Getting Closer to Nature
For the first half of the 20th century, San Francisco didn’t have public nudity laws. In that era, local people weren’t walking around nude much, so it was a non-issue. But then the '60s arrived, and many saw nudity as a form of political, artistic or personal expression.
College students streaked across the nation. In San Francisco, hippie culture was thriving, and Golden Gate Park became a favorite spot for nudists looking to get closer to nature. According to police patrolling the area, there was also a decent amount of public sex.
“It wasn’t uncommon for a gal to come out of the bushes there in the Panhandle without a damn stitch and stand right in front of you with her hands up,” said Thomas J. Cahill, who was chief of police at the time. “I was out in the park and two started going to it on the lawn beside me.”
Of course, sex is sexual, and thus already illegal according to California law. But conservative San Franciscans wanted tougher laws to prevent this kind of behavior, and they eventually got public nudity banned in the parks.
Outside of the parks, nudity wasn’t regulated and considered fair