Minneapolis City Council Votes to Repeal Ban on Bathhouses, Sex Venues
Nine council members backed changes to city code that would let Minneapolis develop adult bathhouse licenses and allow consensual sex in the venues.
- On Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council voted 9-2 to repeal the city's 38-year ban on adult bathhouses, establishing a licensing framework for venues where consenting adults may legally engage in sexual activity.
- The 1988 ban, enacted during the height of the AIDS crisis, was criticized by advocates as "legalized homophobia" that forced sexual activity into underground spaces, complicating public health efforts.
- "Today is the first step and it will not be the last," Councilmember Jason Chavez said, noting that the vote initiates regulatory work though establishments cannot open until zoning and safety requirements are finalized.
- Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to sign the ordinances, though Councilmember Elizabeth Shaffer voted against the measure, citing constituent concerns about city budget priorities and neighborhood implications.
- City officials must now develop comprehensive health and sanitation regulations alongside zoning policies before any bathhouses can operate, ensuring future establishments function under a structured public health framework.
16 Articles
16 Articles
The Advocate
Nearly 40 years later, Minneapolis repeals bathhouse ban
This story originally appeared on Them.Following a 9-2 vote, the Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to repeal the city’s longstanding ban on adult bathhouses, a nearly 40-year prohibition that dates back to the earliest days of the AIDS crisis, per MPR News.The last bathhouse in operation in Minneapolis closed in 1988 during the height of the AIDS crisis, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.Jason Chavez, the only out LGBTQ+ member of th…
Louder With Crowder
ussanews.comMinneapolis FINALLY confronts its homophobic bigotry and lifts its ban on gay bathhouses to celebrate Pride month
In 1989, Minneapolis banned adult bathhouses and sex venues during the height of the AIDs epidemic. The story should have ended there. However, because the radical left has become so deranged and has aligned debauchery with their values, or lack thereof, the Minneapolis City Council has deemed that homophobic, or whatever, subsequently, in honor of Pride Month, the City Council voted to lift the ban on adult bathhouses and sex venues.Rampant fra…
Minneapolis Repeals 1988 Ban On Bathhouses
Minnesota Public Radio reports: The Minneapolis City Council voted 9-2 on Thursday with one abstaining to repeal the longstanding ban on adult bathhouses and businesses where people can have sex in the city. The vote comes after work from advocates, city staff and council members who say the ban is rooted in homophobia. The final step to repeal the ban is a signature from Mayor Jacob Frey, who previously told MPR News he supports the repeal. Adu…
Chippewa Herald
La Crosse TribuneMinneapolis repealed its gay bathhouse ban. What’s next?
After repealing a nearly four-decade ban on gay bathhouses Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council now has to set up regulations that would govern them. Council members leading the charge to legalize bathhouses say they intend to regulate them similar to…
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