A vote was held last night by Topeka's City Council that would have banned nudity in city parks, on city streets and even on private property if viewable from outside the property.

It was a grandstanding, one man crusade by a city council member following the staging of the three one-act plays by the Lake Edun Foundation in September and early October at the Topeka Performing Arts Center.

The attempt failed. To the credit of other council members the proposal did not get a second and thus was never voted on.

Webb Garlinghouse of Lake Edun spoke and called the measure a "solution in search of a problem" - indicating there was no history of simple public nudity on city streets or in city parks - and this was simply an unnecessary bit of legislation.

The story from the Oct 12th, 2005 Wichita Eagle is viewable via:
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/state/12882219.htm

And the gist of the story via excerpts:

Nudity ban fails to win approval
Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. - A proposed ban on public nudity, drafted after a local
nudist colony staged plays promoting a clothing-free lifestyle, failed to
win approval from the Topeka City Council.

The ordinance proposed by council member Brett Blackburn didn't even get a
vote Tuesday night. Blackburn's motion for approval died without a second
from any other council member.

Blackburn said he was responding to concerns from constituents about plays
the Lake Edun Foundation presented last month at the Topeka Performing Arts
Center's Hussey Playhouse.

...

The Lake Edun (nude spelled backwards) Foundation is operated by Webb
Garlinghouse on property he and his wife own southwest of Topeka.
Garlinghouse, one of two people speaking against the ordinance, called it
unnecessary.

"It would seem that the proposed ordinance is a solution in search of a
problem," Garlinghouse said.

Garlinghouse noted that city attorney Brenden Long concluded the ordinance
wouldn't prohibit nudity at the performing arts center, and said Lake Edun
plans more nude plays there next year.

No one but Blackburn spoke in favor of the ban.

More info and background on the Topeka City Council action of Tuesday night, 10-11-05 via an Advisory from the Naturist Action Committe:

http://tinyurl.com/avsaf

I'd recommend you read the entire bulletin but in case you don't here are a couple of key paragraphs:

Excepts from the NAC Advisory of October 13th, 2005:

The Naturist Action Committee worked closely with Webb Garlinghouse of Lake Edun to oppose the ordinance. A crucial element of the strategy was already in place. Garlinghouse and his wife Julie were well known to the community and to members of the Topeka city council as naturists who will stand up for themselves and their rights. The importance of working locally and proactively before the time of a conflict cannot be overemphasized.

...
Additionally, the Naturist Action Committee sent NAC Area Representative David Bitters to Topeka to address the city council directly.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Lake Edun's Webb Garlinghouse and NAC's Dave Bitters both addressed the Topeka City Council on Tuesday evening. Each presented compelling arguments against the proposed ordinance. Specifically, they pointed out that the proposed measure was unnecessary and represented a further erosion of personal freedoms. Neither naturist speaker asked for an exemption for nudist facilities.

Following the remarks of the naturists, Councilman Blackburn made a motion for formal council consideration of the ordinance. To Blackburn's astonishment and horror, the motion died for lack of a second.

NAC is pleased to be able to say that the wicked ordinance is "morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably dead."
__________________

A big "well done" to everyone involved. Anytime unnessary ordinances are kept off the books it's a win for reason and it avoids cluttering up the books with provisions that are simply there on "standby" to intimidate rather than addess real needs.

Dick Williams

Dick,
Nice to see your posts on the site about the ordinance in Topeka, which failed. I do not know how many members of Heartland live in the Topeka area, but according to reports only Webb, his wife Julie and Dave Bitters were present.

If we are so concerned about nudity, why was there not more support in opposition to the ban for Lake Edun Foundation and Webb and Julie?

Ernie