Sorry San Francisco nudists, the Board of Supervisors has passed a law banning public nudity except during special events.
Now that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have passed a law banning public nudity, it may finally put an end to having to endure that one old dude who takes advantage of every possible public gathering to walk around wearing only his backpack.
You know the guy. Giants won the series? Naked old dude. Election night coverage near UN Plaza? Naked old dude. Of course, the trade-off is that you also lose your right to choose your own personal state of relative (un)dress.
The legislation bans people from exposing their genitals in any public place, except during parades and annual events. Offenders would receive a fine based on the number of violations, charging $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second offense within a year. If charged a third time, the offender be charged up to $500 and a year in jail.
Supervisor Scott Wiener, who introduced the law, says it is primarily meant to address a particular group of men in the Castro who walk around with genital jewelry which maintains their arousal. Wiener asserts he was hesitant to pass the bill, but decided he could no longer ignore citizens’ complaints about these men.
McCray Winpsett, a nudist activist against the bill contends that these men are simply “a few lewd exhibitionists,” and that true nudists should not be punished for the actions of the lascivious few.
Wiener defended the legislation by telling the Huffington Post:
“I don’t think having some guys taking their clothes off and hanging out seven days a week at Castro and Market Street is really what San Francisco is about. I think it’s a caricature of what San Francisco is about.”
Now that the law has been passed by the Board of Supervisors, pending successful ratification by Mayor Ed Lee and a federal judge, it would go into effect starting next February.
