Is Toplessness Everyone's Constitutional Right?

Here is a very interesting piece out of Michigan about the double standard of toplessness in America. According to this writer (Bill Schroer), many women believe that the fact that it is socially acceptable in the U.S. for a man to be topless but is NOT acceptable for women . . . is gender discrimination. Well, interestingly, some courts in Ohio, New York, and Canada agree and have declared laws against toplessness for women to be unconstitutional!

Perhaps this goes back to our notion of the female breast (and lactation? reproduction?) as something dirty, or something of which we should all be ashamed. But interestingly, this was NOT the case in America before the 1930's, when toplessness was forbidden for everyone, men and women alike. But then men rebelled (and, presumably, women kept quiet), so men fought for their right to flaunt it--and won!

In Europe, as this writer points out, this topless double standard doesn't really exist and many women are free to go topless without incident. This Past Week was National Go Topless Day. I did not even know this was a holiday! (Now I will know for next year . . . .)

Bill Schroer: Women's Rights to Choose is About Gender Equality - Battle Creek Enquirer