Roman gay baths

In the s, many New York City bathhouses even conducted voter registration. And police harassment continues to be a threat to this day. Thanks to @yourgaybigbro (aka Chase Finn), we’ve all been blessed with a steamy little history lesson about how Romans met in Ancient Rome —and let’s just say, bathhouses and beautiful men were definitely involved.

Latin lacks words that would precisely translate "homosexual" and "heterosexual". Homosexuality in ancient Rome was tolerated as long as certain rules were followed. Today, gay bathhouses face huge challenges in staying open.

Police had been spying on the men at The Ariston Hotel Baths for days. For example, a Roman citizen had to be the dominant party. Across town, the Penn Post Baths offered a less formal, more exhibitionist space. Some cities, including San Franciscocontinue to ban them.

Following World War II, a more robust underground gay culture began to emerge, spurred in part by the companionship that queer soldiers found in the military. A fire in the s gutted the building, but it reopened. Infiltrating the establishment, they were aghast.

Homosexuality in ancient Rome

It was a cold February morning, years ago this month, when New York City police conducted their first recorded raid on a gay bathhouse. Homosexuality in ancient Rome differed markedly from the contemporary West. Many still struggle with the stigma attached to them by moral crusaders who gunned for them during the worst years of the HIV epidemic.

Bathhouses provided a safe place for these men to gather. Bathhouses had really taken off around the s in the United States. What did you think of our quick lesson in gay bathhouse history? The tradition of gay male bathing spaces dates back to the 15th century — and more gender-neutral bathing is recorded as early as 6 BC.

In the s, police in Paris raided a bathhouse and arrested six. Roman society was patriarchal, and the freeborn male citizen possessed political liberty (libertas) and the right. Eleven people were charged with felonies, and 37 were eventually arrested. Over a century may have passed since that first American raid, but progress remains to be made.

As institutions, bathhouses gained popularity in the last century, in part due to growing gay populations lacking places where they could publicly gather. And online opportunities for queer people to connect have replaced physical gathering places.

This article was originally published on Jan. It has since been updated. If you thought the gays invented cruising culture in the 21st century, think again.

gay sauna in Rome

Then there was the Lafayette baths, run by the Gershwins and frequented by prominent artist Charles Demuth. The risks of police raids deterred some men from stepping into a gay bathhouse, but ultimately the need for intimate companionship outweighed the danger posed by police.

[1] The primary dichotomy of ancient Roman sexuality was active / dominant / masculine and passive / submissive / feminine. Log in Sign up. In later testimony, police reported witnessing anal sex.