The Blaine City Council has recently passed an ordinance prohibiting public nudity in response to a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that determined a woman’s bare breasts in public do not constitute ‘lewd’ behavior unless associated with sexual conduct.
The new ordinance defines nudity as ‘the showing of the male or female genitals, pubic area, or anus with less than a fully opaque covering’ and ‘the showing of the female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola with less than a fully opaque covering.’ It establishes that appearing in a state of nudity in public spaces, including parks, beaches, sidewalks, streets, public buildings, and other city facilities, is unlawful.
Ward 2 City Council Member Leslie Larson emphasized the importance of this measure, stating, ‘We have a public beach here in Blaine, and it would be nice to make sure that we have this area covered, as it’s a family beach. It’s a community beach. And I wanted to make sure that nudity was not allowed at the beach.’
While there were no reported incidents last summer, the council believes that formalizing this ordinance will help maintain the family-friendly atmosphere of Blaine’s public spaces.