The "Naked Guy" - Andrew Martinez
Andrew Martinez rose to fame in the early
90s for his refusal to wear clothes on the campus of Berkeley
Campus of the University of California. He maintained that the
mild climate of California did not give occasion for the wearing
of clothing.
Martinez first appeared nude in 1992, often
jogging naked and attending lectures wearing only sandals and
a backpack. He was arrested for indecent exposure several times
but was not prosecuted. University officials were horrified
and promptly banned nudity on campus. Martinez then began to
use his nudity as a protest against what he saw as social conformity
and authoritarianism.
He wrote about his philosophy in the Oakland
Tribune. "When I walk around nude, I am acting how
I think it is reasonable to act, not how middle-class values
tell me I should act. I am refusing to hide my dissent in normalcy
even though it is very easy to do so."
Other nudists on campus supported his cause,
organising several nude protests and performances. He also gained
notoriety in the wider media and appeared in a pictorial for
Playgirl magazine.
He was eventually expelled from Berkeley and
never finished his studies. Soon after he developed symptoms
of mental illness, a problem which plagued him for the rest
of his life.
Andrew Martinez was arrested for assault in
January 2006 and placed in a maximum security cell at Santa
Clara County jail. He committed suicide on May 18, 2006.
News Articles
Andrew
Martinez, the "naked guy" dies in jail - Berkeley
Daily Planet
R.I.P.
Andrew Martinez -- 'The Naked Guy' Hated the Hype - New
America Media
Berkeley
Icon Took It All Off for His Cause - The Daily Californian
Wikipedia
entry
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