I've been meaning to post for a while about how toplessness is legal in Columbus, Ohio, as I discovered after moving here and attending Comfest, a popular community festival.
From page five of the Comfest guide, published under a photo of a topless woman:
Yes, We Like Boobs A Lot
It's nice to live in a city where it's legal for women to go topless, and even nicer to have an event like this where it feels comfortable. The flip side of all this niceness is a resolute commitment by Community Festival to intervene to stop any imposition on, or inappropriate behavior toward, women who choose to go shirtless.
In other words: chill dude. They're just boobs.
(Emphasis below title mine.)
Not only was it awesome to find out that I lived in a city where toplessness was legal for women, but I really appreciated this little excerpt in the guide. Nail on the head, don't you think?
I thought this seemed especially relevant consider the recent scandals over foreign leaders' cleavage.
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Well, if you don't mind getting stared at constantly, be my guest. But you have no right to bitch about it once it happens.
Nice try.
I see topless men all.the.time going about their business without any troubles or stares from anyone. Teens on my block skateboard topless down our street with no regard to being harassed.
So yeah, I'll bitch as much as I want, thank you.
Sorry bud, but women's breasts are a sex organ. Men's chests are not. It's common sense, as well as biological. I'm willing to bet women (and men, for that matter) would stare at a guy walking around with his penis exposed.
Go look up the biological definition of "sex organ" and then write me back.
And if it's such "common sense" and all about biology, then how come prior to the wide reach of Christian and Islamic colonialism, there where plenty of cultures where men and women went topless? Some of them still do today, in fact.
Interestingly most of these non-sensical, unenlightened folks had the foresight to cover up vulvas and penises. But the chest? No way! Most people used their environment to dictate what was absolutely necessary to cover. NOW THAT is common sense and rational behavior.
Breasts aren't sex organs. They're sexualized by our culture to be sexual things when they really don't have to be. I know I'm feeding the troll but I think the distinction is important.
As for this post, I think it's kinda cool that they've made it legal there. It's one step closer to taking away the sexualized mystery that surrounds them. I'm glad that they keep an eye out for inappropriate behavior at the events, though I'm sure people are probably going to stare regardless.
my boobs are baby feeders not shirt fillers
*my own personal boobs, not the boobs of feministing or women in general
you are incorrect. A woman's breasts only have one purpose and that's to feed her newborn baby if she so chooses to have one. A woman's breasts are not sex organs. They have been sexualized by the patriarchy which has taught all men to believe that women are objects to ogle and should be there on demand whenever men want to fuck.
I don't know about this. The rationale behind this seems to be based more around porn culture than anything. Like, I can see this catching on elsewhere, but through the assumption that women's breasts have to be available for male consumption at all times. Which is bullshit.
I share your concerns even though I agree with the overall sentiment that women shouldn't have to be more dressed than a man to be socially acceptable. What we think is ideal won't alter the fact that most men in Western culture find breasts to be sexually arousing and that is not likely to change because we take our shirts off. I really don't have a problem with breasts being viewed as sexual since both myself and my partner receive much sexual pleasure from them. They aren't just baby feeders. They attract mates and are often a focus during sex for many people and that doesn't make them dirty or shameful, either. Yet I cannot help but think that many men and teenage boys will support our 'right' to show off something for free they usually lust after and pay to see in the form of videos, magazines, and strippers. My personal feeling is that this will prove to be more beneficial to their viewing pleasure than to our liberation. There is also the issue of not being able to dictate what other people look at in public. If you are in public people can look at you. If your breasts are exposed they can be looked at,too. It's not against the law and the law should be able to dictate what people do with their eyes. That doesn't make verbal or nonverbal harrassment acceptable, but staring isn't likely to become an unprotected activity anytime soon.
If men and women were to see breasts in public as much as we see the male chest I think they would become more normalized. Maybe they would be more acceptable over time and not just body parts that are mostly seen when one is having a sexual experience. And maybe women will be less likely to feel embarrassed to breast feed their child in public. Also if boys are still growing up in a culture where a woman's breasts are only seen in movies, videos, and at strip clubs, then they will continue live with Western Culture as it is now.
I share your concerns even though I agree with the overall sentiment that women shouldn't have to be more dressed than a man to be socially acceptable. What we think is ideal won't alter the fact that most men in Western culture find breasts to be sexually arousing and that is not likely to change because we take our shirts off. I really don't have a problem with breasts being viewed as sexual since both myself and my partner receive much sexual pleasure from them. They aren't just baby feeders. They attract mates and are often a focus during sex for many people and that doesn't make them dirty or shameful, either. Yet I cannot help but think that many men and teenage boys will support our 'right' to show off something for free they usually lust after and pay to see in the form of videos, magazines, and strippers. My personal feeling is that this will prove to be more beneficial to their viewing pleasure than to our liberation. There is also the issue of not being able to dictate what other people look at in public. If you are in public people can look at you. If your breasts are exposed they can be looked at,too. It's not against the law and the law should be able to dictate what people do with their eyes. That doesn't make verbal or nonverbal harrassment acceptable, but staring isn't likely to become an unprotected activity anytime soon.
Hell yes! I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and I'm happy to say it's legal here. That doesn't mean harassment doesn't happen, but I appreciate the legality and Comfest's statement against harassment in their guide. I was verbally harassed at Comfest two years ago, for holding my best friend's hand, because apparently that's equal to girl on girl hardcore porn, so it happens. But Comfest has chill but tough security personnel that I have seen actively intervene on several occasions.