March 04, 2014

James Wharton is a former soldier who served with Prince Harry in the Household Cavalry. He is also openly out, married and now an activist for LGBT causes.

He recently stirred the pot by advocating the closure of bathhouses saying they promote homophobia and will set back the fight for equality. Particularly where same-sex marriage is concerned.

Writing in the magazine Winq, Wharton has penned an OP-ED piece (only available in hard copy) where he links the baths to the high number of drug overdoses.

He writes “Sex saunas need to be history. The time has come to close them down.” For the GLBT community to be accepted into the mainstream, gay sauna must be shut down. The reason being they are “thorns in our side that mark our community as different for the wrong reasons.”

“If we don’t, we feed the haters and we hand the bigots who remain a vocal minority ammunition with which to attack us,” Wharton writes.

“For me as a gay man, the notion that there exist within our communities a series of places that actively promote the convening of gay men for participation in sex of shades various and in groups of all sizes rather revolts me – and I ‘ve been round the block a few times, believe me. I’m no prude, not even close, but the days when we gathered in clandestine fashion for the want of a network or a sexual outlet are surely long gone,” he added.

Wharton even cites a case in Manchester where a male customer was discovered lying dead in the bathroom. Adding it is time for gay men to “grow up”.

Responding to the backlash the article generated, Wharton has added “I find it unfathomable that people do not comprehend the danger associated with engaging in sexual activity with strangers, often under the influence of alcohol and drugs – saunas are major culprits for all three of these risk factors.”

To read more go to Shut down gay saunas if you want the community taken seriously

And James Wharton’s follow-up comments to the backlash his OP-ED generated at James Wharton responds to backlash over closing gay saunas

March 06, 2014

Gay Asian male who wrote Bathhouse Blues is back! This time with a new book that features 100% new original material. Real-life gay sex hook-ups witnesses firsthand by the author. This read will give you a front row seat on some of the wildest man-on-man action that takes place at the baths.

Gay Steam: True Sex Tales From The Tubs

While many stories have been written about gay bathhouse sex, most of those stories are fiction. Imagined by an author. Gay Steam features sex stories are 100% true. These stories have actually taken place in a bathhouse setting. Everything is true and actually happened. All observed by the author.

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March 20, 2014

A death has occurred at Club Philadelphia a week ago Friday. According to G Philly, police arrived on the scene at 1:59 A.M on March 15. The 60-year-old man was later pronounced dead at Jefferson hospital.

This bathhouse was once known as a drug infested establishment where overdoses happened on a fairly regular basis. Two years ago a Canadian, Chris Srnicek, bought the business. Since then he has worked hard on renovating the club and riding it of its bad reputation. Complete with the name change to Club Philadelphia.

Club Philadelphia

Srnicek told G Philly that the man died in all likelihood of natural causes. “We don’t think it’s drugs. There were no needles in the room. … Plus, as far as I know the gentleman was older, well put together, and was courteous and polite to the staff — not the stereotypical drug profile.”

Police are still investigating, but Srnicek feels confident they will find nothing “because as far as we know there was nothing strange or exceptional about his passing.”

To read more go to Man Found Dead in Gayborhood Bathhouse

March 23, 2014

On the heels a death at Club Philadelphia comes news of another death in a different Philadelphia bathhouse. This past Sunday (March 23, 2014) a 41-year old man was discovered with vital signs.

Sansom Street Gym

He was discovered at 4:30 PM, three hours after he missed his 1:30 PM check-out time. So far the police have noting to say other than it was a ‘sudden death.’ But the proprietor of the Sansom Street Gym seems to have plenty to say. They tell G Philly the death was not drug related. That the cause of death was a heart attack. Later on they released this statement.

We regret to inform everyone that we did have an unfortunate passing at our facility this past Sunday afternoon. Out of respect for this person & his family we are unable to release the deceased name.

Nevertheless, we have learned that it wasn’t drug related and that the deceased had a Coronary Heart Disease and passed away due to a heart attack.

We send our heart felt condolences to the deceased family and friends.

Thank You,
Management

To read more go to Another Gay Bathhouse Death In Philadelphia, at Sansom Street Gym

April 25, 2014

In 1981 the Toronto police raided four bathhouses and arrested over 200 men. That mass arrest galvanized a movement that solidified the gay community in Canada to act as one. To protest the discrimination against gays and lesbians in Canada. The Toronto bathhouse raids became Canada’s version of Stonewall. One person who was at the protest was celebrated author Edmund White.

Edmund White

In the video below Edmund White recalls the protest and his participation in them.

May 13, 2014

Fresh on the heels of the closing of Hollywood Spa another LA bathhouse has apparently shut its doors. This time the Flex Spa in Los Angeles. Its parking lot has a sign posted simply saying “business closed.” Neither the head office in Cleveland, nor the bathhouse itself has been answering the phones.

Flex LA

The closing has caught everyone by surprise. They had just recently undertook a major renovation to the spa. Plus it didn’t seem to lack customers as attendance seemed to be consistently brisk. They were still open as of last week.

Flex Spas is part of a chain of bathhouses, with locations in Cleveland, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The Cleveland location was the first Flex bathhouse to be established, and that location became the world’s largest bathhouse. Charles Fleck was its proprietor until he died in 2012.

There are still five bathhouses in the Los Angeles area. We will keep you updated to any new developments to this story.

UPDATE According to the Flex Spas web site it is only a temporary city permit issue and is expected to be resolved, though no time frame appears to have been given.

To read more go to Another LA Gay Bathhouse Gone with the Closing of Flex

May 31, 2014

Gay Asian male who wrote Bathhouse Blues is back! This time with a sequel to Bathhouse Blues. This second edition continues to explore the gay culture of the tubs. The baths is the only gay meeting place where you can see a cross section of every queer group imaginable under the same roof. Little has been written about bathhouse culture, until now. This book will shatters myths and open some eyes. You will learn even more about an activity that many gay men have enjoyed for decades.

Back 2 The Baths: More Gay Bathhouse Stories

Order your copy at Amazon for only $2.99 Just Click This Link NOW!.

May 31, 2014

Club Dallas celebrates two milestones this year. It will celebrate its 40th anniversary as one of the longest running Bathhouses in America this August. During the past 40 years this bathhouse has weathered some stormy times. Everything from the gay rights movement to the Aids crisis to the digital age of hook-ups; this club has seen it all.

Club Dallas

But they are celebrating another milestone. 30 years of advertising in the Dallas Voice. Since its inception on May 11, 1984, Club Dallas has had an ad in every edition. Both businesses have every intention of keeping this relationship going.

To read more about this special relationship go to The Over 30 Club: Club Dallas.

June 1, 2014

The UK tax authority (HMRC) has released its list of companies who have defaulted on its taxes. This list includes companies owing over £25,000.

There was one business that raised eyebrows. Waterloo Leisure Ltd, otherwise known as Pleasuredrome, the gay men’s sauna in London. Between between May 2010 and April 2013 racked up an unpaid tax bill of more than £850,000.

Pleasuredrome

No word yet on when and if they will pay or even appeal the amount owing. In the meantime enjoy Pleasuredrome promotional video below.

June 1, 2014

After many struggles, delays and setbacks Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart has finally been adapted into a film for HBO. Originally a play, it is set during the early days of the AIDS crisis from 1981 to 1984.

Back then the baths and AIDS were so intertwined in the minds of many. The end results being that bathhouses were shut down in many cities. All in the hopes of halting the further spread of AIDS.

Matthew Bomer Gay Bathhouse Scene

The film uses the now closed bathhouse Man’s Country as its reference. In their first dinner together, the character Felix (Matt Bomer) reminds Ned (Mark Ruffalo) that this is not the first time they have met. They had previously hooked up at Man’s Country.

Below is a commercial from the 1970s, which is recreated for the film.

June 10, 2014

First Matt Bomer, now Jason Biggs has a scene in a gay bathhouse? Seems the baths are becoming more and more mainstream in the American psyche.

First some background. This scene is from the series Orange Is the New Black by Netflix. The series chronicles one bisexual woman who is serving a 15 month jail sentence for drug smuggling. Jason Biggs plays her husband.

The scene in question features his character (Larry Bloom) visiting a sauna with his father (played by character actor Todd Sussman). They sit in the sauna talking about Larry’s wife being in jail. During the conversation Larry realizes that this isn’t just any sauna they are in. Rather it is a gay bathhouse. Larry’s dad had no clue. he just saw a Groupon deal for a bathhouse visit and grabbed it!

If only more gay baths had groupon deals, think of all the money we could save!

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WorldPride has come to North America for the first time. Well actually Canada, but that country is in the continent of North America. This is an event that LGBT pride issues on an international level through parades, festivals and other cultural activities.

Quite appropriate that Canada is hosting this cycle of WorldPride, as the country is a leader in being progressive towards the LGBT community. While there is still more work to do, Canada has had same-sex marriage for almost 10 years.

Plus the province (similar to a US state) of Ontario just elected their first openly gay Premier (similar to a Governor). This is the first time an openly gay head of government has been elected in North America. Or of any Commonwealth jurisdiction.

So Canada has plenty to celebrate. In preparation of WorldPride the committee handling the event has commissioned several artists to paint murals around Church and Wellesley. This area is known as the gay community.

Image courtesy of Christiano De Araujo

One of the most historic moments in Canada’s gay movement was the Toronto Bathhouse Raids. In 1981 the Toronto police raided four bathhouses and arrested over 200 men. That mass arrest galvanized a movement that solidified the gay community in Canada to act as one. To protest the discrimination against gays and lesbians in Canada. The Toronto bathhouse raids became Canada’s version of Stonewall. So it is quite fitting that this historic moment have a mural all its own.

With original art from Troy Brooks and the mural painting and design from Christiano De Araujo, the project got underway in the fall of 2013. Along with paint generously donated by Dulux Paints.

Below is a video showing the project from start to finish in 18 days. WorldPride concludes June 29, 2014 with the huge Gay Pride Parade.

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June 27, 2014

Bathhouse The Musical has returned to London at the Above The Stag theater. This is a return engagement for Above The Stage, as this musical first played there in 2009.

Back then it was fresh from its US debut. Five years later it still seems quite topical and alive. The wardrobe of only towels worn is quite appropriate, given it is summer and quite steamy.

But it is also the start of LGBT Pride in London, and it has bolstered interest in the musical. Tickets sold out so fast, that the run has been extended an additional 3 weeks.

So if you are in London, you have until August 9th to catch this show. So don’t delay, and get your tickets now. If not you might miss the theater event of the year!

In the meantime enjoy some to the pictures below from the production.

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June 27, 2014

Pleasuredrome keeps getting itself in the news. Just the other day it was reported that they owed a ton of money in back taxes. Now an inquest is being held that once again puts this gay sauna back in the headlines.

As reported on this blog, back in 2012 three deaths due to drug overdose were linked to Pleasuredrome.

Pleasuredrome 2013 Photoshoot

41-year-old Greg Page and 46-year-old John Scott were discovered at Pleasuredrome unresponsive at the same time. While Page was pronounced dead on the scene, Scott died in hospital three days later. Both had high levels of GHB in their system. Page had a combination of GHB, alcohol and cocaine. Scott had GHB and MPA, a meth-amphetamine substitute. If that wasn’t enough hours later a third man was rushed to hospital after overdosing on the drug, but was later released.

Eight months previously 41-year-old Konstantinos Bamptazis was found dead in his room after ingesting mephedrone and GHB.

The sauna’s proprietor, Charles Hill, has said since the incidents the sauna has been ‘more aggressive’ in their drug searches and is now clean. Emergency strip lights has been installed, which was a complaint paramedics had. As it was hard for them to see while doing their duties. In addition more staff have been trained in CPR. In compliance with city council, the number of hours to rent a room have been reduced.

The inquest continues, as this blog will provide updates as they happen.

The post Inquest Into Drug Overdose At Bathhouse appeared first on Bathhouse Blog.

June 30, 2014

Gay Sex and the Sauna

OK enough of this doom and gloom, time for something different. One of the reasons to go to the baths. That is to view all that hot eye candy! Hot, hunky, smoking hot men. Absolutely gorgeous!

The gay men’s health magazine from the UK, FS Magazine, has recently done a photo layout and article on Gay Sex and the Sauna. Because Britain’s gay saunas have been in the news lately, the magazine wanted to change the channel. Writing about the good things that gay saunas can offer.

While it is all not sunshine, gay saunas are not that bad. As long as you know the rules and its etiquette. Which the magazine writes about. Or rather what Stuart Haggas has written with beautiful photography by Chris Jepson. The basic question asked is this. Are gay saunas still relevant on Britain’s gay scene–or is it time for them to be consigned to history?

The model in this photo-shoot is former Mr Gay UK and XX model Dan Broughton, with Saunabar in London as its backdrop.

Some more steamy images below. So don’t forget to read the article linked above. To see more of these sexy images featuring Dan Broughton at Saunabar go to Chris Jepson’s other website Manshooter

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June 30, 2014

I had previously written a blog post about the Fairoaks Baths Exhibit in 2010. I was going to write a follow-up as the exhibit will be in New York City in July. Imagine my surprise to find a comment on this exhibit from Gary Freeman, its curator. Thanks Gary! You just saved me a ton of work writing about the event. All I have to do is copy and paste your comment into its own blog post!

Here it is below.

This is an announcement and an invitation to come to the opening of the Fairoaks Baths show next month in New York City (July 11, 2014). It has been a long-standing goal for the Fairoaks Project to show at The Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art and it’s finally here and we are going to have a grand party.

For those who are unfamiliar with the exhibit, it is a rare Look inside a SF Gay Bathhouse in 1978

Frank Melleno’s Polaroid photography captured an extraordinary glimpse into pre-AIDS gay sexual culture. Melleno was part-owner and night manager of The Fairoaks Hotel, a unique San Francisco bathhouse operating from 1977 to 1979. His candid images are remarkable, documenting the social and sexual behavior with celebration and no apology.

The Fairoaks was owned and operated by a gay commune, lending a counter-culture approach to the establishment. There were monthly theme parties including costume and “Open Door” parties, when room doors would be removed from hinges. Many images contain nudity and erotic scenes.

The Fairoaks Project

The restored images, known as Frank Melleno’s Fairoaks Baths, were well received at Los Angeles venues Highways and drkrm/Gallery and at the Center for Sex & Culture in San Francisco. The Advocate and Lambda Literary have written articles on The Fairoaks.
The Boyfriend, a singing trio tracing its origin to performance artist Vaginal Davis, will perform at the opening.

This new show will contain many new images that have not been seen before including the one on the Fairoaks postcard. The opening will feature once again “The Boyfriend” who has performed at all of the Fairoaks openings. Please forward this invitation to friends in New York who will have their first chance to see it. Below I have enclosed the details of the opening at the Prince Street Project Space of the Leslie-Lohman Museum and a short description of the show. The Fairoaks was reviewed this month in The Advocate (link here to see more pictures)

More information can be found at The Fairoaks Project official website.

I hope you can make it or let your friends in NYC know. Lots of people from the West Coast will be traveling there to celebrate this lively period of gay erotic history.

Queer culture lives,
Gary Freeman
Fairoaks Curator

Fairoaks Baths: photography by Frank Melleno
Polaroids from a San Francisco bathhouse in 1978
Curated by Gary Freeman
Open Reception July 11, 2014 6-8pm
Performance by The Boyfriend
Exhibition July 12-13, noon-6pm

Prince St. Project Space of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art
127-B Prince St., New York, NY 10012 (At Prince & Wooster)

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Club Cleveland has been empty for a few years. It used to be the only game in town until the chain of Flex Spa opened a franchise in Cleveland. I don’t know the circumstances that led to Club Cleveland shutting its doors. Its Facebook page is still up and according to one poster the club owned $63,000 in property taxes. Regardless they have been closed since 2010.

In 2012 the building even sustained further damage due to Hurricane Sandy. So the chances of someone opening up a new bathhouse in that building was nil. It would be a money pit as it would take a major renovation to get the place back to its former glory.

Club Cleveland

The property has been sold to Vintage Development Group. They have no plans to be in the bathhouse business. The building that houses Club Cleveland will be demolished. In its place, the company plans to build an apartment building.

If those walls inside Club Cleveland could talk. But since the building will be demolished, those walls will soon be silenced.

But if you want to go down memory lane, just click the Club Cleveland YouTube video below

The post Club Cleveland To Become Apartment Building appeared first on Bathhouse Blog.

August 3, 2014

In May I had written that Flex Los Angeles had suddenly shut its doors. Customers were baffled as to the reason. Especially since the bathhouse underwent a major renovation prior to its shutdown.

That was then. Imagine everyone’s surprise when the club recently re-opened its door on August 1, 2014.

The following message appeared on its Facebook page.

Flex LA

The club (Flex Los Angeles) is re-opening at 4 p.m. today, Aug. 1, after being closed for several months.

We greatly appreciate all the support from our patrons as we continue to work through issues with the city. Due to these ongoing permitting matters, some temporary restrictions are in place. But they won’t interfere with your having a good time.

So come by. Our doors are open!

As a special thank you they had a barbecue on the weekend, to thank their loyal customers for their patience and loyalty over the years.

Great to see them back up and operating again!

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August 13, 2014

Andy Bell Erasure is a icon not only in the gay communities of the UK, but all over the world. Though others paved the way for him to be openly out in the music industry (Boy George, Holly Johnson and Jimmy Somerville from Bronski Beat), the music of Erasure became an anthem for so many gay men.

Erasure shows no sign of slowing down, as the duo will celebrate 30 years as a team come 2015. In between their gigs Andy Bell focuses on other projects. One of which is a new one-man show Torsten The Bareback Saint. According to press releases the play is a “sub-operatic theatrical cabaret pop/performance art”.

It is set to debut at the 2014 Edinburgh International Fringe Festival. Even before opening, the show has been named one of the ‘Top Ten Pick Of The Fringe’ by The Times newspaper.

Torsten The Bareback Saint

There is even a song in the play called Boy From The Sauna. Which is autobiographical as Bell frequented many gay saunas in the UK and around the world. He says

“In the early Erasure days I would go to a few saunas in America and one of my past boyfriends used to go there all the time. The song relates to me. Just the feeling of being on the gay scene in the early days because I was hopeless at cruising. Really hopeless. I could never do the eye-to-eye contact thing.“

Watch the trailer below. Go to the official Facebook page for news on upcoming events and music releases from this show

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August 13, 2014

Glory Holes truly represents what quickie, dark, anonymous, de-personalized sex is all about. No one has ever written a comprehensive book about Glory Hole culture and it’s etiquette. Which is ironic given that both the baths and Glory Holes have been around for decades. These avenues for anonymous sex have been popular, yet hardly discussed. That is until now.

There are thousands of guys who are curious about the Glory Hole world. But don’t have the guts to give it a shot. This book hopes to change that. By taking the readers behind the walls to show them what the Glory Hole world is all about. This book covers its beginnings as a sex practice to finding Glory Hole action in ones neighborhood. This book is for those who are curious about Glory Holes, but scared to take that first step. To live out ones fantasy voyeuristically through this book.

You can go on the web and find many erotic stories about Glory Holes. But just like the baths not much is written about them, etiquette wise. Hopefully this book will change that. So consider this your Glory Hole Guide that will answer the five basic Ws.

Glory Holes cater to both the straight and gay communities. But since this is a Glory Hole Guide for gay men, the advice here will focus exclusively on the gay male perspective. Covering its evolution as a sex culture to its unspoken etiquette rules.

Unlike my expertise with the gay baths, I’m not an expert when it comes to Glory Holes. All I have been able to do is write from my own observations of Glory Hole action at the baths. As well as researching the subject, and my own experiences at the baths. Cruising for sex at the baths and around Glory Holes is not that different. While there is hardly any eye contact, the moves and signals are quite the same.

If you want to learn more about this type of sexual activity, this Glory Hole Guide is the book to pick-up.

Go to Amazon NOW and pick up your copy by clicking this link

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