Nudism Laws - Better Read Up Before Getting Naked !
Public Nudity Laws - The laws regarding public nudity vary from place to place. In most states it is not considered obscene to be nude unless your intent is to cause arousal or an intent to alarm others. When in doubt it is best to check with the local statues or authorities. Of course nudity is allowed on your own private property, other private businesses such as nudist resorts, some bathhouses, private clubs, and some beaches.
The general idea is that the human body in itself is not indecent. Good common sense prevails in regards to your surroundings and those around you. If you are on 96% of the beaches in California, it is quite acceptable to be topless or nude. There are a few exceptions to this depending on the city or municipality.
There is a large movement going on around the country by people who support rights for women who want to be as free as men when it comes to being topless. This movement has had great successes including a court challenge won in New York in support of topless freedom and equality.
In the U.S. it is acceptable to be topless in California, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Ohio, and Texas. These states have tried and true court cases supporting equal rights to be topless in public. There are also a number of cities within the U.S. where you wont be challenged by going topless in public as long as you are acting like everyone else and not acting out. These cities include Boulder, Eugene, Portland, Key West, New Orleans, Washington DC, and Columbus.
Public nudity is also acceptable in most places in the context of photography or art showings. People such as Spencer Tunic, a photographer who takes pictures of up to 18,000 nudes at a time for the sake of art do so in many cities and places around the country. The key to this is not acting indecent or showing signs of arousal or inciting others to be aroused. One thing to remember is that simple toplessness or public nudity is generally not charged as indecent exposure even in locals where a person is cited for public nudity.
