Nudist Claims Catholic Saint Francis Embraced Body Freedom, Plans Naked March To Religious Shrine
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Catholic clergy don their heavy black vestments every day, even covering their head with hoods and habits, but nude activist Gypsy Taub claims a pillar of the Catholic faith embraced nakedness, and is planning a naked march to the National Shrine of Saint Francis to make her point.
"We will be marching naked in solidarity with the holy man who was such a beacon of inspiration to our people that our city was name after him," Taub said.
"Saint Francis was a nudist in the 12th century. It's time that our society catch up with his ideals and his vision."
On June 26th, Taub plans a rally at the National Shrine of Saint Francis, the namesake of the city, for the 238th anniversary of San Francisco's cityhood. The city was actually founded June 29th, 1776.
Taub is engaged in on-going legal disputes with San Francisco over her repeated arrests, the treatment of other nude activists by police, and an overall legal claim of a First Amendment right to nude protests.
Taub said, "The San Francisco nudity ban is a shameful act of outrageous hypocrisy especially in light of our cultural and spiritual history."
A popular story about Saint Francis is that he was in trouble for stealing clothes from his merchant father to sell for the church, and upon being caught and prosecuted, stripped naked before the court, saying "I return not only my money, but also my clothes. I shall go naked to meet my naked Lord."
NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. FRANCIS: Official Website
