Public Accommodations and the History of Sex, Gender, and Access

When we talk about public accommodations, spaces like bars, hotels, transportation, and restrooms that are open to the general public. Also known as public spaces, it's not just about who can enter—it's about who is allowed to exist without fear, judgment, or violence. This idea has always been tied to sex, gender, and power. For centuries, who got to sit at a table, sleep in a room, or even use a bathroom wasn’t decided by law alone—it was shaped by morality, fear, and control.

Take the Victorian separate spheres ideology, the belief that men belonged in public life and women in the private home. Also known as domestic woman/public man, it didn’t just limit where women could go—it told them what they could feel, desire, or even think about while they were there. That same logic kept gay men out of bars, sex workers out of hotels, and women seeking pleasure labeled as immoral. The fight for access wasn’t just about doors—it was about dignity. The police raids on gay bars, systematic crackdowns on LGBTQ+ gathering places. Also known as gay bar raids, it was a direct attack on the idea that queer people had a right to exist in public. These weren’t random acts. They were enforcement of who was allowed to be seen, and who had to stay hidden.

Today, the legacy of these rules still shows up. Who gets to be served in a hotel? Who gets called a prostitute just for being alone in a car? Who gets asked to prove their gender before using a restroom? These aren’t just legal questions—they’re echoes of centuries-old beliefs about sex, gender, and control. The articles below dig into how these spaces shaped—and still shape—our sexual lives. You’ll find stories about how women used vibrators in secret to escape domestic pressure, how medieval marriages were about land, not love, and how lesbian history was erased from archives because it didn’t fit the public narrative. This isn’t just history. It’s about who gets to belong.