Minneapolis Leaders Consider Legalizing Adult Bathhouses Amid Rising Crime

City Council to vote on removing 'stigmatizing language' and allowing establishments for 'sexual activity between consenting adults'.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 12:20am

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An extreme close-up photograph of a padlock on a bathroom stall door, lit by a harsh, direct camera flash against a pitch-black background, conceptually representing the controversial debate over legalizing adult bathhouses in Minneapolis.The proposed legalization of adult bathhouses in Minneapolis raises concerns about the city's priorities and the potential societal impacts of such a decision.Minneapolis Today

The Minneapolis City Council is set to vote on a proposal to legalize adult bathhouses and sex venues where sexual activity between consenting adults would be allowed. This comes after a 38-year ban on such establishments in the city, which were previously shut down during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Why it matters

The proposed ordinances to legalize adult bathhouses have raised concerns among some residents about the city's priorities, as Minneapolis has been grappling with rising crime rates and other pressing issues. The decision to potentially remove 'stigmatizing language' and allow these types of establishments has been criticized by those who see it as a concerning shift in the city's focus.

The details

The City Council will decide on Tuesday, April 7, whether to have city staff research several ordinances that would allow adult bathhouses and sex venues to operate again after a 38-year ban. The ordinances would remove 'stigmatizing language' and add 'new definitions to be inclusive of establishments where sexual activity between consenting adults may be facilitated.' Adult bathhouses were popular among some men in the U.S. until public pressure and laws led to their closures in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis. In Minneapolis, bathhouses and sex clubs operated until a 1988 ordinance banned businesses that facilitate 'high-risk sexual conduct'.

  • The City Council will decide on Tuesday, April 7, whether to have city staff research the ordinances.
  • Adult bathhouses were popular in the U.S. until their closures in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis.

The players

Minneapolis City Council

The governing body of the city of Minneapolis that is considering the proposal to legalize adult bathhouses and sex venues.

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What they’re saying

“Decline is a choice.”

— Deeds

“Literally. It's official. Mpls is Sodom and Gomorrah. Open drug markets, legal Bath houses, so legalized prostitution. No laws, no prosecution of felonies. Kids being encouraged to mutilate their genitalia. MN dems think is what MN wants. NO!”

— Fu S

What’s next

The Minneapolis City Council will vote on Tuesday, April 7, on whether to move forward with researching ordinances to legalize adult bathhouses and sex venues in the city.

The takeaway

The proposal to legalize adult bathhouses in Minneapolis amid rising crime rates has sparked concerns among some residents about the city's priorities and the potential societal impacts of such a decision. The debate highlights the complex challenges facing the city as it grapples with balancing public safety, civil liberties, and community values.