What are Affinity Hours and why do you offer them?

Affinity Hours are times where people who share identity can be in the bathhouse together. We offer Affinity Hours with the goal of increasing access for community members who face oppression in the healthcare and wellness industries. As always, the bathhouse is a healing space and meant to be more meditative than social; we maintain our usual policies during Affinity Hours. We welcome and appreciate feedback from clients to help us make these hours as healing as possible - please click here to access our feedback form.

Which Affinity Hours do you offer and when do they take place?

We offer Affinity Hours on Tuesday evenings from 7:00pm - 10:00pm. Online booking is not available for Affinity Hours; please call us to book at (503) 238-1065.

• Trans Hours: a space for transgender, transsexual, two-spirit, nonbinary, genderqueer, agender, gender expansive, and/ or gender nonconforming people. Those who self-identify as any of the above are welcome to attend these hours.

  Trans Hours take place every 1st Tuesday of the month 7:00pm - 10:00pm; last hour is Silent Hour.

• QTBIPOC Hours: QTBIPOC stands for Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, who are also known as People of the Global Majority (PoGM). This space is for BIPOC individuals who also self-identify as LGBTQIA2S+, in that their identity exists in the intersection of both groups. Those who self-identify as QTBIPOC are welcome to attend these hours.

  QTBIPOC Hours take place every 2nd Tuesday of the month 7:00pm - 10:00pm; last hour is Silent Hour.

• BIPOC Hours: a space for Black people, Indigenous people, Brown people, and People of Color - also known as People of the Global Majority (PoGM). Those who self-identify as PoGM / BIPOC are welcome to attend these hours.

  BIPOC Hours take place every 3rd Tuesday of the month 7:00pm - 10:00pm; last hour is Silent Hour.

• Women's Hours: a space for all women. This includes transgender women and cisgender women. People who identify as transgender, transsexual, transfeminine, two-spirit, non-binary and/or genderqueer are welcome to attend these hours.

  Women's Hours take place every 4th Tuesday of the month 7:00pm - 10:00pm; last hour is Silent Hour.

• Fat Hours: a space for people living in larger bodies. This includes people who are small fat, mid fat, super fat, infini-fat, and / or plus size. Those who self-identify as any of the above are welcome to attend these hours. During these hours, bathhouse capacity will be reduced to ensure folks have room to take up the space they need.

  Fat Hours for 2025 take place on Tuesday, April 29, Tuesday, July 29, and Tuesday, December 30th - all 7:00pm - 10:00pm; last hour is Silent Hour.

• LGBTQ+ Hours: a space for people who are a part of the LGBTQ+ and/or queer communities. This includes people who are lesbian, gay, bi, pan, trans, nonbinary, queer, questioning, intersex, ace, and 2-Spirit. Those who self-identify with these and other queer identities are welcome to attend.

  LGBTQ+ Hours 2025 take place on Monday, August 11, Tuesday, September 30, and Thursday, November 6. All 7pm - 10pm; last hour from 9-10pm is Silent Hour.

Who can use the bathhouse during Affinity Hours?
Those who self-identify within a given affinity group are welcome to attend those hours (please see previous question for details on the hours we offer). If you do not identify as a member of an affinity group, you can book time in the bathhouse during our other hours. Please note that there may also be clients in the lobby for practitioner sessions during these times; those clients may or may not hold the identities that the Affinity Hours serve.

Will the staff who work at the front desk during Affinity Hours be members of that community group?
Whenever possible, we will have front desk staff who are a part of the Affinity Hour group working during these hours. We see this as a best practice to help clients feel safe and comfortable approaching staff with any needs or feedback. While we strive to have front desk staff who are a part of the affinity group working during Affinity Hours, this may not always be possible.

Are there discounted rates during Affinity Hours?
At this time, Affinity Hours in the bathhouse are the same rate as our regular hours. Rates can be found here. We are working to develop a community fund for the bathhouse which will allow clients to apply for free or reduced price bathhouse sessions.

Can I book a wellness session with a practitioner during Affinity Hours? 
Yes! Wellness sessions with practitioners are not a part of the Affinity Hours program. Our Affinity Hours are specifically for the bathhouse at Common Ground. All clients are welcome to book practitioner sessions such as massages, acupuncture, or chiropractic care during any of our open hours, including Affinity Hours. If you need help booking a practitioner appointment, feel free to call us at (503) 238-1065.

How can I book a session in the bathhouse during an Affinity Hour?
In order to ensure that all clients know when Affinity Hours are taking place, online booking is not available during these times. Please call at (503) 238-1065 to book. If calling is not accessible to you, you can book via email at frontdesk@cgwc.org.

Other questions?
We would love to hear from you! Please contact our Equity Program Coordinator at equityprogramming@cgwc.org with any questions, comments, or feedback. You can also submit feedback on this form.