Written By: FODB Team

On May 1, 2026, the King County Superior Court granted Friends of Denny Blaine’s motion to confirm that toplessness is allowed at Denny Blaine Park, including in the area currently designated as the “Clothing Required” Zone. The motion and subsequent ruling now clarify that neither the Court’s prior Preliminary Injunction order nor the City’s abatement plan require parkgoers to cover their torsos, regardless of a person’s sex, gender, gender identity, or expression. As Friends of Denny Blaine stated in their papers: “It would truly be anomalous for toplessness to be legal everywhere in Seattle but Dykiki, the historically recognized site of decades of topless sunbathing and a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community.”

 The ruling came after parkgoers who were topless in the Clothing Required Zone were repeatedly confronted, photographed, and ordered to cover up by private security guards hired by neighboring homeowners, who also sought to have the parkgoers cited by Seattle Police. The guards pointed to the court-ordered abatement plan as justification, despite being told by Seattle Park Rangers and police that toplessness was allowed. The court has now made clear those demands had no legal basis. The City has also confirmed that toplessness is allowed in the Clothing Required area, and Plaintiffs have now stated that they will ensure that private security is made aware of this clarification. Notably, the record submitted to the Court showed that private security was not limited to securing the adjacent residence: Security Services Northwest had been hired to monitor both the property and “the Park,” and communications described the effort as part of “building a case” for the litigation.

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.

To mark this clarification and to celebrate Seattle’s Neighbor Day, Friends of Denny Blaine invites the public to gather at Denny Blaine Park on Saturday, May 2 at 10:00 AM to exercise their right to be topless in all areas of the park, participate in a trash cleanup, meet FDB leadership, learn more about the ongoing fight to protect the Park, and find ways to get involved.