Vermont town debates anti-nudity ordinance

BRATTLEBORO, Vt., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Officials in a Vermont town are trying to decide whether a group of naked bicycle racers makes it worth outlawing public nudity.

After all, Brattleboro is a place where the school superintendent posed naked for a "Men of Brattleboro" calendar and feminists held a topless "Breast Fest" on Main Street in the 1990s.

But some residents are demanding action from the Selectboard -- the local government body known in less progressive New England towns as the Selectmen, the Montpellier (Vt.) Argus reports.

Selectboard Vice Chairman Richard DeGray said local opinion appears to be split, with many residents urging the board to address more pressing matters.

"The nudity isn't the issue as much as it is a lack of respect for other people," DeGray said. "Just because you can do it legally in Vermont, doesn't mean you should."

Even without a law, the approaching winter will put a chill on naked bike racing and hula hoop contests in Brattleboro's downtown.