As he began writing "Sexual Ecology "new gay sex clubs opened in New York City that allowed unprotected anal sex in open settings for the first time in over a decade. Rotello wrote columns criticizing this in "New York Newsday" and joined a group called "Gay and Lesbian HIV Prevention Activists (GALHPA)" that argued that such venues should enforce safe sex or be closed. GALHPA's stance caused considerable controversy and reignited the “bath house debates” of the early 80s. It was against this backdrop that "Sexual Ecology" was published by Dutton in 1997.