Are houses just for gay
The following discussion of Gay Men's "Health Clubs", or Spas, is summarized from the November and December, 2006 issues of the Q-Life Newspaper:
Perhaps even before bars could openly call themselves "gay" or openly cater to the homosexual community, men's "bath houses" (a.k.a. spas, or "health clubs") have been well-liked. And even in today's "sex via internet hookup" environment, men's bath houses continue to thrive. Most of America's larger cities possess at least one gay bath house- and Milwaukee is no exception.
For those who have never been in a gay men�s bath house, this type of establishment is typically a place for consenting men to find nearly-anonymous sex. Upon checking in, a dude will be assigned either a locker or private altering room, and will shed all clothes, spending the remainder of his day at the location clad only in a towel. The typical facility will have showers, a steam room and/or sauna, and usually a hot tub, plus a TV lounge, and perhaps an outdoor patio. There will usually also be practice equipment- however infrequently used. Men will �cruise� each other in the various rooms and facilities, and if so inclined �hook up� with one or more other men- usually in a
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 hold 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 1970s. Most of them closed in the 1980s, 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 like Squirt and Sniffies.
* Historically, bathhouses only admitted cisgender men. They are generally becoming more inclusive. Many have more relaxed door policies or consecrated 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 dial ahead before visiting a venue for the first time.
When you arrive
When you arrive at a bathhouse, you’ll get to a front desk with an attendant. This is where you’ll pay for your entry along with any extras like private rooms (if the venue
Did you know that men have been cruising each other for sex at bathhouses since the 15th century?
While the original intention of men’s bathhouses may have been hygiene, today’s gay bathhouses or saunas, along with other types of sex-on-premises-venue (SOPV) or sex venues, are intended as places where you can meet others for casual sex. SOPVs suggest a place to scout and play with a wider variety of people, many of whom might not appear on a dating app grid.
Walking around a gay sauna or SOPV, you might rapidly realise a whole brand-new set of rules is at play; with everything from navigating consent to being comfortable in a sexualised space, there can be a lot to learn. Here’s what you should know before heading into a sex venue for the first time.
How does a gay sauna operate?
Like a hotel, you’ll arrive at your venue, and there will be a front desk where you’ll pay an admission fee, and in send back, you’ll receive a locker key and a towel.
From there, it’s a matter of heading to the changerooms to change into the towel and store your clothes in a locker. Upon arriving, many people will also shower to freshen up, and many venues may include douching facilities if you want t
I'm a bath house virgin. I've been near many, stayed next door to one before in Montreal as well as Chicago, but never took the steps to go into one. I've chatted with friends before about their visitations to bath houses, but the conversations did not get too colorful, maybe because I was not too interested and maybe because I didn't want to know about all the penetrating details.
Gareth Johnson has recently done some leg work for us that want to realize more about bath houses, but are too reserved right now to depart into one. Here is his chat with Twitter user and gay bathhouse enthusiast MännerSpa to talk about saunas, men, and sex.
When did you first check in a bathhouse?
I was in my early 20s — it was Steamworks in Chicago. Around the same time I also visited the mythical Man’s Country in Chicago, it’s since closed. I see those visits as being my initiation into the world of the gay bathhouse— one novel school, one old school.
Did it live up to your expectations?
Although I reflection I knew what I was venturing into, it was still a fairly surprising experience. The ambience and the concept was exactly what I was
Our Location
12 Crane Lane, Temple Block, Dublin 2. Eircode: D02 DR72.
Click on our Map Location to locate us via Google Maps.
A little about us!
Our venue is a male-only venue. We welcome trans person guests who contain gender marked "male" on their ID/Passport, this is our only requirement. We do not need information about body parts or surgeries. We opened our doors back in 1999. The building consists of five floors consisting of a dry sauna, jacuzzi, steam-rooms, perform areas and personal rooms.
On visiting the premises you will be provided with a wristband that will open your locker where you will find a towel and place to put your belongings.
Extra towels are free but we ask customers to be mindful as we wash and dry these ourselves and we long to limit our impact on the environment, we perform not mind customers bringing their hold either! If you require flip-flops we also provide these free at our reception (please ask). If you would prefer to go valuables at the reception, please request for a security bag on entering.
The busiest times at our premises would usually be on the weekends, though we have noticed that during the w