Glory Hole

A glory hole is a hole cut into a wall or partition, often between public toilet stalls, sex club booths, or adult video arcade lounges, through which a person can give or receive sexual contact without seeing or knowing their partner. The term became closely tied to gay male sexual culture in the 1950s through the 1970s, when same-sex activity was criminalized and anonymity offered a measure of protection. Glory holes remain a fixture of some bathhouses, sex clubs, and cruising spaces, valued for the erotic charge of anonymity. Health advocates have at times pointed to them as a lower-contact option, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic.