▁to ▁be ▁a ▁distingu ishing ▁characteristic ▁of ▁the ▁bath h ouses ▁the ▁city ▁had ▁worked ▁to ▁close , ▁and ▁keep ▁closed , ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁The ▁debate ▁over ▁the ▁proposed ▁legisl ation ▁led ▁some ▁activ ists ▁to ▁demand ▁re open ing ▁the ▁bath h ouses . ▁Pet rel is ▁said , ▁"... I ▁think ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁m ature ▁gay ▁men ▁who ▁know ▁how ▁to ▁make ▁dec isions ▁behind ▁closed ▁doors ." ▁Am m iano ' s ▁proposal ▁failed ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁support ▁from ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Mayor ▁Will ie ▁Brown . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁years , ▁Pet rel is ▁and ▁other ▁activ ists ▁lo bb ied ▁SF DP H ▁to ▁reverse ▁the ▁prohib ition ▁against ▁bath h ouses ▁with ▁lock ing ▁doors . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁activ ists ▁author ed ▁a ▁ball ot ▁initi ative ▁to ▁over turn ▁the ▁ban ▁on ▁private ▁rooms ▁in ▁gay ▁sex ▁clubs ▁and ▁eliminate ▁the ▁requirement ▁that ▁club ▁staff ▁monitor ▁cons ens ual ▁behavior ▁among ▁club ▁pat rons . ▁Mitchell ▁K atz , ▁director ▁of ▁SF DP H , ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁the ▁initi ative ▁before ▁it ▁even ▁qualified ▁for ▁the ▁ball ot ; ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ▁editor ial ized ▁against ▁it , ▁cit ing ▁" dist urb ing ▁evidence ▁of ▁an ▁ups ur ge ▁in ▁dangerous ▁sex ▁practices ▁among ▁some ▁g ays ." ▁Pet rel is ▁respond ed ▁by ▁demand ing ▁that ▁critics ▁reve al ▁the ▁evidence ▁they ▁claimed , ▁while ▁cit ing ▁statistics ▁showing