Overview

• On August 14, the City Council unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution asking oceanfront retailers to voluntarily remove indecent or vulgar clothing from Atlantic Avenue storefronts.
• The resolution cites a surge in suggestive T-shirts and hot pants that officials say undermine the city’s appeal to families and notes that criminal obscenity charges are difficult to pursue.
• Council members strongly encouraged business owners to publicly back the family-friendly initiative while stopping short of imposing new legal penalties.
• Tourists and long-time residents are split, with some praising the push to maintain a wholesome atmosphere and others defending the garments as harmless beach humor.
• The action revisits a 1992 motion on lewd merchandise and underscores ongoing tensions between community standards, free expression and tourism revenue.