The Minneapolis City Council voted 9-2 on Thursday to repeal a ban on commercial sex venues such as gay bathhouses, reversing a policy in place since 1988 during the height of the AIDS epidemic. The vote came just days before the Twin Cities Pride Festival, which draws thousands of attendees annually to the city.
All nine members who supported the proposal are Democrats, with some affiliated with the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. The two dissenting votes also came from Democrats. The council must still establish zoning and safety regulations before the repeal takes effect.
What the Right Is Saying
Democrat Elizabeth Shaffer, one of the two council members who voted against the repeal, said she had heard concerns from her constituents before making her decision. She also cited the city's budget situation as a factor in her opposition. "I don't think this is a top priority for expanding city services," Shaffer said.
The original 1988 ban was enacted during the AIDS epidemic when public health officials were investigating links between sexual venues and HIV transmission rates. Proponents of maintaining restrictions have pointed to the historical context, arguing that policies from that era reflected medical understanding at the time rather than discriminatory intent.
Other Minnesota cities including Duluth and St. Paul already allow commercial sex venues under varying levels of oversight, a fact noted by repeal supporters as evidence such regulations can be implemented safely.
What the Left Is Saying
Advocacy groups including Action Network argued that lifting the ban would improve public health outcomes rather than harm them. "The bathhouse ban has driven sexually-related gatherings underground, often to unsafe and inaccessible spaces," the organization stated in its advocacy materials. The group cited social science research suggesting that commercial sex venues promote safer sex practices, enhance HIV prevention efforts, and increase access to testing and treatment.
Socialist council member Jason Chavez, who co-authored the repeal proposal, said he spoke from personal experience as the only openly LGBTQ+ person on the council. "I know what it has meant for so many in our community to have no one in this chamber who could look at this ban and say, 'I know what it cost us,'" Chavez said. "Bathhouse restrictions have a history that is intertwined with anti-2SLGBTQIA bigotry, in particular, the history of homophobia in Minneapolis."
The councilmember added: "I know who this ban was aimed at, and I know that the hate that came with this ban was wrong and still is." The repeal follows other recent actions by Minneapolis under what the city calls its "Pride in Policy" package, which includes updating city codes to use gender-inclusive language and studying how to expand all-gender restrooms across the municipality.
What the Numbers Show
The 1988 ban on bathhouses in Minneapolis has been in place for approximately 38 years. The Twin Cities Pride Festival typically draws tens of thousands of participants to the region each year. Minneapolis is Minnesota's largest city with a population exceeding 400,000 residents. The council vote was 9-2 in favor of the repeal.
The city's budget shortfall was cited by at least one dissenting council member as a reason for opposing the measure. Minneapolis is currently updating its public indecency laws to be more LGBTQ-inclusive as part of its broader "Pride in Policy" initiative, which also includes a study on expanding all-gender restroom facilities across municipal buildings and public spaces.
The Bottom Line
The repeal marks a significant shift in Minneapolis policy toward LGBTQ+ venues and comes as the city prepares to host Pride celebrations. However, the council has not yet established the specific zoning and safety regulations that will govern commercial sex venues under the new framework. Those regulatory details are expected to be developed in coming months.
Minneapolis joins other Minnesota cities including Duluth and St. Paul in permitting such establishments, though each municipality maintains its own oversight structure. The policy change reflects evolving public health perspectives on how to best promote safe practices within LGBTQ+ communities rather than pushing gatherings into unregulated spaces, according to advocacy groups supporting the repeal. Implementation of new regulations will likely face additional council deliberation before bathhouses can legally operate under the revised framework.
What to watch: How Minneapolis structures its zoning and safety requirements for commercial sex venues, and whether other cities consider similar policy changes as part of their own Pride initiatives.