Four activists were arrested in San Francisco on Friday for dropping trou outside City Hall, part of a protest against the city’s new public-nudity ban.
“Freedom of expression is dead in this country,” shouted George Davis as he was carted off by cops. He and the other three demonstrators will be subject to a $100 fine.
An appeal by activists claiming the band violated their First Amendment rights was tossed by a federal judge earlier in the week.
The ban, introduced by openly gay Supervisor Scott Wiener, was passed by the city council in November. “We’re a city that believes in freedom, and we’ve always believed in freedom and free expression,” said Wiener at the time. “But taking your pants off at Castro and Market and displaying your genitals to everyone? That’s not free expression.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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viveutvivas
Said Wiener at the time: “But taking your pants off at Castro and Market and displaying your genitals to everyone? That’s not free expression.”
Classic oppressive tactic. Making something sound ridiculous or obscene doesn’t mean that it is not free expression. If free expression were simply whatever the majority of people agreed it to be, there would be no need for any principles protecting free expression.
jwrappaport
There was a young lawyer named Rex,
with rather small organs of sex
When charged with composure,
he replied with composure,
“De minimis non curat lex.”
I think we need to pick our battles here. I’m not especially keen on the ban, but I don’t think it’s totally crazy for people to demand that their fellow citizens wear clothing in public. I’m certainly open to counterarguments, so what’s the case for public nudity?
BJ McFrisky
I think most intelligent people understand public nudity is more about exhibitionism than it is about freedom. (which is why I suspect there are so precious few good-looking flashers—er, I mean people expressing/exposing their “freedoms”)
Aidan8
@viveutvivas: We have plenty of imposed limits on free expression… some by law, others by social convention. It’s not okay for me to stand in front of your house in the middle of the night shouting obscenities at the top of my lungs. Am I being oppressed because we don’t allow this? I suppose one can argue that public nudity has been conventional in SF and this new limit is not needed. Yet it’s hard to argue that it’s a form of oppression or somehow unreasonable under all circumstances.
Charli Girl
I VOTE FOR WOMEN TO BE ABLE TO GO SHIRTLESS!!! Everybody else put your damn clothes on!!!
LMAO
jaack
We are loosing our FREEDOMS little by little. A law passed here, a regulation there, before you know it, skinny dipping is OUTLAWED at the gay beach. Kissing another of the same sex will be next to fall to the tyranny of bureaucrats. The First Amendment is so lightly taken by the elected officials and courts I’m extremely discouraged that what I write or say or draw will be banned next. Not long ago the news letters of the Mattachine Society were banned from the mail as obscene, words only, no pictures were in the material, were BANNED. The era of McCarthyism is rearing its ugly head of hate and discrimination. A gay City Council member voted to ban nudity. Doesn’t he realize that freedom is won with blood and taken away with the stroke of a keyboard. Did he forget Prop 8? The human body is the most beautiful and complex machine ever made. Beauty shouldn’t be hidden. We enter this world naked. Nudity is in paintings, sculpture, photography, books, etc.. Do we ban them too? The nudes in SF museums, should they be burned, the way the Nazis burned “Jewish” books? Where does it stop? WE THE PEOPLE must start expunging the laws, regulations, etc. that have robbed us of our personal freedoms. We must take back OUR government and make it accountable to US, THE PEOPLE!
Aidan8
@jaack: Calm down… you sound like Glenn Beck. A city-level ordinance regarding public nudity and you’re talking about Nazis burning books? Really? The “tyranny of bureaucrats?” Please.
Chad Hunt
Here is the problem in San Francisco. FOLSOM There is absolutely a fine line between the freedom of expression and obscenity. I don’t know how many of Queerty’s readers have ever been to the Folsom Street Fair but let me tell you, even as a one time World Famous PornStar I was shocked at what goes on there. Bareback gang bangs, fellatio, rimming, masrerbation, flogging, any and all sexual acts just on the street for anyone to see. Now, everyone certainly has the right to express their sexual desires within consenting adults, however you do not have the right to display it on public streets. It is not the nudity, in San Francisco, that is the problem. It is the vulgarity and disrespect for other citizens that is the problem. This is not an instance of straight america discrimination toward homosexuals either.
The same type of behavior would be frowned upon were heterosexuals to engage in public lewdness. San Francisco has a long history of clothing optional scenarios. In 1967 San Francisco was the first publicly recognized nude beach. There are many events such as the Bay to Breakers Race, World Naked Bike Ride, Critical Mass biking event, Saint Stupid’s Day Parade, Halloween, Gay Pride, etc.
All of these events pretty much were condoned because it was people going about their everyday business in a non sexualized manner. This is Freedom of Expression.
I’m sure you are all aware of the old proverb: “It only takes one rotten apple to spoil the whole barrel.” Well, in this case, FOLSOM is the rotten apple.
If Folsom was a lil smarter they would have held their event indoors sort of like what happens each year in Chicago during IML. (International Mr. Leather) At anytime if you walk through the convention area, the hallways of the Palmer House Hilton, or any other sponsored IML hotel you will see the same types of things as Folsom going on but since it is in doors and you have to pay for the convention center etc It is more of a private event and not really for public consumption.
Trust me, as a nudist, I’m all for public nudity any and everywhere however even I’m not so sure about public sexuality.
smithster11
This is without a doubt the lamest, most inane and ridiculous thing to take a stand on. Freedom doesn’t mean doing whatever you want, whenever, wherever. There has to be an element of consideration for the fact that we live amongst other people. This is a massive exaggeration of the concept of “rights” that only serves to devalue the important things to stand up for related to human dignity.
Chad Hunt
The public ban on nudity is stupid and should be repealed. What needs to happen in San Francisco is for the police to be more of a presence at these events to make sure no obscenity laws are being broken.
Chad Hunt
@Charli Girl: … It is fairly common for states to have laws where women may go shirtless as long as they are going about their everyday business. Ohio being one such example.
Chad Hunt
@smithster11: … Spoken like a true Log Cabin Republican . I don’t see how the right to wear or not wear clothes devalues human dignity.
smithster11
@Chad Hunt: please re-read my comment and then try again to make an intelligent comment. Good luck with that.
Chad Hunt
@smithster11: Actually my comments are quite intelligent and well researched. The Right for freedom of expression is just as relevant as any other right. Freedom of expression can include public nudity. I suggest you read my comment #8 instead of just making an absurd comment like you have.
smithster11
@Chad Hunt: see post #13 and just keep re-reading…
Chad Hunt
@smithster11: I learned my lesson about responding to trolls who just look for an argument and cant make an intelligent statement long ago so please just ignore me.