Pluto Koehnen

As of late March, the Minneapolis City Council is contemplating lifting the 40-year ban on adult bathhouses in the community. Adult bathhouses are community facilities—often containing saunas, steam rooms, or pools—that permits patrons to participate in sexual activity. Bathhouses have been associated with the LGBTQ+ community, specifically queer men. Bathhouses operated 24 hours a day, offering a cheap place to spend a night or a safe haven for said queer citizens. 

In 1979 bathhouses were an often disputed topic, police regularly raided Minneapolis bathhouses and would arrest patrons. Within November 1979, police ticketed over 100 men and arrested nine for sodomy, a then-felony involving anal sex. Then, Minneapolis faced its first positive HIV test in 1982. Adult Bathhouses became a controversial topic, many blaming them for contributing to the spread of HIV. Despite this concern, a community health department study presented that adult bathhouses and LGBTQ+ spaces provided sexual health education, “Closing one facility type or another is unlikely to drastically affect transmissibility of the AIDS virus”(MPR). The ban on bathhouses was passed in 1988, following concern towards HIV. Hennepin Baths, Big Daddy’s Bath House and Locker Room Baths were the three existing bathhouses that closed prior to the ban. LGBTQ+ historians point to the 1979 raids, city redevelopment, homophobia and the rise of the AIDS epidemic to the contribution of the ordinance. 

The Bathhouses were discussed by Minneapolis City Council on April 9. Elliot Payne stated that, “advocates were really encouraging the city to actually repeal this ban outright, noting that these type of venues exist in cities— like San Francisco, Chicago— and they’ve been a place of both community and good public health practices… and we know that some of the activities being described here already happen now, today, in the shadows, and they are happening in a completely unregulated way without proper hygiene, public health interventions. And so we want to modernize this language so we can recognize activity that’s already happening but do it in a way that’s regulated, and safe, and that can deliver better public health outcomes for our community.”

Citizens of Minneapolis have shown to hold mixed opinions on the topic. On WCCO’s Instagram post one commenter states: “The city is becoming a 3rd world cesspool. What a shame.” Others write that, “What about the safety on light rail, safety in neighborhoods, and youth activities… that’s just a few to add to your agenda!” and “Just because it’s not for you doesn’t mean you can shame it.” Many commenters on multiple posts— such as The Star Tribune and MPR— question if legalizing bathhouses should be a priority within the current political climate. Users state that: “I’m gay but goddamn, is this the priority???” and “Can I just…have some health insurance?”

In general, the research going into the possibility of appealing this ban has sparked controversy in the cities, despite the council’s intentions to maintain a safe community.