San Francisco Public Nudity Ban: City Lawmakers to Vote on Public Nudity as “Nude-in” Demonstrations Continue

As San Francisco lawmakers get ready to vote on the city's public nudity law, demonstrators from the "nude-in" activist group are trying to fight a potential ban on the nudity ordinance.

Mitch Hightower, of "Nude-in" told ABC News of the annual "Nude-in" demonstration, "The 'Nude In' is intended to promote a spirit of tolerance, peace and fellowship among the attendees."

The "nude-in" group filed a federal suit last week, requesting the court to delay voting on the city's public nudity law scheduled for Tuesday, November 20.

The lawsuit claims that the proposed ordinance to outlaw public nudity is unconstitutional, since it looks to ban nudity for political advocacy or as an expression of speech, therefore directly conflicting with the Constitution's First Amendment Right to free speech.

In October, San Francisco supervisor Scott Weiner is proposed a bill to ban public nudity in San Francisco.

According to the proposal, the legislation will fine $100 for the first offense, $200 for second if in a year-period. The third offense would be counted as a misdemeanor and receive a $500 fine. Children of the age five and under are exempted from this law.

According to Weiner's statement: "While most people in San Francisco, myself included, have no problem with occasional public nudity, we've seen a shift in public attitude because of the over-the-top situation at Jane Warner Plaza and elsewhere in the Castro...Until recently, public nudity in our city was mostly limited to various street festivals and beaches as well as the occasional naked person wandering the streets. What's happening now is different. Jane Warner Plaza is the only usable public space in the Castro and serves as the neighborhood's town square. Use of this small but important space as a near-daily nudist colony, while fun for the nudists, is anything but for the neighborhood as a whole...We are a tolerant neighborhood and city, but there are limits," as reported by the Huffington Post.

However, many San Francisco residents are not pleased with the proposal, many have taken to a petition the bill. Currently public nudity is legal in San Francisco, with a few exceptions.  If the legislation passed all public nudity, with certain exceptions like for specific festivals, will be prohibited

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