Go Topless Protest on 8/23/09, Women's Equality Day

[leosmommy]

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[*Erin*]

that picture on the website cracked me up...i don't think i will participate, but i think it's a cute idea it's my dd's birthday, too, lol, which is funny, bc she will often take her top off at the beach, while proclaiming it righteously unfair that her dad and brother get to do it and women can't. sadly, she gets looked at funny even now. (she's only 6) not that she cares

[jimblejamble]

Is it just me or on the October 8 picture do the woman's nipples look really, REALLY freaky?!

[limabean]

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

Is it just me or on the October 8 picture do the woman's nipples look really, REALLY freaky?!

I didn't click on it but it says something about "Bosom Buddy" -- I'm assuming that's some sort of pasty-type product that looks like a nipple so people can adhere (heh) to the law (about nipples/areola having to be covered) while sending a cheeky message to lawmakers.

[mamabadger]

Originally Posted by leosmommy

If a man can bare his chest in public, a woman should be able to as well. Same sex rights!

Alternately, if a woman has to cover up her chest in public, a man must as well. Why not lobby for that?

[the_lissa]

Why would I lobby for that? It is a chest, not genitalia.

Toplessness is legal here, and I believe that having the right to go topless helps breastfeeding in public. I had someone say something to me about nip and all I had to do was mention that I had the right to go completely topless before they realized their idiocy.

[KimberlyD0]

LOL inderesting..

although its already legal in Ontario Canada.. I have yet to see a women do it though..

Have fun!

[LuckyTrish]

Haha I would totally do this! Anyone know if there is a rally (or whatever it is called...) in the Seattle area?

[Everrgreen]

That's already legal here! Although I also have never actually seen someone taking advantage.

[Mama2Rio]

i always wondered if there was a group for this! i just never looked!:

[MommyofHero]

Female toplessness is apparently "legal" here in Austin, TX too, although i have never seen it (except on the designated nude beach here.) i personally am a HUGE fan of nudity and uncensorship in general, but i can't bring myself to walk down South Congress Street here with my boobies hanging out because i'm quite sure i would get sexually harrassed. women's rights or not, i'm not going to take that risk.
that protest looks like fun!! but i personally wouldn't participate since it seems to be a marketing ploy for Raelian fanatics.
*Religion should never be the reason for women's equality.

[spughy]

I don't know if this is a lactivist thing, although as a PP pointed out, if you can go topless legally, you should be able to nurse legally. But I don't think it's quite that easy.

Let me be clear: I have absolutely nothing against public nudity - either gender - and I think that north americans are generally far too uptight about bodies all over. I personally have been known to frequent the naturist beach near here.

But, I also think that one of the best ways to further the lactivist cause is to try to get the idea into people's heads that breasts have two distinct purposes - lactation and sexual fun. Because honestly, I don't think that people have issues with NIP because of the exposed breast, I think it's because there's a baby attached to an exposed breast. KWIM? Like, if there were a bunch of guys at a strip club, and one of the strippers sat down in the corner and started breastfeeding, most of the oglers would be icked out. (Not that I'm advocating having children in strip clubs. Or the existence of strip clubs anyway.)

The underlying cause of issues with NIP isn't - in most cases - a puritanical approach to body parts, it's a lack of ability to internalize a duality like that. So I don't know that acceptance of toplessness in women would equate to acceptance of breastfeeding in public, even if it were to happen.

And - to be perfectly frank - I think trying to desexualize breasts (which I assume is the goal of the topless movement?) is a bit of a lost cause. The current theory is that humans have breasts regardless of lactation status (unlike most non-ungulate other mammals) because it's a sexually selected trait, most likely because breasts present a similar aspect as does a bum, so men would be more apt to have sex face-to-face, which theoretically increases emotional bonding and stability of a pair-bond, and also increases (generally) female enjoyment of sex. Sexual enjoyment of breasts is pretty universal, and while I would certainly like to see people comfortable enough with themselves to be able to enjoy looking at everyone's breasts all the time, that's pretty ambitious. I DO think it's within the realm of possibility, especially if young people are exposed to it regularly, to accept lactating breasts as non-sexual - it's a specific, logical exception along the same lines as "NO PETS ALLOWED - guide dogs permitted". We can handle that sort of thing.

[mama516/419]

I think that while in some cases it may be the baby attached to the breast that disturbs some men that most women are more disturbed by the breast itself , and haveing been Tisked tisked twice in my roughly 3 years of totaly nursing it was by women both times and both remarks were about it being " dirty" as 1 women put it so I think that comment would have never occured if women were topless near by .
But like other women said I think the risk of being sexualy harrassed would ruin the fun of screaming if you can do it so can I from the roof tops - also I am shy - and so is DH who would probobly pass out if he saw anyone - especialy me walking around topless. Our trip to visit his grandmother at the nudist camp was alot of sky ward gazing for us both
MORE POWER TO THE NAKED PPL !!

[mamabadger]

If people want to promote the idea of equality between the sexes regarding public exposure, fine. But I think it is a mistake to connect the issue with NIP. Women going topless in public is still a very cutting edge issue for the vast majority. Even in places like Ontario, where it is written into the law, almost no women actually go out topless. It is considered indecent, and it probably will be for a long time to come. That being the case, associating breastfeeding with any public nudity movement is likely to cause a negative reaction in most people. I think we are far more likely to gain support if we emphasize the baby's right to be fed, no matter when or where, and keep the woman's right to remove her shirt in public as a separate issue.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by mamabadger

If people want to promote the idea of equality between the sexes regarding public exposure, fine. But I think it is a mistake to connect the issue with NIP. Women going topless in public is still a very cutting edge issue for the vast majority. Even in places like Ontario, where it is written into the law, almost no women actually go out topless. It is considered indecent, and it probably will be for a long time to come. That being the case, associating breastfeeding with any public nudity movement is likely to cause a negative reaction in most people. I think we are far more likely to gain support if we emphasize the baby's right to be fed, no matter when or where, and keep the woman's right to remove her shirt in public as a separate issue.

Really all this does is play into the hands of those who feel that breastfeeding in public is no different than public nudity. We're validating their misconception and fears.

I could care less if this is legalized or not I just agree that tying it in with NIP issues is cutting of our nose to spite our face.

[the_lissa]

As someone who has had someone back off harassing me for nip when reminded that toplessness is legal, I could not disagree more.

Also, any time I have been involved with activism when a woman was harassed for nip, the toplessness rights groups are always helping out. That is more than I can say for any other organization or group.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

As someone who has had someone back off harassing me for nip when reminded that toplessness is legal, I could not disagree more.

Also, any time I have been involved with activism when a woman was harassed for nip, the toplessness rights groups are always helping out. That is more than I can say for any other organization or group.

Yes but there are also NIP laws in place that can be cited. My point is that those who are against NIP are against it because they feel it is public nudity. That is their fear. It's not like once toplessness is made legal they will be cool with it and back off their fear is toplessness will be made legal. That's how it hurts NIP more than helps. "See! Those breastfeeders are trying to pass laws now so they can walk around topless! For shame! This is why NIP should be illegal"

[vegemamato]

I'll gladly take my shirt off while nursing- but I think that I wouldn't want to give the guys a 'show' while screaming that I want to be treated equally..

I have a lot of weird encounters with creepy men though, and I tend to spray w/o a shield (but now that I think of it, maybe that would help )