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Do your holiday plans violate the law? As Halloween approaches, with its
festive costume parties, OutFront Minnesota wants to remind you that in
St. Paul, it is illegal to appear in public in clothing of the opposite
sex; it is a misdemeanor!
The actual language of the law, Sec. 280.03. Nudity, indecency and
obscenity, reads:
"No person shall appear in any street or public place in a state
of nudity, nor in a dress not belonging to his or her sex, nor in
any indecent or lewd dress, nor make any indecent exposure of his or her
person, nor commit any obscene or filthy act, nor commit any lewd,
indecent, immoral or insulting conduct, behavior, nor utter any lewd,
indecent, immoral or insulting language." (emphasis added)
What are the chances of anyone going to a Halloween event actually
getting ticketed for "illegal cross-dressing"? Basically, zero. Still,
it is technically, amusingly, illegal, if the person appears in public:
for example, on a sidewalk or in the street, or crossing a parking lot,
and possibly a public venue, like a bar, although it is technically
private property.
While OutFront Minnesota does not generally encourage lawlessness, we
also realize that many, many people will don "illegal" costumes this
Halloween season, either out of ignorance of the law, or out of a desire
to make a political statement to illustrate its absurdity. If you are
already planning to "appear in a street or public place...in dress not
belonging to [your] sex" in St. Paul this Halloween, we would love to
hear from you afterward about your experience! Where were you? What were
you wearing? Tell us your story by e-mailing
!
OutFront Minnesota certainly believes that if this ordinance ever served
any purpose, it has long since ceased to do so. OutFront Minnesota has
surveyed candidates for the St. Paul City
Council as to their willingness to repeal the "dress not belonging to
his or her sex" language, with many positive results. A repeal effort
may emerge in the coming months. Would you like to be kept informed of
any developments? Drop us a note at the address above.
Special Note for Minors: The temptation to mess with the system
by attending a Halloween event in drag may be hard to resist. Please
discuss beforehand with your parent(s) or guardian(s) any plans you may
already be making that could violate this ordinance, and any interest
you may have in being informed if a repeal effort develops!
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