Topfreedom

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A woman wearing traditional clothing in Southern Ethiopia. Many societies have no cultural proscriptions on females going bare-breasted.
A woman wearing traditional clothing in Southern Ethiopia. Many societies have no cultural proscriptions on females going bare-breasted.
Women sunbathing topless on a beach in Barcelona, Spain.
Women sunbathing topless on a beach in Barcelona, Spain.

Topfreedom is a social movement to accord women and girls the right to be topfree in public where men and boys have that right. Examples of public spaces at which topfreedom might be exercised include beaches, swimming pools and parks, although the principles of the movement admit of no restriction in location. The reasons include keeping nursing mothers from having to hide for breastfeeding, sun tanning, comfort, and gender equality.

It is still illegal for women to uncover their breasts in public in many states of the USA[1]. Some states have no law against it but permit smaller jurisdictions (such as cities) to have their own. In the USA, where resistance to toplessness of women is greater than in mainland Europe or Australia, a small topfree equality movement has grown. In February 2005 in California, attorney Liana Johnsson contended that under Megan's Law, women convicted of indecent exposure (for breastfeeding or sunbathing) could find themselves listed as sex offenders alongside rapists and child molesters. The term "topfree" is used as an alternative to "topless", which may carry negative connotations. Some women prefer the term "shirtfree rights". In 1991 in Canada, the arrest and trial of activist Gwen Jacob, represented by attorney Jeff Wright, for walking down a street in Guelph, Ontario while topless eventually led to her acquittal (in 1996) by the highest court in Ontario, meaning that that province agrees (at least in principle) with topfree equality. A similar case had occurred for the Rochester Topfree Seven, charged in 1986 in Rochester NY but acquitted in 1992. New York State is thus also in agreement with topfree equality, because this case was also heard by its highest court, which no lower jurisdiction may contradict.

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[edit] Cultural arguments

Participants in the New York Dyke March 2007.
Participants in the New York Dyke March 2007.

Western culture generally tends to oppose public female toplessness because of the idea that females` breasts are sexual organs, and thus indecent. In contrast, the male chest is not commonly considered to be sexual.

Biologically there is no particular connection between mammary glands and copulation, but some cultures have regarded the exhibition of breasts as sexually arousing (others have also so regarded the exhibition of the chests of men). Some zoologists (notably Desmond Morris) believe that through human evolution, female breasts have acquired secondary sexual characteristics as a counterpart of the buttocks in other primates.[2] For more information, see breast.

Some courts in North America have ruled that mammary glands are nurturing organs, not sexual organs, a relevant distinction in light of laws in certain jurisdictions that specifically restrict the public display of sexual organs.

[edit] Topfree in North America

Antiwar protest in Washington, D.C. 2005-09-24.
Antiwar protest in Washington, D.C. 2005-09-24.

Some places in North America have topfree equality by law, although whether such equality is practiced varies. These include:

Participant in the 2007 Summer Solstice Parade and Pageant in Seattle.
Participant in the 2007 Summer Solstice Parade and Pageant in Seattle.

Even where topfree is legal, police might still arrest those practicing it for disorderly conduct or similar charges.

[edit] Topfree in other countries

Bodypainted sports fans in Germany.
Bodypainted sports fans in Germany.

In some European countries and Australia, it is well-established that females may go topfree at places such as beaches, parks, and outdoor swimming pools. That might be by law (permitted) or might be by common consent, with the law simply not being applied (tolerated). In other areas with more conservative social norms, women are prohibited from being topfree in any public place.[citation needed]

Girl living in Namibia.
Girl living in Namibia.

A protest movement called "Bara Bröst" appeared in Sweden in September 2007 to promote women's right to be topless in places where men could also be topless. Several events were staged in public swimbaths in September and October.[6] While toplessness is not illegal, several private or public establishments in Sweden have a dress code which demand that everyone wear tops: topless individuals can be denied access or thrown out.

[edit] Topfree Equal Rights Association (TERA)

The Topfree Equal Rights Association (TERA)[7] is a Canadian organization for helping women who have legal troubles exercising their rights to go 'topfree' where men are able to. Their Web site states that they serve both Canada and the United States.

The organization also aims to inform and educate the public about topfreedom. They campaign to change laws against topfreedom which exist in most North American jurisdictions, which laws they see as sex discrimination and inhibiting to breastfeeding.

[edit] See also

Woman hula hooping at Mardi Gras 2006.
Woman hula hooping at Mardi Gras 2006.

[edit] Organizations

[edit] Events

[edit] People

  • Judy E. Williams: NAC board member, chief advisor of TERA, chair of Wreck Beach Preservation Society (WBPS) in Vancouver, BC
  • Gwen Jacob: test case for topfreedom who won in Ontario, Canada.[3]
  • Linda Meyer: test case for topfreedom for British Columbia. On June 8, 2000, she won in court against Maple Ridge, BC. She had been arrested at the District of Maple Ridge's indoor public swimming pool. That was after she had provoked arrests for many years, and had gone to jail, in order to win in court and thereby stop official harassment for her topfree public activities.
  • Paul Rapoport: topfree activist, writer, editor of Going Natural, a publication of FCN.
  • Sue Richards: Publisher of the topfree, breast health calendar Breast of Canada.
  • Morley Schloss: NAC board member, topfree activist.
  • Nikki Craft: feminist, past shirtfree rights activist, now disaffiliated from the movement.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Topfreedom: The Fundamental Right of Women
  2. ^ Morris, Desmond (1999). The Naked Ape : A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal. Dell. ISBN 0-385-33430-3. 
  3. ^ a b Province of Ontario Court of Appeal. Judgment C12668, The Queen vs. Gwen Jacob (1996)
  4. ^ http://www.stater.kent.edu/stories_old/98fall/110698/n2a.html Stater.kent.edu
  5. ^ http://www.seacoastonline.com/2002news/1_31odd.htm Seacoastonline.com
  6. ^ Metro.co.uk, November 19, 2007 Swedes fight for topless rights
  7. ^ http://www.tera.ca Tera.ca

[edit] External links

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