Nudists Call For Protest Before Activist George Davis' Trial

SAN FRANCISCO—One of San Francisco's leading body freedom activists, George Davis, once a candidate for the city's Board of Supervisors, is facing three months in jail for making a speech in the nude in Washington, D.C. At about noon on May 1, Davis, a contributing editor to the book Free Your Body, Free Your Mind, and fellow activist Stacey Lunin of New York City, as well as a sketch artist and videographer, went to the Reflecting Pool by the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The plan was for Davis and Lunin to undress, make short body freedom speeches, pose for sketch artist(s) and photographer(s), dress, and leave. Davis sent media releases regarding the event to the Capitol Police, the D.C. District Attorney, and the D.C. Mayor’s office, as well as to international, national, and local news media, and to the D.C. art community. Unfortunately for Davis and Lunin, the period in late April and early May was the time of protests in nearby Baltimore over the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, whose death after injuries suffered during transportation in a police vehicle led to widespread protests. So, with the news media preoccupied with the Baltimore protests, with the exception of the Capitol Police, nobody showed up at the Reflecting Pool. Nevertheless, Davis proceeded to undress and make a "body freedom" speech—and was immediately arrested and charged with "indecent exposure." "This is not just a blatant violation of our First Amendment rights—freedom of speech and freedom of self-expression—it's an outrageous insult to human dignity," wrote activist Gypsy Taub in a press release announcing the protest. "To make things worse, there will be no jury; the decision will be made by a judge... Please come join us for an emergency protest to support George Davis and to send a message to the D.C. police department, the DA and the judge. Since D.C. is the capital of the United States, our protest will also be sending a message to the whole nation." According to Taub, if Davis is found not guilty by the judge, a precedent could thereby be established to allow public nudity for political and artistic expression in Washington, D.C., enabling that city to join progressive world-class cities like New York City, London, Amsterdam, and Berlin where these freedoms are currently recognized. The rest of the USA and the world might well notice of the decision and be influenced by it. "On the other hand, if George Davis is found guilty, critics who consider Washington, D.C. a provincial, backwards, reactionary town may find their opinions justified," Taub added. Public nudity laws are all over the map in the U.S., with many jurisdictions (including New York City) holding that simple nudity is not "lewd conduct," while others consider it a summary offense. However, for the indecent exposure charge against Davis to hold, the D.C. district attorney must prove lewd (that is, sexual) intent—an exceptionally difficult task considering Davis's history of nude activism in cities on both coasts. Davis’s court-appointed attorney reportedly told him that the D.C. Capitol Police had pressured the district attorney to prosecute Davis's case so that the Capitol Police would know the judicial reaction to future "body freedom" actions in D.C.—and considering that the coming 15 months leading up to the 2016 presidential election will see escalating political activism and protests in the District from diverse groups, some of that protest might very well include public nudity. Davis's trial will take place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, 500 Indiana Ave. N.W., in Courtroom 116 before Magistrate Judge Karen Howze, a USC graduate with her J.D. degree from Hastings College of Law, also part of the California university system. She was appointed to her current position in 2002. Taub and other activists have scheduled a protest in support of Davis, which will take place at San Francisco City Hall at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 11. For further information, contact Gypsy Taub here, or call (510) 543-5274. To contact George Davis, email here.  Pictured: George Davis during a nude protest in New York City.