U.S. city revises clothing bylaw, thongs a pain in the butt

The Yakima City Council in Washington State approved minor changes to the city's indecent exposure ordinance, the changes are a response to growth of sexpresso stands.

The changes to the city's indecent exposure ordinance prohibit see-through apparel and G-strings in public. The changes also include what is known in legal talk as "cleavage of the buttocks." City Mayor Dave Edler was seeking a regulatory crackdown under the city's new Adult Business ordinance and the changes fell short of what the Mayor wanted. Edler is worried about the growing number of coffee stands featuring scantily clad baristas. Three such stands, in less than a year, have opened for business in Yakima, including one downtown Yakima Avenue. A fourth is in Union Gap. The amendment passed by a 5-2 vote but the changes reflected the city's legal staff warning attempting to place coffee stands under the adult business ordinance would lead to a constitutional challenge. The adult business ordinance applies mainly to businesses that sell pornographic videos and sexual devices. The amended indecent exposure ordinance clarifies what kind of clothing is allowed in public. Anyone wearing see-through apparel or a thong or G-string -- regardless of whether they are working at a coffee stand -- could be prosecuted. A violation is a misdemeanor which is subject to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. It is a gross misdemeanor if a person exposes themselves to a child under 14 years old and that is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Not all citizens are pleased with the Mayor's chosen target; some feel he ought to be focusing his political energy on other local issues. The mayor has defended his opposition to such businesses, which he accused of contributing to sex crimes against women. "If you want to create an environment where crime can happen," Edler said, "you turn a blind eye to adult businesses. And that's why this is important to me." Council members Kathy Coffey and Rick Ensey voted against the changes, with Coffey suggesting that amending the indecent exposure code was an empty gesture. Said Coffey to Edler, "This isn't going to achieve what you want to achieve."