I had no idea that August 23rd is National Go Topless Day, until I entered Central Park at Columbus Circle. There, on a nearby lawn, I saw a gathering of a few dozen people dressed in white. Pleaseant music was playing and at first I thought it was some sort of religious group. That is until I saw the home hewn signs that read, "Free Your Breasts." And my timing was perfect, as an un-noticed leader gave a signal and the gathered crowd did just that.
As I started my run around the park, I noticed that a good deal of the men were running shirtless. Meanwhile, I and all the other women were confined to our sweaty tops. Truth be told, I really wasn't eager to see lots of sweaty shirtless women running around , the men were bad enough, yet the option seemed fair.
On my way out of the Park, I was handed a pamphlet from gotopless.org, a group that is "uncovering the cover-up." The pamphlet reads, "In our society, men and women are supposed to have equal rights. But women are commonly arrested, fined and humiliated for daring to go topless in public, a freedom men have had for decades. To protest this unconstitutional gender discrimination, GoTopless.org is holding National Go-Toplesss Day events in cities nationwide."
All of a sudden I recognized the seriousness of the matter. It made me think of some of the interviews we have done at Big Think about the constitution and women's rights. Nadine Strossen, former president of the ACLU and a law professor at NYU, told us that what she would change in the constitution is the Equal Rights Amendment for Women. She argues it isn't necessary because women are people too.
She's right. And they also have breasts! I realized I needed to know more about this critical movement and read on. That's when I learned the origins of the organization. "Go Topless was founded by the Raelian Movement, which recognizes that life on Earth was created by advanced extraterrestrial scientists."
Uh OK.
Maybe I needed to think again. Whatever the origin or future of the movement, I do have a thought. It's the same one I have when on any topless tolerating European beach (and there are fewer of those now after a recent ban in France) - If exercising our right to bare our chests, perhaps boys and girls, we should all exercise a little first.
Discuss
Vicki Nikolaidis on September 4, 2009, 3:51 PM
I love this and I agree with your conclusion: ’we should all exercise a little first."
Some tourists of all ages and sizes, have a tendency to let it all hang out which can really ruin a day at Greek beaches. Not always a very beautiful view. Somehow it doesn’t seem very respectful to their hosts.
My practical side always wants to run around handing out sun protection creams.
enrique villoga on September 6, 2009, 11:02 AM
Funny.
francis lee on September 6, 2009, 2:09 PM
Is there anything the raelians won’t do for publicity? Cloned baby anyone? The fact that they are pushing this “movement”/charade under the guise of women’s freedom is insulting to independent women everywhere. It’s a freakin UFO sex clone cult! Whose women or “priestesses” are ruled by a pervy, washed-up, french race car driver! We’re to take this seriously? The media gets duped again.
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