A gay bathhouse, also known as a gay sauna or a gay steambath, is a public bath targeted towards gay and bisexual men. In gay slang, a bathhouse may be called just "the baths", "the sauna", or "the tubs". Historically, they have been used for sexual activity.[1][2]
Bathhouses offering similar services for women are rare, but some men's bathhouses occasionally have a "lesbian" or "women only" night. Some, such as Hawks PDX, offer so-called "bisexual" nights, where anyone is welcome regardless of gender.
Bathhouses vary considerably in size and amenities—from small establishments with 10 or 20 rooms and a handful of lockers to multi-story saunas with a variety of room styles or sizes and several steam baths, hot tubs, and sometimes swimming pools. Most have a steam room (or wet sauna), dry sauna, showers, lockers, and small private rooms.
In many countries, bathhouses are "membership only" (for legal reasons); though membership is generally open to any adult who seeks it, usually after paying a small fee. Unlike brothels, customers pay only for the use of the facilities. Sexual activity, if it occurs, is not provided by staff of the establishment, but is between customers with no money exchanged. Many gay bathhouses, for legal reasons, explicitly prohibit and/or discourage prostitution and ban known prostitutes.[3]
- ^ Prior, Jason (2007). "Baths, Public: III. West, Middle Ages–Present". In Malti‑Douglas, Fedwa; Choksy, Jamsheed K.; Roof, Judith; Sautman, Francesca Canadé; Jones, Sumie; Zhou, Liana (eds.). Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Vol. 1: A–C. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Thomson Gale. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-02-865961-9. LCCN 2007020796. OCLC 894526708.
- ^ Colker, David (1994-03-10). "Within the Walls of Gay Bathhouse Lies a World of Their Own". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on 2014-12-22.
- ^ Regina Brett (July 21, 2006). "Let's emphasize 'safe' part of safe sex". Plain Dealer (Cleveland).
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.