The other day I learned about an amazing woman named Moira Johnston who is an advocate for women’s rights and human rights. One of her latest acts is walking topless through Manhattan. Because she can. It’s legal in New York State to do so, you know. Here’s a direct quote from her website: “It is legal for women to go topless anywhere men may do the same in the entire state of New York, since 1992.” Needless to say she draws quite a lot of attention and raises quite a lot of, uh…awareness about this double standard. People stop and take pictures. Some drive the wrong way down one way streets.
I was quite surprised at my own inner turmoil when I first heard about Moira the other day. Part of me thought, “Good for her! Why not?” but another part of me was shocked. So I had to ask myself why. It really is rather silly, this “thing” we have about women’s breasts. What’s the difference? Just a little bit of topography, really. I think the reason women’s breasts are so sexualized in the first place is because we keep them so hidden. The taboo is what turns people on.
We often make fun of cultures that keep their women entirely covered up, because we think it’s as simple as thinking that men can’t control themselves otherwise. Clearly the issue is much more complex than that. We keep ourselves covered, too. It’s so pervasive we don’t even realize it. There’s this unspoken social pressure. Would I have the courage to go topless in Manhattan? No.
And the more I think about it, the more I resent it. Once, when I was 19, I was hiking in the Swiss Alps. It was a warm summer day. The view was spectacular, and there was no one for miles around. All you could hear was the cowbells on the other end of the valley. I decided to hike topless. And I will never forget the feeling of freedom. I haven’t been topless in public since then, and I miss that feeling so much. I take exception to the societal norms that restrict me.
So thank you, Moira, for what you’re doing. I wish I could say it will make a difference. I want it to. But I have my doubts.
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