Gay Baths and the Social Organization of Impersonal Sex

Abstract

The conditions described by males as ideal for impersonal sex include protection; ample, accessible opportunities; a known, shared, and organized reality; bounding of the experience; congeniality; and a comfortable physical setting. This paper examines gay baths in relation to these conditions. It also develops—from the male participants' perspective—a general model of the successful territorial and interactional organization of impersonal sex. Finally, the findings are related to the conceptualization of social organization, the market mentality, and the study of deviance.