The drag queen’s first visit was to the steam room, where she was followed inside by a group of admirers. Still half in her gear, she quickly transformed herself into her rented room and emerged with just a towel on, followed by removing her makeup at one of the sinks with the remnants of the evening smeared across her towel barely draping around her thick waist.

One such morning at about 4:30 am, one of the well-known local drag queens showed up. These bathhouses were – and continue to be – vital entry routes into queer sexuality for LGBT+ people across the world.īelow, Jameson Farn shares some of his best anecdotes from his many years working in gay saunas, from the straight men who frequent bathhouses to what he describes as “the lonely hearts club”.

That’s why it’s so important that incredible story of the gay sauna is not forgotten. Dating apps such as Grindr have allowed many gay and bisexual men to have hook-ups and other sexual experiences without walking into a gay sauna. Gay saunas are still going strong in many parts of the world, but many have shuttered as queer people became more open about their identities.

Gay zoom exposed