Abstract:
The gay bathhouse played a central role in the battle for gay liberation in Sydney during the latter part of the twentieth century. Utilising fifty in-depth interviews, as well as extensive archival research, this article provides an insight into how the evolving public domain of Sydney's gay bathhouses fostered the experiences of gay men and contributed to the development of a vibrant, validated homosexual culture within the city. The dynamic nature of these spaces allowed gay men an unprecedented opportunity to develop, experience and express, individual and collective sexual identities and practices.
