The term sex club invokes thoughts of mattresses on floors and people having great orgies out in the open welcoming anyone to join in on the festivities. Sex clubs have taken many forms over the decades; they are not restricted to the image of the free love orgy fantasy. Some more notable types of sex clubs include swingers clubs, bathhouses and fetish clubs. These types of clubs are met with negative connotations because they are associated with brothels and other illegitimate sex-based establishments. Since they are often linked with illegal activities or thought of as a cesspool of sexually transmitted infections, the clubs are usually hidden in plain sight within neighborhoods. Their bad reputation causes the need to remain cloaked in fear of being shut down despite their legitimacy.

Like any club, a sex club is a place to socialize with like-minded people; sexual encounters do not necessarily have to take place. Not to be confused with a brothel, there is no exchange of money between patrons for sex. Sex clubs have an entry fee, as most nightclubs do, and if someone is caught in an unlawful act, such as prostitution, he or she is banned from the club. (This may not be true for the parts of Nevada where prostitution is legal.) At swingers clubs, it is required that a male be accompanied by a female partner and once inside anything goes. Many clubs require a membership to keep trouble out and to maintain the area as a haven for voyeurs and participants alike.

Safe sex is promoted at all sex clubs where free condoms are distributed and all patrons are encouraged to use them; otherwise, it is considered risky and unsanitary behavior by the establishment. Sex clubs are like a bar with no alcohol and patrons are guaranteed to get laid. The sale of alcohol is also prohibited in most states due to the ordinance that nudity and the consumption of alcohol cause disorderly behavior and bring down property value. Swingers clubs usually have juice bars and allow patrons to bring in their own alcohol and drink it in the dining area where they offer a complimentary buffet and beverages. Not all sex clubs allow alcohol consumption; bathhouses frown upon the use of alcohol and intoxicated patrons are usually turned away in an attempt to keep a calm and safe environment.

Swinger’s parties are often held in homes and lofts since running actual business can be difficult. These types of clubs are often ran out of neighborhoods much like strip clubs and adult shops. Jim Trulock was hosting a swinger’s party at his home in Texas and was shut down by the police after neighbors complained about the traffic and parking situation the 100 guests attending the party caused. This is an example of a party that grew beyond a small, quiet and inconspicuous nature of swap parties. The homeowner faced legal troubles, including not getting the right permits to hold such a huge club-like event. Most private loft parties are not advertised and require a password or an invite by someone organizing the event to prevent disturbing the community. Unlike swinger’s clubs, bathhouses have different rules for their patrons and face different legal issues.

Bathhouses face more than the typical distaste for free-flowing sex; they also face homophobia and sodomy laws, which were used to shut down many of the houses. This male-only establishment is set up like a spa and, once past the front desk, clothes come off and a plain white towel is worn at all times. Dissimilar to swinger’s clubs, intoxicated members are prohibited and group sex rarely takes place. The baths are more a one-on-one sexual interaction, though a man may have several partners during the course of a stay.

Despite their efforts to keep their patrons safe and within healthy sexual guidelines, bathhouses were often raided and shut down for any violations found including dusty sodomy laws in some states. During the beginning of the AIDS crisis when it was believed that the source of the virus was homosexual activity, the attendance of bathhouses decreased dramatically and many were shut down. In an attempt to keep their patrons safe, the long-gone St. Mark’s Baths would have customers sign a pledge that they will follow safe sex guidelines in the establishment. Those that did not go out of business were shut down by the court for public health safety violations. Present-day bathhouses are very rare and mostly found in Europe and now that we are in a post-Giuliani era, cities, especially New York, have been cleaned up to an extent that residents chase out any type of lewdness in their neighborhoods.

Oddly, the most acceptable of the sex club is the fetish club and fetish parties. Catering to the BDSM lifestyle, patrons pay for a session with the dominatrix of his or her choice. A person can have a session at a fetish party or act as a slave all night while others socialize with others in the BDSM community. Parties like Byte in New York City have reached immense popularity whereas dungeons are still frowned upon; however, their locations are known and they do not have as much trouble as the flashy strip clubs.

And contrary to popular belief, anal, oral and vaginal penetration are usually not allowed at these events. Dungeons litter the city, which are more inconspicuous than their fetish party counterparts, mainly because they want to maintain a good relationship with the neighborhood and keep their clients’ anonymity. The fetish scene often gets a bad reputation and dominatrices are often confused with being prostitutes because illegitimate establishments will allow sex to occur between submissives and dommes.

Mistress Evil, a former dominatrix at the famous and now defunct Hellfire Club in New York City, feels that these few bad apples that mistake the art of S&M for prostitution ruin it for everyone: “I’m a professional. These young amateur girls come in breaking the rules. Sucking and fucking and then I get these guys who come in and expect the same. These girls ruin my business.” Mistress Evil has maintained a successful career over decades because she follows the rules of safe, sane and consensual in addition to not crossing the line between being a professional dominatrix and a lifestyle dominant. “I’m not there to have sex. I’m not a prostitute,” stated Mistress Evil.

Sex clubs may seem like seedy unlawful places that need to be run out of communities when in actuality they are similar to any other club where like-minded individuals come together. Regardless of the various types of sex clubs, they all encourage safer sex to keep their costumers safe. Following in their steps, regular bars and nightclubs have started providing their customers with free condoms through outreach programs like NYC Condom. No matter the theme of a club, the establishment is only as fun, safe and uninhibited as their customers are.