Kindly Póg Mo Thóin

At least, that’s what a city councilman in Atlanta thinks.

ATLANTA - Baggy pants that show boxer shorts or thongs would be illegal under a proposed amendment to Atlanta’s indecency laws. The amendment, sponsored by city councilman C.T. Martin, states that sagging pants are an “epidemic” that is becoming a “major concern” around the country.

“Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it’s the in thing,” Martin said Wednesday. “I don’t want young people thinking that half-dressing is the way to go. I want them to think about their future.”

The proposed ordinance would also bar women from showing the strap of a thong beneath their pants. They would also be prohibited from wearing jogging bras in public or show a bra strap, said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.

The proposed ordinance states that “the indecent exposure of his or her undergarments” would be unlawful in a public place. It would go in the same portion of the city code that outlaws sex in public and the exposure or fondling of genitals.

Felon!

Melissa McEwan did a brilliant post at her now-down site, Shakesville, which illustrated the white male privilege that a similar ban in a town in Louisiana demonstrated: she not only noted that visible underwear never seemed to be a problem before it was displayed by young black men and young women rather than white men, she illustrated it, IIRC, with a photo of, essentially, white man’s plumber’s crack and boxers peeking over the top of a young black man’s pants. One was not the subject of legislation, the other was. Guess which was which.

I have to be honest — I find it endlessly amusing when I see young men with their pants belted around their thighs. Because, seriously, it’s just stupid, and doesn’t seem very practical. Though, frankly, I haven’t seen that going on for a while. Maybe it takes a little longer for these things to filter down to Atlanta or something.

Even though this is cast as some kind of neutral thing, it’s clearly targeted to certain populations. I even got a taste myself of the kind of selective enforcement of these things when I went to Louisiana to volunteer after Hurricane Katrina. I stayed in a camp run by FEMA and staffed with armed Wackenhut guards. We were not to cuss, or fuck, or do anything that might offend the sensibilities of the churchy folk who comprised most of the camp. And one of those things that offended the sensibilities of the churchy folk was low-riding pants and visible underwear.

But of course, this was not enforced in any kind of even manner. Personally, I’d bought pants that were a size too big because I thought I was that size, they were on sale, and what the hell, not gonna try on pants that were five bucks. So on the job site, I used duct tape to make a belt. But at the camp, I used shoelaces or nothing, which meant my old, fat ass hung out with visible undies for all to see. Did anyone care? No. Or, not that anyone told me.

But my 18-year-old, thin, blonde teammate? I was following maybe 10 feet behind her as she walked by an armed guard while wearing pants that were slightly loose and a top that showed a slight bit of her midriff. And he admonished her for her temerity at showing flesh. I walked by not five seconds later, showing even more flesh if you’re going to measure by the square inch, and nothing.

Gosh, could it have the slightest bit to do with who makes white guys uncomfortable, whether racially or sexually?

Might.