Judge confirms topfreedom is legal at Denny Blaine
The May 1 ruling grants FoDB's motion and allows the city to update park signage
SEATTLE — Judge Samuel Chung signed an order Friday confirming that topfreedom is permitted throughout Denny Blaine Park—including in the upper lawn area designated “clothing required” under the court-ordered abatement plan. The ruling grants the motion Friends of Denny Blaine filed on April 20, which Planet Nude reported on earlier this week.
The court also authorized the city to update park signage to reflect the clarification—a key part of what FoDB had asked for, arguing that the current “clothing required” language had been exploited by private security guards to harass topfree parkgoers.
In a statement following the ruling, FoDB said: “The point is straightforward. Denny Blaine Park is not private property. It is a public beach, a historic queer gathering space, and a place where no one should have to wonder whether a neighbor’s security guard will decide their body is a problem. With today’s ruling, parkgoers can again enjoy the toplessness that has defined this beach for decades, free from intimidation by private security.”1
Denny Blaine Park for All, the neighbor group behind the underlying lawsuit, said the ruling has no bearing on the larger case. “It has no impact on the trial, its outcome, or current conditions at the park,” the group said in a statement. “It deals with a random issue tied to the city’s temporary plan before the trial. In short, it’s not relevant.”
The question of whether the park can remain open as a clothing-optional space at all—and what conditions may govern it—remains unresolved. The trial continues. 🪐
More reading:
Friends of Denny Blaine post-ruling statement and Denny Blaine Park for All statement via KING5, May 2, 2026. https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/topless-denny-blaine-park-clothing-rules/281-11da417d-2c5f-4319-b680-0150f974d066