote in his diaries about his gay life including visits to the [[New York]] bathhouses and the [[YMCA]]. His biography states: ''So great was his need to be with boys, that though his home contained two pianos, he chose to practice at an instrument at the [[YMCA|Y]], and his favorite time was when the players were coming and going from their games''.<ref>(Gustav-Wrathall, 1998)</ref> {{Quotation|When a friend with “little experience but great desire” confided his homosexual longings to Charles Griffes in 1916, Griffes took him to the Lafayette so that he could meet other gay men and explore his sexual interests in a supportive environment: the friend was “astounded and fascinated” by what he saw there. The baths also encouraged more advanced forms of sexual experimentation. Griffes himself had had his first encounter with a man interested in [[sadomasochism]] at the Lafayette two years earlier (he found the man “interesting” but the experience unappealing), and several men interviewed in the mid-1930s referred to experimenting in the baths and learning of new pleasures.<ref name="Chauncey" />|George Chauncey|Gay New York 1995}}[[Image:Kuzmin.jpg|thumb|180px|Portrait of Mikhail Kuzmin by [[Konstantin Somov]] (1909)]] ;Justin Fashanu :The first openly gay British footballer [[Justin Fashanu]] (1961–1998) spent his last night in Chariots Roman Spa. His suicide was due to press reports that the US authorities were planning to extradite him and charge him with [[sexual assault]] (there was in fact no warrant). His [[suicide note]] claimed that the sexual encounter had been consensual and that the youth contacted police only after Fashanu refused to pay him blackmail. ;Michel Foucault :The influential 20th century French Philosopher [[Michel Foucault]] (1926–1984) visited bathhouses in California in the 1970s. He died of AIDS-related causes in 1984. ;Rock Hudson :American film and television actor [[Rock Hudson]] (1925–1985). Hudson was one of the first major Hollywood celebrities to die from AIDS related causes.<ref name=UTR>{{citation|title=Under the Rainbow|author=John Carlyle, Robert Osborne, Chris Freeman|date=2006|isbn=0786718536|publisher=Carroll & Graf}} "[Rock Hudson] nursed many a hangover in the Hollywood bathhouses. He chose Craig and me to be his confidants when he had crabs, that niggling hazard of promiscuity (before the penalty became life-threatening)."</ref> ;Mikhail Kuzmin :Russian poet, novelist and composer [[Mikhail Kuzmin]] (1872–1936) is known to have patronized bathhouses. Some of the bathhouses in [[St. Petersburg]] at the time became known as friendly to [[gay men]] and provided "attendants," who might provide sexual services for a fee. In his diary, Kuzmin writes of one bathhouse visit: ''the evening I had the urge to go to a bathhouse simply to be stylish, for the fun of it, for cleanliness.''<ref>(Aldrich, 2000)</ref> ;Rudolf Nureyev :The Russian dancer [[Rudolf Nureyev]] (1938-1993) was known to frequent the baths in New York.<ref name="TGM"/> ==Celebrities and the ''Continental Baths''== {{main|Continental Baths}} <!-- please check Continental Baths page before extending further--> Singer [[Bette Midler]] is well-known for getting her start at the famous [[Continental Baths]] in New York City the early 1970s, where she earned the nickname Bathhouse Betty. It was there, accompanied by pianist [[Barry Manilow]] (who, like the bathhouse patrons, sometimes wore only a white towel<ref name=History>''The History of Gay Bathhouses.'' Online. Accessed [[February 23]], [[2004]]. Available: http://www.gaytubs.com/ahistory.htm</ref></blockquote>) that she created her stage persona "the Divine Miss M." On getting her start in bathhouses, Midler has remarked: <blockquote>Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm still proud of those days [when I got my start singing at the gay bathhouses]. I feel like I was at the forefront of the [[Gay Liberation|gay liberation movement]], and I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Betty' with pride.<ref>{{cite news | title =Bette Midler | publisher =Houston Voice | date =[[23 October]] [[1998]] | url =http://www.houstonvoice.com | accessdate = }}</ref></blockquote> Other famous performers who appeared at the ''Continental'' include [[Melba Moore]], [[Labelle]], [[Peter Allen]], [[Cab Calloway]], [[The Manhattan Transfer]], [[John Davidson (singer)|John Davidson]], and [[Wayland Flowers]]. ==Footnotes== <!--The referencing mechanism used on this page is explained at [[m:Cite/Cite.php]].--> {{reflist|2}} ==References== <div class="references-small"> <!-- Sort by Surname to make easier to find from Footnotes --> ;Books *{{cite book |last=Aggleton |first=Peter |title=Men who Sell Sex |publisher=[[UCL Press]] |isbn=1857288637 |date=1999 }} * {{cite book | last =Aldrich | first =Robert | title = Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History Vol.1 | publisher =Routledge | date =2000 | pages =528 pages | url =http://www.routledge.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp?sku=&isbn=9780415159821&parent_id=&pc=/shopping_cart/search/search.asp?search%3Dwho%2527s%2Bwho%2Bgay%2Blesbian%26sortBy%3D1%26pn%3D2 | isbn = 0415306515 }} * {{cite book | last =Bell | first =Alan | title =Homosexualities, a study of diversity among men and women | publisher =Mitchell Beazley | date =1979 | pages =505 pages | id =ISBN 0855331445 | quote =An Official Publication of The Institute for Sex Research founded by [[Alfred C. Kinsey]] }} * {{cite book | last =Chauncey | first =George | title =Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 | publisher =Basic Books; Reprint edition | date =1995 | pages =496 pages | url = | id =ISBN 0465026214 }} * {{cite book | last =De Bonneville | first =Francoise | title =The Book of the Bath | publisher =Rizzoli | date =1998 | location = | pages =208 pages | id =ISBN 084782134X }} * {{cite book | last =Dynes | first =Wayne | title =Encyclopedia of Homosexuality | publisher =St. James Press | date =1990 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id =ISBN 1-55862-147-4 }} * {{cite book | last =Gardiner | first =James | title =Who's a Pretty Boy, Then?: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Gay Life in Pictures | publisher =Serpent's Tail | date =1998 | pages =240 pages | id =ISBN 1852425946 }} *{{cite book | last =Gmunder | first =Bruno | title =Spartacus International Sauna Guide 2007 | publisher =Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh; Revised edition | date = [[October 1]] [[2006]] | pages =320 pages | id = ISBN 3861874261 }} * {{cite book | last =Gustav-Wrathall | first =John Donald | title =Take the Young Stranger by the Hand | publisher =University of Chicago Press | date =1998 | pages =288 pages | url =http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/13579 | doi = | id = ISBN 0226907848 }} * {{cite book | last =Higgs | first =David | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Queer Sites, gay urban histories since 1600 | publisher =Routledge | date =1999 | location = | pages = | url =http://gaybookreviews.info/review/3209/703 | doi = | id =ISBN 0-415-15898-2 }} * {{cite book | last =Houlbrook | first =Matt | title =Queer London: Perils and Pleasures in the Sexual Metropolis, 1918-1957 | publisher =The University of Chicago Press | date =September 2005 | pages =398 pages | id =ISBN 0226354601 }} * {{cite book | last =Kaiser | first =Charles | title =The Gay Metropolis: 1940-1996 | publisher =Houghton Mifflin Company | date =1997 | pages =404 pages | id = ISBN 0395657814 }} * {{cite book | last =Malmstad | first =John | authorlink = | coauthors = Nikolay Bogomolov | title = Mikhail Kuzmin, A Life in Art | publisher =Harvard University Press | date =April 1999 | location = | pages =496 pages | url =http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/MALLIF.html | doi = | id =ISBN 0-674-53087-X }} * {{cite book | last =Miller | first =Neil | title =Out of the Past, Gay and Lesbian history from 1869 to the present | publisher =Vintage | date =1995 | location = | pages =657 pages | url = | doi = | id =ISBN 0-09-957691-0 }} (2005 rev. ed. ISBN 1555838707) * {{cite book | last =Murray | first =Stephen O. | title =American Gay | publisher =University of Chicago Press | date =1996 | pages =345 pages | url =http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/13041 | id =ISBN 0226551911 | chapter =Chapter 4: The Promiscuity Paradigm, AIDS, and Gay Complicity with the Remedicalization of Homosexuality }} * {{cite book | last =Rocke | first =Michael | title =Forbidden friendships : homosexuality and male culture in Renaissance Florence | publisher =[[Oxford University Press]] | date =1996 | pages = | url =http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/32893164?tab=details | id =ISBN 0195069757 }} * {{cite book | last =Woods | first =William J. | title =Gay Bathhouses and Public Health Policy | publisher =Harrington Park Press Inc.,U.S. | date =2003 | pages =253 pages | url = | id = ISBN 1560232730 }} * {{cite book | last =Wotherspoon | first =Garry | title =City of the Plain | publisher =Hale & Iremonger | date =1991 | pages =256 pages | id =ISBN 0868064203 }} ;Journal articles and theses <!-- Sort by Surname to make easier to find from Footnotes --> * {{cite book | last =Prior | first =Jason Hugh | title =Sydney Gay Saunas 1967-2000, Fight for civic acceptance and experiences beyond the threshold (PhD Thesis) | publisher =University of New South Wales | date =2004 | url =http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-NUN/public/adt-NUN20050629.094446/index.html | id = }} * {{cite book | last =Richters | first =Juliet | title =The Social Construction of Sexual Practice: Setting Sexual Culture and the Body in Casual Sex Between Men (PhD Thesis) | publisher =University of Sydney, Public Health and Community Medicine | date =2006 | url =http://hdl.handle.net/2123/352 | id = }} *{{cite journal | author = Richters, Juliet | year = 2007 | title = Through a Hole in a Wall: Setting and Integration in Sex-on-Premises Venues | journal = Sexualities | volume = 10 | number = 3 | pages = 275–297 | doi = 10.1177/1363460707078319 }} ;Newspaper and magazine articles <!-- Reverse date order --> * {{cite news | last =Osbourne | first =Duncan | coauthors = | title =El Mirage Closed | journal =Gay City News | date =[[30 November]] [[2006]] | url =http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17533294&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=569341&rfi=6 | accessdate =2006-12-29 | quote =Citing violations of a state health code that bars oral, anal, and vaginal sex in businesses, the city on November 15 closed El Mirage, a sex club that has operated at 253 East Houston since 1999.}} * {{cite journal | last =Lamore | first = Lance | authorlink =Fab (magazine) | title =A guide to bathhouse etiquette | issue =296 | journal =[[Fab (magazine)|fab Magazine]]: The gay scene magazine | date =June 2006 | url =http://www.fabmagazine.com/features/296/tubs.html | accessdate =2007-01-06 | quote =Here’s a handy list of tips to help make the experience more fun for everyone.}} * {{cite news | last =Herscher | first =Elaine | coauthors = | title =Gay Bathhouse Issue Prompts Partisan Fervor | publisher =San Francisco Chronicle | date =[[14 June]] [[1999]] | url =http://www.aegis.com/news/sc/1999/SC990601.html | accessdate =2006-12-22 }} * {{cite journal | last =Pebody | first =Roger | title =Tales of the steam | journal =Gay Times | issue =237 | publisher =Millivres | date =June 1998 | id =ISSN 0950-6101 | accessdate =2006-12-25 }} ;Websites <!-- Reverse date order --> * {{cite web | last =Coronado | first =Eddie | title =The history of gay bathhouses | publisher =Gaytubs.com | url =http://www.gaytubs.com/ahistory.htm | accessdate =2006-12-23 }} * {{cite web | url = http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=7774 | title = Gay Bathhouse: Straight Boy Undercover | accessdate = 2006-12-27 | last = Levin | first = Rick | date = [[June 21]] [[2001]] | publisher = The Stranger | quote = Men are dogs. Put 'em in a kennel, and you get pretty much what you'd expect.}} </div> ==See also== <!-- * [[List of gay-related topics]] this has gone from wiki --> * [[Bath house]] * [[Continental Baths]] * [[Portal:Sexuality]], [[Public sex]] * [[Hall-Carpenter Archives]] ==External links== <!-- See Template:Cite_web {{cite web |url= |title= |accessdate=2006-12-27}} This list should be alphabetic --> ;Bathhouse Lists * {{cite web |url=http://www.bathhouseaddict.com |title=BathhouseAddict.com |accessdate=2006-12-27}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.bathhouseguide.com |title=BathHouseGuide.com |accessdate=2006-12-27}} * {{cite web |url=http://gaysauna.startze.nl |title=Gay Sauna Guide Worldwide |accessdate=2008-04-09}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.gaysaunen.com |title=International Gay Sauna and Bathhouse Register |accessdate=2006-12-27}} * {{cite web |url=http://scene-OUT.com/relax |title=Scene-OUT.com sauna reviews |accessdate=2006-12-27}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.squirt.org |title=Squirt.org Worldwide Sauna Listings along with user generated comments and reviews}} ;Particularly noteworthy bathhouses * {{cite web |url=http://www.centuriansauna.co.nz |title=Centurian Sauna |accessdate=2006-12-27}} sauna in [[Auckland]], NZ * {{cite web |url=http://www.chariots.co.uk |title=Chariots Health Clubs |accessdate=2006-12-27}} sauna chain in [[London]] * {{cite web |url=http://www.denmarksauna.com |title=The New Denmark |accessdate=2007-07-20}} Newly rebuilt sauna in [[Brighton]] & Hove. * {{cite web |url=http://www.flexbaths.com |title=Flex Baths |accessdate=2007-12-26}} sauna in Atlanta, Cleveland, Columbus, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix, USA ;History * {{cite web |url=http://www.victorianturkishbath.org/6DIRECTORY/2WOTSINIT.htm |title=VictorianTurkishBath.org |accessdate=2006-12-27}} historical directory of British Baths {{LGBT-footer |culture=yes}} [[Category:LGBT culture]] [[Category:LGBT history]] [[Category:Bathing]] [[Category:Massage]] [[Category:Group sex]] [[Category:Sex industry]] [[de:Schwule Sauna]] [[he:סאונה (מועדון מין)]] [[ja:発展場]] [[pt:Sauna Gay]] [[fi:Homosauna]] [[sv:Bastuklubb]]