# Is it illegal to have a clothed erection in public? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887 "2020-07-21T00:59:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/21 "2020-07-21T13:42:50Z")
So you were creepily ogling the genitals of a 14 year old boy. I’m not sure you’re in a position to be judging what should be considered unacceptable lewd in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/22 "2020-07-21T13:49:01Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Loitering with a tent. “No camping allowed” ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/23 "2020-07-21T14:29:08Z")
True for Derek Smalls as well. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dAargSCXQaQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Spinal Tap - Derek Smalls Airport Security") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAargSCXQaQ) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/24 "2020-07-21T14:36:28Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > So you were creepily ogling the genitals of a 14 year old boy. I’m not sure you’re in a position to be judging what should be considered unacceptable lewd in this situation. Well, that’s just a risible characterization. This was not like I was furtively trying to look up a woman’s skirt on the subway. I was sitting by the pool minding my own business when this kid sits out in the open making no effort whatsoever to obscure an obvious show of what for most would be at least a little embarrassing, and in fact seemed to be putting it on display. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/25 "2020-07-22T04:40:03Z")
“Do you have any artificial limbs, or plates?” May be NSFW&C. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dAargSCXQaQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Spinal Tap - Derek Smalls Airport Security") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAargSCXQaQ) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/26 "2020-07-22T04:44:11Z")
Straight girls like me, even if they’re still warming the bench in the baseball game of love, definitely notice things like that at this age. I remember a HS classmate having, ahem, that happen on the diving board, and my friend and I had a good laugh about it. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/27 "2020-07-22T05:04:36Z")
I am not a lawyer, but I can’t see how this could possibly be illegal. Such an erection is 1) involuntary **and** 2) already clothed. What more is such a man supposed to do in such a situation? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/28 "2020-07-22T05:33:45Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > What more is such a man supposed to do in such a situation? Tie his shoelaces very slowly. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/29 "2020-07-22T15:08:15Z")
If it was, I would have been in juvie constantly as a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/30 "2020-07-22T15:18:39Z")
Imagine if it were illegal. Someone would have to be walking around scrutinizing the crotches of teenage boys and adult men. “Is that a snake in your pocket or am I going to have to arrest you (and pat you down, which probably isn’t helping)?” ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/31 "2020-07-22T16:58:21Z")
I do seem to remember one of the answers on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me was that some town had made it illegal to have an erection in public, but I’m not having any luck finding a transcript in their archives as NPR’s search function seems to only let you narrow your search to their serious news shows. That said, I wouldn’t put too much stock in something heard on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, seeing as how they’re a comedy quiz show and not a real news show. I have heard some things on there that seemed questionable before, for example they once used the old urban legend about the gas thief who mistakenly siphoned an RV’s sewage tank as it it were a real news story. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/32 "2020-07-22T17:04:35Z")
And then there’s Inis Beag (underlining mine). > [@](#): > > Children were separated by gender in almost all activities. Islanders tended to bathe only the hands, face, and feet and developed an “obsessive fear” of nudity early in life. In some households, “dogs [were] whipped for licking their genitals and soon [learned] to indulge in this behavior outside when unobserved.”[[7]] ([Inis Beag - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inis_Beag#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMessenger1983108-110-7))[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inis_Beag#cite_note-margolis-8) The repressive atmosphere, according to the researchers, led to high levels of [masturbation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masturbation), [drinking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism), and alcohol-fueled fights.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inis_Beag#cite_note-margolis-8) And, of course, repression of sexuality also manifested in intercourse. Elders of the island boasted that there was no premarital sex, although some young men did admit to it in rumor. When couples did have sex with each other, as reported to Messenger, the husband always initiated and the wife was commonly passive. Couples left their underclothes only partially removed and used only the [male superior position](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missionary_position), and when the man orgasmed, he fell asleep almost immediately.[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inis_Beag#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMessenger1983108-110-7) > **[Inis Beag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inis_Beag)** > > .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}53°23′56″N 9°53′49″W / 53.399°N 9.897°W / 53.399; -9.897 > Inis Beag (Irish, 'Little Island') is a pseudonymous Irish island in the 1960s, as described by American cultural anthropologist John Cowan Messen... 😲 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/33 "2020-07-22T18:33:36Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > > [@Velocity](#): > > > > What more is such a man supposed to do in such a situation? > > Tie his shoelaces very slowly. In junior high school I sometimes left class holding my books in front of me when I stood up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/34 "2020-07-22T19:06:27Z")
And you fooled no one. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/35 "2020-07-22T19:18:42Z")
I’m sure the essential question, “If you get an erection in public under your clothes, can you be detained, fined, arrested, or otherwise penalized because there is a statute prohibiting this?” The answer has got to be “No,” because erections are not entirely under a man’s control, anymore than erect nipples are under a woman’s. However, every jurisdiction has decency laws, and I’m sure that in some places, failing to conceal an erection, or doing something that somehow displays it in spite of the fact that it is clothed, is probably illegal. There are probably also places where doing something to deliberately achieve an erection in public is illegal, even in everything you do is in some way covered. So if you choose to wear very tight pants, and are in any in danger of experiencing an erection, voluntary or not, wear a long shirt. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/36 "2020-07-22T19:19:39Z")
Yeah. By the time I was 12, I knew exactly what it meant when a guy carried his books low and in front. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/37 "2020-07-22T19:27:22Z")
Pretty much all of the advice on this website seems relevant. [https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/hes-got-a-gun-what-to-do-if-someone-sees-your-concealed-carry-gun/](https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/hes-got-a-gun-what-to-do-if-someone-sees-your-concealed-carry-gun/) > **Be Calm** > Before we get into any specifics, the most crucial part of your response plan is to remain calm. Freaking out, shouting at the “outer” to mind his or her own business or running away are all terrible ideas. You are innocent. You are not a threat to anyone. It’s critical that you act that way and project that image. Especially in the worst-case scenario, when someone screams or calls for police, you need to choose the high road and take whatever actions you can to de-escalate panic. > **The Law** > One of the most significant responsibilities that concealed carriers must face is knowing the law — in advance. It’s up to you to know what your state (or local) government has to say about the concept of brandishing. While we may think of brandishing as waving around a weapon like the bad guys in cheesy pirate movies, it can be interpreted as showing your [weapon] inadvertently, even if it’s not in your hand. As ridiculous as it may sound, someone spotting you by seeing the outline of a [weapon] under your [pants] — printing — or when your cover garment rides up to show a part of the [weapon] can be construed as brandishing. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/38 "2020-07-22T19:29:39Z")
A question related to the OP’s: What would be the legality of wearing a truly form-fitting garment over one’s nether regions in public? Not just cycling shorts or a Speedo swimsuit - I’m talking about a Speedo swimsuit with a custom-tailored tube and pouch, something designed to fit, um, like a glove. Have a look at Spiderman’s costume in the second image at the link below, and you’ll get the idea of what I’m trying to describe: (NSFW) [I drew Spider-Man like the new Spider-Woman (NSFW) - The Oatmeal](https://theoatmeal.com/blog/spiderwoman) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/39 "2020-07-23T00:32:55Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I’m talking about a Speedo swimsuit with a custom-tailored tube and pouch, something designed to fit, um, like a glove. I give to you, the penis pants: [https://www.messynessychic.com/2013/08/01/the-1970s-political-activist-who-invented-penis-pants/](https://www.messynessychic.com/2013/08/01/the-1970s-political-activist-who-invented-penis-pants/) ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887/40 "2020-07-31T10:00:42Z")
It would rule out carrying around an actual banana in your pocket for a snack later. Not that many guys do that anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-have-a-clothed-erection-in-public/915887.md?page=3)