San Francisco Nudists March To Celebrate Gay Marriage Victory
San Francisco nudists will march in the Gay Pride Parade this Sunday as the city celebrates the recent Supreme Court decision upholding marriage equality for all.
San Francisco’s nudists, dubbed body freedom activists, will march in full frontal nudity to celebrate not only the recent gay marriage victory, but also their own recent court victory over the city.
The nation’s gayest city will host its 45th annual Gay Pride Parade this Sunday dubbed, “Equality without Exception.”
The two-day celebration in the downtown San Francisco Civic Center promises to be a huge party as the city celebrates the recent Supreme Court decision affirming Gay Marriage.
The 5-to-4 decision Friday guaranteed same sex couples the right to get married, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote in his decision, according to the New York Times.
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”
No one is more excited than the denizens of San Francisco, and the city’s nudists won’t be left out.
San Francisco nudists renamed themselves body freedom activists because they feel everyone should have the right to do with their own body as they please. That includes wearing clothes, being a sex worker, carrying a baby to term, and being able to marry whomever you want, according to SFBay.ca.
Public nudity was legal in San Francisco until a ban authored by City Supervisor Scott Weiner was passed in November 2011 despite significant public opposition. Prior to the bill’s passage, it was legal to be publicly nude as long as a towel was placed between the nudist and any surface they sat on.
After its enactment in February 2012, public nudity was banned with the exception of political protests and parades.
The body freedom activists sued San Francisco after city police ignored these exceptions and cited group members during parades like Bay to Breakers and the Haight Street Fair along with their own protests.
A Ninth Circuit Court Judge agreed with the nudists and ordered a $20,000 settlement for part of their lawsuit earlier this month. The remainder of their suit involving allegations of stifling free speech remain to be considered by the Ninth Circuit Court.
First Amendment Attorney Lawrence Walters said in a statement that the settlement is a key victory for the group.
“The settlement reached with the defendants provides important funding to continue litigating the important constitutional issues that pervade the ordinance.”
[Photo by Mark Wilson/Sarah Rice/Getty Images]
