Social nudity in San Francisco
Encyclopedia
In recent years, San Francisco has become the most accepting city in America for public nudity
.
” publishes a clothing optional beach guide to California annually.
Within San Francisco city limits are three clothing optional beaches:
Lands End is a rather smallish beach near the Cliff House and Sutro Bath ruins.
At both events, nudity is absolutely non-sexualized or "vanilla". One should seriously consider accessorizing with leather, whips, latex, military/police uniforms, slave collars and the like.
, the California Supreme Court in the case of in Re Smith (1972) held that “nude is not lewd.” In subsequent court cases that principle has been upheld and extended. For example, “mooning” is not lewd conduct. This is a valid defense to any “public nuisance” or “indecent exposure” charges a prosecutor might consider bringing against a nudist. So, if there is no sexual intent or sexual gratification, the very best that a district attorney could hope for is a hung jury, which would be a waste of their time and public money. This is the law throughout California, but only in San Francisco are there enough nudists now to achieve the right to be regularly nude in public.
Except for the Castro Area, public nudity is still rare in most parts of San Francisco.
Irony of ironies is that there is a rarely enforced anti-nudity civil ordinance in the parks of San Francisco, including the crown jewel, Golden Gate Park
. The parks are run by an unelected Parks and Recreation Commission who draw-up the park codes. If the Park Rangers encounter someone nude in a city park they will inform the nudist that he or she is violating a city ordinance. At that point, the nudist can decide whether to dress or to be issued a citation which would require time and effort to have discharged. No criminal charges are pursuable from the encounter.
Bars and Nightclubs with liquor licenses are regulated by the California Alcohol Beverage Commission (ABC). The ABC can almost arbitrarily pull a liquor license, for example for “keeping an unruly house.”
There is a current police directive not to cite nudists for indecent exposure, a potential sex charge.
In September 2011, nudists gathered to protest a proposed law that would put some restrictions on public nudity in San Francisco. The law would prevent nudity in restaurants and require naked people to sit on a towel or other covering, when sitting on benches or other public seats. Scott Wiener
, a city supervisor, introduced the law in response to an increase of nudity in public places and restaurants.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us/san-francisco-nudity-restrictions-provoke-the-nakedly-ambitious.html
Public nudity
Public nudity or nude in public refers to nudity not in an entirely private context. It refers to a person appearing nude in a public place or to be seen from a public place. It also includes nudity in a semi-public place, where the general public is free to enter, such as a shopping mall...
.
Beaches
For decades there has been a strong clothing optional/nude beach movement in Northern California. Two mile-long San Gregorio Beach, about 20 miles south of San Francisco, was the first official nude beach in America in 1967. Today, about half of the beaches in Northern California are clothing optional. The “San Francisco Bay GuardianSan Francisco Bay Guardian
The San Francisco Bay Guardian is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper is owned mostly by its publisher, Bruce B...
” publishes a clothing optional beach guide to California annually.
Within San Francisco city limits are three clothing optional beaches:
- The north end of Baker Beach in the Presidio is the largest and most accessible. Plus, there are magnificent views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, shipping traffic, and recreational boats.
- Marshall Beach aka “Naughty Boys Beach” is accessible by a moderate trail climb north of Bakers Beach.
Lands End is a rather smallish beach near the Cliff House and Sutro Bath ruins.
Urban commons
In 2010, Rebar, a nonprofit foundation, which creates parks out of underutilized public spaces including parking spaces; created a park/plaza in the Castro District at 17th/Market/Castro where the classic “F” Streetcar Line begins/ends. Almost immediately, nudists, many of whom live in the area, began congregating there. This is the first non-beach urban clothing optional park in America. The park is nicknamed “The Buff Stop.”athletic
- Bay to BreakersBay to BreakersThe Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace which takes place in San Francisco, California on the third Sunday of May. The name reflects the fact that the race starts at the northeast end of the downtown area a few blocks from The Embarcadero and runs west through the city to finish at the Great...
Race in mid-May. From 50,000-80,000 people participate depending on the weather. About half wear costumes. Around 300-5000 run/walk nude or in nude themed costumes.
biktivism
- World Naked Bike RideWorld Naked Bike RideWorld Naked Bike Ride is an international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport , to "deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world."The dress code motto is "Bare as you dare"...
(WNBR). San Francisco participates with about 75 other world cities on the second Saturday in June. Also in 2010 and 2011, San Francisco had a second WNBR to coordinate with the Southern Hemisphere rides in February. - Critical MassCritical MassCritical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...
bike ride with frequently over 1000 riders congregates the last Friday of every month at Justin (Pee Wee) Herman Plaza at 6pm is clothing optional.
costume
- Saint Stupid's Day ParadeSaint Stupid's Day ParadeThe Saint Stupid's Day Parade is an annual parade that takes place in San Francisco on April 1st. The somewhat anarchistic parade was founded by Ed Holmes in the late 1970s. If April 1st falls on a weekday, the parade starts at the foot of Market Street and follows a well established route...
on April 1 is a satirical/absurdist costumed parade through the San Francisco Financial District. The organizers do not consider nude to be a costume, but nude-themed costumes are welcome. For example, one person wore a tie and carried a briefcase. A sign on the case stated, “My Briefs are in the Case.” - HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
Nude or nude themed costumes ok anywhere in San Francisco.
gay pride and fetish
- Gay PrideGay prideLGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
Weekend in June is very clothing optional.- Pink Saturday on the evening before the Parade is a block party on Castro and Market Streets is clothing optional.
- The San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, after the Rose Bowl Parade, is the largest outdoor event in California with about 500, 000 people. Nudists/nude themed costumes are in the Parade contingents like Dykes on Bikes, Mikes on Bikes, ACLU, and Radical Fairies.
- The festivities, entertainment, and dancing near the Civic Center that afternoon are clothing optional.
- Dore Alley aka “Up Your Alley” – late July – a smaller fetish fair with about 20,000 people
- The Folsom Street FairFolsom Street FairThe Folsom Street Fair is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair held on the last Sunday in September and caps San Francisco's "Leather Pride Week"...
– the largest fetish fair in the world, third largest Outdoor event in California, with about 400,000 attendees – takes place each year on the last Sunday in September.
At both events, nudity is absolutely non-sexualized or "vanilla". One should seriously consider accessorizing with leather, whips, latex, military/police uniforms, slave collars and the like.
Legality
In CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the California Supreme Court in the case of in Re Smith (1972) held that “nude is not lewd.” In subsequent court cases that principle has been upheld and extended. For example, “mooning” is not lewd conduct. This is a valid defense to any “public nuisance” or “indecent exposure” charges a prosecutor might consider bringing against a nudist. So, if there is no sexual intent or sexual gratification, the very best that a district attorney could hope for is a hung jury, which would be a waste of their time and public money. This is the law throughout California, but only in San Francisco are there enough nudists now to achieve the right to be regularly nude in public.
Except for the Castro Area, public nudity is still rare in most parts of San Francisco.
Irony of ironies is that there is a rarely enforced anti-nudity civil ordinance in the parks of San Francisco, including the crown jewel, Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
. The parks are run by an unelected Parks and Recreation Commission who draw-up the park codes. If the Park Rangers encounter someone nude in a city park they will inform the nudist that he or she is violating a city ordinance. At that point, the nudist can decide whether to dress or to be issued a citation which would require time and effort to have discharged. No criminal charges are pursuable from the encounter.
Bars and Nightclubs with liquor licenses are regulated by the California Alcohol Beverage Commission (ABC). The ABC can almost arbitrarily pull a liquor license, for example for “keeping an unruly house.”
There is a current police directive not to cite nudists for indecent exposure, a potential sex charge.
In September 2011, nudists gathered to protest a proposed law that would put some restrictions on public nudity in San Francisco. The law would prevent nudity in restaurants and require naked people to sit on a towel or other covering, when sitting on benches or other public seats. Scott Wiener
Scott Wiener
Scott Wiener is an American politician currently serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 8, consisting of The Castro, Diamond Heights, Duboce Triangle, Eureka Valley, Glen Park, and Noe Valley...
, a city supervisor, introduced the law in response to an increase of nudity in public places and restaurants.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us/san-francisco-nudity-restrictions-provoke-the-nakedly-ambitious.html