Man Sues Over Naked Beach Beef

JULY 13--A New York man who says that he suffers from a debilitating skin condition and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the September 11 attacks is suing for the right to have his rat terrier accompany him to a naked beach on Fire Island. Mark DelCore, 39, contends that he needs to sunbathe sans clothes because of an 'acute skin condition that requires me to be in the sun as often as possible,' according to a federal lawsuit filed yesterday by the Queens man. DelCore's complaint, which does not further identify his ailment, notes that since 'my skin condition is all over my body I require exposure to the sun all over my body.' The lawsuit, a copy of which you'll find below, contends that while Fire Island National Seashore officials will allow seeing eye dogs to accompany beachgoers, service dogs are not allowed on the beach. DelCore states that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and that his dog Cheekies 'goes everywhere with me and provides me with emotional support and comfort.' He adds that the Fire Island National Seashore is 'the only place within range of my home that I am legally allowed to sunbathe without any clothes.' In a TSG interview, DelCore said that he was in a lower Manhattan gym on the morning of the World Trade Center attack and, when the planes hit, was forced to leave the facility while still wet. After the first tower collapsed, DelCore said that he was covered with a 'light dusting' of an unknown substance (which attached to his wet skin) as he ran north from the scene. His resulting condition, which he said does not have a name, led to him going on disability from his job with a New York bank. DelCore, a former bodybuilder who once competed at the Gay Games, acknowledged that his dog has not been certified as a service animal. (3 pages)