San Francisco’s plans to bring back gay bathhouses have hit an unexpected snag, and it involves windows.
According to the Bay Area Reporter, District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman has introduced legislation that would exempt adult businesses, including bathhouses and sex clubs, from the city’s storefront transparency rules. The change could help clear another hurdle for a proposed bathhouse at 40 12th Street.
The project comes from Kevin Born, who wants to turn his two-story building near Market Street and Van Ness Avenue into a traditional bathhouse for men who have sex with men, complete with private rooms and lockable doors for perfectly valid reasons.
Why Privacy Is the Issue
San Francisco’s current planning rules generally require storefront windows to remain transparent. For a business where customers may want discretion, that’s not exactly ideal.
Born told the B.A.R. that some of his gay friends have expressed concern about being recognized while entering a bathhouse. He would therefore prefer opaque windows, potentially with backlighting, so people outside cannot see directly into the interior. The proposed planning-code change would give adult businesses more flexibility over how their storefronts are designed.
READ: SF Board Changes Outlook On Adult Sex Clubs Just As They Are Becoming A Thing Of The Past
Why Are They Only Coming Back Now?
Traditional gay bathhouses disappeared from San Francisco decades ago after AIDS-era health regulations restricted private rooms with locking doors and imposed other rules intended to reduce HIV transmission.
Mandelman has spent years removing those restrictions from different parts of the city’s code. Health regulations were changed in 2021, zoning rules followed in 2022, and police-code provisions were addressed in 2024. Now, storefront design has become the latest issue.
The push comes as HIV prevention and treatment have changed significantly since those original rules were created. Effective HIV treatment can prevent sexual transmission when a person maintains an undetectable viral load, while PrEP helps HIV-negative people reduce their risk of acquiring HIV.
READ: An AIDS-Era Rule Targeting Bathhouses Has Finally Been Scrapped
Could the Bathhouse Actually Open?
There’s still a ways to go.
Born’s estimated $5 million project needs additional city approvals, including a conditional use permit hearing before the Planning Commission scheduled for November 5.
The new planning-code ordinance must also go through the city’s legislative process before it can become law.
Born told the B.A.R. he hopes the bathhouse could open in June next year. He’s already thinking beyond the first location, too, saying he is looking for a larger property for a possible second bathhouse.
For now, San Francisco’s bathhouse revival remains a work in progress. The big question isn’t simply whether the city will allow these spaces back. It’s also figuring out what they should look like when they return.