Cross-Dressing: Illegal in Oakland Since 1879
Published on Monday, April 26, 2010
http://oaklandlocal.com/article/cross-dressing-illegal-oakland-1879 (http://oaklandlocal.com/article/cross-dressing-illegal-oakland-1879)
Attention divas, daggers, dykes, sissies and studs: sashay shante, y'all. According to Oakland's Code of Ordinances, your style is illegal.
Immoral Dress Code 9.08.080 has been in place since 1879: "It is unlawful for any person in the city to appear in any public place nude or in the attire of a person of the opposite sex, or in any indecent or lewd attire."
In terms of concentration of same sex couples, Oakland is ranked among the top five major metropolitan areas in the nation. Certainly our city is as socially conscious as it is diverse. Yet shockingly, in 2010, cross-dressing remains an offense "against public peace and decency."
Of course shooting people is also against the law in Oakland, yet it has one of the highest murder rates in the country. So, not to worry, matter of fact, you'll be shot in Oakland long before you're arrested for cross-dressing.
Well there goes my plan to move there!! :P
Oakland is a pretty strange place, some areas, like around the Lake are very nice, up in the hills, very, very nice. Downtown after midnight, not so much, International Avenue area, never. I lived by the lake for years, never had a problem with the people or the police, in fact, Oakland is one of the most diverse cities in the US by almost any measurement. But the bad side of town, is really bad.
Down south of Oakland in good old L.A. they had a whole similar group of laws up until 1976. The problem came up when they accidentally tried to enforce them, and they ended up with one of the longest and most expensive misdemeanor trials in the history of the city, that ended with a hung jury and the judge outright dismissed the case at that point. I was working for the Municipal Court Clerk's office at the time and spent parts of many lunch hours in the audience area of the court room. I actually felt sorry for a few of the prosecution witnesses. They were blushing but could not say what about. None of the vice cops even knew the mechanics or art of a "lewd act" enough to testify they had seen one. It was a hoot!! .
Before that trial, performers at the Drag Shows in town all had to wear "sex appropriate clothing under (their) costumes". This was satisfied by a male swim suit under an evening gown, although most wore burmuda shorts.
Hopefully Oakland will not decide to spend big money just for public entertainment just to enforce their laws. (I have been to dinner in Jack London Square en-femme and survived nicely.)
When I worked as a Chauffeur I dreaded having to go to Oakland for any reason :P