Andrew Kasper
In the days following World Naked Bike Ride, which rode boisterously through the downtown Madison on Saturday, June 19, championing alternative energy and body acceptance, several questions remain unanswered.
For cited participant Lea Zeise, 22, one big question is: Does the Madison Police Department understand the meaning of the word 'genitalia'?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the term as "reproductive organs," which is why Zeise was shocked that after following the instructions of Madison police to cover her "genitalia" during the event, she was later issued a citation, even though only her breasts were uncovered.
"I asked [the ticketing officer] what genitalia was, because I know the meaning of genitalia does not mean breasts or nipples," says Zeise. The officer informed her that all the riders had been warned plenty of times to cover up and she could dispute her disorderly conduct citation in court.
According to Zeise, early on in the event, the entire group of naked riders had been stopped by Madison Police officers and specifically instructed over a megaphone to cover their "genitalia." Zeise begrudgingly, but dutifully, cooperated by covering her bottom half with shorts, and then continued the ride only to be ticketed later.
"I was fully ready to comply, but we never received a direct 'you need to have fully-covered breasts,'" says Zeise, who was one of multiple women issued citations for being topless during the ride. Zeise also has concerns about the forceful manner in which she saw police officers force two naked female riders off of their bikes.
She's not alone in her complaint about the way police officers handled the event. Many of those who received $429 disorderly conduct citations say they intend to contest them in court.
"What is wrong with a few boobs?" wonders Sarah, a co-organizer of the ride who asked that her last name not be used. Sarah also received a disorderly conduct citation for riding topless.
Another ticketed rider, Andy Colton, frames his lingering question like this: "What better way to say 'fuck oil!' than riding bikes naked?"
More than a week after the event, Colton remains steadfast in his beliefs about the ride, despite its painful mementos: a pair of disorderly conduct citations (amounting nearly $900) and a deep sunburn on his back outlining the slogan "no fumes" with an arrow pointing toward his butt, the very butt that had landed him his second citation.
By Colton's account, he was stopped, ticketed for disorderly conduct, and released with a borrowed backpack to cover his genitals and the permission of the officer. He continued to ride his bicycle with one hand holding the backpack over his genitals and the other operating the handlebars only to be stopped again two blocks later by a different officer.
"I covered my genitals up, but my ass was still exposed," Colton says. "They told me to cover up more properly and gave me another citation."
Colton, a 22-year-old Wausau native, was drawn to Madison by its open and accepting culture.
"I never even brought a change of clothes with me [to the ride]," says Colton. "Seeing the nature of Madison and how stuff is more lenient and tolerated here, I didn't think there would be a problem at all."
Madison Police officer Howard Paine was on duty day of the ride, says the MPD supports the rights of individuals to express themselves, but only in an appropriate manner that is not disturbing to other people.
The police knew about the ride from the beginning and periodically had meetings with the organizers. They even saw the riders off from their departure point, telling them they could start naked, but as soon as they received complaints, they would force them to put clothes on.
Madison has no public nudity ordinance, according to MPD spokesman Joel DeSpain. The police instead use disorderly conduct citations based on citizen complaints, to deter public nudity.
"If you are naked in your own backyard it's not against the law," says DeSpain, "but as soon as you step into a public place you run the risk of being charged."
Nicholas, co-organizer of the event who also asked his last name not be used, doesn't think the police ever had a right to ask people to clothe, and is skeptical about a law dictated by citizen complaints.
"There is a First Amendment issue here," says Nicholas. "Our view is, and I'll defend this to the death, that this was a political demonstration and that our nudity was an essential element of the expression of our political views and was therefore protected speech. People can complain all they want."
Nicholas says the ride was a planned political demonstration and part of a larger international organization of naked rides.
With the World Naked Bike Ride operational in over 70 cities worldwide, many police departments in other cities have accepted or at least tolerated the nude riders. The Madison ride, which had roughly 100 participants and 10 citations, occurred a week after the Chicago ride where organizers say over 1,000 riders participated, many fully naked, albeit at night, and no citations were issued.
"The joy that was out there was immense and to cite people for that, to give them tickets and prevent them from bringing that to a community is just sad, when there are so many other real problems that the police could be addressing," says Nicholas.
Organizers have already begun planning next year's World Naked Bike Ride in Madison, where they hope to ride fully nude all the way until the end.
