Already, in anticipation of the ban, a federal lawsuit was filed last week to protect the free speech rights of people who want to practice public nudity.
Frequently occurring public nudity in the city's Castro District, long known as a tolerant haven for gays, had resulted in a spate of complaints from a neighborhood famous for embracing deviant behavior as its mainstream. Neighbors complained that the daily occurrences of public nudity by a particular group of people were verging on the borders of exhibitionism.
On Tuesday, Wiener said, “The Castro and San Francisco in general, is a place of freedom, expression and acceptance. But freedom, expression and acceptance does not mean anything goes under any circumstances … Our public spaces are for everyone and as a result it's appropriate to have some minimal standards of behavior.”
Under the new ordinance, there would be a maximum penalty of $100 for a first offense, but a third violation would be counted as a misdemeanor punishable up to a year in jail and up to a $500 fine.
However, the ordinance also provides for exemptions during street fairs and parades where people celebrate sexual cultures of their own.
