Update: four times, at least, Tove Lo flashes crowds in different cities in outspoken support of #freethenipple. Tove Lo flashed the crowd last week in Las Vegas. NSFW (youtu.be)
For much more:
Female Nipples causing an Internet Storm. {Nudity}
Liz Plank from Mic and #FreeTheNipple activist Lina Esco made the below video to probe how some people feel about Esco’s campaign for women to gain the right to go topless.
Lina Esco created a film, written by Hunter Richards, in 2014 and titled it Free The Nipple.
The Free The Nipple campaign begun after they experienced difficulties in trying to release the movie. Esco’s intentions were to revolutionise how nipple’s are perceived and also to draw attention to gender equality and also look at why society seems to glorify violence, and yet represses sexuality.
I recently wrote an article about the Free The Nipple campaign—
to say it caused a storm would be an understatement. Between the comments section in the article and Facebook comments, it garnered thousands of responses, with many differing points of view.
We are all entitled to our own opinions, and this showed in the heated feedback and debates.
CMPaterson wrote;
“What is most interesting to me is that on prime time tv, violence is everywhere: bullying, guns, fists, blood, gore, hurting each other, insulting each other.. this is violence. Bullying is horizontal hostility. THAT should be rated R, if on TV at all. Gratuitous violence is everywhere, and accepted, but the nipple, breasts, even sexuality, is not. Sexuality is normal and beautiful. Violence is not. Things are so screwed up in society. That’s why we need brave pioneers like scout. She was brazen enough to walk the streets of new york, exposed breasts, absolutely nothing sexual about it. It’s just her body. Her boobs travel where she goes. there was no violence, and she was perfectly warm and kind to those with whom she interacted (i assume! i’m pretty sure). What’s wrong with us? We deserve a paradigm shift so that our next generations can be right with their bodies. then they can be right with each other, and then maybe we can clean up how we behave with each other.”
Yet, another comment left on the original article from Rebecca Marroquin explained an entirely different viewpoint:
“Ladies, just don’t get all mad and complain about sexual harassment when men start staring and waking around with “chubbies”! I personally feel this is one of those times we can’t have it both ways….I don’t want to be the same as a man I am I woman, my body is sacred…we are equal to man….but we are VERY different! I’m over this whole trying to do what men do thing…why do we need to constantly have dick measuring contests? Don’t need that to prove I’m comfortable in my skin! So please pass my stilettos, bright red lips, and “damsel in distress” call…I’ve built furniture with a high heel and butter knife before…but do I want to? Phuuuuk no! That’s what the guys are for.”
And Dianne disagrees with men and women being topless, saying, “Personally I would like to go the other way and make it illegal and unacceptable for men to be topless in public. There are far too many unpleasant half naked men out there and I don’t care to see it. Keep men & women covered.”
Jill Guevera explains an entirely different point of view:
“In this case women have been oppressed by heterosexual men because of an obsession over the female breast developed and nurtured by the porn industry giving them the inability to view a nipple and not get an erection. That is the real reason we cannot bear our breasts, because of the hetero male ego and fear of getting hard in public that has lingered since puberty when the hetero male begins to participate in the pornographic world. This conditioning by the porn industry to associate the female body with sex instead of motherhood, love, compassion, strength, and kindness is a tool used to politically control the female body. BRAVO to for continuing the fight for females to have the right to choose what is right for our bodies. We will get there one day, working together, raising awareness.”
One opinion from a male reader showed how hesitant he was to voice his opinion, even though he fully supported the campaign, Michael DC explains,
“Here’s how I feel about getting men to do just that; I paused for a second before I commented but just for a second. The reason is because I thought just like many males think, “this guy just wants to see more tits” etc. And that is not the case. I just don’t see the issue with it. I believe it is a male problem. Because we don’t want to have to control ourselves or be responsible for our actions. We’re afraid we will get aroused in public or stare. But again until it’s as normal as it is for men to expose a bare chest people will treat it as a taboo. For example I have children, all young girls, it made me uncomfortable walking in a mall by a certain store with bare chested men standing in the doorways and windows. I felt that was inappropriate. But not to a point where I feel someone should get arrested. Bare bodies are NOT in and of themselves pornagraphic. It’s our thoughts about them that make them. I could go on and on but I think I make my point. It’s a man thing. But if all men stood hand in hand with females this would change over night.”
Lhyza posted the image below alongside the caption, “We all have a Human Body, why discriminate? ?#Equality?#FreeTheNipple ?#feminism“
Robyn and Michelle Lytle came up with a new creation after hosting two Dutch women as part of a cultural exchange. The two women were not aware of the U.S. topless laws and while visiting a beach in Chicago on a hot summer day, they didn’t think twice about running topless into the lake. After chaos surrounded them, the male lifeguard asked them to cover up or leave.
Michele, always one to push boundaries and challenge authority came up with a new idea which is called The TaTa Top, described as “the breast bikini top ever.”
The company hopes the top will serve to question social norms and hopefully dig deeper into why these topless laws exist and also why we conform to society’s expectations.
The company owners hope their product below will prevent any further drama that could be caused by women showing aureolas.
This is what they created:
Femen Sweden, who are part of an International powerful group of female activists explained to me that this image below was removed from their Facebook account, and their account was suspended for one month.
Reading some of the comments that my original article gained opened my eyes to the varied levels of judgment about how the body is perceived so differently, depending on the person.
I think these types of campaigns may not change the world overnight, however, it is paving a way for a more equal future for new generations.
This movement was created by a group of women to further the free the nipple campaign, but also to raise awareness for equality at the same time. As females, we know that we do not live in an equal society. This campaign is just another way of shouting out that women want the same rights as men.
This is just another step toward having the freedom to make choices without society telling us what is right or what is wrong, without rules and regulations that are often ridiculous and unequal.
Many comments from men said that breasts should be covered so that men can then unveil them for their sexual desire. Essentially, they are saying women can never feel the sun on their breasts and not have the same rights and choices as males just so that men can have their needs met behind closed doors.
What about women’s freedom, choices, needs and desires? This is about equality, about women not being viewed as sexual objects for showing some naked flesh.
Many others have said that exposing breasts opens the door to allow men to rape women. I think that’s outrageous. Bodies should not be objectified in this way. It is one thing to get sexual pleasure in the right circumstance, quite another to objectify the body in such a way just for showing flesh. Many women find a male’s breasts sexual, but that would not prompt them to violate a male’s body. Research has shown that what causes a man to rape is far more complex than because a female has shown her naked skin.
I have taken my top off on a sunny day, in one of the few places on this planet that I’ve been allowed. And let me explain, it was liberating, exhilarating and a beautiful feeling to feel the wind brush my skin. I wouldn’t go to work dressed half naked, but I would like the right, just as men have, to be able to take my top off on the beach, or wherever I see fit.
The start with any movement, is opening up the dialogue: conversation, learning, education, reconditioning. It will happen. Women will achieve equality. This is for humanity, for an equal world for our future generations
It just so happens that breasts get attention, and if that’s what it takes to raise awareness a little more for feminism and equality, I’m all for it. We have a long way to go, but Instagram and Facebook have both recently loosened their “rules” on this and eventually, minds will also open—one day we will achieve equality.
The men that fought for the right to bare their chests in the 1930s (while in the midst of the great depression) did it for a shift in consciousness for their fellow men. Now, many years later, women are doing the same.
Relephant:
You Are Beautiful. Natural Naked Body Images. {Nudity}
Author: Alexsandra Myles
Editor: Catherine Monkman
All photos used with permission from: Thetatatop.com, @ItsMeLeaf/Twitter, @sadstoned/Twitter, @minh_connors/Twitter, @LhyzaLibertad/Twitter, @FEMENSWE/Twitter, @FEMENSWE/Twitter, @Lukedavisgrey/Twitter, @azzzzop/Twitter, @wanderingelff/Twitter, @CarliBei/Twitter
Relephant:
How to Love Yourself:
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