Topless women not breaking the law in NY

[Volitar]

Sure it's weird but I think when everyone gets over that it will be fine, I always felt bad for girls who could't take their top off during summer with 100+ degrees weather.

[Stelio Kontos]

In the U.K - i can safely say, it's not like that at all.

I'm from Cambridge though, not the U.S or a major hub like London - so i recognize your point, even if it's not applicable to everything as is the case with mine.

Offtopic, but after having lived in Seattle for a few years, I want to visit the UK. Lord knows the weather can't be darker, rainier, and drearier than Seattle!

[Aqua]

No it is not ok. In the modern world breasts is a sex symbol and is an intimate body part. the chest of a male is not.
This is where the difference lies, and what makes it not ok for women to expose their chest in public.
For the women who disagree, please tell me why you cover up when you go out.

It's currently the law, society has shaped me to be so self conscious about every physical aspect I have that I wear baggy clothing en masse regardless, it's freakin cold 90% of the year where I live and sexualizing breasts to such ludicrous degrees has made them taboo. Honestly shirtless males are just as arousing to some women, but of course, being a woman you can't 'be' a sexual predator.

Those are just a small handful of reasons, but to be honest I'm of the 'show it more and it suddenly becomes less exciting' mindset. I was exposed to sexual talks most of my life, my opinion on sex now? Boring. I find that those have been sheltered from it until x-age tend to be more giggly and apaulled by nudity and discussing it. The forbidden fruit mindset is a strong one.

It shouldn't be the LAW to have breasts covered, it can however be a choice, and to be honest, lack of support now, kinda hurts when I run. Would I like to walk around in my bra some summers? Fuck yeah. Wearing non revealing tops during the summer makes you sweatier than a pig. But I forget we have a special name for it that makes it magically okay 'bikini top'. Cute.

Breasts are only considered a sex symbol because it's been marketed to you that way for your entire lifespan. In other cultures in the world, they are merely a symbol of child rearing. Of womanhood, mothers. And so forth. If you think of it just that way then I suggest unplugging your mindset from the well crafted telescope for just a few days because to be honest if you cannot control yourself around a pair of breasts then you do not know how to be decent human being and maybe you've not been subjected to half of the do's and don'ts that women have to conform to.

It would not suddenly mean that tomorrow all of the women of NYC strip off their t-shirts and bra's and go walking around confidently and cheerfully. It would mean that is not arrest-able. And that to me. Is fair enough. Society can be the judge of the rest of it. But in the interest of equality and factoring out the fact that some men believe they're animals and have no ability to control themselves (seriously is that how you want to paint yourselves? because that's all that using that argument is getting you) it should not be a federal offence when a male takes off his shirt, therefore the same should apply to the other side of the coin. And if you don't think male chests do have some kind of sexualization marketing scheme going on as well, you really haven't gone underwear shopping in a while have you? Bare chests everywhere, look at dem muscles. Eeeeverrry where, right next to the nice lady in the frilly bra and panties in full gray scaled shiny glory.

Only difference? One makes (straight) men blush.

Honestly if genders were reversed, I'd be stuttering and telling nice looking men to keep their shirts on too. It makes us a little bit unfocused as well. But that's not the game we've played, so either the law should be that men should keep covered above the waist too, or allow for the same from women without threat of prosecution from the law.

Face it. You're just worried you might have to see grandma boob the same way we have to deal with hairy, wrinkled, old man chest. That's all this is about. STEPS PEOPLE. Society changes. You cannot possibly argue that 'hey this is how it's been my whole life, and should STAY that way so I don't have to deal with any of said changes'.

[Muzjhath]

And that is the problem, the only way to change that mindset is by promoting and practice equality.

Your way of looking at it is pert of the reason why women in middle eastern countries still have to cover them selfs from head to toe with fabric...

Also, this.
The problem isn't "omg they're gonna show boobs, boobs = sex!". The problem is you thinking that boobs only = sex.
I'll tell you, I've seen some friends and relatives breastfeed their kids. It's not sexy. But 100% natrual.

A woman should also be able to do it on a bench in the middle of a city if their kid get's hungry without anyone raising an eyebrow.

[Booniehat]

Based on the psycho-demographics of the typical poster on an MMO/video game forum... what sort of direction did you even think the poll would go in? :P

A lot of us would LOVE to see Victoria Secrets models walk around topless etc etc. But if you think about how many Americans (and NY-ers) are out of shape/obese, and the type of women who will take advantage of this ruling... trust me you'll want to scrub your eyes out after walking through the streets. The Saddlebags comments are more true (and less hilarious) when you see it IRL.

Don't get me wrong. Fine with the law. Just saying the practicals of it will be... a lot less appealing than you think. Nothing against it, but a lot of posters seem to be under the impression we'll see a barrage (bevy?) of perky, toned women walking around half nude. You wish :P

Edit: Then again: I wonder how many marketing ploys will intentionally abuse this to film half naked women for ads. Axe anyone?

[Deleted]

Sure it's weird but I think when everyone gets over that it will be fine, I always felt bad for girls who could't take their top off during summer with 100+ degrees weather.

It's not like wearing something like a tubetop or even a bikini top is going to be so much hotter than being topless.
I can only imagine it being hotter with the sun directly on your skin.

[tyggyr]

How does it hurt anyone for women to go topless? Does it offend your "sensibilities"? Grow up, control yourself.

I see little wrong with public nudity, in fact. Granted, many people - most, if not all, actually, look better with at least *some* clothes on, but this is a cultural issue, and I don't think that cultural matters should be enshrined in law.

We should only legislate to protect people from actual harm, and as I mentioned before, your "sensibilities" don't count here.

How about protecting the topless women from harassment? Now that would be a stupid application of law - we already have laws against such harassment, and those are the laws that should be enforced.

The sooner we get rid of sexist laws, the sooner our culture will stop being sexist (mind you, I'm not claiming that sexism exists only because of the laws... far from it!).


Let me segue this a bit: Is it ok to walk around barefoot? Nowadays, it is, mostly. However, health codes do prohibit it in eating establishments - and this interestingly enough clouds this particular issue: It makes people think that walking barefoot is unhealthy. Well, it may be, in a restaurant where there's often broken china or glass on the floor. This particular law (health code) is to protect the otherwise bare feet, not to protect other people from someone's bare feet. But, of course, it makes many people think that bare feet are unhealthy. Trust me, when I'm barefoot, I work even harder to avoid walking in nasty stuff, and if I do walk in something, you can be certain I'll wash it thoroughly ASAP. Do you wash your shoes ASAP when you've walked through something nasty? Right...

[Linkedblade]

Hell, I wouldn't care if everybody were naked walking around. You either have one extreme or the other. You have the party on one side that screams that nudity is wrong and makes everything related to the human form a perversion. On the other side you have the party that says you should appreciate the human form.

Either way I couldn't care less. Just if you are going to do it, then don't complain if you get harassed. You'll either be scorned for doing such a thing or flirted with.

[Deleted]

Offtopic, but after having lived in Seattle for a few years, I want to visit the UK. Lord knows the weather can't be darker, rainier, and drearier than Seattle!

Seattle sounds just about England in summer (Hur hur, our summers are always #1)

Jokes aside, the U.K isn't always bad - but if you go up north or to wales - you'll regret it!

The south is pretty tame in comparison now i come to think of it, but be careful of our girls - some of them scare me shitless!

OT - I'm bailing, this thread seems to be going in directions The Manakin doesn't like!

Adios!

[Uennie]

This is pretty awesome. It always bugged me that men could walk around bare-chested but if I go without a bra for a day people get all weird on me.

[Volitar]

It's not like wearing something like a tubetop or even a bikini top is going to be so much hotter than being topless.
I can only imagine it being hotter with the sun directly on your skin.

Maybe it wound't be so much to go from a tube top or bikini to topless but getting to take off a tshirt is like night and day.

[Stelio Kontos]

If people want to strip society down to having no standards at all, that's their right. But I won't associate with people who go around barefoot or naked about town, nor will I hire or employ anyone who feels the need to show the world his paunch and cottage-cheese thighs or her squid-eyed, lop-sided breasts. They can go be exposed and disgusting somewhere else than my business.

[Uennie]

If people want to strip society down to having no standards at all, that's their right. But I won't associate with people who go around barefoot or naked about town, nor will I hire or employ anyone who feels the need to show the world his paunch and cottage-cheese thighs or her squid-eyed, lop-sided breasts. They can go be exposed and disgusting somewhere else than my business.

Dress codes are normal for businesses, there's no rule that says you can't have them. This is just about basic social situations.

But if you don't like near-nudity probably stay away from Hawai'i because I'm barefoot 90% of the time and there are a lot of haoles in swimsuits trolling around Waikiki.

[Deleted]

I wonder where people are seeing all these guys walking around bare chested in the streets, because I've almost never seen that happen. Unless you count public sports fields I guess, but that's not really the street.
Not that there's anything wrong for a guy or a girl to be topless in the street, it just doesn't happen. Probably mostly because there's really no point to it, even in very hot weather.

[Surfd]

That's literally the worst written law I've ever seen. Women cannot EVER be guilty of exposure by that wording.

I think you need to re-read that law. It clearly states "the portion of the breast which is BELOW the TOP of the Aerola". That means that you are considered in a state of Indecent Exposure if ANY part of your nipple or the colored ring around it is not physically covered by clothing.

[Deleted]

It's hardly something that consumes much of anyone's attention or resources. Is there really nothing better to do other than complaining the triviality of wanting to be allowed to be topless? People should really just stop using the "it's not important" excuse to oppose equality. We see it way too often.

Oppose EQUALITY!!

How can there be equality when we're anatomically different.
As someone said, who needs biology when we have equality.

Breasts being only a sex symbol cause they sell it this way? Preposterous.
It's been a sign of fertility since the beginning of humankind.

[Aqua]

If people want to strip society down to having no standards at all, that's their right. But I won't associate with people who go around barefoot or naked about town, nor will I hire or employ anyone who feels the need to show the world his paunch and cottage-cheese thighs or her squid-eyed, lop-sided breasts. They can go be exposed and disgusting somewhere else than my business.

And that is fine. But that is a personal and social choice, not an arrest-able offence. (Also work-related dresscodes exist for a reason, no one can swagger into your business dressed however they like, so chill out, this is just a general, social, outside related matter)

I don't like exposing myself either, but others shouldn't be fined or prosecuted for it.

The problem was the imbalance of allowing males to strip their chests without fines or possible arrest, and not women. And frankly I see the problem, one is far more sweaty on a hot day what with that annoying bundle of fat sweating itself raw when bound.
I wouldn't take advantage of that right, but others should be free to.

[Uennie]

I wonder where people are seeing all these guys walking around bare chested in the streets, because I've almost never seen that happen. Unless you count public sports fields I guess, but that's not really the street.
Not that there's anything wrong for a guy or a girl to be topless in the street, it just doesn't happen. Probably mostly because there's really no point to it, even in very hot weather.

*shrugs* I live on a tropical island. No one wants to wear a shirt when they're out in the sun working. I hate it, to be completely frank. It's super uncomfortable when you're sweating your ass off and guys can take their shirts off and hose down. If I hose down it's a catastrophe because BOOBS. Really sucks.

[Surfd]

I wonder where people are seeing all these guys walking around bare chested in the streets, because I've almost never seen that happen. Unless you count public sports fields I guess, but that's not really the street.
Not that there's anything wrong for a guy or a girl to be topless in the street, it just doesn't happen. Probably mostly because there's really no point to it, even in very hot weather.

Not sure, but it might depend on where you live. I am a guy, and I live in the Greater Toronto area (which incidentally has been a "topless women friendly" area for a number of years now), and while it is usually too cool most of the time to be comfortable with no shirt on, i have been known on some very hot days in summer, to remove my shirt for my bike ride home from work.

[Stelio Kontos]

Dress codes are normal for businesses, there's no rule that says you can't have them. This is just about basic social situations.

But if you don't like near-nudity probably stay away from Hawai'i because I'm barefoot 90% of the time and there are a lot of haoles in swimsuits trolling around Waikiki.

I worked with an native Hawaiian, I've yet to hear much good about haoles in general. So I doubt I'm missing much. Besides, a beach environment is different than in the middle of say, downtown Seattle at noon on a workday.

Only the hobos are barefoot or in some state of being disrobed.

Ok, hobos and patchouli-smelling, incense-smelling, hackysack-playing, white dreads-having, worthless hippies up on University Ave.