Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey signed an ordinance Monday repealing the city’s decades-old ban on gay sex bathhouses, saying the move was meant to support “our LGBTQIA+ neighbors.” The ban had been on the books since…

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey signed an ordinance Monday repealing the city’s decades-old ban on gay sex bathhouses, saying the move was meant to support “our LGBTQIA+ neighbors.”

The ban had been on the books since 1988, when city officials approved it during the height of the AIDS epidemic. At the time, bathhouses were viewed by many local leaders as places where HIV could spread more easily because they were associated with anonymous sexual activity. Some gay leaders also supported restrictions then, arguing that the public health risks were too serious to ignore.

When Minneapolis adopted the ban nearly 40 years ago, the city had three bathhouses. The Washington Post described them as places “often frequented by gay men looking for sex.” Minneapolis was not alone in taking that approach. San Francisco closed its bathhouses in 1984, and New York City followed in 1985, with officials in both cities saying the closures were intended to help slow the spread of HIV.

The Minneapolis City Council voted 9-2 on Thursday to repeal the ban, according to Minnesota Public Radio. One council member abstained, and another was absent. Supporters of the repeal argued that the ordinance was outdated and unfairly targeted gay men. Some also said modern HIV prevention, testing, and treatment have changed the public health landscape dramatically since the 1980s.

Frey had already signaled that he supported ending the ban. On Monday, he signed the repeal into law while joined by City Council members and community advocates.

“Minneapolis stands with our LGBTQIA+ neighbors — we always will,” Frey wrote on X. “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 repeal was part of a broader package of LGBTQ-related policy changes. Supporters framed the vote as a symbolic and practical step away from policies passed during a time of fear, stigma, and limited medical understanding of HIV and AIDS.

Advertisement

Still, the move drew criticism from some who argued that the original ban had been rooted in public health concerns, not only social attitudes. Opponents questioned whether city leaders were dismissing the risks that prompted the ordinance in the first place.

The signing also came two days after Frey marked Somalia’s Independence Day. Somalia criminalizes homosexual activity, and in some areas, same-sex conduct can carry the death penalty. Critics pointed to that contrast after Frey publicly celebrated the repeal as a show of support for Minneapolis’ LGBTQ community.

BreitBart