Social nudity in Seattle

Social nudity is relatively common and accepted in Seattle when compared to other American cities, although perhaps similarly treated as in other large communities of the West Coast region, such as Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Portland, Oregon. There are a number of routinely held non-sexualized clothing-optional and topfree events. In synergy with the local enthusiasm for bicycling, the city is particularly known for its naked cyclists.

The Solstice Cyclists in 2005.

However, Seattle's famously cool, overcast and drizzly weather tends to somewhat dampen the prevalence of outdoor nudity. The Seattle area is the most cloudy region of the United States, and has many more "rain days" than other major American cities.[1] Acknowledging the weather, one of the local naturist events groups is known as "Sun Lovers Under Gray Skies" (SLUGS).

A leading local figure among naturists is Mark Storey, a consulting editor for Nude & Natural, the magazine of The Naturist Society, and a founding member of the local group known as the Body Freedom Collaborative.

Parks

While Seattle is known for its naked cyclists, the history of clothing-optional activity in Seattle includes nude and topfree use of areas of Magnuson Park, Washington Park Arboretum, Discovery Park, and Denny-Blaine Park.

Events & groups

Body Freedom Collaborative is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the integration and acceptance of non-sexual social nudity in a variety of public and private settings, and was formed in the early 2000s by Mark Storey and Daniel Johnson. The Solstice Cyclists are one of the primary groups to popularize festive and artistic nudity and have been an influence on such groups as World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR), World Naked Gardening Day, WNBR Seattle Night Rides, WNBR West Seattle, and Seafair Cyclists. Social nudity groups in Seattle include the Lake Bronson Family Nudist Club, Lake Associates Recreation Club (LARC), Fraternity Snoqualmie (now Tiger Mountain Family Nudist Park) on the side of Tiger Mountain near Issaquah, and Sun Lovers Under Gray Skies (SLUGS).[2]

Legality

RCW 9A.88.010 on Indecent Exposure states "(1) A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm. The act of breastfeeding or expressing breast milk is not indecent exposure." The severity goes up substantially when an offense is made against young children.

In 2005 the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported the following: "Parks spokeswoman Dewey Potter said the parks department does not consider simply being naked illegal, and she doesn't remember any complaints during the 13 years she's worked for the city about nudity in the parks – though a man threatened to complain if people went nude at a rally Storey organized two years ago." Mark Storey contended that police have interpreted indecent exposure laws to mean that being nude in public is illegal.[3]

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See also

References
  1. "What Is The Olympic Rain Shadow?". KOMOTV.com. 2006-10-04. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
  2. "Sun Lovers Under Gray Skies". SLUGS official website. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  3. Muraka, Kery (July 4, 2006). "Nudists share the naked truth". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Further reading
  • Seattle Post-Intelligencer City weighs stripping nudists of bike ride By KERY MURAKAMI, P-I REPORTER. Thursday, November 13, 2008. Breaks the story of Seattle Parks & Recreation public nudity rule proposal, its relationship to WNBR Seattle. Quotes by Dewey Potter (Parks), Mark Storey (NAC), Daniel Johnson (WNBR). (Editor's Note: This story has been altered. Earlier versions, based on incorrect information from the Seattle Parks and Recreation department, inaccurately described what happened to 23 nude bicyclists during a ride in July.)
  • West Seattle Blog Two wheels, no clothes: Bicycling protesters in West Seattle Posted September 6, 2008
  • Nude & Natural (N) magazine covered Benham Gallery and Seattle Art Museum visit in issue 28.2, Winter 2008. "Naked Cyclists' Artful Idyll" by Marie Gunn. Pages 61–62. Discussion of Daniel's idea to collaborate with Marita Holdaway of Benham Gallery in Seattle.
  • Nude & Natural (N), Seattle's Solstice Spectacular/Body Positive Creativity Abounds... at the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade by John Cornicello & Daniel Johnson. Also Guerilla Nudity/Wave Makers: Introducing the Body Freedom Collaborative by Mark Storey. Issue 23.1, Autumn 2003.
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