Thousands Run in Underwear to Protest Utah Laws

From the archive: first published September 26, 2011.

On Saturday, September 24, 2011, thousands of people stripped to their underwear and ran through downtown Salt Lake City in a protest against what participants called the "uptight" laws of Utah.

Organizer Nate Porter said the goal of the Utah Undie Run was to gather people frustrated by the conservative nature of the state's politics. "My goal is to change Utah — to make this state lighten up once and for all," he told Fox 13. "I'm trying to draw people in that are jaded by politics." Some participants took on the protest's message more explicitly, scrawling support for causes like gay marriage across their chests, backs and legs. Organizers had nudity prohibited: runners wore bras, panties, nightgowns, swimwear or colourful boxer shorts.

The protest's target included the state's newly tightened liquor laws — Utah had moved to toughen its already strict alcohol regulations earlier that month — alongside the broader conservative moral posture of a state where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a dominant cultural force.

The run also set a record. Guinness counted 2,270 participants in the Salt Lake City Undie Run — a world record for an underwear run — though organizers estimated the real turnout was closer to 3,000.

Editor's note: this article was refreshed during our editorial review with verified details from contemporary reporting.