I live in Colorado Springs which is, as most people probably know, a pretty conservative town. I’ve worn thongs at two of the beaches in town with no legal issues for the last 3 years. I once spoke to a police officer at Prospect Lake about the legality of thongs. He didn’t have a problem with them as long as the genitals are covered, but he did recommend staying far away from kids. Technically you could still be charged with public indecency. The defense for that is not having intent to arouse or offend. Unfortunately, I learned from talking to a police officer from Manitou Springs that aside from the intent issues you could still be charged with something like creating a public disturbance. It seems like here it’s a matter of context and how people and police feel at the moment. I wish I lived somewhere where there is no problem at all in wearing thongs. If only there were organized groups of people thonging here. There’s safety and some legitimacy in numbers. I would love to hear from others in a similar situation and see how they navigate legal issues.
My rule of thumb is, if there are no women already wearing thongs, I don’t either. It’s hard for someone to complain about a guy wearing a thong if there are already women wearing them.
If I’m solo I also set myself up away from families, but if a family sets up near me I don’t move.
I live in Colorado Springs as well. The local pools do allow them and I’ve also worn them to Prospect Lake. Maybe we can go thonging together sometime?
That’s my rule of thumb everywhere. I live in New England.
@Joseph, maybe we can hit up Prospect Lake together. I’m wondering what other beach you are talking about.
That would be fun. The other place I was talking was Quail Lake. It doesn’t have a swim beach or allow swimming, but I have paddled around the lake in my little inflatable boat wearing a thong.
Also, what local pools allow thongs?
In my experience, most pools only say “appropriate swimwear required” and rarely define what “appropriate” means. If you ask a person at the front desk, you won’t get a definitive answer because they aren’t “the management”. You should follow “Cambridge Guy’s (my) rule”: if no women are in thongs, don’t you wear one. If there are women in thongs, you might consider taking your chances – but read the room. You don’t want to cause a scene, that will just set all of us back.
For example, I was just in a hotel on business that had a pool. Women in thongs all week: just three out of quite a few women in total. Children at the pool area: quite a few. Did I think wearing a thong was a good choice under those circumstances? Nope. So I didn’t. More women in thongs and fewer children would have caused me to make a different choice.
The YMCA allows them.