Burning Man organizers sue over rules

[Danee]

RENO - Organizers of the Burning Man arts festival have filed a federal lawsuit against local officials for imposing an ordinance that could require participants to wear clothing and otherwise tone things down a bit at the event dedicated to radical self-expression.
There is always plenty of nudity at Burning Man, held annually in the Northern Nevada desert. Starting in 2013, the local festival ordinance will enable sheriff's deputies to regulate activities they consider to be "obscene, indecent, vulgar, or lewd."
The ordinance also could prohibit children from attending.
Burning Man organizer Black Rock City LLC filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Nevada on Thursday. The lawsuit alleges that the festival ordinance, which never before has been applied to Burning Man, would bring significant new costs and restrictions to the event.
The rules will change the nature of Burning Man, and it's not within the authority of Pershing County to do that, said Marian Goodell, a Black Rock City board member.
"I'm confident we can get through this and people will see us out in the Black Rock Desert in 2013. Northern Nevada is a perfect home for Burning Man," Goodell told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
The lawsuit names the Pershing County Commission, District Attorney James Shirley and Sheriff Richard Machado as defendants. Pershing County officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Burning Man takes place over Labor Day weekend. This year's event is expected to draw some 60,000 people who will camp out and create a temporary city in the desert. The festival features elaborate art installations, music, a gift-based economy free of advertising and plenty of free-spirited people. Last year's Burning Man drew a record 53,000.
Such crowds make it one of Northern Nevada's main annual attractions. Burning Man draws an estimated $15 million in economic activity to the region.
The festival has taken place in the Black Rock Desert since 1991 and has operated under a federal permit issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Attorneys for Burning Man said the local ordinance conflicts with the BLM permit.


You can see comments and the original piece here: http://www.lvrj.com/news/burning-man-organizers-sue-over-rules-166630826.html?ref=826

[Westernyelp]

The Fun police always get there in the end

[Fitz1980]

Hate to say it but, when an even involving nudity gets enough exposure (pun intended) the government will try to ban it.  AANR ran into that trap several years ago with their Youth Leadership Camps.  They were events designed to bring young people together, since so many nudist events were filled with people old enough to be their grandparents.  Some newspapers did stories about it in a "hey, look at these eccentric people" sense and the next thing you know state lawmakers are trying to pass laws banning anybody under 18 from entering a nudist resort, like it's a strip club or something.

[nudetrail]

The Fun police always get there in the end

 

[Dario Western]

Why can't the wowsers just FOAD? 

[ToneBender]

Yep - That would pretty much kill off burning man.
So much for free expression in Nevada.

[DarkDippy]

Interesting. This year, one of our local airlines listed AfrikaBurn (Africa's version of Burning Man) as #11 in their "Good Things To With Your Kids" guide!

[Cabding]

Once you put any major limits on creativity like that, it begins to shrivel and DIE like a tiger in the zoo.

[Advent]

How about being optimistic - what if an attempt to curb nudity ends up making MORE people want to be naked? Imagine if the majority of people showed up nude!

[TheBestYoucan]

Ug! I've always wanted to go to this... the idea of walking around nude in a huge city in the desert was really the main reason I want to attend! If they got rid of that, well.. I wouldn't go!!

[Cabding]

Well that is a major reason people go. I dont think it would end it forever as you can still be artsy and insane amounts of fun while clothed, but not as much.

[Nudie]

I certainly hope not, I plans on going to that once I have enogh money and am old enough.

[mikeisnude]

Ug! I've always wanted to go to this... the idea of walking around nude in a huge city in the desert was really the main reason I want to attend! If they got rid of that, well.. I wouldn't go!!

Yeah hands down that would be my main reason for going although there has to be some really interesting people that show up for it.  That would be fun as well.