Bathhouse

A gay bathhouse, sometimes called the baths or a sauna, is a commercial venue that provides private and semi-private space for men to socialize and have sex with other men. Bathhouses have been part of gay male culture since at least the early 20th century and served as rare safe gathering places when same-sex activity was criminalized and stigmatized. They became the focus of intense public-health debate during the AIDS crisis: in 1984 San Francisco moved to close its bathhouses to slow HIV transmission, a decision many in the community viewed as anti-gay, and New York followed in 1985. Many bathhouses that operate today incorporate HIV and STI testing, condom access, and prevention education.