Hurray for NYC! Boobs are allowed in public.

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**d-usa**

Link to story (NSFW): http://www.policymic.com/articles/42359/topless-women-in-public-not-breaking-the-law-says-nypd

Ladies of New York , you are free to walk bare-breasted through the city! New York City's 34,000 police officers have been instructed that, should they encounter a woman in public who is shirtless but obeying the law, they should not arrest her. This is a good step towards gender parity in public spaces.

This decision means that breast exposure is not considered public lewdness, indecent exposure, or disorderly conduct. It also notes that, should a crowd form around a topless woman, the officer should instruct the crowd to disperse and then respond appropriately if it does not. Relative coverage is no longer a factor.

This policy shift comes after several years of litigation and protest. In the 1992 case People v. Ramona Santorelli and Mary Lou Schloss, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in favor of two women who were arrested with five others for exposing their breasts in a Rochester park, holding the law void as discriminatory. The ruling was put to the test in 2005, when Jill Coccaro bared her breasts on Delancey Street in New York, citing the 1992 decision, and was detained for twelve hours. She subsequently successfully sued the city for $29,000.

In 2007, Go Topless, a national organization supporting gender equality in shirtlessness laws, established Go Topless Day. Dozens of women protest – often topless – in thirty cities around the United States, promoting equal rights to be shirtless. Protests usually include chants of “Free your breasts. Free your minds” and a song “Let ‘em Breath” to the tune of the Beatles’ “Let it Be.”

While some who have witnessed these events have suggested that "[t]his is extreme liberalism and why America’s in decline” or “[i]t’s degrading to women,” others have been supportive. One man even said he would encourage his wife to join them.

Though bare-breasted women might shock the sensibilities of some in the public, it is encouraging to see the police responding positively to gender bias, even on such a seemingly small scale. After all, no one thinks twice about a man shirtless on a summer day. However, the female nipple or chest is still considered “lewd.” By reminding its officers of this, the NYPD is publicly declaring that it will no longer perpetuate unconstitutional gender discrimination, a standard to which all law enforcement should be held and a decision for which it should be applauded.

**hotsauceman1**

It will never happen, It is always to cold in new york.

**azazel the cat**

While some who have witnessed these events have suggested that "[t]his is extreme liberalism and why America’s in decline” or “[i]t’s degrading to women,”.

Yeah! Women should know to cover up their shameful chests!

On a serious note, I very much doubt many women will take advantage of this, but it's nice to know that it's merely a social construct that is restricting them, rather than a fully codified law. One step at a time.

**generalgrog**

Barbarians at the gate......

GG

**hotsauceman1**

*Sigh* So what? People with boobs are now going to destroy the world?

**Cheesecat**

I like this, but still women being topless is still different from a man being topless as breasts are considered sexual, but then again maybe being topless as a male is considered sexual too I don't know.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

hotsauceman1 wrote:
*Sigh* So what? People with boobs are now going to destroy the world?

I think people being choke to death by topless women's boobs would be the greatest apocalypse ever, nice hotsauceman1.

**Ouze**

In my experience the kind of women who think nothing of strolling around casually topless for no special reason are also the kind of women you're least interested in seeing topless.

Ideally I'd also prefer to not see men with no shirts on, unless we're at the beach or something in which case do what you like. But these are just my personal preferences.

**BlapBlapBlap**

Meh. Do what you want. All I can say is, I hope Ms. Wazowski keeps her shawl on. My mum wants the family to return on a trip, because the first time we went we arrived just before a hurricane.

**Experiment 626**

Ouze wrote:
In my experience the kind of women who think nothing of strolling around casually topless for no special reason are also the kind of women you're least interested in seeing topless.

Ideally I'd also prefer to not see men with no shirts on, unless we're at the beach or something in which case do what you like. But these are just my personal preferences.

This is so true.

I have to keep my friggin' curtains pulled across the windows on the one whole side of my house, due to the fact my one neighbour will spend the entire summer wandering about his yard shirtless...
Too many nightmares have come from that flabby beer gut, not to mention how horrible it is to see his back as you could easily take a lawnmower to it.*shudders*

The only women I've ever seen in public who've gone topless are those who do so because it's likely the only way they get ever get seen...*double shudders*

**Lt. Coldfire**

This would've been nice if we had done this before everyone got fat.

**Ouze**

Lt. Coldfire wrote:
This would've been nice if we had done this before everyone got fat.

Best comment possible.

**Tannhauser42**

Lt. Coldfire wrote:
This would've been nice if we had done this before everyone got fat.

Hey, NYC tried to do something about that too with banning the Big Gulp or something like that.

Can't win 'em all.

**Relapse**

Tannhauser42 wrote:
Lt. Coldfire wrote:
This would've been nice if we had done this before everyone got fat.

Hey, NYC tried to do something about that too with banning the Big Gulp or something like that.

Can't win 'em all.

They banned one big gulp and legalized another.

**Cheesecat**

Relapse wrote:
Tannhauser42 wrote:
Lt. Coldfire wrote:
This would've been nice if we had done this before everyone got fat.

Hey, NYC tried to do something about that too with banning the Big Gulp or something like that.

Can't win 'em all.

They banned one big gulp and legalized another.

I thought fellatio was always legal in New York.

**Tannhauser42**

Cheesecat wrote:
Relapse wrote:
Tannhauser42 wrote:
Lt. Coldfire wrote:
This would've been nice if we had done this before everyone got fat.

Hey, NYC tried to do something about that too with banning the Big Gulp or something like that.

Can't win 'em all.

They banned one big gulp and legalized another.

I thought fellatio was always legal in New York.

You might be thinking of San Francisco.

**d-usa**

So NYC:

1) Women can be topless
2) banning everything that makes you fat

Well played NYC, well played...

**Cheesecat**

d-usa wrote:
So NYC:

1) Women can be topless
2) banning everything that makes you fat

Well played NYC, well played...

Yeah that was good planning on there part.

**djones520**

If it was good planning, they would have started #2 15-20 years ago.

**Jihadin**

Don't forget the strictist gun laws in the US...keep jealous BF/husbands/GF/wife from shooting the lookers

**d-usa**

And all these years people judged Bloomberg, the man is a saint!

**Kovnik Obama**

azazel the cat wrote:

On a serious note, I very much doubt many women will take advantage of this, but it's nice to know that it's merely a social construct that is restricting them, rather than a fully codified law. One step at a time.

It's been legal in Ontario for a decade or so, if I'm not mistaken. Not much change yet.

**MeanGreenStompa**

So he took away giant sized sodas and then allowed boobs.

I'm going to order two medium sodas and go watch the jigglies.

**Cheesecat**

I thought it was pronounced "pop".

**Grey Templar**

Pop is like soooo last century.

**d-usa**

Then you get to the crazy parts of the US where you can hear the following conversation:

"Do you want a coke?"
"Yeah"
"What kind?"
"Dr. Pepper."

Silly Americans...

**timetowaste85**

Tannhauser42 wrote:
Cheesecat wrote:
Relapse wrote:
Tannhauser42 wrote:
Lt. Coldfire wrote:
This would've been nice if we had done this before everyone got fat.

Hey, NYC tried to do something about that too with banning the Big Gulp or something like that.

Can't win 'em all.

They banned one big gulp and legalized another.

I thought fellatio was always legal in New York.

You might be thinking of San Francisco.

Must be San Fran. Fellatio is illegal in NY. Pretty sure most of us should have been fined before leaving high school.

**Sigvatr**

inb4 naked grannies in NYC.

**purplefood**

The won't be naked, just topless

**Stormfather**

Well, Stop and Frisk gives the NYPD plenty of opportunity to step on the neck of civil liberties, so I guess they can let topless women slide, for now.

**Tannhauser42**

Kovnik Obama wrote:

It's been legal in Ontario for a decade or so, if I'm not mistaken. Not much change yet.

Surprisingly enough, it's legal in Dallas, TX, too. But only until someone complains, and even then it's a public disturbance citation. Remember not too long ago when that one singer recorded a music video of her stripping down to nothing while walking in Dallas? Perfectly legal (even with the video proof of the act) until they could find someone who was actually there to file a complaint.