Conference moira::naturism

185.0. "Full frontal nudity seen on Miami Beach (but not for long)" by MOIRA::FAIMAN (light upon the figured leaf) Wed Jul 05 1989 15:42

    reprinted without permission from _The Event_, Issue 30 (Summer 1989)
    (see topic 80 for more information on _The Event_)

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	       Full frontal nudity seen on Miami Beach ...

			     but not for long

                   by Robert A. Boyte, _The Sun Solution_

    It was a bit of philosophy that once struck me (as well as the
    pavement) while dumping my Honda 450 in my youth, and that was "you
    don't know your limits until you exceed them."  And so it was on
    Saturday, March 11, 1989 at 20th Street Beach that members of South
    Florida Free Beaches and the Florida Beach Coalition tested and
    momentarily exceeded the limits now placed on nude sunbathing here.

    It started as a usual beach gathering where we all wore nothing but the
    obligatory G-string, but some of our "tourist" friends ventured to doff
    theirs while lying face down on the beach.  This went unnoticed by
    authorities, as did the few brief (or debriefed) photo opportunities,
    and skinny-dipping in the surf.  There was even a young man near us who
    followed un-suit.  But when one of our group laid on his back fully
    exposed to the sun and public view, it was about a minute and a half
    before a passing Beach Patrol car did a U-turn and came over.

    It wasn't much of a confrontation.  Officer Friendly (not his real
    name) asked us not to ruin his day by making him arrest us.  A young
    man near us quickly put on his clothes and left, but it was unnecessary
    since no one was being busted.

    We had a long talk with Officer Friendly about the difficulties of his
    job enforcing vague laws on public nudity.  He said there is no
    official policy, just the common sense and interpretation of the
    officer on duty as to what is acceptable by prevailing community
    standards.  As far as he was concerned, and he seemed to represent the
    standard police attitude, G-strings covering the genitals were the only
    required attire for either sex and that lying face down totally nude
    was acceptable here at 20th and 21st Street Beach.  But he also
    cautioned that if it spread too fast, and if too many people exposed
    their genitals, law enforcement would put a stop to it.

    So, these are our limits at this time.  Thanks to the influx of
    tourists with European attitudes, women routinely go bare-breasted on
    Miami Beach.  It's hard to think that this was an issue just four years
    ago.  And now nude sunbathing face down is acceptable, at least on
    officer Friendly's shift with no complaints.  But full frontal nudity
    and skinny-dipping are not yet allowed on Miami Beach.  Maybe some day
    when elected officials get bold enough to allow freedom of choice, we
    may have a clothing-optional section of beach where these final
    barriers can be removed.