In October the Dallas police raided Club Dallas, a gay bathhouse, and arrested 11 men for public lewdness and indecent exposure. Cops were prompted, they claimed, by a “complaint,” so they sent two plainclothes officers into the bathhouse, paying admission and observing the activities before sending in the uniforms. Now three months later, the police are dropping charges against at least seven of the men, and the other men are believed to be on their way to escaping charges. How come? Because prosecutors don’t think they have enough evidence to succeed at trial. So I’m guessing they weren’t rolling videotape when they bust into the steam room.
public lewdness
The Bathhouse Patrons Arrested At Club Dallas Are Getting Off
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Scott
Cute title.
Nate
@Scott:
agreed.
I did not know a bathhouse was considered a public place, especially the steam room in one, I mean if the owners didn’t want the men to be doing the things they do in the bath house then by all means kick them out, but I didn’t know you could get arrested for public acts of sex in a what I thought private place.
Somone please enlighten me?
Spike
Gawd I wish they would just let Texas seceed from the US.
justiceontherocks
@Nate: They charge admission, so under the law it’s a “public” place. I’ve been to this place. The only area of the club where they discourage sex is at the pool. Most people go to their rooms, however, so they can fuck and use drugs in private.
@Spike: They tried 150 years ago and we wouldn’t let them. Now we can’t do it because it would be too hard to get drugs in from Mexico.
scribe
In michigan bath houses make customers become members to their “private club” with a credit card type i.d. to flash to get in. You just pay for a room or locker fee. I wonder is this how bathhouses here stay away from the law.
Cameron Jess S.
@Scott:
bath houses are unsanitary and something I’d really like to extricate in homo culture.
Cameron Jess S.
@Scott:
bath houses are unsanitary and something I’d really like to extricate from homo culture.
Cameron Jess S.
oops
slobone
Keep in mind that in Texas, you can be arrested for public drunkenness — in a bar! So this is not a state that’s big on the “we were behind closed doors” defense.
But this whole issue of gay men gathering for the purpose of sex in places theoretically open to the public — bathhouses, sex clubs, backrooms of bars — has been a legal gray area for a long time. Most reasonable jurisdictions look the other way as long as no other laws are violated. But there’s a disturbing trend lately in parts of the South where the cops, who must not have anything better to do, are starting to crack down. Stay tuned…
EZ
It’s not considered a private club because anyone can gain admission by paying and showing ID. As I understand it, even if it was an actual private club like a Country Club, sex in a public area is still considered illegal. Whether it’s enforced or not is a different story and I’m glad to see they’re dropping the charges. Sounds to me like a political thing more than lack of evidence, I doubt they’d have a hard time convicting on their word alone in this state.
Roger
The Club does not charge an admission that I know of…they sell you a membership. It may only be for 1 day or it may be longer, however it is a membership and then you pay for locker or room privileges….at least when I worked there that is how it was done. No mention of Mid-Towne Spa. Did it get raided too? Despite the opinion to the contrary, both bath houses do promote safe sex and are probably cleaner than most regular “gyms” that I have been to. Matter of fact, there are some Gold’s Gyms and 24 Hour Fitness Centers that are notorious for “straight” men to find a little help in getting off. Yes, Texas is a few years behind the rest of the free world, but there is hope that it will come around. My question is who is complaining? As far as I can tell, no one from the outside can see in. Both bath houses are in a mainly industrial areas so there are no children around. Who and why are they complaining? If they are Bible thumping protestors, how do they know what goes on in the bath houses? Have they been in there? I believe this is a part of the closeted political agenda that was brought to light in the documentary Outrage. It is also vaguely reminiscent of the prohibition days and the speak easy raids…and we won that battle. Only with education and privatization of sexual acts will we be able to overcome. I am happy the charges against these men are being dismissed.