Nude Activist Organizing 'Valentine's Nude Love Parade' In San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- An activist known for her nude protests in San Francisco says her group has been given a permit to hold a nude parade for Valentine's Day.
In a press release, activist Gypsy Taub said she had gotten the OK from San Francisco Police to hole a "Valentine's Day Nude Love Parade" on Saturday, February 13. It's scheduled to start at noon at Jane Warner Plaza in the city's Castro District and organizers plan to march to City Hall and back.
In February of 2013, San Francisco implemented an ordinance limiting public nudity. However, exceptions are allowed for parades on city streets – but not for smaller marches on sidewalks.
Last September, a federal judge ordered San Francisco to issue a parade permit to Taub's group for another naked march after the city had previously denied their applications, arguing the group was too small to qualify as a parade.
Taub, who has been arrested several times for violating the city law against public nudity, was jailed in 2013 after getting married with another activist in the nude in from of City Hall.
"Instead of bullying, assaulting, citing and arresting the nudists the SFPD will be escorting them and blocking traffic for them just as they did on September 26, (2016) for the Nude In Parade which was the very first permitted nude parade since the nudity ban was implemented in early 2013," said Taub in her statement.
San Francisco Police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said the permit had been issued for the nude parade and that no participants would be cited or arrested as long as they stayed within the confines of the march as stated on the permit.
More information about the Nude Love Parade could be found on Taub's web page, www.mynaketruth.tv (warning: contains nudity).
Carlos E. Castañeda is Senior Editor, News & Social Media for CBS San Francisco and a San Francisco native. You can follow him on Twitter or send him an email.