“Topless rights are one of the few areas of gender equality that haven’t been addressed at a federal level, and GoTopless is determined to see that it is,” proclaims Nadine Gary, president of the aforementioned activist group that seeks the right to appear in public, well, topless.
Ms. Gary is particularly vexed by North Carolina State Rep.Tim Moffitt, a Republican, who proposed a bill in late January that clarifies the state’s indecent exposure law. His version would make it illegal for women to expose their nipples, but would not apply to women breastfeeding in public.
The group has already staged two topless “rallies” in the Tarheel State to to express their dismay.
“In a country that now accepts women as frontline soldiers and encourages gay men and women to openly serve in the military, GoTopless members are confident that Rep. Moffitt is choosing a battle he can’t win,” Ms. Gary says. “When this case reaches the courts, they’ll have no choice but to see this as a constitutional issue based on gender equality, which is the exact point we’re making.”
She continues, “Though we’ve explained our viewpoint many times during GoTopless rallies over the last two years, politicians are still missing the entire point.”
Ms. Gary says her group is intent on”bringing attention to a serious matter of unconstitutional, unequal treatment. In much of the United States, women are still persecuted or arrested for going topless, while men aren’t.”
The activist adds, “To uphold the U.S. Constitution, Rep. Moffitt should honor its references to equality. Instead, he’s attempting to widen the inequality gap when he should either be protecting women’s rights to go topless in his state or striving to see that men’s nipples remain equally private.”
