The intricate politics of steam room culture

There’s simply no denying it-something about the combination of hot steam, ill-fitting towels, and the relaxing glow of post-workout exhaustion gets the male juices flowing. Depending on how you view it, steam room sex is either the last hurrah of liberating seventies-era gay culture or a grim reminder of that era’s excesses and dangers, both psychological and physical. Anecdotally of course, it’s hard to visit any major gym locker room in one of our urban centers without coming away thinking we favor the former, not the latter view. Steam room dalliances are such an inherent part of the big city gym experience that permanent signage appears next to most sauna and steam room doors warning that any inappropriate activity will result in banishment from the gym and the possibility that the local Department of Health will shut down the locker room amenities altogether.