Go Topless Day

Go Topless Day (variously known as National Go Topless Day, International Go Topless Day) is an annual event held to support the right of women to go topless in public on gender-equality grounds.[1] Topless freedom laws are celebrated and protests are held in states where topless women are prohibited.

Go Topless Day
Go Topless Day protest in California, 2011
Date(s)Sunday nearest August 26 (Women's Equality Day)
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Various
Inaugurated2007 (2007) (established)
2008 (2008) (first observance)
Organized byGoTopless
Websitegotopless.org

Organizer

The annual event was started in 2007 by Go Topless, a Nevada group formed by Claude Vorilhon, leader of the Raelian Movement, a UFO religion.[2][3][4] GoTopless has supported events and chapters in other countries.[5]

As long as men can go topless, women should have the same constitutional right or men should also be forced to wear something that hides their chests.

— Claude Vorilhon[6]

History

Go Topless Day was founded in response to the arrest of Phoenix Feeley (Jill Coccaro), a topless activist who was arrested for being topless in public in New York in 2005. The city of New York settled with Feeley for $29,000 because toplessness is legal there.[7]

Go Topless Day is scheduled for the Sunday nearest August 26, Women's Equality Day,[8][9] since on that day in 1920 women's suffrage was approved (in 1971 the U.S. Congress declared the day to be Women's Equality Day). The event encourages women to go topless in public, and men to cover their chests by wearing brassieres or bikinis.[10][11]

Events

In 2008, the first Go Topless Day was organized.[6][10][4]

In 2009, National Go Topless Day was celebrated on August 23 in the United States.[12][13]

In 2011, Go Topless Day in the US was held on August 24. Protesters, both men and women, participated in rallies held in twelve U.S. states, including California,[14][15][16][17][18] New York and North Carolina. Women who participated in the celebration used either fake latex nipples or pasties to cover their nipples and avoid arrest due to laws in some states that prohibit women from showing their areola and nipples in public.[19] The protesters displayed signs that read "Men and women have nipples. Why should women hide theirs?" and "Equal topless rights for all or none".[20] Many men who joined the demonstration wore bras and bikinis to protest against the double standard where men are allowed to go bare chested, but women are prohibited to go topless in public.[20]

In 2011, Go Topless Day was celebrated for the first time in Canada.[5] The 2011 Canadian Go Topless Day rally was held in Toronto, Ontario, on August 28. Nearly twenty women went topless going from Queen Street East to Kew Beach on a pick-up truck sounding loudly the song "Revolution" by The Beatles.[2] According to Diane Brisbois, the spokesperson for Go Topless Canada, "This is not a beauty contest. It is about freedom. We have support; there are many men who come to our events too."[3]

Women in Canada won the right to bare their breasts in public in 1996 when the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned the 1991 conviction of Gwen Jacob, saying "there was nothing degrading or dehumanizing" about her decision to take off her shirt in public."[21]

In 2011, topless women congregated in Bryant Park in New York City on Go Topless Day,[22] while men mostly observed.[23] 30 cities held demonstrations in the US.[24]

In 2013, Go Topless Day in the US was held on August 25 and marked the 6th anniversary of the event. There were demonstrations in 40 cities. Men who support the group's mission were asked to cover their own man-boobs with pasties or bras.[24]

In 2014, Go Topless Day in the US was held on August 24. It was the 7th annual Go Topless Day.[25]

In 2015, Go Topless Day in the US was held on August 23. It was the 8th annual Go Topless Day.[26][27][28][29][30] In Edinburgh, approximately 50 people protested on the Royal Mile for two hours.[31]

In 2016, Go Topless Day in the US was held on August 28. It was the 9th annual Go Topless Day.[32]

See also

References
  1. Awesome, Barb (August 21, 2011). "It's National GoTopless Day!". ChicagoNow. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  2. Yuen, Jenny (August 28, 2011). "Topless Protest in T.O." Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  3. Hume, Jessica (August 27, 2011). "Where and When You Can Go Topless in Ontario, and What It Has to Do with UFOs". National Post. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  4. "Protests Demand Equal Topless Rights". United Press International. August 22, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  5. Ndikubwayezu, Gilbert (August 25, 2011). "Group Denied Permit to March Topless". Toronto Star. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  6. Winn, Pete (August 18, 2010). "Raelians Threaten Legal Action to Secure Women's Constitutional Right to Go Topless". CNSNews.com. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  7. "Go Topless Day Returns To Venice Beach This Weekend". Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  8. "2012 Go Topless Day". GoTopless.org. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  9. news352e.pdf "The date was chosen thanks to our sister, Sylvie Chabot's remark that August 26 is Women's Equality Day in the US because it is on August 26, 1920 that women won their constitutional right to vote."
  10. "Topless Protest to Be Held in Middle of Air And Water Show". CBS News. August 19, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  11. "Shirts Off! Equal Rights for Topless Women Demanded". Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  12. "Babes Take Age-Old Prejudice Off Their Chests". India Today. August 25, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  13. "National Go Topless Day in Venice Beach (NSFW)". L.A. Weekly.
  14. "Go Topless Day Venice Beach LA 2011".
  15. "National Go Topless Day in Venice (NSFW)". L.A. Weekly.
  16. Bradley, Paul T. (August 22, 2011). "Go Topless Day in Venice: A Political Protest, or Gawker's Dream? (NSFW)".
  17. Wilson, Simone (July 26, 2011). "Protesters Plan 'Go Topless Day' in Venice Beach, Because Aliens Told Them To".
  18. "Go Topless Day in Venice Beach 2011 - Yo! Venice!". July 27, 2011.
  19. "Women in US Go Bare-Chested for 'Go Topless Day'". The Times of India. August 24, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  20. "Protesters in US Celebrate 'Go Topless Day' for Women's Equal Rights". Newstrack India. Asian News International. August 23, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  21. CBC online
  22. "Go Topless at Bryant Park NYC 2012 photos". w2dtc.com.
  23. "The Neighborhood News," New York magazine, Sept. 10, 2012, p. 15.
  24. David, Moye. "'Go Topless Day' Is August 25 -- Unless You're A Man". The Huffington Post. David Moye. The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  25. "Topless Rally Planned For Sunday". San Antonio Current. Albert Salazar. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  26. Dumont, Tyler. "UPDATE: Free the Nipple organizer cited for toplessness in Gilford". Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  27. "Women go topless to send message of equality at Hampton Beach - New Hampshire".
  28. "'Free-the-Nipple' movement draws anger, tickets in Gilford - New Hampshire".
  29. "Police say topless women violated beach ordinance - New Hampshire".
  30. "N.H. topless movement leader goes to trial in December - New Hampshire".
  31. "Nipples were freed all around the world this weekend". August 24, 2015.
  32. "Women bare breasts for gender equality on GoTopless Day". KTTC. Associated Press. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
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