Minnesota’s rule in favor of topless woman could blaze a trail for full public nudity

TUPELO, Miss. — Earlier this month, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of a woman being topless in public. Despite the state’s laws prohibiting all instances of exhibiting one’s body for lewd or sexual purposes, the justices outlined their reasoning in that the woman did not fully meet the standard for a criminal violation. They declared that the law does not apply “because categorizing any action specifically ‘lewd’ or ‘sexual’ is subjective.”

AFA Action Senior Legal Fellow Trey Dellinger commented on the court’s ruling, stating their decision to sanction indecent exposure could pave the way for full public nudity and create an unsafe environment for children.

“In this ridiculous decision, the Minnesota Supreme Court has gutted local law enforcement’s ability to maintain decency on public streets,” said Dellinger. “For centuries, civilized societies have had criminal laws prohibiting public nudity, including the exposure of female breasts. No one has a constitutional right to parade naked in public. Anyone with common sense knows that a gas station parking lot is no place for the exposure of naked female breasts. The court tied itself in logical knots to avoid that commonsense conclusion. If not reversed or corrected by the legislature, this decision could pave the way for full public nudity. Minnesota public spaces will be a hostile place for anyone who doesn’t want to be confronted with nudity, especially families with kids. This absurd decision is a disservice to all Minnesotans.”

AFA Action is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical family values in society and government by shaping public policy through education and advocacy. The mission of AFA Action is to inform and mobilize individuals to strengthen the biblical foundations of America by persuading individuals with the truth of the Gospel, challenging the lost to repent, promoting societal values that are consistent with Scripture, restraining evil and exposing the works of darkness, motivating people to take a stand on cultural and moral issues, and encouraging Christians to bear witness to the world the love of Jesus Christ. Find AFA Action Alerts here. 

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To interview an AFA or AFA Action spokesperson, contact [email protected] or Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.