Public Nudity Could Be Banned From San Francisco

It's up for vote tonight

Public nudity is perfectly legal in San Francisco, but that may not be the case 12 hours from now.

Lawmakers will vote Tuesday night on an ordinance that would deny Fog City denizens the right to display their wares. The law, proposed by Supervisor Scott Wiener, would prohibit anyone over the age of 5 from exposing "his or her genitals, perineum or anal region on any public street, sidewalk, street median, parklet or plaza."

Actually, few California cities ban public nudity, and CA state law only prohibits nudity when it's exacerbated by lewdness. San Francisco nudists say they're simply exploiting the loophole that allows non-lewd nakedness.

Outraged city residents have taken to the streets in protests that, as you would expect, involve considerable exposed skin. One protestor, Gypsy Taub, disrobed at a at a committee hearing in City Hall and was escorted out by sheriff's deputies. "I thought if I take my clothes off, I bet they are going to listen," she said. She's one of four San Franciscans who've filed a lawsuit to shut down the ordnance, claiming that it infringes the first amendment (nudity being a form of free speech, allegedly).

Taub "said she got her start as a nudist while hosting a local cable program devoted to the theory that the government was behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks," the AP reports.

Via the AP and the Atlantic Wire.

Should San Francisco keep public nudity legal?

[Thegrif]

Should public nudity be banned?
Well Duh.

[dances-weebles]

it's not banned anywhere else. it's perfectly legal to walk down any street in nyc in your all together. tell me, though, do you have something to be ashamed of? will everyone giggle at you?

[MRMacrum]

Here in Maine it is legal for women to walk around topless. Or rather there is no state law specifically forbidding it. Matter of fact this was brought to light for many stunned Mainers when the ladies formed a parade in Portland and walked around the city sans tops or bras. Great video of it on utube.

[Thegrif]

@dances-weebles Actually

New York Penal Law

§ 245.00 Public lewdness. A person is guilty of public lewdness when he intentionally exposes the private or intimate parts of his body in a lewd manner or commits any other lewd act (a) in a public place, or (b) in private premises under circumstances in which he may readily be observed from either a public place or from other private premises, and with intent that he be so observed.

Public lewdness is a class B misdemeanor.

§ 245.01 Exposure of a person. A person is guilty of exposure if he appears in a public place in such a manner that the private or intimate parts of his body are unclothed or exposed. For purposes of this section, the private or intimate parts of a female person shall include that portion of the breast which is below the top of the areola. This section shall not apply to the breastfeeding of infants or to any person entertaining or performing in a play, exhibition, show or entertainment.

Exposure of a person is a violation.

Nothing in this section shall prevent the adoption by a city, town or village of a local law prohibiting exposure of a person as herein defined in a public place, at any time, whether or not such person is entertaining or performing in a play, exhibition, show or entertainment.

[NAC NOTE: People v. Santorelli restricts the applicability of § 245.01. The Court of Appeals of New York ruled in 1992 that exposure of a bare female breast violates this law only when it takes place in a commercial context. As a practical matter, proper enforcement of this section can be a problem, since local enforcement agents are often unfamiliar with the case law that interprets the statutory language.]

§ 245.02 Promoting the exposure of a person. A person is guilty of promoting the exposure of a person when he know- ingly conducts, maintains, owns, manages, operates or furnishes any public premise or place where a person in a public place appears in such a manner that the private or intimate parts of his body are unclothed or exposed. For purposes of this section, the private or intimate parts of a female person shall include that portion of the breast which is below the top of the areola. This section shall not apply to the breastfeeding of infants or to any person entertaining or performing in a play, exhi- bition, show or entertainment.

Promoting the exposure of a person is a violation.

Nothing in this section shall prevent the adoption by a city, town or village of a local law prohibiting the exposure of a person substantial- ly as herein defined in a public place, at any time, whether or not such person is entertaining or performing in a play, exhibition, show or entertainment.

[Thegrif]

@Thegrif maybe I don't get it, I'm sure its just me. Are the people of this topic saying PUBLIC nudity is, or should be legal and just allow moms, or dads, or anyone really, should be aloud to just jog by your house naked, right down the sidewalk where children may see them, or hang out ( no pun intended) in the park playing frisbee golf, while children play. But not just children, I am sure plenty if grown people do not want to see it either. For crying out loud people, get real.
And no, no one would want to look at me either, but they don't want to get an eye of 99% of yall either.
I must not understand what is trying to be accomplished here. Surely no one would be in any place where there is any chance of children seeing them naked. This sounds like people just trying to stir the pot, wow!

[dances-weebles]

@Thegrif that's great... there's one catch, however. it says 'in a lewd act'. walking down the street isn't a lewd act.

do you realise that there's not one park or beach in nys which isn't open to women going topless? do you know why? it's not a lewd act.

btw... are you worried about it? if so, why?

[PNWest]

This is clearly an issue where the opponents of the proposed new law have nothing to hide. But before I make a final decision I'd like to look over the ah... arguments more closely.

[MongoAPillager]

I believe it should reviewed on a case by case bases

[MongoAPillager]

and if warranted viewed again

[DerivePI]

We should carefully study this issue.

[MongoAPillager]

@DerivePI exactly, are we not a nation of careful deliberation and laws

[DerivePI]

@MongoAPillager - You take the blondes, I'll take the brunettes. We'll get through these files in good old government time.

[bsking]

San Francisco is a cesspool.

[Mbjhug]

Lets just get over this. It's a human body, we all have the same parts. This is one thing that needs to be wide spread. Even if you are not considered aesthetically pleasing by your peers, you are still beautiful.

[NormalFlora]

That last sentence in the story is intriguing. She got her start as a nudist "truther." Thank Gawd Arpaio and Trump aren't hosting a nude "birther" show on cable.

[dances-weebles]

why do you say that? is it because they want to ban nudity? it's legal everywhere else.

[twinertia]

A guy named Weiner wants nudity banned? Strange.....

[woodtick57]

I'm certainly not against nudity, public or not, but considering te sad, sad shape most americans keep themselves in, could we put some standards in place first? perhaps some kind of review board?

[Real4WheelDrv]

Nope, the whole idea behind nudism is being comfortable with yourself, if others aren't comfortable with you oh well...but wait...that would be another form of discrimination...lol sorry, couldn't help being a little snarky :)

[Rocker]

If one may not get busted for 'nudity' does 'Indecent Exposure' still apply??

[Souljah]

Okay I'll help my community by Nominating myself as a board appointee

[RobertJHarsh]

I voted no because I have never seen any hot naked women in public. Now ugly ones are more common.

[Jet_Silverman]

Well, yes and no. Outlaw if for men who look like Newt Gingrich. Require it for men who look like Tom Cruise.

[mimi57]

...for the sake of the children, please...and anyone can google pics of the nudists lettin it "all hang out". Not a
pretty sight, but it is San Fransisco...pass the Twinkies!(:

[Rocker]

If gals have it and don't mind showing it off... I'll sure take a squint. As for myself, I figure an old, overweight, pale, white guy nude, would be more than most normal folks could stomach.

[mimi57]

@Rocker LOL.. most of the ones who are flaunting it, have it all in the wrong places...it's just gross. I think the human body ( some human bodies), are very beautiful, some never were and never will be, but the ideal body
when it is young, toned and tanned are, but these nudists don't care how they look, they're all flabby and
hairy, and many are just old..I wonder if they ever look in a full length mirror?..I think they all need new glasses and
clean underwear, and please cover up so the poor children don't have to see that, that's child abuse!

[Rocker]

@mimi57 - LOL. Great. I enjoy a level headed person with a wicked sense of humor. And so a Southernism comment: Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder (no 'typo' either).

[mimi57]

@Rocker I'm not a beer drinker...but maybe one does look better after a few..er..more than a few! LOL

[Denizen_Kate]

I dunno what all the uproar is about here ... consider the climate in San Francisco. Out of a calendar year, how many days do you suppose are even warm enough to go around nude without everything shriveling up? ;-)

[jessejaymes]

I have been in San Francisco perhaps 30 times in my life and never seen a nude person in public. Maybe I don't frequent the right places. But as silly as all this sounds perhaps I can add to the foolishness. As a heterosexual male I suggest that hottie women can go nude and everyone else should have to cover up. Maybe if we fined the obese for getting naked (and why is it seem to always be mostly obese gross men who are the majority at nude beaches?) they would be motivated to lose weight?

[Denizen_Kate]

The reason you've not seen nudes in your 30-odd visits is more likely due to the perpetually cold and damp weather. As a heterosexual female I want to go on record as suggesting that all of you guys keep your junk under wraps. It isn't pretty, and it spoils any possible surprise.

[jessejaymes]

@Denizen_Kate You don't need to worry about me. I'm not operating under that sort of delusions of grandeur.

[dances-weebles]

@Denizen_Kate but it's almost always good for a laugh, you'll have to admit.

[S-N-A-F-U]

Any fool with a modicum of grey matter can see that this is attempt to put a smiley face on a 'squalid' and deviant practises . Every thing about this so called "gay life style" is all about their sexuality, prancing around with sexual connotations during "gay pride days." I don't give a damn what they do in private - but keep it out of MY face and the face of my progeny...

This current ordinance was previously passed by a neo-Sodom & Gomorrah lite-in-the-loafers administration, which allowed these folks to prance around naked in public, including going to restaurants and any other public places -- exposing themselves to children in their everyday activities as well. One exception however, they had to have their butts covered with a 'mud-flap'(towel) for sanitary reasons -- how thoughtful. <grimace>
I can't believe how this beautiful city has declined into an abyss of moral turpitude from the days I lived in the Sunset district of SF....City council, go do the right thing..

[Dan_Tien]

Less intrusion into our lives by government!(unless we are in favor of the intrusion)

[jessejaymes]

San Francisco is a city of many small towns within a city. The Chinatown is the largest in America and I've never seen anything close to public nudity there. North Beach is where the famous strip club "the Condor" is located and yet I've never seen public nudity there. Haight Asbury, the old hippie section of town, is a trendy high dollar art district. Nope, no nudity there. The Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39 area is a heavy tourist zone and lots of naked crabs and fish but no naked people. The Fillmore is what it has always been, a black ghetto and I can't see gang bangers letting a strolling nudist going unchallenged there. South of Market has been turned from a cesspool into million dollar condos by the tech yuppies and they are far too insecure to parade nude. That only leaves one district and I'd bet a hundred dollars to a donut that the vast majority of nude frolicking is being done in the Castro district. That's the bailiwick fo the gay males and if anyone is going to do something stupid like this it's gay males.

[dances-weebles]

you were doing really well until you got to the point of saying that it is gay males who want to go nude... it's men, women, gays, lesbians, and straights. christians, mormons, and atheists... it's a mixed bag and it isn't only in sf.

[jessejaymes]

@dances-weebles It amazes me what an expert you are about America when you say you are in Brazil. Just amazing. And if you think gay males aren't exhibitionists may I suggest you take in a gay pride parade.

[jessejaymes]

@dances-weebles Why don't you check out this liberal link? http://news.msn.com/us/sf-lawmakers-pass-vote... Just as I guessed. Gay men in the Castro district walking around nude constantly.

[dances-weebles]

@jessejaymes i didn't say that they didn't. all i'm saying is that gays aren't the only ones who like to doff their clothing and enjoy the breeze.

[dances-weebles]

@jessejaymes i spent most of my life living, loving and learning in the u.s. i was born in cassity w.va, and had a permanent residence for many years in nys. during the time that i lived there i spent a good many years traveling all over the u.s. and canada. i've also lived in australia, japan, hongkong, and now brasil. i moved here 16 years ago when i accepted the pastorate of a small, but rapidly growing christian church and haven't regretted a moment of it.

as for the gay pride parades, carnival is bigger here and it's straight... what very few people seem to understand, however, is that the pride parades anywhere are held for only one reason... to have fun.
the pride parade this year in são paulo, brasil attracted almost 5 million people from all over the world, and almost every major industry in the nation (including ford, general motors, volkswagon and mercedes benz) closed down for the week so that their employees could attend. in fact, most of the churches in our area closed their doors and chartered buses to ferry their staff, congregations and parishioners back and forth to the venue of the parade 24 hours a day for the entire week surrounding the parades. schools for all ages closed so that the students and their parents and teachers could participate in the parades and connected festivities for the week. all universities in the area suspended classes. many of the participants in the parades were clergy, including catholic priests and nuns. all restaurants, stores, and hotels within several blocks of the parade route encouraged all of their staff who have direct contact with the public to work in the nude, or topless. not only that, but all local television stations carried live coverage of the parades and street parties surrounding it 24 hours a day.

coming up this month is the 17th. annual pride parade in rio de janeiro and they have claimed that they will be even larger this year than anything ever seen before.(i have my doubts, but they have already begun a massive nationwide media blitz and they have hired leading popular musicians and top stage acts from all over the world to entertain the crowds, so they may have a chance.)

will there be sex during the parade week? probably... will it happen in the streets at times? again, probably... will anybody who is there really care? probably not. it really doesn't make all that much difference, you know, and those who might find it objectionable will stay at home and simply leave their televisions off for the week... which when you stop to think about it is probably the best approach for the a.r. crowd, wouldn't you say?

[blue_yahoo]

A lot of people talk about the right to .....well .....not wear clothes. On the other hand others also have the right not to be offended by nudity and a lot of people are. The beauty of the human body is both subjective and objective. To some it would be very offensive to others a symbol of beauty and freedom and to others just a very good chance to be a vouyer. How about areas that would satisfy both needs. Truthfully I just think it's people wanting some type of attention and going nude in public satisfies that.

[Kptpredsfan]

i bet the moderators have loved this topic haha.

[CommonSense]

It's just the human body, what's so scary about that?

[harold]

Oh come on! It's San Fransisco, don't be such a tight-ass. This nation will always need places where eccentric individuality is valued. Key West can't carry such a heavy burden alone.