The Contental Baths: The gay bathhoe that birthed electronic mic legends - Blog | Splice

Contents:

• GAY BATHHOE EROS TO OPEN S NEW TENRLO LOTN FOR PRI WEEKEND
• A PEEK UNR THE TOWEL: INSI THE 500-YEAR HISTORY OF GAY BATHHO
• THE BT GAY HOOK-UP SPOTS NYC
• EXPLORG THE REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO NEW YORK CY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNY
• BEFORE IT BURNED DOWN, THIS BATHHOE SERVED AS A HAVEN FOR NEW YORK CY’S GAY COMMUNY
• DID CLOSG NEW YORK CY BATHHO THE 1980S STRIP DIGNY OM GAY MEN?
• NEW YORK CY GAY TRAVEL
• THE CONTENTAL BATHS: THE GAY BATHHOE THAT BIRTHED ELECTRONIC MIC LEGENDS

GAY BATHHOE EROS TO OPEN S NEW TENRLO LOTN FOR PRI WEEKEND

Marks Baths) closed wh the AIDS crisis, but the scene is unrgog a revival: Journalist Kev Phney says that, per gay chat rooms and apps, the sna at East Si Club (which has private rooms) is a good bet for a hookup. When the 30-year-old bathhoe and sna Eros left ’s old home on Market Street near the Castro December 2021, the cy's only remag gay sex club said they had a new home led up. Given s glossy new terr and nvenient lotn, the Baths boomed populary, predomantly wh a whe, middle- and upper-class gay male clientele.

A PEEK UNR THE TOWEL: INSI THE 500-YEAR HISTORY OF GAY BATHHO

In 1980, Mailman opened his own gay club, The Sat, whose name was spired by the Baths, jt a five-mute walk om each other. In an attempt to make The Sat profable, he opened the club to straight patrons on Fridays and ntued operatg until May 1988, when closed due to the loss of s re dience of whe, gay men.

The Everard Baths, one of the most legendary of New York’s bathho, was a refuge for gay men probably sce s openg 1888, but fely by World War I.

THE BT GAY HOOK-UP SPOTS NYC

One of the most legendary of New York’s bathho, the Everard Baths was a refuge for gay men probably sce s openg 1888, but, as documented, om at least World War I until s closg 1986. Gee Chncey found that raids by the New York Society for the Supprsn of Vice 1919 and 1920 here produced the arrts of numero gay men.

In the late 1960s, Steve Ostrow, an entreprenr and former opera sger, wanted to elevate the gay bathhoe experience om what were then seedy spac to an enhanced statn as a health club and spa.

EXPLORG THE REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO NEW YORK CY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNY

At s peak, the Baths had 400 private rooms and 2, 000 lockers servg up to 10, 000 diverse gay male patrons a week, some who would stay for an entire weekend. Gay and the Village Voice vered the discrimatn, wh the Voice reportg that the ad-hoc gay rights group, the “Commtee to End Enticement and Entrapment, ” sent a large number of “Put an End to Police Abe” letters to Mayor Ldsay to prott the harassment. The same year, “The Rz, ” by playwright Terrance McNally and loosely based on the Baths, opened on Broadway (later turned to a film), which was one of the first plays wh unapologetic gay characters to reach a mastream dience.

BEFORE IT BURNED DOWN, THIS BATHHOE SERVED AS A HAVEN FOR NEW YORK CY’S GAY COMMUNY

This cid wh the openg of a number of other gay and gay-iendly dance venu, cludg Flamgo, the Gallery, and Le Jard. Morris Baths was an important social center for gay Ain-Amerin men and one of the longt operatg bathho New York Cy.

When exactly began to attract a predomantly gay, Ain-Amerin clientele is unknown, but was mostly likely the 1920s durg the Harlem Renaissance.

DID CLOSG NEW YORK CY BATHHO THE 1980S STRIP DIGNY OM GAY MEN?

Lln Kirste characterized the baths as “a renzvo” for “notor homosexuals, viated perverts, and merchant semen. It served an important social service known for s emphasis on sex tn durg a perd when there were few AIDS/HIV outreach programs for gay men of lor and men who did not intify as gay, but had sex wh men.

It was a ld Febary morng, 118 years ago this month, when New York Cy police nducted their first rerd raid on a gay bathhoe. The tradn of gay male bathg spac dat back to the 15th century — and more genr-ntral bathg is rerd as early as 6 BC. As stutns, bathho gaed populary the last century, part due to growg gay populatns lackg plac where they uld publicly gather.

The risks of police raids terred some men om steppg to a gay bathhoe, but ultimately the need for timate pannship outweighed the danger posed by police. Dpe survivg 100 years of police harassment, though, the gay bathho of New York Cy uldn’t survive the homophobia of Mayor Ed Koch, who shut most of them down durg the HIV epimic.

NEW YORK CY GAY TRAVEL

Followg World War II, a more robt unrground gay culture began to emerge, spurred part by the pannship that queer soldiers found the ary.

While many gay bathho have strict l and regulatns place to ensure the safety of their patrons, there is still a risk of sexual asslt or other forms of harm. Addnally, the revival of gay bathho New York Cy has sparked bat about gentrifitn and the changg nature of LGBTQ+ spac. Dpe the ncerns, the revival of gay bathho New York Cy is a ttament to the rilience of the LGBTQ+ muny.

By providg a safe and welg space for gay men to explore their sexualy, the tablishments play an important role promotg acceptance and clivy. Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ muny or an ally, ’s important to unrstand the signifince of gay bathho New York Cy and the impact they have on the muny as a whole.

THE CONTENTAL BATHS: THE GAY BATHHOE THAT BIRTHED ELECTRONIC MIC LEGENDS

First off, let’s addrs the elephant the room: y, gay bathho are plac where men n go to engage sexual activy wh other men. Many gay bathho have strict l and regulatns place to ensure the safety of their patrons, cludg no means no polici and mandatory ndom e. Many of the tablishments date back to the ’70s and ’80s, a time when beg gay was still heavily stigmatized and crimalized.

Overall, New York’s gay bathho offer a plex and multifaceted experience for those who choose to vis them. For many members of the LGBTQ+ muny, gay bathho are a place of refuge and acceptance, a place where they n explore their sexualy and nnect wh others whout fear of judgment or discrimatn. Dpe the challeng, New York’s gay bathho ntue to play an important role the liv of many LGBTQ+ dividuals.

So, the next time you walk by one of New York’s gay bathho, remember that there is a wealth of untold stori and experienc behd those closed doors. So, whether you’re a seasoned bathhoe veteran or a newer to the scene, there’s somethg for everyone New York Cy’s gay bathho.