Should public nudity and public sex be legal?

[Governor Scott]

Public nudity, yes.  Public sex, no.  Nudity does not, despite what the media and society have trained our minds to think, automatically translate to sex.  The human body is just the human body, but public sex is very different scenario, especially when children are present.

Social libertarian.

[milhouse24]

I support Breast Feeding in public

[Link]

Discuss

I live in America.  The majority of the people here are overweight or obese.  I see too much of them as it is.  If I lived in Sweden... maybe.

In parts of Africa its not unusual for people of the same sex to swim naked.

[Link]

States Right

Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels like this is a cop-out answer (to most political questions, really).

When it comes to civil rights and civil liberties, "states rights" is indeed a cop-out non-answer. It's basically an argument for states opting out of the bill of rights. Free speech? States rights! Trial by jury? States rights! Execute the innocent? States rights!

"States Rights" is dog whistle politics.  Unfortunately we all here the whistle so you might as well be screaming the n-word in a crowded theater if you use that term.

[King]

Nudity should be legal, exhibitionism should not be.

[True Federalist]

Nudity should be legal, exhibitionism should not be.

yeah, who needs the pressure to do as well in private as what can be seen in public.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

2. Being legal would take all the fun out of public sex.

That is all.

I can't think of a better response than this.

[ModerateCoward]

Nudity should be legal on designated areas(nude beaches, or neighborhoods that adopt that standard).

[nclib]

Female toplessness should definitely be legal. Full nudity should be legal in most areas, except where there's clearly a hazard. I don't think simply most people not liking to see it should trump the right of people to do it. There are plenty of things that are frowned upon that few would want to make illegal.

To add onto what others have said about nudity not inherently being sexual, this is true and even though it is certainly interpreted that way, that's not inherently harmful to society. Also, as far as female toplessness is concerned, it is accepted (and often considered fashionable) for women to expose cleavage (which may be sexually arousing to some), but we rigidly keep the nipple off-limits.

It's very sad that our society is more repulsed by sexuality than violence, racism, smoking, hate, harrassment, and other harmful and hurtful ideas and actions. Keep in mind that societies that are the most oppressive of sexuality tend to have lower status for women, and other human rights violations.

[white trash heroes]

Obviously people wouldn't suddenly all decide to be naked and violently sodomizing people in the streets if there were no laws regarding that.. But I'm a little leery about saying it should be totally allowed if only because of how people tend to react to such things (further puritanical/FOR THE CHILDREN type backlash and all that). Of course I have no problem with toplessness and all that, just ugly people (or people).

[Nichlemn]

Well, I don't think that public sex in children's playgrounds should be legal. Don't get me wrong, I hate empty "for the children!" rhethoric, but that doesn't mean we need to go to the other extreme and completely ignore them.

Since that example reveals I'm not (and you're probably not) totally opposed to "censorship" in principle, it just becomes a question of where to draw the line. I don't think there's any universal answer to this - it depends on the circumstances. The fewer children or prudes likely to see it, the laxer the laws should be. 

I don't think there's any inconsistency in supporting relatively strict public nudity/sexuality laws and very low censorship of media. If a book offends you, you don't have to read it, but it's a lot harder to avoid nude people walking around city streets.

I do think there's some inconsistency in opposing nudity/sexuality while not being as opposed to other potentially repugnant activities in public, though. Very ugly people probably impose more of a cost than nude people, but that can be rationalised by saying that ugly people can't help themselves and we shouldn't punish them for egalitarian reasons. But what about people who have proactively made themselves offensive to look at, for instance with clothing and/or makeup?

[Frodo]

I have no problem with either public nudity, toplessness, or breastfeeding and would certainly advocate on behalf of them.  That said, these are issues we can leave for more prosperous times than now.  I would rather focus my energies on more pressing issues, like reviving the economy...  

[Simfan34]

Breastfeeding is something totally different.

[Simfan34]

Actually this is a fairly timely and urgent question, as the New Impoverishment means that millions more will be living 'in the open' under the stars.. or if they're lucky, or strong fighters for position, under a bridge, and they may not be able to afford many rags (rags will become valuable as the typical Dumpster will be raided dozens of times per night by desperates, fighting tooth and nail for bits of rotten food and stinking, urine soaked castoff garments).

In any case even if they are lucky enough to posess a rag, they will have to fornicate out in the open, or perhaps at best in a bush, as a room with four walls will be an luxury only enjoyed by the privileged few in America.

And we should also note that any punishments for the new poor will be fairly ineffective, as their lives will already be worse than prison.  Even if you kill them for nudity or public fornications, it is a kindness.

Surely by making outdoor sex illegal in such a scenario we will prevent the poors from having sex altogether, and thus their ability to reproduce. Then they will go extinct, and then the only ones allowed to reproduce will be the wealthy, and then everyone will be wealthy, no?

[BugsBunny]

Neither should be legal. Both strongly violate public decency, just like mastrubating in public.

[rwoy]

Some people fail to take proper care of their own hygene.  It is gross enough when someone hasn't showered and you have to sit next to them.  Now imagine someone who hasn't properly cleaned their bottom.

[ShadowOfTheWave]

Public sex...not sure, but public nudity should under no circumstances be illegal. The government has no right to force people to wear clothes.

[Frodo]

Breastfeeding is something totally different.

I happened to mention it since it seems the underlying theme of this thread is 'public decency' as the poster below you has termed it.

[nclib]

I have no problem with either public nudity, toplessness, or breastfeeding and would certainly advocate on behalf of them.  That said, these are issues we can leave for more prosperous times than now.  I would rather focus my energies on more pressing issues, like reviving the economy...  

Agree to an extent, though the sad reality is that the reason we have such strong taboos/laws on nudity is that the right-wing cares and acts so much against anything sex related that they disagree with, while the left lets it be.

Some people fail to take proper care of their own hygene.  It is gross enough when someone hasn't showered and you have to sit next to them.  Now imagine someone who hasn't properly cleaned their bottom.

I suppose exceptions could be made for sanitary reasons without being Victorian. At least that would allow topless women, as well as private property that can be seen from a public place.

[asexual trans victimologist]

It's impossible to get the informed consent of everybody in a public space who has to watch you. So no.

[© Tweed the Younger]

It's impossible to get the informed consent of everybody in a public space who has to watch you. So no.

I don't go around asking the people in the park if they mind watching me play catch with my buddy.

[Username MechaRFK]

Yes to both being legal and I don't give a f**king damn that some whinny ass "please look out for children" says that I'm immoral, it's the freedom to show whatever way you want to dress.

[Link]

Some people fail to take proper care of their own hygiene.  It is gross enough when someone hasn't showered and you have to sit next to them.  Now imagine someone who hasn't properly cleaned their bottom.

This.

If some unhygienic 300 pound hairy sweaty guy is suffering from diarrhea and decides to ride the bus or subway do you really want to use that seat after he is done with it?  People need to use common sense.  It's first and foremost a hygiene consideration.

[asexual trans victimologist]

It's impossible to get the informed consent of everybody in a public space who has to watch you. So no.

I don't go around asking the people in the park if they mind watching me play catch with my buddy.

Can you honestly not see the difference between that and having sex?

[© Tweed the Younger]

It's impossible to get the informed consent of everybody in a public space who has to watch you. So no.

I don't go around asking the people in the park if they mind watching me play catch with my buddy.

Can you honestly not see the difference between that and having sex?

I can't, could you explain it to me?