Topfreedom

2007-11-19T08:02:12Z

CmaccompH89: spelling

{{Unreferenced|date=April 2007}}


[[Image:CSD 2006 Cologne BDSM 09.jpg|thumb|right|Members of the [[Christopher Street Day]] demonstration - [[ColognePride 2006]].]]
'''Topfreedom''' is a [[social movement]] to accord women and girls the right to be topfree ([[toplessness|topless]]) in public where men and boys have that right. Examples of [[public space]]s at which topfreedom might be exercised include [[beach]]es, [[swimming pool]]s and [[park]]s. The reasons include keeping nursing mothers from having to hide for [[breastfeeding]], [[sun tanning]], comfort, and [[sex equality]].

In [[North America]], 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 [[sun tanning|sunbathing]]) could find themselves listed as [[sex offender]]s alongside [[rape|rapists]] and [[Sexual abuse#Child sexual abuse|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''' for walking down a street in [[Guelph, Ontario]] while [[topless]] eventually led to a change in [[Ontario]] laws so that they agree (at least in principle) with [[topfree equality]].

==Cultural arguments==
Western culture generally tends to oppose public female toplessness because of the idea that females breasts are sexual organs, and thus [[decency|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 breasts have conventionally been regarded by many cultures as sexually arousing, and 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. 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.

==Topfree in North America==
Some places in North America have topfree equality by law, although whether such equality is practiced varies. These include:
*Some provinces of [[Canada]] including
**[[British Columbia]]
**[[Manitoba]]
**[[Ontario]]<ref name="QueenvsJacobs">Province of Ontario Court of Appeal. Judgment C12668, The Queen vs. Gwen Jacob (1996)</ref> (where equality has been tested and upheld several times)
**All of Canada, in theory, because sex equality is an amendment to the [[Constitution of Canada|Canadian Constitution]]. The Supreme Court could, however, overturn the precedents set in BC and Ontario.

*Some states of the [[United States]], including
**[[California]] coast, such as [[Santa Cruz]]
**[[Hawaii]]
**[[Maine]] (ex.<ref>[http://www.stater.kent.edu/stories_old/98fall/110698/n2a.html http://www.stater.kent.edu/stories_old/98fall/110698/n2a.html] ''Stater.kent.edu'' </ref><ref>[http://www.seacoastonline.com/2002news/1_31odd.htm http://www.seacoastonline.com/2002news/1_31odd.htm] ''Seacoastonline.com'' </ref>)
**[[New York]]
**[[Ohio]]
**[[Texas]]

*Some cities and localities of the [[United States]], including
**[[Boulder, Colorado]]
**[[Eugene, Oregon]]
***[[Oregon Country Fair]]
**[[South Beach]], [[Miami Beach, Florida]]
***[[Fantasy Fest]]
**[[Washington, D.C.]]
Even where topfree is legal, police might still arrest those practicing it for [[disorderly conduct]] or similar charges.

==Topfree in other countries==
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.

A small protest movement appeared in Sweden September 2007 to promote womens right to be topless in places where men could also be topless. Several events were staged in public swimbaths in September and October. [http://kristink.bloggspot.se/ Blog of Kerstin Karlsson]

==Topfree Equal Rights Association (TERA)==
The '''Topfree Equal Rights Association (TERA)'''<ref>[http://www.tera.ca http://www.tera.ca] ''Tera.ca'' </ref> 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 [[jurisdiction]]s, which laws they see as [[sexism|sex discrimination]] and inhibiting to breastfeeding.

==See also==
*[[Toplessness]]
**[[Barechested]]
*[[Clothes free movement]]
*[[Nudity]]
*[[Public nudity]]
*[[Monokini]]
*[[Equalism]]
*[[Sexism]]
*[[Taboo]]

===Organizations===
*[[Naturist Action Committee]] (NAC)
*[[Topfree equality#Topfree Equal Rights Association .28TERA.29|Topfree Equal Rights Association]] (TERA)
*[[Clothes free organizations]]
*[[World Naked Bike Ride]]

===People===
*Judy 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.<ref name="QueenvsJacobs"/>
*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 (artist)|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.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.topfreeaction.com/ Topfree Action]
*[http://www.savecalifornia.com/getpluggedin/latimes_12205.php Woman Promotes the Right to Go Topless] - Originally an LA Times, January 2005 article

*[http://www.tera.ca/ Topfree Equal Rights Association]
*[http://www.007b.com/topfreedom.php What is topfreedom? article]
*[http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb%2Dtxt/sc/00/09/s00%2D0902.htm Maple Ridge v. Meyer 2000 BCSC 902]
*[http://topfreedom.org/ Topfreedom.org is A place to share your Travel experiences about topfreedom.]
*[http://www.contra.org/lifestyles/naturist/topfree7.html New York State Court of Appeals Decision overturning the convictions of Rochester, NY's "Topfree 7"]

[[Category:Breast]]
[[Category:Civil disobedience]]
[[Category:Nudity]]
[[Category:Sexism]]
[[Category:Social movements]]

[[sv:Topfreedom]]
[[ca:Topfree]]

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Topfreedom