Zong fix aims to clear last hurdle for SF gay bathho :: Bay Area Reporter

Contents:

• TWO PANMIC YEARS LATER, GAY BATHHOE ZONG BACK ON THE DOCKET IN SF
• SF SUPERVISORS PANEL OKS GAY BATHHOE ZONG UPDATE
• POLIL NOT: PLANNG BODY BACKS ZONG FIX FOR SF GAY BATHHO
• SF CONSIRS REVIVG GAY BATHHO
• ZONG FIX AIMS TO CLEAR LAST HURDLE FOR SF GAY BATHHO
• FORMER CASTRO GYM SPACE EYED FOR NEW GAY BATHHOE
• PURPORTED NEW SF GAY BATHHOE BLOCKED BY ZONG ISSU
• SF: SUPE PROPOS REGULATNS ALLOWG FOR GAY BATHHO
• SAN FRANCIS SUPERVISOR PROPOS NEW ZONG REGULATNS ALLOWG FOR THE REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO BY DANIEL MONT PUBLISHED MARCH 16, 2022 LGBTQ+ KTVU FOX 2 SHARE COPY LK EMAIL FACEBOOK TWTER LKEDIN REDD ARTICLE RAFAEL MANLMAN, SAN FRANCIS DISTRICT 8 SUPERVISOR A 2018 PHOTO. DISTRICT 8 CLUS THE CASTRO, GLEN PARK, NOE VALLEY, DIAMOND HEIGHTS, AND MISSN DOLOR. SUPERVISOR MANLMAN IS THE ONLY LGBTQ MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. (PHOTO UR EXPAND SAN FRANCISCO - IN AN EFFORT TO CREATE MORE SAFE SPAC FOR SAN FRANCIS'S LGBTQ MUNY, SUPERVISOR RAFAEL MANLMAN ON TUDAY PROPOSED CREATG NEW ZONG REGULATNS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO. UNR MANLMAN'S PROPOSED LEGISLATN, A NEW ZONG TEGORY FOR ADULT SEX VENU WOULD BE CREATED, MAKG WAY FOR SUCH BS TO BE PERMTED HISTORILLY LGBTQ-AFFILIATED NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE TENRLO, SOUTH OF MARKET, UPPER MARKET, AND CASTRO. THE PROPOSED LEGISLATN BUILDS OFF LEGISLATN DRAFTED BY MANLMAN 2020 THAT UPDATED STRGENT CY HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS ERNG MERCIAL ADULT SEX VENU THAT WERE FIRST IMPOSED 1984 -- THE HEIGHT OF THE AIDS EPIMIC. AT THE TIME, THE CY SUED OPERATORS OF GAY BATHHO AND OTHER NSENSUAL ADULT VENU, CG THEM AS A PUBLIC NUISANCE AND PROMPTG MOST TO CLOSE. ALTHOUGH THE 2020 UPDATE TOOK TO ACUNT THE ADVANCEMENTS SEXUAL HEALTH AWARENS AND PREVENTATIVE MEASUR AND WAS APPROVED UNANIMOLY BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE CY'S PLANNG DEPARTMENT TERMED THAT BATHHO DIDN'T FALL UNR THE CY'S ADULT BS PLANNG . MANLMAN'S LATT ORDANCE WOULD TABLISH A PLETELY NEW ADULT SEX VENU ZONG TEGORY, PAVG THE WAY FOR BATHHO AND SIAR TABLISHMENTS TO BE PERMTED SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS. "DURG THE 1970S AND EARLY 80S BATHHO WERE A FOL POT OF GAY SOCIAL LIFE SAN FRANCIS AND WERE IMPORTANT MUNY MEETG PLAC WHERE IENDS WOULD GATHER TO SHARE STORI, OR WATCH A LIVE SHOW," MANLMAN SAID A STATEMENT. "THIS ORDANCE IS ABOUT PLETG THE WORK WE BEGAN 2020 TO OVERE THE LGERG STIGMA OF A PAFUL CHAPTER THE HISTORY OF SAN FRANCIS'S QUEER MUNY BY ONCE AGA WELG THE SAFE, LGBTQ-AFFIRMG SPAC OUR CY, AND PAVG THE WAY FOR QUEER ENTREPRENRS TO OPEN THEM UP AND NTRIBUTE TO OUR POST-PANMIC ENOMIC REVERY," HE SAID. MANLMAN, WHOSE DISTRICT CLUS THE CASTRO, IS THE BOARD'S ONLY LGBTQ MEMBER. EROS SF WAS ONE OF THE FEW REMAG GAY BATHHO THE CY, BUT DECEMBER THE BS CLOSED THE DOORS AT S LONGTIME 2051 MARKET ST. LOTN. "AFTER 30 YEARS, EROS SPENT OVER SIX MONTHS SEARCHG FOR A NEW LOTN WHERE OUR LEGACY BS ULD NTUE TO OFFER A SAFE, RELAXG SEX CLUB," EROS SF -OWNER KEN ROWE SAID. "WHEN WE DID FD A LOTN, A HISTORIC BATH HOE JT ONE BLOCK OM THE MARKET STREET RRIDOR, WHERE THE LANDLORDS WERE TERTED OUR BS, THE LOTN DIDN'T ALLOW ADULT BS. THE ZONG CHANG N KEEP OUR BS GOG AND OFFER MORE VARIETY OF SAFE EXPERIENC FOR TOURISTS AND LOLS." THE PLANNG COMMISSN IS EXPECTED TO NSIR MANLMAN'S PROPOSAL SOMETIME NEXT MONTH, BEFORE HEADG TO THEN HEADG TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS' LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATN COMMTEE.  DAILY NEWSLETTER
• SAN FRANCIS SUPERVISOR'S PROPOSAL MAY ALLOW FOR REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS
• SF GAY SEX CLUB EROS RAC TO REOPEN NEW LOTN
• A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

TWO PANMIC YEARS LATER, GAY BATHHOE ZONG BACK ON THE DOCKET IN SF

And AIDS had already begun ravagg the gay muny San Francis. The were snas and sex clubs where often newly liberated gay men would go to spend an eveng, or make a fal stop after a night of drkg or dancg — and historians say that SF's pneerg leather culture was alt a ath blow when the bathho at the time, there was no public-health nsens about whether bathho need to be closed, but had bee creasgly clear to cy officials that the cy's growg HIV epimic had at least somethg to do wh the ee-love and liberte sexual activi gog on the lol muny, and the bathho were one nex of 2020, Manlman proposed a repeal of the lol ordance that ma bathho — which were fed specifilly as munal baths or clubs which had rentable private rooms wh lockable doors — illegal. "Durg the 1970s and early 80s, bathho were a fol pot of gay social life San Francis and were important muny meetg plac where iends would gather to share stori, or watch a live show, " Manlman said a statement.

SF SUPERVISORS PANEL OKS GAY BATHHOE ZONG UPDATE

Prevly: Supervisor Propos Re-Legalizg Gay Bathho In San Francis.

Bathho were orred closed San Francis at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis the 1980s, but they’re on the way back, as the SF Planng Commissn jt approved “adult sex venue” zong, proper bathho have not existed San Francis sce the mid-1980s, when then-mayor Dianne Feste clared war on the popular gay hook-up spots durg the HIV/AIDS epimic. Image: SF Planng“Gay bathho ed to be que a mon feature the LGBTQ muny San Francis, ” Manlman’s legislative ai Jab Btliff told the Planng Commissn Thursday, prentg material cludg the above map showg former “adult sex venue” lotns prev s. Related: Two Panmic Years Later, Gay Bathhoe Zong Back on the Docket In SF [SFist]Image: @MclePupBadge via Twter.

A proposed zong change to allow gay bathho and other adult sex venu to open the cy's historic LGBTQ neighborhoods is close to beg falized. After closg s longtime upper Market Street lotn the Castro LGBTQ district December, Eros began remolg and movg to s new space, where the gay Bulldog Baths had operated the late 1970s and 1980s.

POLIL NOT: PLANNG BODY BACKS ZONG FIX FOR SF GAY BATHHO

"Bathho are a mon feature LGBTQ muni many ci around the world, and they ed to be que mon San Francis as well, " noted gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Manlman at the mtee hearg.

It effectively led the cy's gay bathho to close their doors, wh the only on left the Bay Area beg Berkeley, where Steamworks Baths ntu to operate, and San Jose, which saw the Watergarn go out of bs the summer of 2020 amid s forced closure durg the COVID-19 panmic. San Francis officials lifted their prohibory l for gay bathho early 2021. Eros -owner Ken Rowe strsed durg the hearg that the gay- and trans-owned bs operat siar to a "day spa" as has set daytime and eveng hours and is not open 24 hours a day.

"We have been able to weather the cris of AIDS and STIs, the dg crisis, and we fd ourselv the only gay mercial sex venue to rema bs post the COVID imposed closur, " said Rowe, referrg to the fact that the sex club Blow Buddi that had been SOMA closed down. A proposed zong change to allow gay bathho and other adult sex venu to open the cy’s historic LGBT neighborhoods is close to beg falized San Francis.

SF CONSIRS REVIVG GAY BATHHO

The San Francis Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportatn Commtee voted 2-0 Monday, April 18, support of the chang to the cy need for Eros a sex club for gay, bi, and trans men, to reopen s doors at 132 Turk Street where the famo gay Bulldog Baths had operated the late 1970’s and 1980’s. “Bathho are a mon feature LGBT muni many ci around the world, and they ed to be que mon San Francis as well, ” noted gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Manlman at the mtee hearg.

It effectively led the cy’s gay bathho to close their doors, wh the only one left the Bay Area beg Berkeley.

ZONG FIX AIMS TO CLEAR LAST HURDLE FOR SF GAY BATHHO

San Francis planners have thrown their support behd a proposed zong change that will allow gay bathho and other adult sex venu to open the cy's historic LGBTQ neighborhoods. To lift the facto adult sex bs ban, gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Manlman troduced the cleanup zong proposal March.

He had spearhead the legislative drive to brg back tradnal gay bathho San Francis. The buildg had been the se of the gay Bulldog Baths the late 1970s and 1980s.

FORMER CASTRO GYM SPACE EYED FOR NEW GAY BATHHOE

In an effort to create more safe spac for San Francis’s LGBTQ muny, Supervisor Rafael Manlman on Tuday proposed creatg new zong regulatns that would allow for the revival of gay bathho. At the time, the cy sued operators of gay bathho and other nsensual adult venu, cg them as a public nuisance and promptg most to close.

PURPORTED NEW SF GAY BATHHOE BLOCKED BY ZONG ISSU

“Durg the 1970s and early 80s bathho were a fol pot of gay social life San Francis and were important muny meetg plac where iends would gather to share stori, or watch a live show, ” Manlman said a statement.

SF: SUPE PROPOS REGULATNS ALLOWG FOR GAY BATHHO

Eros SF was one of the few remag gay bathho the cy, but December the bs closed the doors at s longtime 2051 Market St. A fal hurdle for reopeng gay bathho San Francis should be removed by Pri Month.

More recently, a dog groomer and kennel g the name of the old gay bathhoe had operated the space followed by an artist llective. To lift the facto adult sex bs ban, gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Manlman troduced a cleanup zong proposal at Tuday's Board of Supervisors meetg. As the Castro neighborhood los s only gay sex club and sna, a would-be proprietor told the Bay Area Reporter he is terted openg a gay bathhoe nearby at a former gym lotn.

SAN FRANCIS SUPERVISOR PROPOS NEW ZONG REGULATNS ALLOWG FOR THE REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO BY DANIEL MONT PUBLISHED MARCH 16, 2022 LGBTQ+ KTVU FOX 2 SHARE COPY LK EMAIL FACEBOOK TWTER LKEDIN REDD ARTICLE RAFAEL MANLMAN, SAN FRANCIS DISTRICT 8 SUPERVISOR A 2018 PHOTO. DISTRICT 8 CLUS THE CASTRO, GLEN PARK, NOE VALLEY, DIAMOND HEIGHTS, AND MISSN DOLOR. SUPERVISOR MANLMAN IS THE ONLY LGBTQ MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. (PHOTO UR EXPAND SAN FRANCISCO - IN AN EFFORT TO CREATE MORE SAFE SPAC FOR SAN FRANCIS'S LGBTQ MUNY, SUPERVISOR RAFAEL MANLMAN ON TUDAY PROPOSED CREATG NEW ZONG REGULATNS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO. UNR MANLMAN'S PROPOSED LEGISLATN, A NEW ZONG TEGORY FOR ADULT SEX VENU WOULD BE CREATED, MAKG WAY FOR SUCH BS TO BE PERMTED HISTORILLY LGBTQ-AFFILIATED NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE TENRLO, SOUTH OF MARKET, UPPER MARKET, AND CASTRO. THE PROPOSED LEGISLATN BUILDS OFF LEGISLATN DRAFTED BY MANLMAN 2020 THAT UPDATED STRGENT CY HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS ERNG MERCIAL ADULT SEX VENU THAT WERE FIRST IMPOSED 1984 -- THE HEIGHT OF THE AIDS EPIMIC. AT THE TIME, THE CY SUED OPERATORS OF GAY BATHHO AND OTHER NSENSUAL ADULT VENU, CG THEM AS A PUBLIC NUISANCE AND PROMPTG MOST TO CLOSE. ALTHOUGH THE 2020 UPDATE TOOK TO ACUNT THE ADVANCEMENTS SEXUAL HEALTH AWARENS AND PREVENTATIVE MEASUR AND WAS APPROVED UNANIMOLY BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE CY'S PLANNG DEPARTMENT TERMED THAT BATHHO DIDN'T FALL UNR THE CY'S ADULT BS PLANNG . MANLMAN'S LATT ORDANCE WOULD TABLISH A PLETELY NEW ADULT SEX VENU ZONG TEGORY, PAVG THE WAY FOR BATHHO AND SIAR TABLISHMENTS TO BE PERMTED SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS. "DURG THE 1970S AND EARLY 80S BATHHO WERE A FOL POT OF GAY SOCIAL LIFE SAN FRANCIS AND WERE IMPORTANT MUNY MEETG PLAC WHERE IENDS WOULD GATHER TO SHARE STORI, OR WATCH A LIVE SHOW," MANLMAN SAID A STATEMENT. "THIS ORDANCE IS ABOUT PLETG THE WORK WE BEGAN 2020 TO OVERE THE LGERG STIGMA OF A PAFUL CHAPTER THE HISTORY OF SAN FRANCIS'S QUEER MUNY BY ONCE AGA WELG THE SAFE, LGBTQ-AFFIRMG SPAC OUR CY, AND PAVG THE WAY FOR QUEER ENTREPRENRS TO OPEN THEM UP AND NTRIBUTE TO OUR POST-PANMIC ENOMIC REVERY," HE SAID. MANLMAN, WHOSE DISTRICT CLUS THE CASTRO, IS THE BOARD'S ONLY LGBTQ MEMBER. EROS SF WAS ONE OF THE FEW REMAG GAY BATHHO THE CY, BUT DECEMBER THE BS CLOSED THE DOORS AT S LONGTIME 2051 MARKET ST. LOTN. "AFTER 30 YEARS, EROS SPENT OVER SIX MONTHS SEARCHG FOR A NEW LOTN WHERE OUR LEGACY BS ULD NTUE TO OFFER A SAFE, RELAXG SEX CLUB," EROS SF -OWNER KEN ROWE SAID. "WHEN WE DID FD A LOTN, A HISTORIC BATH HOE JT ONE BLOCK OM THE MARKET STREET RRIDOR, WHERE THE LANDLORDS WERE TERTED OUR BS, THE LOTN DIDN'T ALLOW ADULT BS. THE ZONG CHANG N KEEP OUR BS GOG AND OFFER MORE VARIETY OF SAFE EXPERIENC FOR TOURISTS AND LOLS." THE PLANNG COMMISSN IS EXPECTED TO NSIR MANLMAN'S PROPOSAL SOMETIME NEXT MONTH, BEFORE HEADG TO THEN HEADG TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS' LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATN COMMTEE.  DAILY NEWSLETTER

"My ey are set on the former lotn of 24 Hour Fns, " Curtis Chu, a gay man, told the Bay Area Reporter, referrg to the se at 2145 Market Street between Sanchez and Church streets that permanently closed last year at the begng of the COVID-19 panmic lockdowns. As s webse stat ters to gay and bisexual men, whether they are cisgenr or transgenr.

SAN FRANCIS SUPERVISOR'S PROPOSAL MAY ALLOW FOR REVIVAL OF GAY BATHHO IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS

Currently, Steamworks Berkeley is the only tradnal gay bathhoe open the Bay Area. Chu ntacted gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Manlman's office June to quire about openg an adult sex venue, acrdg to emails obtaed by the B.

Right now, acrdg to Manlman ai Jab Btliff, a gay man and former planng partment staffer, adult bs are not permted the Castro. The would-be bathhoe proprietors would be breathg life to a once-proment feature of the urban gay male scene that has cled promence due to the AIDS crisis, the rise of hook-up apps, and the COVID-19 panmic.

Ne months after San Francis officials cleared the way for gay bathho to rume operatns the cy, proprietors reportedly want to open such a bs near the leather-themed Eagle Plaza parklet the South of Market neighborhood. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Manlman disclosed the issu the bathhoe proprietor is facg durg the Castro Merchants Associatn meetg September 2.

SF GAY SEX CLUB EROS RAC TO REOPEN NEW LOTN

As the Bay Area Reporter prevly reported, Manlman spearhead the legislative drive to once aga legalize tradnal gay bathho San Francis, which went to effect earlier this year. "In January we heard a bs wanted to open near The Eagle, " said Manlman, referrg to the gay-owned bar at the tersectn of 12th and Harrison streets that onts the new public parklet built on a block of 12th Street.

A GAY UPLE RAN A RAL RTRANT PEACE. THEN NEW NEIGHBORS ARRIVED.

In a subsequent requt for more rmatn Manlman ai Jab Btliff, a gay man who is a former cy planng staffer, wouldn't tell the B. Former Castro Merchants print Daniel Bergerac, who intifi as a self-scribed "practicg homosexual, " said he is supportive. In October 1984 a San Francis Superr Court judge issued a temporary rtrag orr that shuttered ne gay bathho and sex clubs.

By then the cy's gay bathho were no more, but over the ensug years sex clubs opened their doors. They did so whout private rooms patrons n lock shut, as is typilly found gay bathho around the world.