There's a fight raging in San Francisco over the right to be naked, and nude protesters recently stormed John Boehner's office.
In light of these developments, it's time to ask why walking around in your birthday suit is such a problem.
Apparently, nudity is so bad because it's so hard to ignore, Slate's Brian Palmer reported Wednesday.
Citing Joel Feinerg's "offense principle," Palmer reports nudity is illegal because it not only has a "unique ability to demand our attention" but produces "an unpleasant mental state such as shame, disgust, or anxiety in observers."
Plus, Palmer points out, the allure of nudity can spread past just the single naked person and encourage prostitution, former Supreme Court Justice David Souter wrote in the 1991 decision in the case of Concur v. Glen Theatre, Inc.
So basically, according to Slate's explainer, nudity is illegal because it makes us uncomfortable and ashamed of ourselves when we can't look away.
DON'T MISS: San Francisco's Nudist Ban Won't Stop People From Getting Naked >
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