Category: Gripe City

fiftyplusandgay:

Video link: Public Nudity Ban Hearing 11-5-12

While the rest of the nation was focused on the presidential election, San Franciscans were dealing with important, real issues like this one, lol.

Supervisor Scott, umm, WIENER!!!, and two other board committee members are confronted by nude, queer, and anti-corporate activists on one side; concerned moms, business owners, and neighborhood watch groups on the other.

At issue is a proposed public nudity ban. Prompted by complaints that public nudity has gotten out of hand in the Castro, particularly at Jane Warner Plaza. I’m against the ban, but not strongly since you won’t catch me out in public naked.

My favorite moments in this video are when activist Tommi Avicolli Mecca delivers a blistering attack against the “offended” prudes. He finishes by reminding Wiener, who is gay, that his predecessor Supervisor Bevan Dufty, also gay, had no problem with his own daughter seeing naked guys in his district.

And when nude activist and adult entertainer Gypsy Taub rips her dress off in the middle of her testimony. Pandemonium ensues, and she is hustled out by the police.

The video is made available to the public via the San Francisco board of supervisor’s website:

Public Nudity Ban Hearing 11-5-12

fiftyplusandgay:

Rusty Mills, one of the controversial naked guys in the Castro.

This pic was taken around 1am after one of my photo assignments, “Bootie Call” at the Q Bar, I think. About six months before the current cock ring controversy. He was very cordial and was happy to let me snap a few pics. After chit chatting a while, I caught myself rubbing his shoulders and trying to get all touchy and feely. Ok I was a bit tipzy, but I hope I look as good when I’m 67!

All this talk of nudity bans, cock rings, erections, and crossing sexual boundaries in public seems rather tame compared to how it was when I first landed in San Francisco.

Back in 1979, it was common to see men having public sex in broad daylight on doorsteps, in service entries, and  in alleyways. The entire Castro was a cruising ground, with the sidewalks near 18th and Castro being the central meat market, especially as last call approached.

The parks were sex playgrounds, especially Buena Vista, where I once came across a group of men having a fisting pic-nic.  Yes, there they were, pounding away on their blanket, can of Crisco setting there along with the sex toys, wine and cheese.

Why, I recall one particularly notorious establishment where the boys would shake their naked asses from the upper balcony for all passersby to see, Donna Summer music blaring. This at 7am on Sunday mornings! The booze was “officially” cut off at last call, but the partying, sex and drugs kept rocking and rolling from Friday afternoon to Monday morning.

Back then everyone looked like a 70’s porn star, with a mustache and a cute Dorothy Hamill haircut. Perhaps these are some of the same guys, but haven’t grown up yet?

(continued next post…)

fiftyplusandgay:

People are losing their heads over the proposed nudity ban in San Francisco, there’s a public hearing on Monday, Nov. 5.  Here’s a link to a facebook page with lots of threads and comments about the issue:

https://www.facebook.com/events/106489039510861/113623132130785/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_mall_activity