Minneapolis City Council mulls legalizing adult sex venues with new bathhouse licensing rules
Minneapolis is preparing to consider legalizing and regulating adult bathhouses and sex venues where consenting adults may engage in sexual activity.
The Minneapolis City Council referred a package of four proposed ordinances to staff, according to city records. The ordinances would create a licensing framework, update zoning regulations, revise health standards and add exceptions to existing indecency laws.
The proposed changes come as the city council also considers a proposed ordinance that would decriminalize drug paraphernalia.
Adult bathhouses and sex venues were a component of nightlife prior to the advent of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, which led to the passage of a surfeit of ordinances banning them among virtually all U.S. urban areas. As reported by the Star Tribune, the last bathhouse to operate legally in Minneapolis closed in 1988.
The Star Tribune added that, in a statement, council member Jason Chavez argued, “LGBTQIA+ gathering spaces, including bathhouses, have long been targeted by criminalization and policing, and our communities have paid a devastating price for that.”
Several cities in Minnesota, including Duluth and St. Paul, have allowed the bathhouses to continue operating with varying levels of oversight.
One ordinance would add a new chapter to city code specifically for adult sex venues. It would establish licensing and business regulations for establishments where sexual activity between consenting adults may be facilitated.
A second ordinance would amend the city’s zoning code to update definitions and standards for sexually oriented uses. The changes aim to eliminate what officials described as stigmatizing language and reflect advances in preventative care. A third ordinance would amend the city’s health and sanitation code, specifically provisions related to contagious diseases and what the code currently calls high-risk sexual conduct.
Finally, a fourth ordinance would amend the city’s miscellaneous offenses code to add exceptions for licensed establishments where sexual activity between consenting adults may be facilitated.
Attorney Joe Tamburino says legalizing bathhouses poses legal risks for business owners and complicates the role of law enforcement.
“First, there is going to be owner liability. What will the owners be liable for or when someone goes to a bathhouse, will they have to sign waivers where they say whatever happens to me in here, I’m not going to sue the owner,” Tamburino said.
The City Council is not slated to make a decision on Tuesday, but is expected to direct staff to do more research.
Reg Chapman
contributed to this report.
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