Topfree Equality

I'd like to quote an article published on one of my favourite websites which sums up a lot of what I believe more eloquently than I can express at present. Feel free to check out the rest of the site at your leisure - just click on the Top Free Equal Rights link under Sites Worth Seeing. The original article is by Sanna Ferm and Frida Hellroth of the Bara Bröst Nätverket (the translation given by TERA is "Merely Breasts Network". I'm afraid my Swedish is too rusty to tell if that's accurate) and was written in protest at women not being permitted to swim topfree in public pools in Sweden.

"If the Equal Opportunity Ombudsperson had declined a case about a woman not being employed because of "prevailing norms" that say women get more parental leave, should that be accepted? Until the 1970s it was legal for men to rape their wives, quite in accord with "prevailing norms." Merely because discrimination has always existed is no reason not to fight against it!

Women's breasts are more sexualized than men's in today's society. The reason for swimming topfree is to desexualize and demystify women's breasts. At public swimming pools there is no reason for breasts to be sexualized, even if there are other circumstances where they may well be.

We are far from that situation today. Now breasts are considered only in sexual contexts whereas they are forbidden in all other contexts. Why is it okay to have bare breasts on the front pages of men's magazines but not in a swimming pool?

It isn't valid to claim that this is about women's breasts being bigger than men's. That varies with the individual, and there are many men who have significantly larger breasts than many women. Nor may it be claimed that women's breasts are more sensitive than men's, because that too is an individual matter.

Others claim that bare women's breasts in a swimming pool would increase sexual crimes. So it's claimed both that men can't control their sexuality and that women must cover up and take responsibility for men's supposed hypersexuality. These arguments are frightening and recall the claim that women in "provocative" clothing must blame themselves if they are assaulted.

No, that is simply not a sensible explanation why men and women should be treated differently. There are discriminatory norms that prevail in society. These norms for how men and women must look and act are problematic for both men and women."

The sexualisation of the female body, especially the breasts, is something I find disturbing. Mainly because what we're talking about here is the objectification of the female body, which goes back to some very outdated ideas about women. It's regarding us not as people but as property and no matter how far we think we've come if we can't have equal treatment in terms of what we can and can't choose to display of our own selves, we're still not being treated fully as people. Why shouldn't I go topless when it's hot in summer (covered in sunblock, though) if I want to without it being considered a sexual invitation? Why shouldn't anyone be able to go top-free if they choose? Why are we so uptight about nudity?

Let me tell you a story. Last summer there was a worldwide cycling event, with participants in major cities all over the world. The aim of the event was to protest against the oil-driven ecomony and society's dependence on the car - and to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists on busy roads. The event I'm talking about is the World Naked Bike Ride. A fun event which my beloved took part in. I couldn't join in last year due to the lack of a bike and well, someone's got to mind the kids. (Incidentally, as far as I know, the only city where the cyclists were told to cover up because of people complaining was Paris!) I told my friends at college about it and they were horrified.

"They were naked?" Yes
"At tea time?" Yes
"In the centre of Manchester?" Yes
"Where anyone could see them?" Yes
"What? They should be arrested! That's indecent exposure! Me and my kids were in Manchester that day, we shouldn't have to see stuff like that! You let your husband do that? Is he some kind of pervert?"

Woah, slow down here. The instant assumption was that there was some kind of sexual gratification going on, that "naked" equals "sex". And, despite the fact that they could have been exposed to unsolicited nudity, they didn't see any naked cyclists and had no idea the event was even taking place until I told them. I was surprised at their response, but I shouldn't have been. They're devout Muslims and were brought up in an extremely repressive culture. They had obviously never considered that many people just don't like wearing clothes, or that nudity can be used to make a political statement, or simply to promote equality. Everyone's equal without clothing - no labels, no brands, nothing to mark which social strata you belong to. The trouble is, that the majority of people seem to think that nudity always equals sex.

There are complaints about women who breastfeed in public. Why? That's what the things are for after all. My boobs belong to me, not my boyfriend: they're not intended to be sex-toys. Why is it ok to show women's boobs on the front pages of mens magazines on the top shelves in a newsagents, but not in the flesh in the shopping centre that the newsagent's shop is in? Why should it be ok to have top-free sculptures in parks and public spaces if it's not ok to walk round top free in our parks and public spaces.

There were plenty of complaints in the papers last year about men going top free on hot days - mainly complaining about saggy beer-bellies and man-boobs or men with pasty white skin and ribs showing thorough. Fair enough, but not everyone is built to the standards of a Bernini sculpture. Human beings come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and shades. Not everyone finds the same things aesthetically pleasing anyway. If it's ok for a good-looking bloke to go top-free, it should be ok for any man. And if it's ok for any man, it should be ok for everyone. Either it should be ok for everyone or not ok for anyone. Lets have some consistency here.

Sadly, I think the spoilsports in charge want to make it not ok for anyone to reveal flesh. At the risk of offending people, I'd have to say NO! to the the folks who'd have us all wearing burkhas to avoid giving offence by showing unnecessary flesh. Breasts have only become sexualised because it's been a cultural imperative for so damn long to keep them hidden. Lets desexualise the body by showing it off! We're all made in God's image according to the Bible (if you believe in it) - so what's so dreadful about his handiwork that we've got to keep it covered?

Who's for going Cretan?

(Image posted with kind permission of Robin Ator - r8r's photos on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/r8r/75384073/). If you like this, please check out his other pics. His artwork is amazing)

Nude people smile more - spread some happiness!