A naked man waved a rainbow flag while strolling through vehicular traffic on a street in Seattle, Washington, a video showed.
The unidentified man appeared oblivious of his immediate environment as he blithely strolled through traffic, with cars appearing to wait for or make their way past him, according to the video, shared Saturday on Twitter by radio host Jason Rantz of KTTH Radio under the caption, “Seattle is thriving.”
The incident appeared to have occurred in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle, according to another video by the journalist Andy Ngo. The video showed what seemed to be the same man draped in the flag and lying down spreadeagled in the middle of the road, obstructing vehicular traffic.
Seattle is thriving. pic.twitter.com/ZBxSyxds13
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) March 9, 2024
“And this why here is why my child won’t step foot in this city! It used to be a fun place to go down and explore but it’s no longer a safe place for families,” a user reacted to the video.
“Exposing the little things in Seattle,” replied another.
“So many beautiful cities in our great country have been destroyed… Very sad,” another said.
Another wondered why laws against indecent exposure were not enforced.
A user seemed to imply that the person was experiencing a mental health crisis. (RELATED: Video Shows Group Of Parents Beating Up Naked Man In Department Store)
Seattle — A nude man in the Ravenna neighborhood draped in a trans BLM LGBTQ+ flag shuts down the road and spreads his legs wide for drivers. pic.twitter.com/O6Z2P9UFWy
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) March 9, 2024
It is not known whether the individual was homeless or unsheltered. First-time homelessness spiked across the country between 2021 and 2022 by 25%, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). By 2023, a record 653,100-odd persons “were experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2023 – a 12% increase (or about 70,650 more people) from 2022,” the HUD stated.
Washington was one of the five states with the largest increases in homelessness, according to HUD data.
A posse of naked men cycled through some of Seattle‘s streets as part of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Pride Parade in full view of children last June, according to several reports. The “all ages” parade to “Challenge Body Shame/Build Self Esteem” and create “Pride for Every Body” drew criticism as it crossed a line for some, according to the Washington Times.
“[T]he role of the Seattle Police Department [SPD] at this particular event was to assure the safety and security of the overall event – not to regulate activities that are better left to parade organizers and the permit process,” the SPD reportedly said in a statement regarding the event to the fact-checking website, Snopes.