He said that if the chamber prohibited Moss from participating in the parade, it would be "an interesting commentary on our society that we're willing to tolerate dead bodies through our aggressive foreign policy from the war, but not healthy, naked bodies."
Link: http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0617/stories/0617_parade_naked.php
June 17, 2008
Naked OK, but not on Fourth
By Michele Mihalovich
Ashland Daily Tidings
Jen Moss, also known as The Naked Lady, has announced in a notice on Craigslist that she plans to lead a group of in-line skaters in the Ashland Fourth of July Parade "wearing only a hemp G-string and blowing a conch shell."
"We'll have hoopers and all kinds of positive peaceful messages and a lot of flesh," Moss, an Ashland resident, said in the online posting.
But the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, which oversees the parade, is not so sure there's anything positive about nudity in a public event that annually draws thousands to downtown.
"We don't feel that someone in the parade who is topless or nearly naked is appropriate for a family audience," said chamber parade chairman James Kidd.
Moss' notoriety began when she pedaled into Ashland in May after checking on the city's nudity laws. She moved from Ojai, Calif., where she said she grew tired of police harassment when she rode her bike with nothing but a hemp G-string and pasties, Moss told The Associated Press.
Ashland Ordinance 10.44.012 requires only that people cover their genitalia when in a city park or in the downtown commercial district, making female nipple coverage unnecessary — everywhere.
Moss, 32, said in May that she celebrated the lack of Ashland nudity laws by stripping off her clothes and doing a handstand in front of the police station.
She has since been seen frequently riding her bike topless through town.
The Ashland chamber learned that Moss' plan for her parade entry differed from her application when chamber members read the Craigslist notice.
Kidd said a letter was sent to Moss on Monday and wouldn't speak specifically about the chamber's position until he was certain that she had received the letter.
Kidd did say that parade rules clearly indicate that entries must be appropriate for a family audience. He also said he understood that the Ashland city ordinance allows women to be topless.
"She's welcome on any other day of the year to do that," he said. "But not on the Fourth of July while in the parade."
Moss said in an e-mail that she did not tell parade officials what she'd be wearing because "it's legal and none of their business."
Moss, who is out of town until Monday, said she hasn't been notified yet as to whether parade officials were going to stop her from participating, but said in the e-mail that if they tried, she would "run around near naked protesting their unconstitutional(ism) and un-Americanism."
Moss wrote, "I shall contact the ACLU and I will sue the (Chamber of) Commerce for discrimination and violating my constitutional rights if they commit such crimes."
City Councilor Eric Navickas said Moss' plan for the parade is a "valid form of freedom of speech."
He said that if the chamber prohibited Moss from participating in the parade, it would be "an interesting commentary on our society that we're willing to tolerate dead bodies through our aggressive foreign policy from the war, but not healthy, naked bodies."
City Administrator Martha Bennett said the city issues permits for the parade and military jets' flyover of the parade route, but has no say in the chamber's policies.
Reach reporter Michele Mihalovich at 492-3456 ext. 226 or mmihalovich@dailytidings.com
