No new age restrictions for WI World Naked Bike Ride after girl participated last year

Per reports a kid participated this year as well. The article below was written before this years event.

May Not Be Safe For Work

There will be no new age restrictions on who can participate in Madison’s incarnation of the World Naked Bike Ride this year after a Dane County Board member and legislative Republicans complained about a nude prepubescent girl who participated in the event last year.

Madison police investigated the girl’s participation in response to a complaint from Sup. Jeff Weigand, of Marshall. A Wisconsin State Journal reporter also saw her at the event and a photo of the girl appeared on the Facebook page of a World Naked Bike Ride participant.

But police determined that statutes prohibiting child pornography and exposing a child to harmful materials did not apply in the case, and efforts in the Legislature to tighten restrictions on children’s exposure to nudity and taking photos of nude children, and to make other related changes, did not get a vote before the last session ended.

Citing the need to protect riders, the WNBR does not publicize its route ahead of the event but lets registered participants know where to meet up at least a day before it occurs.

“Believe it or not, there are people who dislike people riding bikes nude,” Keating said.

As in years past, children will be allowed to participate as long as they attend with a legal guardian, he said. Nudity is not mandatory, with organizers counseling “bare as you dare.” This year’s ride will be the city’s 14th.

WNBR has never gotten a permit for the event from the city. Keating said that’s because the city has told organizers no permit is needed because they aren’t asking for street closures, and to protect the secrecy of the route.

Madison city attorney Mike Haas said “a permit is not required for a group of people to ride bicycles as long as they are obeying laws pertaining to traffic and bicycles.”

He also said nudity is not illegal “in and of itself” and that “historically there has been discussion that the lewd and lascivious behavior statute requires indecent conduct in order to be prosecuted.”

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