Beyond the ‘Clothing Required’ Zone, Friends of Denny Blaine asks court to confirm right to go topless

The Friends of Denny Blaine group is fighting for the right to go topless this summer.

The group says it has filed a motion asking the court “to confirm that toplessness is allowed at the historically recognized LGBTQ+ nude beach.

“Recent events at the park have made that confirmation necessary, with parkgoers reporting being confronted, intimidated, and told to cover up their bare torsos by private security guards—hired by neighboring homeowners—who have invoked the court-ordered abatement plan as justification for their directives,” the group said in its update.

Friends of Denny Blaine says its motion asks the court to make a determination “that tops are not required in the “Clothing Required” Zone implemented by the Parks Department last year as a compromise with park neighbors seeking to close the beach down.

The motion is scheduled to be heard on May 1st.

CHS reported in January as the Friends group filed to become “an intervening party” represented pro bono by law firm Perkins Coie in the lawsuit brought against the city over the longtime queer and nude hangout.

The ongoing court battle saw its latest tussle as a King County Superior Court judge ruled in October that city efforts to improve conditions around Denny Blaine Park including new fences and signs added last summer are adequate to keep the space open to the public while a lawsuit from neighbors over the nude beach moves toward trial.

Late last summer, the Seattle Parks Department responded to a court order by adding a restricted “nude zone” to the park on the shores of Lake Washington east of Capitol Hill. The city said the zone was hoped to address complaints of illegal sexual activity.

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