Public nudists in San Francisco will have to cover up in certain situations under legislation given unanimous initial approval today by the Board of Supervisors.
The proposal, introduced by Supervisor Scott Wiener, prohibits public nudity in restaurants and outlaws sitting on benches or other public seating in the city without placing clothing or other material atop the seat first.
“What’s so funny?” Wiener said jokingly when the reading of the legislation at this afternoon’s board meeting was met with laughter by much of the audience in board chambers.
The proposal made international headlines because of its “only in San Francisco” nature, and even led to a prank by Wiener’s colleague, Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, who left a napkin on his seat before a board meeting.
Wiener said today that despite the legislation being the butt of jokes and “the press being obsessed with it,” the public sanitation problems were a “tangible issue” primarily affecting Jane Warner Plaza and elsewhere in the Castro, a neighborhood in his district where public nudists often congregate.
The ordinance was approved by all 11 supervisors and will return to the board for final approval at next week’s meeting.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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