A video was posted to the social media platform Instagram by the current mayor if Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jacob Frey, showing him signing a bill that decriminalizes adult bathhouses for Pride Month. Many critics questioned why bathhouses are needed at all, with several uses raising concerns about cleanliness and public health. One commenter even posted an opinion to the original video on Jacob Frey’s Instagram, writing, “Minneapolis is lost.”
The specific ordinance being referred to is the Bathhouse Repeal Ordinance and Pride in Policy package. The caption to the original Instagram post reads, “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 ban dates back to 1988, when Minneapolis prohibited businesses that facilitated sexual activity during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Many critics questioned why the bathhouses are needed back in the first place, with one commenter writing, “Perhaps one needs to ask why gay men need bathhouses in the first place. Seems extraordinarily unsanitary.“
Others argued that the facilities represented a broader decline across the city, with another commenter writing, “No wonder Minneapolis is a [expletive], and about to get worse!.”
Several users also referenced the AIDS crisis and their own experiences from decades past. A different commenter wrote that the “rot of mind, body, and soul” associated with bathhouses was “devastating.”
Minnesota Bathhouse Decision Sparks Debate
Meanwhile, supporters of the repeal have argued that regulated venues can actually improve public health by providing safer environments, educational resources, and access to prevention tools. On the original Instagram post, Frey writes, “The rain this morning could not stop our neighbors from joining the best parade anywhere, and all weekend long we celebrated the joy and freedom to be exactly as you are.“
In response, one viewer wrote, “One of our great mayors! Working to gain your vote and he is in the same league as NYCity’s mayor who jumped into swimming pool w/suit on to open public pool season. CONFIDENT!“
Although Minneapolis has now lifted the ban, whether new bathhouses will ultimately open remains uncertain. Before any business can begin operating, the city must first finalize regulations all the way from sanitation standards to licensing requirements.
