Best gay bathhouses in the united states
Gay bathhouses nationwide face uncertain future
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gay bathhouses that once remained in the shadows to stay in business are now seeking attention to keep their doors open.
Some are doing aggressive online advertising and community outreach. Others tout their upscale amenities like plush towels and marble baths. A bathhouse in Ohio has even added hotel rooms and a nightclub.
Gone are the days when bathhouses drew crowds just by offering a discreet place for gays to meet, share saunas and, often, have sex.
"The acceptance of gays has changed the whole world. It's taken away the need to sneak into back-alley places," said Dennis Holding, 75, who owns a Miami-based bathhouse.
In the heyday of bathhouses in the late s, there were nearly gay bathhouses in cities across the U.S., but by , the total had dropped to approximately 90, according to Damron, the publisher of an annual gay travel guide. In the last decade, bathhouses, including ones in San Diego, Syracuse, Seattle and San Antonio, contain shut down and the total nationwide is less than Most patrons are older
The Freddie Guide to: Bathhouses
What is a bathhouse?
Bathhouses – also known as baths, saunas, or gay saunas – are spaces where queer men* meet to socialise, relax and have sex. They are legal, licensed sex venues, as opposed to regular saunas or steam rooms where people cruise.
The number of gay bathhouses in North America peaked in the s. Most of them closed in the s, as local governments made public health rules to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These rules were often rooted in homophobia.
Today, there are still bathhouses in most major cities across the world. You can find them through Google or on cruising sites enjoy Squirt and Sniffies.
* Historically, bathhouses only admitted cisgender men. They are generally becoming more inclusive. Many have more relaxed door policies or dedicated times and events that are safer spaces for trans and non-binary people. If this applies to you, it’s best to check online or ring ahead before visiting a venue for the first time.
When you arrive
When you come at a bathhouse, you’ll acquire to a front desk with an attendant. Thi
What is the Best Bathhouse in America?
To answer the inquiring lesbian friend
On the surface, the bathhouse is basically a spa. Naked men in towels, taking showers, using the steam, sauna, jacuzzi, and gym facilities. There is often a dark back room with a glory hole maze involved.
Through that, you find ways to make contact with guys. Guys can be choosy in this environment as they call for. Men of all sorts verb to the bathhouse, hot ones and lesser so. You move and try to hook up with guys you think are hot, don't take it personally if you are rejected, and don't feel bad about rejecting an advance you don't like.
People mostly go by themselves. It's sexier than going with a group of your buddies, because let's face it: four queens descending on a bathhouse is a dick wilter, because there is going to be all manner of chatter and whisper and fear of doing something sexual in front of your friends.
Often times, couples will depart there in order to spice up their sex lives a bit.
There are many screens showing porn. There is usually a DJ (sometimes a very adj one). Sometimes it's just
We used to always wonder, what makes America the land of the free? It wasn’t until we discovered their world of gay saunas that we truly understood!
Always busy, always fun, always liberated. Let’s just say that American guys don’t hold back when it comes to enjoying their time at a gay sauna. From getting off in the steam rooms to freely complimenting each other in the open showers to throwing underwear parties, it truly is a free for all zone.
It also begs the question: Why are gay guys so obsessed with saunas?
Well, why WOULDN’T we be? They’re big, hot, sweaty rooms, full of dudes in their birthday suit, with no judgments or diva attitudes. They are a place for queer men to find each other, socialize and relax, maybe even indulge in some hanky panky (away from the prying eyes of hetero-society), and who knows, even find Mr. Right.
So, with all that in mind, check here is our list of the 10 best gay saunas across the USA:
1. The Club Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
2. Steamworks Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif