Oceanfront storefronts still show explicit apparel despite city request
Nearly a year after Virginia Beach city leaders passed a resolution urging merchants along the Oceanfront to remove vulgar clothing from front-facing displays, explicit T-shirts and other apparel remain visible in some storefront windows.
The nonbinding measure, approved by City Council last summer, asked retailers along Atlantic Avenue to voluntarily move graphic or obscene items out of sight of passing families and children. While some businesses complied in the months after the resolution, council members and neighborhood advocates say the problem has reoccurred intermittently.
“We're playing whack-a-mole where we'll have them show up and either the landlord or someone from the Atlantic Avenue Association or maybe city staff will go by and ask them to remove them from their front row,” Councilman Worth Remick said. He told reporters the appearances often subside temporarily only to return later in other store windows.
- Resolution passed: Summer (last year)
- Issue resurfaces: April (this year)
- Enforcement status: No citations currently available
“We're trying to create a better atmosphere, better behavior, here, welcoming, family-friendly, and this does not help it at all,” Councilman Remick said.
City leaders acknowledge a tension between encouraging a family-oriented resort experience and protecting merchants' constitutional free-speech rights. Councilman John Hood, who represents part of the Resort area, said officials face challenges defining what qualifies as obscene or vulgar in a way that would survive legal scrutiny.
| Event | Timing |
|---|---|
| City Council resolution urging voluntary removal of vulgar displays | Summer (last year) |
| Noted reduction in displays | Fall (last year) |
| Resurgence of items in windows | April (this year) |
Visitors and residents are split on how to respond. Some say the apparel creates an unwelcome environment for families; others say the displays are a minor nuisance that does not diminish their enjoyment of the Oceanfront. Heidi Wickliffe, visiting from Ohio, described the storefront images as conflicting with efforts to shield children from inappropriate content, but said the displays would not keep her from returning.
“It's just not really healthy. I mean, if we want to protect kids from social media, we can't be putting that in the windows either,” Wickliffe said.
Without an ordinance or clear legal authority to issue fines, city officials have relied on informal contacts with property owners, landlords and the Atlantic Avenue Association to ask for voluntary changes. That approach has had sporadic success but no lasting solution, according to council members.
The continuing presence of explicit apparel raises practical and policy questions for Virginia Beach as it balances public expectations, the economic interests of Oceanfront merchants and constitutional protections for commercial speech. For families who frequent the boardwalk and nearby attractions, the display debate is less about legal theory than about day-to-day experience: what visitors and children encounter while walking past storefronts during peak tourist months.
City Council members indicated they continue to consider options, but any move toward regulatory enforcement would require careful legal review to avoid infringing on First Amendment rights. In the meantime, the city and community groups will likely continue using persuasion and public pressure to influence what appears in storefront windows along Atlantic Avenue.
Residents who want to weigh in or report recurring displays can contact the city's communications office or their council representative to share observations and concerns.
