Public nudists will have to look for cover in San Francisco under legislation being considered by the Board of Supervisors at its meeting on Tuesday.
The proposal, introduced by Supervisor Scott Wiener in September, would outlaw public nudity in restaurants and would prohibit sitting on benches or other public seating without placing clothing or other material atop the seat first.
Wiener said he decided to propose the ordinance after receiving numerous constituent complaints and seeing some of the unsanitary behavior himself in Jane Warner Plaza and elsewhere in the Castro, which is part of Wiener’s district.
He emphasized when introducing the legislation that its intent is not to ban public nudity, but simply to maintain public health standards.
Although the proposal garnered headlines around the world, no opponents came to speak out against the ordinance when it was considered by a board committee earlier this month.
If public nudity advocates do come to Tuesday’s meeting, they will have to be clothed, City Hall building manager Rob Reiter said.
“The building policy is you must have attire,” Reiter said.
“It’s been that way for years before this controversy arose,” he said. “Shirt, shoes and pants, it’s always been posted on entrances to the building, and we will of course be enforcing that, like we would on any other day of the week.”
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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