21-year old architectural student Aaron Tobey was grieving: his grandfather had just died, and he had to fly to Wisconsin for his funeral -- at the busiest time of the year. He was sick of those invasive scanning machines, so he had a friend write the 4th Amendment on his chest: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated."
When he got to the scanner, he stripped down to his jogging shorts. The TSA officer immediately called the police, who handcuffed him and dragged him to the airport lockup. After questioning him for an hour, they were satisfied that he wasn't a terrorist (because he knows the Constitution?), and issued him a summons for disorderly conduct. They also confiscated his luggage.
Aaron put on his clothes, took a later flight (after going through the scanner the ordinary way), went to the funeral, and sued two TSA screeners for violation of his First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment Rights (freedom of speech, freedom to avoid unnecessary searches, and due process in criminal proceedings). A lower court found in his favor, so the TSA went to appeal. The Apellate court found that the the screeners did violate the First Amendment in arresting him for a text that was not inflammatory or obscene. Who cares that he had it written on his chest?
Besides, he was just giving them what they wanted. Those screeners (since discontinued) showed a lot more of your front and back parts than Aaron was showing.
Unfortunately, that was all of the notoriety (and beefcake) that we got from Aaron. He completed his M.Arch from the Rhode Island School of Design and Ph.D. in Architectural History from Yale University, and is now an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Wisconson, Milwaukee.
His research interests include the hsitory of twentieth century architecture, technology, and organizations with a focus on the intersection of histories of computing, management, and postmodernism in a global context.
More shirtless Aaron after the break
Aaron's husband, Malcolm Rio, is a faculty fellow at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, specializing in "architecture's public life across counterpublic formations, nightlife, and media." He's also a founding member of the Queer Educators in Architecture network.
Nibbling on Malcolm's ear.
Their wedding.
Very impressive resume, Aaron, and I'm glad that you're gay and have a husband and everything, but could we have another peek at your chest? That's what I started this post for.
Thanks.
In 2019, another man stripped -- this time all the way -- and walked around the Fort Lauderdale aiport. But he wasn't making a statement, he was just drunk.
See also:Finn Bennett: Unexpected beefcake in "Backrooms" leads down a rabbit hole of gay teases Mentions architecture
Thermae Romae Novae: An Anime about Ancient Roman Bath Houses. Discussion of bath house architecture.
Justin Ellings: Kyle from the awful clown episode of "Modern Family" plays Corey Haim and Sean Giambrone. Mentions Milwaukee.
Aaron Moody: Who has the monster equipment, the Nip/Tuck fratboy or the Swindon reserve goal keeper? I'm running out of similar posts.
And that is the thing I'll never forgive Obama for: He was supposed to undo the previous eight years. I imagined his first act as POTUS would be something like Nebula undoing the Snap. But no, he was just another sleazy New Democrat more interested in winning Republican approval than doing what he was elected to do.
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