Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1984. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The New York Times - April 10, 1984
"What we are doing today is taking steps to eliminate bathhouses as places of sexual encounters between individuals," Dr. Mervyn Silverman, the director, said at a news conference this morning.
"That doesn't mean the elimination of such places. What we are trying to do is reduce the spread of AIDS. We'll move with dispatch."
The large homosexual population of San Francisco has been divided between those resisting any bathhouse regulation, citing fears that any restrictions would be reminiscent of the days when establishments catering to homsexuals were frequently raided, and homosexuals anxious that something be done to stop the spread of AIDS.
Bill Jones, owner of the Sutro Bath House, called the city move "Orwellian." He said: "We are a public bathhouse operating under a license, but we're also a private place. They're telling people that they can't perform sexually. By stopping people having sex in certain ways, you're not educating them."
Health department statistics show that so far, 477 San Franciscans have caught AIDS and 175 have died.
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