Minneapolis closes out ‘Pride’ by decriminalizing gay AIDS super-spreader sites

AIDS killed over 100,000 people in the U.S. during the 1980s. The vast majority of AIDS deaths occurred among homosexuals.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/AIDS had become the third-leading cause of death among men 25-44 years of age, and in 1989, it had become the second-leading cause of death, surpassing heart disease, cancer, suicide, and homicide.

‘Today’s vote is a step to try and rectify past harms.’

Seeking to curb the spread of AIDS and save lives, Minneapolis — like other cities around North America — voted in 1988 to shut down its adults-only bathhouses, which are effectively super-spreader sites frequented by homosexuals looking for sex.

The ban, which impacted three establishments, was supported by numerous homosexuals at the time, including Minneapolis’ first-known