New York Lawmakers Propose Lifting 1985 Ban on LGBTQ+ Bathhouses
The bill would require health officials to issue licensing rules within six months and could open the door to large, professionally run venues.
- On Tuesday, State Senator Erik Bottcher and Assemblymember Tony Simone introduced the Public Health Modernization Act, seeking to repeal New York's 1985 prohibition on adult saunas and replace it with a state-regulated licensing system.
- Supporters argue the 1985 AIDS-era restrictions are outdated as advances in HIV prevention medication PrEP and STI prevention medication DoxyPEP have transformed public health capacity over four decades.
- Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, chief medical officer at Callen-Lorde, supports the proposal, stating that regulated venues create "opportunities to build trust and deliver services that improve health outcomes."
- Entrepreneur Alex Gabriel plans a world-class bathhouse in New York City modeled after venues in Copenhagen and Berlin, spanning more than 10,000 square feet, pending legislative passage this year.
- Despite potential state approval, attorney Thomas Shanahan cautioned that business owners must navigate New York City building codes and fire codes, requiring complex local compliance resolutions before opening.
19 Articles
19 Articles
New York Move to Repeal Gay Bathhouse Ban
By: Paul Goldberg – Senior Correspondent | LGBT Business Finance News NEW YORK, NY — (August 6, 2026) — More than four decades after New York adopted emergency regulations that effectively shut down gay bathhouses during the height of the AIDS crisis, state lawmakers are moving to bring that era of public health policy to [...] The post New York Moves to End 41-Year Gay Bathhouse Ban in Historic Policy Shift appeared first on JRL CHARTS.
The US State Senators On A Mission To Bring Back NY's Gay Bathhouses
Two openly gay New York State policymakers are attempting to bring back sex-on-premises bathhouses. Senator Erik Bottcher and Assembly Representative Tony Simone, both elected officials of the state, took to ... The post The US State Senators On A Mission To Bring Back NY’s Gay Bathhouses appeared first on Star Observer.
The Advocate
Lawmakers seek to end New York’s 40-year bathhouse prohibition
Sen. Erik Bottcher says HIV prevention has been transformed since the AIDS crisis, making it time to replace a 1980s ban with modern public health regulations.
Gay sauna ban could be lifted in New York after 40 years
Lawmakers are attempting to bring gay bathhouses back in New York by repealing legislation that effectively bans the venues, which played an important part in the city’s LGBTQ+ culture. New York Senator Erik Bottcher and Assembly member Tony Simone, who both represent Manhattan’s queer-friendly West Side, are spearheading the proposal. During the height of the […] The post Gay sauna ban could be lifted in New York after 40 years appeared first o…
Bizpac Review
ussanews.comNY lawmakers seeks to make sex-fueled ‘adult bathhouses’ legal again
What could go wrong? Now that the contagious disease AIDS is under control, New York lawmakers are seeking to bring back bathhouses known for wild sex romps […]
NY lawmakers seeks to make sex-fueled 'adult bathhouses' legal again · American Wire News
What could go wrong? Now that the contagious disease AIDS is under control, New York lawmakers are seeking to bring back bathhouses known for wild sex romps with a new bill. The bathhouses were all the rage, especially among the gay community, until they were legally banned in the 1980s following the spread of the then-deadly AIDS. But that was then, according to Assemblymember Tony Simone and State Senator Erik Bottcher, who represent NYC’s gay…
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