This year’s Madison edition of the World Naked Bike Ride took place in June. Now it’s the subject of proposed legislation at the Capitol. A 10-year-old participated in this year’s ride, and a photo showing her was apparently posted to Facebook.
State Senator Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) drafted two bills in response. “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,” said Kapenga during a brief public hearing in a state Senate committee on Thursday.
Senator LaTasha Johnson (D-Milwaukee) wanted to make sure the bills wouldn’t apply to concert venues. “For example a Beyoncé concert, the buttocks are exposed sometimes. Would that prohibit parents from taking their kids to a concert?” asked Johnson.
Noting concerts are very profitable, Kapenga, offered a solution. “A strip of cloth from Joanne’s Fabric costs about 37 cents, so if they’ve got to buy 100 strips of cloth to cover their butt crack I’m okay with that,” said Kapenga.
Dane County Board Supervisor Jeff Weigand was dissatisfied with police response after Madison police and the Dane County District Attorney’s Office determined no no violations of state law occurred.
“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,” Weigand said.
One of the measures would criminalize taking a child to an event with people intentionally exposing themselves, or photographing a child at such an event.