San francisco gay bathhouse
Pride parades are a major feature of LGBTQ+ celebrations across the world and they began as politically motivated protest marches demanding action on a host of issues like social and religious prejudice, civil rights, homophobia and discrimination. San Francisco, with its Bohemian cultural fabric, emerged as an early epicentre of the gay movement in the USA.
On 27 June , 20 to 30 people took part in a Gay Liberation March, followed by a gathering at the Golden Gate Park the following day, which was promptly raided and dispersed by the police who took seven people into custody. Notwithstanding, in the decade of the 70s the movement gathered pace – the celebration of the June events gradually grew into the San Francisco Gay Pride.
The parade has been held every year since (only interrupted by the COVID pandemic), taking place during the last weekend of June to honour the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Each year has a particular theme, which is reflected in publicity material, merchandise and memorabilia related to the event.
Two interesting pieces related to the San Franc
San Francisco Abolishes Gay Bathhouse Ban After 36 Years
It’s been almost four decades but San Franciscans will soon be able to get down and unclean in their neighbourhood gay bathhouse, just like the good old days. Gay bathhouses can now verb in the city under looser restrictions for the first time in almost 40 years.
The laws that resulted in the closure of bathhouses were left over from the premature days of the AIDS crisis. These rules were enacted out of terror that such establishments were contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and included the prohibition on confidential locked rooms and mandated surveillance of patrons, all of which combined essentially amounted to an outright ban on such premises.
The archaic and easily avoidable laws, (it’s just a quick cheeky trip across to San Jose or Berkeley, less than an hours drive for those unfamiliar with the area, if you have a hankering to hunker down with an anonymous distinct someone), have been rescinded thanks to the efforts of gay local government representative, Rafael Mandelman.
Symbolic Significance For Now
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Why San Francisco Needs a Gay Bathhouse
Bathhouses, a staple in gay communities worldwide, have been glaringly absent from San Francisco since
I made a novel friend recently. He just moved here from Adj York. Having tried to visit the Eagle but finding it closed, he texted me one evening. “Does SF close down at like, 11pm? I’m used to NYC where we don’t even begin going out until then.”
Oh honey. “We’re not enjoy you East Coasters lol. Though I wish we were sometimes. The dearth of late-nite options here is staggering.”
“Wtf? This is a city, isn’t it?”
I’m tired of confronting the fact that, for being a high-profile gay destination, San Francisco is surprisingly prudish.
It’s understandable that my friend was let down by SF’s inherent sleepiness. If only there were a twenty-four-hour destination for him and other gay men to meet and make friends. A bathhouse, also known as a sauna, traditionally steps in for our kind at this point. At one time, San Franciso hosted over sixty gay bathhouses. But now the urban area is bath-less, and has been since , so my buddy walked dwelling and p
Castro Baths
San Francisco and the broader Bay Area own one of the highest concentrations of LGBTQIA+ folks in the world. We have explicit legislation creating a favorable business environment (Supervisor Mandelman, bless 🙏). If there was ever a time to revive our city’s once burgeoning bathhouse culture–it’s now.
Castro Baths is hustling to uncover our doors in second for Pride and you’re invited!
Our Vision
Last summer, we visited bathhouses around the world: Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Istanbul, New York, Los Angeles, London, and more. (If Lorraine at the IRS is reading this - this was an absolutelynecessary business expense!)
Repeatedly, we were asked: “I’m going to San Francisco next month - which bathhouses should I visit?” Sheepishly, a tad embarrassed - we explained that there isn’t really a gay bathhouse scene in San Francisco. “Your finest bet is probably in Berkeley.”
While there are a handful of local traditional bathhouses we frequent (shoutout to the newest addition: Alchemy Springs) - gay bathhouse culture in San Francisco never recovered after the AIDS cr