San Francisco’s public officials have a simple message to residents and visitors: “Keep your clothes on!” The city, which has previously allowed people to traipse about its streets or lounge in its parks minus shirts, pants and underwear, on Tuesday approved a ban on public nudity.

Scott Wiener, a city supervisor from the Castro district, introduced the ordinance, telling his colleagues, “The nudity situation in the Castro has become extreme.” The Board of Supervisors passed the measure by a 6-5 vote.

The New York Times:

Under the new ordinance, public nudity will be subject to a series of fines. A first-time violation would result in a fine of up to $100. A second citation in the same year would cost up to $200, and a third would result in a fine of up to $500 or a misdemeanor and up to one year in jail.

…The law will not go into effect until after Feb. 1, which will allow enough time for a federal judge to consider a lawsuit brought against the city by a group of nudists who claim that the ordinance infringes on their constitutional right to free speech.

As long as it is not lewd or offensive, public nudity is legal under state law. But on Tuesday, San Francisco joined many other cities that prohibit it, including nearby San Jose and Berkeley.

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— Posted by Tracy Bloom.

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