Is Your Festival Wardrobe ‘Indecent’ According to Louisiana Law?

(KMDL-FM) It's not happening so much in Louisiana right now as it might be happening in places like Orange Beach, Destin, Panama City, Navarre, and Fort Walton. Those are beach destinations, and it's spring break. So you can bet if you walk those beaches, you will have ample opportunities to "more" of strangers in a way you never thought possible.

READ MORE: Louisiana's Unique View on Nudity in Your Own Backyard

Such is the world of today's modern swimwear and warm-weather fashion. But the scantily clad fashion scene isn't just for the beach anymore. Chances are, if you attend a festival this spring or during the early summer months, you will see some fashion ideas that also allow little for the imagination.

Get our free mobile app

In Louisiana, What's the Line Between Socially Acceptable and Obscene?

What a great question, where is the line between your individual freedoms and fashion choices and the so-called public decency? Apparently, when it comes to the buttocks, that fine line could be described as a "crack". I think you know where I am going with this. But there is so much more than what the eye can see.

We have all experienced the "joy" of noticing the cleft of the butt cheeks while someone is doing plumbing, yard work, or bending over. It happens. And in those cases, the display of the buttocks is unintentional. Believe it or not, "intention" has a lot more to do with how Louisiana law is enforced than you might imagine.

Accidental or Intentional In the Eyes of Louisiana Law it Matters... a Lot

Now, if someone attends a festival and their choice of wardrobe includes a skirt that doesn't cover much and underwear that can be described as floss, it could be suggested that the "intent" was to cause "arousal." That's where Louisiana law gets involved.

READ MORE: Louisiana Woman Ticketed for Wearing Shorts and a Crop Top

According to RS 14:106, the law prohibits the intentional exposure of the genitals, pubic hair, anus, or a majority of the buttocks in a public place with the intent to arouse sexual desire or if it is patently offensive.

It's the "offensive" aspect of Louisiana law that so many people have an issue with. Believe it or not, there are legions of people who don't care to view other people's backsides in a public or private forum; they find that offensive.

READ MORE: Naked Gardening? Louisiana Has 5 Cities on the "Best of" List

But what's offensive to you might not be offensive to me. Where does the line get drawn? It sure seems to be very close to what we called our "private parts" as kids. You can't show orifices, openings, pubic hair, or sexual organs, but evidently, you can get pretty close.

What About Other Displays That People Consider to Be Offensive?

Sorry, the indecency laws only apply to hair "down there." We can't say anything about underarm hair or prepubescent mustaches; folks will just have to figure those out on their own.