Minneapolis has overturned a nearly four-decade-old ban on adult bathhouses, becoming the latest U.S. city to pull back restrictions imposed during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. The decision was made via a 9-2 vote by the Minneapolis City Council. It officially renounces a 1988 ordinance that prohibited bathhouses and similar adult venues. City officials and public health advocates say the repeal marks the city’s shift toward modern inclusive health practices. “This is the first step and it will not be the last,” said council member Jason Chavez.
LGBTQ+ Minneapolis residents and allies who supported the repeal argued that closing or restricting these spaces did not eliminate sexual health concerns. They suggested that instead it offered the community fewer resources and less visibility in the public sphere. Jay Orne of the Aliveness Project, a Minneapolis organization focused on HIV prevention and support, told officials that “pushing people into less visible spaces does not eliminate the risk.”
The decision comes a whopping 40 years after cities across the country targeted bathhouses and other gathering spaces associated with the wider LGBTQ+ community. However, this does not mean bathhouses will reopen immediately. Minneapolis still has work to do in establishing licensing rules, and setting standards for safety, public health and sanitation in these spaces. The repeal must also receive a signature from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
