Incidentally, the increased scrutiny on homosexual and non-normative behavior fostered a lively subculture. The turn of the 18 th century was a particularly rough time for homosexuals (or sodomites, as they had come to be called): A religious revival was rocking Western European society, inspiring new laws to govern sexual practice and deviancy. So what about the gay meaning? In 1707, more than 100 years before glory hole entered the lexicon of glass production, the sex act we now commonly associate with glory holes made its (first historically documented) debut, also in England. So why do they call it that? Which glory hole came first? Which group owns the term “glory hole”? Would a glory hole by any other name smell as sweet? How did we get to me asking these questions? For glass blowers, the glory hole is a high-powered furnace burning at over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit-hardly suitable for sex acts of any kind. Those currently enthralled with Netflix’s hit competitive glass blowing show Blown Away may be justifiably curious about the presence on the program of “glory holes.”įor most of the culture, this terms refers very specifically to a public, quasi-anonymous sex act involving gay men, bathroom stalls, and a handily placed hole. This post is part of Outward, Slate’s home for coverage of LGBTQ life, thought, and culture. Madison Cawthorn Thrusting His Naked Body on Another Man’s Face Doesn’t Tell Us Much About His “Gayness” How Muhammad Ali’s Conversion Got Dismissed as “Brainwashing” Some 20-Year-Olds Explain the “Honest Instagram” App That’s Sweeping the Youths