Learn about sauna etiquette this weekend at Perth Steam Works

How the gay, bisexual and queer community operate in saunas has changed over the years, so WAAC are teaming up with Perth Steam Works to present a Sauna Etiquette workshop and venue tour this weekend, because there’s plenty to learn.

Ever wanted to learn more about sauna etiquette?

The one-hour education session and tour on Saturday will help people navigate the space and the interactions with people in it.

WAAC’s Regional Population Health and LGBTIQA+ Community Development Officer, Shane Early, told QNews that not everyone has been guided by former generations in how to use these spaces.

“Since COVID, there has been a significant uptick in men retreating from the apps and returning to the park, bars, and saunas,” Shane said.

“These ‘third spaces’ have unspoken rules attached to them, and a lot of men have had the opportunity to learn from elders in our community about what those rules are.”

“This class is designed to teach the basics, to give men who have been too nervous about making mistakes the confidence to come, learn the lay of the land, and find pleasure in a space designed for it.”

Shane says the class will also be helpful for neurodivergent men who may struggle with body language and social cues.

“This happens to be two of the main ways of talking in a sauna,” Shane said,

“We spend a lot of time discussing this and helping break down what those cues and postures mean so that those who wouldn’t normally know what to look out for can have a bit of an even playing field.”

Do you remember your first time in a sauna?

The first time I used a sauna, like so many others, I had no idea what I was doing. It’s not like it’s the greatest space to ask questions.

Shane Early has worked with WAAC (formerly the West Australian AIDs Council) for 4 years and is also the Chair of West Oz Leather (the local leather social club).

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has lived on three continents and is a bit of a sauna connoisseur.

Shane attended his first sauna at 19 years old at the Edmonton Steamworks and is eager to share the many lessons learned from attending saunas in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

“There is a change in how queer community operate in these environments, and a noticeable difference in the ‘mentorship’ space that so many of us in an older generation had,” Shane said.

“I am hoping to use the workshop to get a ‘vibe check, ‘ as it were, for an interest in this type of education, not just how to cruise but also how to connect as queer people.”

This fundamentals style class will teach attendees:

The verbal and nonverbal ways of showing interest and disinterest with other patrons.
How to say yes but also how to say no with kindness (because in the end, we all want a bit of kindness).
Where is a good spot to have a chat with a friend, or a shag with a stranger, or perhaps an awkward hello to that hot daddy you just bumped into who works in accounting in your office?

It will also cover sexual health and sexual safety that you wouldn’t think of, like:

How to jump in the sling.
How long in the steam room is too long
And the all-important, how to clean up after yourself when you and your new friend(s) are done with a room.

Who is the workshop for?

This Saturday’s workshop is for male (+nb) identifying people, but Shane hopes to work with Bi+ swingers groups and queer female (+nb) identifying groups.

From 10 am to 12 pm, male-identifying members of the queer community can come and learn the dos and don’ts of both Perth Steamworks and saunas worldwide.

“This is an 18+ event,” Early said, “And the term male-identifying people, of course, includes our nonbinary population and trans men.”

“Perth Steam Works and saunas everywhere are predominantly male spaces; the language and etiquette being taught are relevant to male queer culture and expectations.”

“It would be irresponsible to teach those lessons to people who are not relevant to and have the potential to disrupt the safety and discretion required for some men attending.

“Perth Steam Works does have an accessibility gap, as it is on the second floor of a building without an elevator.

“If you are in a wheelchair or have mobility issues that would make climbing a staircase difficult or painful, then this venue and this class will sadly not be accessible for you.”

Shane is happy to discuss other ways to talk about sauna etiquette with others who can reach out to him via Searly@waac.com.au.

“We do have a workshop developed for Perth Steamworks’s Fluid Night,” Shane said, “And would love to gauge interest in it.”

“Are you a trans woman, nonbinary, or AFAB person who is interested in attending a workshop like this?”

Please reach out to Searly@waac.com.au so that we can start the process of gauging interest in a FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, Agendered) class and tour.”

What happens at Perth Steam Works stays at Perth Steam Works

“I am also bound by confidentiality clauses within my professional work, so my lips are shut.” Shane laughed

“There is a side street entrance with very few venues open at the time of the workshop.”

“If you are a bisexual or heterosexual man who has always wanted to visit the space to understand what happens and how you can scratch an itch or three there, this class is for you and our discretion is assured.”

Attendees of the workshop will get a 50% discount at Steam Works when the doors open.

Who knows, you could take the time to scope out a classmate and maybe practice your newly learned skills.

Saturday, April 25^th, doors at 9:30 am, class in session 10 am, tours of the venue from 11 am, sauna open for use at 12 pm

Tickets are free, but registration is essential so the team can prepare the space. See you there.