Un sna gay à Paris ? Où aller pour la réouverture - têtu·

Contents:

• UNCLOAKG DIRE: EXPERIENCG THE GAY SNA
• GAY SEX BATHHOE - Q SNA & SPA
• HONG KONG’S BT GAY SNAS
• THE FUTURE OF BRA’S GAY SNAS
• UN SNA GAY à PARIS ? Où ALLER POUR LA RéOUVERTURE
• GAY PARIS
• PARIS SNAS GAY

UNCLOAKG DIRE: EXPERIENCG THE GAY SNA

The other day, I performed one of the self-experiments while aimlsly roamg the streets of London: searchg for a new experiential plate to tt the lims of my ‘self, ’ I impulsively walked to a gay sna.

GAY SEX BATHHOE - Q SNA & SPA

For those not the know, a gay sna is as an unrground plex of showers, snas, steam rooms and sex booths where gay men go to relax and have totally anonymo sex of all sorts.

All sts is 10 quid (only 5 if you’re a stunt—lerally: stunt disunts at a gay sex stutn. Spa Excs is Open 24x7x365Largt and Bt Gay Sna TorontoTtimonialsThe place is impecbly clean and well-mataed, which is a ttament to the re and attentn that go to creatg a top-notch experience for every visor. Before ronavis h, Charts Vxhall claimed to be ​“Europe’s largt gay sna” for men wantg steam, queer mararie and a potential subterranean hook-up.

HONG KONG’S BT GAY SNAS

Charts Vxhall was the last survivg outpost of a gay sna cha which at s 2005 peak had six branch dotted across London.

THE FUTURE OF BRA’S GAY SNAS

Losg Charts is a major blow for London’s queer male muny, but gay snas across the UK have weathered an credibly ttg 12 months. “Gay snas n of the possibily of sex, but whether people actually have sex when they get here is a pletely different thg, ” says Stephen Gunn of Mantire Spa Plymouth. In 2021, gay snas are faced wh the same toxic cktail of threats as any other LGBTQ venue.

UN SNA GAY à PARIS ? Où ALLER POUR LA RéOUVERTURE

But when we talk about savg our val queer spac, gay snas tend to be exclud om the nversatn.

Nick Batt, owner of Pk Broadway Southampton, says a lol rad statn was terted hearg about his stggle to survive the panmic as a small bs owner until he said he ran a gay sna. Even wh the LGBTQ muny, gay snas have a lgerg image problem.

GAY PARIS

In 2016, gay magaze Attu published an op-ed tled: ​“Perhaps the time has e for gay snas to close – and that’s fe. Pl Town, manager of The Locker Room South London, says is rctive to pigeonhole all gay snas as ​“expensive knockg shops”.

PARIS SNAS GAY

Clearly, gay snas exist so that men have n sex wh men a space that isn’t their home, a hotel or a cisg spot. Sce I started visg gay snas a ago, I’ve seen steam room i, group jack-off ssns the showers and men wag expectantly large leather slgs.

In my experience, gay snas are sexy, sex-posive spac where not everyone ends up havg sex.

“Nobody ever talks about the lonely olr gay man, ” says Pk Broadway’s Nick Batt.

​“Maybe their partner’s passed away and they want some pany, but they don’t feel like they belong the [gay] bars bee you’re visible those plac if you’re over 40. ” Batt also says his sna provis a safe space for gay and bi men who aren’t out. ​“I’d say up to 70 per cent of our ctomers don’t live what you’d ll a ​‘gay liftyle’, ” he says.

​“I’ve had ctomers e up to me and say: ​‘My mum died yterday and she never knew I was gay. Gay snas like London’s Pleasuredrome, which pre-Covid opened 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, n also bee a refuge for vulnerable and homels young men.