Boulder DA Wants to Make Streaking Illegal

Any sane person knows that it's sheer stupidity to force streakers to register as sex offenders. Under current Colorado law, anyone caught running nude in public could be forced to register as a sex offender, and Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett wants to make streaking and other "Pumpkin Run-type behavior" a petty offense instead of a class 1 misdemeanor.

Don't let this fool you - streaking is a harmless prank, a bit of devil-may-care fun, and should not be any type of crime.

Judd Golden, chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union's Boulder chapter, said his organization doesn't believe that public nudity -- by itself -- should be against the law at all.

"That is regressive," he said. "It's going back to the Victorian days when body parts were considered immoral."

If a person runs nude through a football game, Golden said, he or she should be charged with disrupting a public event. If a naked person walks into traffic, he or she should be charged with obstruction.

"But our position is that public nudity in and of itself -- absent aggravating circumstances -- should not be a criminal offense," he said.

Boulder Police Kill Naked Pumpkin Run

The threats of arrest for indecent exposure apparently worked because only three people were reported to have participated in Boulder's annual Naked Pumpkin Run, and they were not nude. Officers were reported to have descended on the area when they heard of the three runners.

Some used their costumes to poke fun at the police, including two people wearing jack-o-lanterns on their heads in reference to the Naked Pumpkin Run of recent years and SWAT vests over their shirts.

Michael May and Gerry Callejo carried naked, inflatable men with jack-o-lanterns on their heads and a sign reading "Free the Pumpkins" on their backs. Beckner, watching from nearby, cracked a wry smile.

"The absurdity of how the police reacted needs to be mocked," May said later.

The Weekend Newds 11/21/08

• Did you know that Spencer Tunick did a nude photo shoot in a Brooklyn bar on election night?
• The daughter of an English cricket legend has organized a nude calendar to raise money for breast cancer.

  "We were all nervous about going completely nude. But it's brought us closer and we're so glad we've done it.
  
  We just hope the money raised will help."

• Should the government restrict pornography? Yes and No.
• In Las Vegas, women apparently cannot enter some topless bars unless accompanied by a male. A writer wonders how that can be legal.
• The whole world will be laughing hysterically if the Janet Jackson nipplegate episode is actually heard by the United States Supreme Court.
• Speaking of nipples, American Apparel's new ad campaign features some.
• Six figurines lampooning Disney's seven dwarfs have been banned from a New Zealand gallery because of their sexually graphic positions. Sleazy, Gropey, Horny, Randy, Rumpy, Grabby and Dick?
• The 15 year-old Ohio teen facing a felony for sending a nude photo of herself to classmates unexpectedly revealed that she received similar photos in return, prompting prosecutor Ken Oswalt to open an inquiry into bringing new charges against some boys.

  He said after the hearing the girl might not understand that a depiction of a male juvenile without a shirt does not qualify as child pornography..."This is serious stuff," he said. "I'm not out there telling (students) one thing and then not backing it up."

  With this statement Oswalt proves that this entire fiasco is all about him covering his own ass. What higher office are you running for, Ken? It's not about the children, it's about the prosecutor maintaining his credibility. How can a child who does not even understand the meaning or pornography be charged with a felony?
  
  The good news is that the judge has left it open for the girl to have the case dismissed if she adheres to certain conditions, a way out that the overzealous prosecutor was apparently unwilling to offer.
• Moorehead State University is holding its second annual Nearly Naked Mile charity run.
• A Cambridge student who is under attack for appearing topless in a magazine is getting a lot of support from her peers.

  Natalie Szarek, women's officer at the Cambridge Union debating society, said: "We totally support her choice to do this photo. It's entirely up to her what she does and we would never tell an individual what they can or cannot do with their body."It's inconceivable that any action could be taken against her and we would certainly support her in that case."think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion - she has done nothing illegal."

• A Catholic priest who was arrested for jogging nude around a Colorado high school track has been put on probation and required to register as a sex offender for at least 10 years, even though there was no sexual act associated with his run. The priest will appeal.
• What thoughts are running around inside the head of a nude artists' model?
• An editorial in a Pennsylvania newspaper makes the following statement: "Taking, sending and possessing nude pictures of anyone 18 and younger is a felony". If that is true, then all parents with nude photo of their child on a rug or in the bath must burn the images immediately.
• Students at Northern Michigan University celebrate the first big snowfall of the season by running nude around a courtyard.

  The Brule Run is also just one of many organized streaking events held on college campuses around the United States.At Dartmouth College, students celebrate an annual swim across the Connecticut River by running back to the starting point in the nude. Students at Tufts University in Massachusetts celebrate the end of the fall semester by streaking around the residential quad, and at Hamilton College in New York they actually have a varsity streaking team.

• A man in his sixties stripped naked in a public shower when a small group of children ages 5 to 11 were present.

  ...as a result of complaints by parents, a report of the incident and the relevant CCTV footage were forwarded by Newtownabbey Council to local PSNI officers.Mr. Hollis also raised the matter with Councillor Jackie Mann, who this week called for an end to communal changing areas at the Valley..."This was a nasty incident and I hope the kids who were present weren't too upset by it." Councillor Mann went on to criticise Council officials for not acting sooner in reporting the matter to police.

• Australian naturists presented a petition with 1000 signatures demanding for the government to establish a nude beach.
• A woman stripped down in various New York locations in order to study the reactions of people. Video here.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

Tickets Issued at Boulder's Naked Pumpkin Run

Police issued tickets for indecent exposure at Boulder's 10th Annual Naked Pumpkin Run because the huge crowd threatened to "get out of hand". Hundreds of costumed revelers started chanting “Let them go!” and telling officers to “find real criminals.”

Sorry, but I fail to see how a police crackdown on nude runners is an effective means to quiet a rowdy crowd. In this case it apparently just riled them up even more, and could have resulted in someone being hurt, or worse. Better to set up a police presence and let the runners have their fun. After all, it's not really indecent exposure if nobody is offended, is it? All the tickets that were issued should be challenged.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Daily Newds 10/30/08

• After Gok Wan's Miss Naked Beauty parade, one finalist felt "degraded, confused, and very, very tearful."
• A New Zealand naturist club's open house brought in zero new members. It is also reported that memberships are dropping at all naturist clubs across the country.
• "Naked Las Vegas" is a new book which shows people from all walks of life both with and without clothing. "The book is about comparing. Compare the homeless guy to the CEO," (photographer Gary) Friedler says of two people in the book. "See how they're alike and how they're different. Naked, they're equals. But you put the clothes on and they take on completely different roles. And people respond to that very differently."
• An advice columnist agrees with a 15 year-old boy that his sister's penchant for home nudity is "inappropriate", and that there is no room for discussion on the matter.
• Please stop referring to creepy people like this one as "naturists".
• Are you ready for Boulder's 9th annual Naked Pumpkin Run on Friday?
• A new book by photographer Naomi Harris explores the world of the swinger's lifestyle in America. The article is accompanied by 14 photos which resemble many nudist images but with sexual activity added to the mix. Is nudism simply too tame for people now in our pornography infested world?

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Weekend Newds 10/24/08

• An 8 foot nude statue of Diana the Huntress was covered up in Pueblo, Colorado, for a Joe Biden political rally.
• When it comes to topless women at Australia's Gold Coast Indy auto race, Premier Anna Bligh is being urged to "live and let live'.
• The period of time for submitting concerns over the lifting of nudity restrictions on New Zealand beaches has been extended. "Most of them are saying `no, no, no, no, we don't want our beaches naked' and we're saying `well, no, neither do we, but we can't enforce that'," (Kapiti District Council communications manager) Mr Cronin said.
• A New Zealand artist has put together a gallery show focusing on the male nude.
• A stunning collection of Andre de Dienes vintage nudes are available on eBay Included are many Marilyn Monroe glamor shots.
• A 13 year-old boy is under house arrest for receiving a nude photo of a 15 year-old girl. Authorities say that charges against other students are possible.
• The Plastic Surgeon General warns of a small breasts epidemic.
• Australian councillor Elaine South argues against a naturist beach. “I’ve got grandchildren, and I don’t think I would like them to come across people who were ‘optionally clothed’.”
• Could the nudist communities of Tampa Bay determine the outcome of the Presidential election?
• The word "evil" was spray-painted twice on the billboard in Australia promoting "The Naked and the Nude" art exhibit.
• A sex educator in Vancouver is offering an art gallery tour entitled "That Lady is Naked!" designed to answer questions from children and help parents to speak in plain language about nakedness in art.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

Playing "Doctor"

Boulder investigators are looking into an "incident" involving a 6 year-old boy and an 11 year-old girl who apparently took nude photos of each other with a cell phone.

According to the police report, (police spokeswoman Sarah) Huntley said, the incident happened in June when the children were playing outside one of their homes in Boulder. They took photographs of each other partially or entirely naked on the 11-year-old girl's cell phone, Huntley said.

One of the parents found the pictures, she said.

The YMCA official had a legal obligation to report it to the principal, and the principal was obligated to contact police, Huntley said. Officers have notified the Boulder County Department of Social Services, and detectives will follow up with the agency.

"If it was determined the pictures led to some behavior, we could investigate that," Huntley said.

Detectives? These are children! It's normal for kids to "play doctor". It's healthy curiosity to want to see what real bodies look like. A clinical psychologist agrees:

Playing doctor is a normal behavior in children, especially pre-school children who have not yet received the school-based warnings about personal and body privacy. While children may be touching and looking, it’s more curiosity than anything else. It does tell us that they are at a stage where they are curious about these body parts — so it’s time to talk to them about body privacy.

Yes, talk to them. This is not a crime. Can't they just give kids cell phones that don't have cameras? They will still be curious and experiment but at least there won't be photographic evidence to throw prudish adults into hysteria. Dr. Christine Todd offers some advice to parents who discover their children engaging in sexual behavior:

In an insightful article on this topic, Dr. Maria Sauzier (1984) suggests providers ask themselves five questions about the behavior. First, is it age-appropriate? It is very common for two-year-olds to walk around the house with their hands in their shorts. However, most five-year-olds should know better. Second, how prolonged is the behavior? If a child constantly engages in sexual play and never moves on to other topics, there may be more cause for concern. Third, can the child handle the feelings they are experiencing? Play is characterized by laughter and light-heartedness. Little girls often giggle as they raise their skirts over their heads. If children who engage in sexual play look anxious or guilty, or become extremely aroused, it is probably time to give the matter more attention. Fourth, is there any sign of one child forcing another to engage in sexual play through bribes, name-calling, or physical force? If so, this requires immediate attention. Finally, does the child know more than you feel is normal at this age? It is very unusual for a preschool child to imitate intercourse. This may indicate the child has witnessed or been exposed to adult sexuality.

Better add cell phone photos to the list, too.

Look, the 5 year age difference between the children is somewhat troubling, but it should be up to the parents to work things out. Unless the 11 year-old was abusing or forcing the younger child to pose for the photos, this is just kids being kids, and the police have no business investigating the sexual development of children.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked