World Naked Bike Ride organizes events all over the world throughout the year. Their slogan/dress code is, “as bare as you dare,” with the idea that each individual decides what they’re comfortable with. According to the website, the purpose of naked bike events is to, “celebrate cycling and the human body. The ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against oil dependency.”
But lawmakers in Wisconsin want to put an end to such events. According to local news channel WISN, Senator Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, said, “If you agree that people shouldn’t be allowed to expose their genitals in public and that minor children shouldn’t be paraded naked through streets and photographed, then I encourage your support on these bills.”
But naked bike rides have become a staple in such places as Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, California, and Seattle, Washington. In fact, dozens of these events happen each year just in the U.S.
And event organizers say that the point isn’t that everyone is fully nude, it’s that everyone celebrates their bodies and brings attention to important issues. “Public nudity is often more acceptable than you’d think, so long as the behavior of the naked people in question isn’t lewd, aggressive or violent. For countries with stricter laws, the ride is ‘as bare as you dare’—full nudity is not mandatory!”
The bills proposed were introduced after Madison, Wisconsin’s law enforcement investigated an incident at this summer’s Naked Bike Ride. According to WISN, they said no current state laws were broken when a minor participated in the ride, or when photos of her were posted online. This upset certain lawmakers.
Jeff Weigand, Dane County board supervisor, testified at a hearing saying, “Sadly, because the city and county law enforcement officers refused to do their job, we are here today, and I appreciate this attempt to be explicitly clear that this type of lewd behavior should not be allowed to take place in Wisconsin.”
But supporters of the events say that nude bodies don’t have to be considered lewd or sexual. Philadelphia held its 14th annual Naked Bike Ride in August, with hundreds participating. As one of the largest U.S. events, they promote cycling as a form of transportation that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels, with a slogan, “Less gas, more a—.”
According to the AP, Wesley Noonan-Sessa, a Philly event facilitator who regularly rides his bike, said, “Having a column of nude cyclists extending blocks behind, blocks through the city, and causing a decent amount of disruption, interrupting dinner hour, helps show how many cyclists the city has—telling drivers they need to share the road.” Noonan-Sessa also said he thinks the naked element actually helps to desexualize nudity.
The two Wisconsin bills will face an executive session and another public hearing before the committee can officially vote on them. The full legislature would also need to vote on them. Regardless of where you sit on naked bike rides, we recommend always using anti-chafing cream!
Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.
