Minneapolis Repeals Decades-Old Ban on Gay Bathhouses

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The City of Minneapolis has officially repealed its decades-old ban on gay bathhouses after Mayor Jacob Frey signed the ordinance into law Monday, calling the move a show of support for the city's LGBTQIA+ community.

The original prohibition was enacted in 1988 during the height of the AIDS epidemic. At the time, city leaders—including some who identified as gay—argued that bathhouses, which were known as places where anonymous sexual encounters often occurred, presented too great a public health risk because of the rapid spread of HIV.

Minneapolis was one of several cities to adopt such restrictions during the crisis. Similar closures took place in San Francisco in 1984 and New York City in 1985 as public officials searched for ways to slow HIV transmission.

Last Thursday, the Minneapolis City Council voted 9-2 to repeal the ban, with one council member abstaining and another absent. Supporters argued that the ordinance had become outdated and discriminatory, while opponents questioned whether repealing it was appropriate given its original public health purpose.

Mayor Frey, who had previously expressed support for the repeal, signed the ordinance during a ceremony attended by city council members and LGBTQIA+ advocates.

In a post on X, Frey wrote:

"Minneapolis stands with our LGBTQIA+ neighbors—we always will. That's why I'm proud to have stood with members of the City Council and community advocates to sign the Bathhouse Repeal Ordinance and Pride in Policy package into law."

The signing comes just days after Frey also recognized Somalia's Independence Day, drawing criticism from some observers who noted that Somalia continues to criminalize homosexual activity.

Source: Breitbart News. Original reporting by Olivia Rondeau.
https://www.breitbart.com/social-justice/2026/06/29/democrat-minneapolis-mayor-lifts-ban-gay-sex-bathhouses/