area at the jane warner plaza and let me give you an example to what happens when clients enter my conference room who are looking to purchase homes within the neighborhood. now i'm a proud owner of my neighborhood and celebrate our diversity within our neighborhood. i know my diversity within my neighborhood especially when i leave it. when i leave it i am very proud of my diversity, and i am happy to share that diversity with other individuals who are looking to move into our neighborhood. the challenge with that is when you're there doing the transaction with a new person who wants to move into your neighborhood and they see that outside the conference room window they then look at you and go "do i really want to live here? is this where i want to raise my children? is this where i want to be? and how do you answer that question to that individual? the other

circumstance i've had is when the tourists come into town. i had an italian family came up to me and said "is this normal? is this normal behavior for your city?" and i had to look at them and tell them it is bad behavior that encouraged others to come. i am in full support of what you're doing and i thank you. thank you for your time. >> thank you. next speaker. >> good morning. i am i van and i don't like this ban because it's too broad. if you want to modify it great. one of the great things about san francisco we're host to a lot of events. there are minor events, bars, and clubs and stuff. we need to zero in on what the problem is. i don't think nudity in general

is what we're trying to ban. for a long time people were complaining about people in jock straps and genitals were hitting and i want the city to host these events and international events and small events that are not pride, that are not folsom that would be affected. >> you're with folsom as well. we did address the legislation for that specific concern and those events would not be impacted but thank you. i appreciate the perspective next speaker. >> my name is charles harris. i'm a resident and san refeal

and advocate for body freedom and nature foundation and improving the awareness of these activities throughout north america. in 2009 the association commission had polling firm to conduct a poll of the attitude of californians towards nudity. the margin of error is plus or minus 3%. question number five was "do you agree or disagree that you are personally offended by the non sexual nudity of others". the responses were as follows. strongly agree and somewhat agree and somewhat disagree 17%. strongly disagree 41-point 1% and as you can see many of the

residents are not offended by the non sexual nudity of others. the results of this poll to our knowledge is the only empirical evidence on this towards the attitudes of nudity and which the proponents rely and the majority is offended by public nudity is not correct and if the choice before you and if you recommend this before the board of supervisors and act in accordance with the vast majority of the city's residents or the vocal minority. san francisco is a beacon of tolerance and intolerance is too common. do you want to make this great city like other cities? clearly constituents do not. [inaudible] rejected an ordinance -- [inaudible] >> thank you very much. next

speaker. >> hello. my name is glenda rider and the owner and producer of the international ms. leather weekend. we hold it here in san francisco and half of the attendees live outside of the city of san francisco. i would like to speak to oppose this ban on public nudity. while i may not like to see the gentlemen unclothessed in the castro i think it's a matter of tolerance and as someone who brings half a million dollars of business to the city when we looked for a new hotel when we out grew our current property half of the city hojts me -- hotels this is a family hotel.

i don't want your costumes in san francisco. i moved from the east coast and i thought california and san francisco specifically would be more tolerant. what i found that is not the case and that breaks my heart and i would hate to see the supervisors of this great city, this amazing home to free spirits, codify intolerance and the fact that some people are offended reduced the civil right scptsd liberties that we have here and you need to consider the slippery slope you're creating this ban. >> thank you very much. thank you for your work. next speaker. >> good morning supervisors. i am andrew thompson. born and raised in san francisco. 50 years old. i am probably older than you. >> not by much.

>> okay. well, both my parents came to this country -- well, i will focus on my mother. she came with her family to escape what was happening in italy with mussolini and about the time i was born in 62 about the time that -- about the time that people were fleeing to the suburbs i asked my mother why aren't we leaving? and she said "i want my children to be raised in the city". back then i grew up in westportal. took the streetcar through the tunnel and i was going to school at seven in the morning just as the castro was winding up their evening, and saw all kinds of things that my mother may not have agreed with, but trusted in the fact that we could go

through this city and see what we see. you know 30 years ago right across the street u2 played at the civic and the first thing out of bono's mouth and exactly his age. he was 20 years old. this is san francisco. we can do what we want there. well, he did that seven years later and spray painted the fountain and that was disstrugz of property and they paid for that. that compromised the city. this is not destruction of property. this is a problem with people who do not like to see naked people. okay. >> thank you very much. actually let me call the remaining cards i have before we get to the next speaker.

(calling speaker cards). those are all the cards i have. if you would like to speak you can fill out a card or if you don't want to fill out a card just stand in line and make public comment. next speaker. >> hello. my name is hank. i of living in san francisco for 18 years. i live two blocks from the jane warner plaza. i am opposed to the legislation. i think it goes a little too far. i understand people are uncomfortable with nudity and something they're not willing to accept on a daily basis but just because of that doesn't mean we have to ban it in the entire city. i think it's a problem and 12 guys and a two block stretch and suddenly going with

the draconian measure in the entire city and can't walk around. we have the critical mass rides and for 20 years naked cyclists have been riding with this and this would be a kink in this and i know you have exceptions and the critical mass ride, those things don't fall under there. am i wrong. >> they're technically illegal but the city allows them. if they go after critical mass there are other ways than nudity but we don't. >> critical mass and people can get together and go on a bike road. it is our roads and we pay our taxes but i think this measure goes too far. in the last years there isn't a nudity ban and now we need one because of a district and business

district of four blocks i think goes too far and i am totally opposed to the measure. thank you very much. >> next speaker. >> good morning supervisors. first i wanted to commend supervisor wiener. september 21 i've never been compelled to email or contact a supervisor before in my life, but in september my partner and i moved actually to the castro area. having lived in six other areas in san francisco, having guests come in from family and friends from all over they never had the reaction that we've had and we had to experience, which prompted me to send him an email on september 21. there's a lot of discussion about diversity and freedom and all of that. i think the reality of it is if the nudists were congregating in knob hill or fisherman's wharf,

the other supervisors would have who do something like mr. wiener has. it's a matter of wanting our community back and you don't have to second guess what you're going to confront. just last night a group of us went to 18th and castro and a nude iftd right outside the window and i saw first hand two families coming for dinner that they left not wanting to stand in line having a nudist just stand outside the restaurant, so i truly support this, and i commend you for bringing it up. thank you. >> thank you very much. next speaker. >> hello. i'm matthew johnson. i live and also work and play in the castro. i moved here from oklahoma six years ago and the nudists and this is great and wonderful. however they were

meandering about and now they're there. unfortunately with the addition of park lit it's a show case for exhibitionists behavior. the one day they actually went out there to enjoy my lunch i saw a gentleman came out fully dressed, proceeded to take his clothes off and put on a cock ring and started smoking. what is interesting to me when i went back to work someone said "you know that smoking is illegal in the parklet" and wait this was a man fully dressed and take off his clothes and put on the cock ring and smoking. he's just drawing attention to himself. i of nude. i of to a nude beach. i have been to several places, but i don't think it's acceptable at our streets. thank you. i

support this legislation. >> thank you very much. next speaker. >> hello. my name is pauline chiltion. i lived here all my life and almost 60 years and resident of district eight. my family moved in in the 20's and still there. i am in support of this legislation. i don't feel it's necessary to have nudists in one of our main intersections and i feel they are taking advantage of the castro and the city's well known liberality. having grown -- one of my family's first house was up market street from the castro so i am very familiar with the neighborhood. that intersection is two blocks away from the childrens' library, two blocks away from the eureka valley

recreation center with the lovely play ground for children. it is three blocks away from two elementary schools. it is on the intersection of a streetcar line, a bus line, other means of public transportation that children ride everyday, and i think we're giving a message to the world and to the city that we really don't care to have families or children in the castro, and i feel this is very wrong. i would like the kids to be able to come to the castro theater and do a sing along little mermaid and the sing along sound of music and enjoy the castro just like the rest of us. thank you very much. >> thank you. next speaker. >> hello. i am wi at. and i am opposed to the ban on public

nudity. public nudity in no way harms children. whether or not a business is affected by nudity depends on the effectiveness of advertisement, the quality of their service and the morals of the customers, not the nudists themselves. i have spoken to many about the issue and the objection i hear more than any other "i don't want to see that" and more than a few times "well, if he cant old and fat i wouldn't find seeing him naked". this is clearly an issue of appearances but if i don't like what someone is wearing should they be expected to take their clothes off. just as scott wiener pushes out the lgbt youth because they have no where to stay and this is about rich people who own their homes and don't want to see less than hot naked people and kids in the neighborhood. the superficial desires of the rich shouldn't how the weigh the minorities

wearing clothing and big houses is like that. no nude or homeless person has ever bothered me and if a nude or homeless person cause gz trouble punish them for what they have done. this is attempt to legalize bigging on tree and if they don't want to conform they can wear clothes. we should all have the opportunity to chose what we wear and when and when we wear it. i was born nude and public nudity is a civil right. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker. >> hi. i am tommy. i have lived in the castro for 21 years. i have been a activist for years and 61 years old and i mention that because i remember

a time when there were controversies about gay men and drag queens gathering in public spaces because people were offended by gay men who were drag queens in public spaces, offended and some of the things that are said here it was said about us and i was one those were offended by. they were offended by the sight of me in woman's clothing so pardon me for not feeling sympathetic and i was the object of that when i came out and also in san francisco i remember a time when we tried to set up shelters for homeless youth in the castro and i was involved with that and people at the meetings said the same thing. they were offended by

homeless queer youth. business people said it was driving away business that our youth was homeless and no one was doing anything because they had no where to go. these are the same arguments. this really bothered me and someone that has given 42 years of my life to the community and finally i want to remind everybody that bevin dufty, the former supervisor in my district, had no problem with his daughter hanging out with the naked man and he was quoted as saying that he had a harder time explaining war than nudity. think about that. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker. >> and just to note i have read all the cards. if you haven't been called whether or not you filled out a card and want to speak you can just line up. go

ahead. >> i am john gilmore. i live in the hate ashbury in district five. >> >> i am surprised not to see my own supervisor here. i oppose the ban and i think it's far too broad to actually deal with the problem. if there is a problem with small number of people being nude or exhibitionists in the castro deal with something more targeted, but there is nudity all over the city. i first noticed the issue when our former city district attorney pamma harris refused to prosecute someone arrested at fisherman's wharf for doing nude yoga for peace. she said there is no sexual content, no crime and no indecency and let him go. now you're going to ban that at

the wharf? that is not a permitted event. i cam from the haight ashbury and there was nudity throughout history. you're going to ban that because a couple of guys are running around pantless in the castro. think about this. yeah. we also have a nude beach in san francisco at baker beach. are you going to wipe that off the map too? surely we can do something a little more targeted if there is really a problem. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker. >> i would say good morning and it's going on three hours i waited to speak to you and i resent coming here to challenge my supervisor, scott wiener, on either issue that is disvicive in the community because there are no meetings held and no

ability to have a compromise in district eight. the quick trigger approach is always more legislation. we saw it no cities in the plaza. there is strong legislation written. all of the community advocates and members of the organization has to come down and meet with you and sign petitions just so you compromise in the legislation. this is a lesson for both supervisor here. i am sorry that christina olague is not here because she is bisexual. and i am a gay man and man with aids and i resent it's two straight people here and not from the cast ro. i have been in the castro for 25 years and constantly when legislation comes up we go to the various associations, the same people are here and i like them personally. i disagree with them politically. there are

hundreds of thousands of residents not part of these groups. you are responsible to everybody. have a dam community meeting. we just had the flag on city property and merchants and never half mask or the leather or bear flag up because we can't come to i compromise. we had the bunches taken out of the park because we can't deal with the homeless issue because a few vocal people rally and legislation changes and changes the fabric of our neighborhood. i work there helping the owner. we put things on the roof three years ago. no one complained. the nudists walk by the cafe and best in the area -- [inaudible] >> thank you. thank you. next

speaker. [applause] next speaker. >> [inaudible] taking the time. where to start? first of all this whole situation [inaudible] sensationalized by the media and the unbalanced coverage and especially telling when the most unbalanced coverage of any source and [inaudible] reported by the l.a. times and not by any bay area newspaper or tv station and businesses try to blame the tough times on this but the reality that they say in politics is "it's the economy stupid". this is about legislating against those seen less than the ideal. you just read the comment and [inaudible]

the chronicle, the comments on facebook. if everyone looked like a super model we wouldn't be here today. there are many people with clothes, behaviors that i don't like but i coexist with them or i turn my eyes or turn the other way. when it comes to [inaudible] owner who is against this and sells giant breasts for halloween near the toys. her windows are the most sexualized on castro street and for the fair and this is clearly becoming an issue that nudism is confused with sexualism. it is also i believe proponents of the wild car and not far in the store before you see sexual items back in the store, so let's move beyond the hypocrisy and move beyond the fact that children aren't harm and let's

oppose this proposed ban. it's far too reaching and will change in san francisco and gent triifiy it forever. >> thank you. thank you. next speaker. >> hi. i am ron and an artist in san francisco. i have been here over 20 years and on and off since i was ten, and there has been a lot of speech about people avoiding the castro, but there hasn't been talk about the people that have chosen to live in the castro and drawn to the castro because of the fabric and character of the city which is an element of that is the nudity. the ban also is too broad. there needs to be a different solution to handle the complaints, so when i have a show in the castro that deals specifically with body image and

body shame and human existence there are elements of that show that are going to be limited by a band that is too broad. people including my mother were thrilled when she came to san francisco and saw there were naked people wandering through. i don't think that my mother is that liberal, but every once in a while she sees something like that and it's why she also loves san francisco, so the concerns about it driving people away are being off set by the people that are being drawn to the neighborhood for that character. thank you. >> thank you very much. next speaker. >> yes. my name is lloyd and being a landlord in san francisco is kind of nice to

feel -- i'm in agreement with mr. mecca. i am not a nudist. i lived here for 30 years. i do live in district eight. we have very regressive legislature here proposed by mr. weerner that is more for show than anything else. nude people are not causing a problem. they're only expressing themselves. i have not experienced one act of lewdness there. if that's what you see then it's in your own head. as far as sitting in the seat and spreading your legs, called flaunting. it's actually being comfortable. if you take perspective on the issue, you look at the middle east where women are made to cover up and you look at europe where there are public nude spaces. indeed

in parts of germany there are parts that are set aside for nudists. there is a river there and ride down the rubber tubes and at the end they get on the bus to ride down the river again, so this is part of our puritanical moral heritage that causes nudity to be a problem and it's a problem in the people's own mind. i walk down the street all the time and see something that i don't like to look at but it's part of life. i voted for supervisor wiener. i'm not going to make that mistake