Opinion

Time to get dressed, San Francisco ON PUBLIC NUDITY

A nudist who wouldn't give his name sits in the street courtyard at the corner of Castro Street and Market Street on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. A nudist who wouldn't give his name sits in the street courtyard at the corner of Castro Street and Market Street on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Time to get dressed, San Francisco 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

It's your classic only-in-San-Francisco story: the prime public square in the Castro, the city's historically gay neighborhood, has slowly been colonized by naked men - and no one seems willing to take on the issue. Until now.

Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents the district, knows exactly what needs to be done. He's introduced legislation to restrict public nudity to what he calls "appropriate venues" like street fairs, festivals, parades and beaches.

"The situation at Castro and Market has achieved a critical mass where there are naked guys there seven days a week," Wiener said. "It's the only usable public square in the Castro, it's one of the most prominent public intersections in the city, and it's a nudist colony every day. People have had enough."

That's for sure. Complaints about the nudity at Jane Warner Plaza have grown to a fever pitch over the past year as more and more naked men use it as a daily gathering spot. San Franciscans are well known for their tolerant views of unusual behavior, and that extends to occasional public nudity. But it has gotten to the point where no one else feels comfortable using the plaza.

"I've been communicating with people about this since I took office almost two years ago," Wiener said.

Hence, Wiener's legislation to prohibit public nudity in city plazas and parklets, and on streets, sidewalks and public transit. Nudity is already banned in parks and restaurants, and on port property.

By allowing nudity to continue in appropriate venues like parades and street festivals, Wiener has struck a sensible balance between honoring the city's tradition of free expression - and solving a quality-of-life issue for residents and visitors who think there is a time and place for nudity.