U.S. City May Pass Public Nudity Restrictions

Something could soon be coming between San Francisco's proud nudists and their unusual freedom to bare it all.

Walking around naked is legal in the city under most circumstances, but a city supervisor concerned about public health and sanitation introduced legislation Tuesday that would require the clothing averse to put a cloth or other barrier under their bottoms if they take a seat in public.

Supervisor Scott Wiener's proposal would also require nudists to cover up in restaurants.

"What this does do," Weiner told the San Francisco Chronicle (http://bit.ly/rao7dr), "is require that people show some basic courtesy and decency toward their fellow citizens when they are naked."

Wiener represents the city's Castro District, where a group of men locals refer to as "the naked guys" is known to strut its stuff, and some residents have grown weary of uncensored views.

One of the guys, Eric Anderson, said people offended by public displays of nudity need to examine why they have issues with the human body.

"To force their conservative views on me isn't fair," he told the Chronicle while sitting on a metal chair in a Castro plaza with a book, a sandwich and a sarong separating his backside from the seat.

San Francisco Police Capt. Greg Corrales said his station often fields complaints about the naked guys, but being in the buff isn't illegal in the city unless the person exhibits signs of sexual arousal. In that case, the behavior could be charged as lewd conduct.

If a member of the public makes a citizen's arrest, police also could charge a nudist with being a public nuisance. But such complaints almost never happen, Corrales said.

Under Weiner's proposal, failing to cover a public seat or going into a restaurant naked would carry a $100 fine for the first offense and a $200 fine for a second offense within a year. A third offense would be charged as a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum $1,000 fine and a year's jail time.