Protest To Aim At Equal Topless Rights

Associated Press ^ | March 2, 2004

[ellery]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- There's a topless protest being planned this weekend in Daytona Beach, at the end of Bike Week.

Liz Book of Ormond Beach is among the organizers. She hopes to lead a thousand "top-free" women and men along a half-mile of Main Street from the pier to the bridge. The goal is to add Daytona Beach to the small but growing list of places that allow women to show their breasts openly, just like men.

Even if only two people join her protest, she plans to still go through with it. City officials and police are mostly taking a wait-and-see approach, in part because the city's ordinance allows nudity when it is clothed in political protest.

Book's husband, Robert Van Winkle, bailed her out in 1998 when she was arrested for baring her breasts inside the Full Moon Saloon. A group of women in Brevard County, known as the "Topfree Ten" have filed a federal lawsuit seeking the right to go shirtless in non-sexual contexts wherever men do, during such outside activities as beachgoing or gardening.

[KantianBurke]

please do not post pics. I have a feeling this ladies aren't the kind you want to see topless

[Crazieman]

Only if they're gorgeous. =)

[dirtboy]

She hopes to lead a thousand "top-free" women and men along a half-mile of Main Street from the pier to the bridge.

If she can muster up five topless women, she'll have no problem enlisting 995 men.

[Owl_Eagle]

My personal opinion is that women should go topless, and men shouldn't.

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[buffman]

This ladies?

[cynicom]

Spare us the "details".....

[buffman]

This ladies?

[buffman]

This ladies?

[goldstategop]

Uh - we can't show you on Free Republic. I mean its as wacky as liberals going nude to make a political point. ;-)

[Callahan]

Do you suppose the religious right will be so distracted by the prospect of gay marriage that this might actually slip through un-noticed. Nothing like good old-fashioned, red-blooded heterosexuality meets truth in advertising.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Robert Van Winkle? Wasn't that Vanilla Ice's real name and doesn't he live in Florida?

[martin_fierro]

	FReeper Motorcycle Hooligan
Send FReepmail if you want on/off FMH list

Oh, yes it is.

[Callahan]

Bring on the "Bro." Or was it the "Mansier?"

[Hanging Chad]

They apparently come in all shapes and sizes...

[Lunatic Fringe]

Here's the difference...

A man's chest is not really the object of sexual desire for women. It's nice if it is chiseled and cut, like an arm or calve.

But a woman's chest is a man's object of sexual desire, although it is not a "sex organ" in the purely scientific sense.

[Callahan]

Maybe so, but if they pass this law and replace the sidewalks with trampolines, I just might move there. Hell--Slick Willy may re-locate the whole Clinton Library.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

A group of women in Brevard County, known as the "Topfree Ten" have filed a federal lawsuit seeking the right to go shirtless in non-sexual contexts wherever men do, during such outside activities as beachgoing or gardening

Just out of curiosity, is that a group of five women or ten?

[BSunday]

allows nudity when it is clothed in political protest

Pun of the Week Nominee.

[Petronski]

City officials and police are mostly taking a wait-and-see approach...

I bet they are! LOL

[Fitzcarraldo]

Nothing like good old-fashioned, red-blooded heterosexuality meets truth in advertising.

Gays are probably behind this to pacify the red-blooded hetero crowd. Has this city weighed in yet on gay marraige?

[codyjacksmom]

Huh? Seeing some good looking man chest with some hair and some cold little nips is a BIG turn on. And I know quite a few men that would consider them "sexual organs". :-)

[Callahan]

I would think that gay men at least would opposed this measure. Too much competition.

[Callahan]

Man, is it chilly in here?

[Redcoat LI]

"Robert Van Winkle? Wasn't that Vanilla Ice's real name and doesn't he live in Florida?"

Yes it is,and yes he does.

His wife is smokin' hot.

This is one protest I can get behind,better yet ,get in front of,and walk backwards.

[george wythe]

The goal is to add Daytona Beach to the small but growing list of places that allow women to show their breasts openly, just like men.

I have no problem with topless beaches.

I've been to South Beach innumerable times, and I've seen plenty of silicone and natural breasts. Big deal.

[codyjacksmom]

. .

[Hodar]

But a woman's chest is a man's object of sexual desire, although it is not a "sex organ" in the purely scientific sense.

You could make the same arguement for a woman's mid-rif, her thighs, her legs, feet and arms. So, you are promoting that women cover up their bodies so that men can controll themselves? This is EXACTLY the same logic used by the Taliban. Women are forced to wear burkha's because of the risk of inciting lust in other men. I submit your logic is flawed.

I live in Austin, TX. We have a park in the middle of town called Zilker Park. It's a nice city park, and in the middle of it is a natural spring-fed pool called Barton Springs Pool. To make a long story short, the pool is a popular gathering place during the summer. And it's not unusual to see women of all ages (but predominately 20-40 yr) swimming and sunning topless. At first it's a shock, as you just don't expect to see it. But after about 15 minutes of giving yourself whiplash, you just don't care anymore.

It makes no sense to me that men can run around topless (some with bigger boobs than most women), yet if a woman does exactly the same thing, she faces fines and imprisonment.

[Lunatic Fringe]

You could make the same arguement for a woman's mid-rif, her thighs, her legs, feet and arms.

Umm, no you can't.

This is EXACTLY the same logic used by the Taliban.

Need I say more?

[philosofy123]

It is a sexual organ for some women. If a woman has good sensitivity in that area, it can be orgasmic? At least that is what I was told.

[nobody_knows]

Liz book of Ormond beach.

[microgood]

But after about 15 minutes of giving yourself whiplash, you just don't care anymore.

Are you sure you don't mean 15 years?

[isthisnickcool]

It makes no sense to me that men can run around topless (some with bigger boobs than most women), yet if a woman does exactly the same thing, she faces fines and imprisonment.

(Humor - Copyright - isthisnickcool - Freeperville, USA)

[talleyman]

Two thumbs up (or something like it)

[Hodar]

You could make the same argument for a woman's midriff, her thighs, her legs, feet and arms.

Your response: Umm, no you can't.

Oh, most certainly I can, my good fellow. Consider the swim suits of the 1800's thru 1940's. These were full body, bulky affairs that covered the woman from neck to ankle. You could say from head to toe, in that large hats were also part of the fashion statement of swim wear, at that point in time. The idea of showing a woman's delicate ankle was enough to arouse men then. Why, when women's swim suit fashions changed to show clear up to her knee; why that was scandalous

[Hodar]

It is a sexual organ for some women. If a woman has good sensitivity in that area, it can be orgasmic? At least that is what I was told.

Under the right conditions, a woman sucking on your toes may have the same effects. So, are men now required to wear boots?

[Arrowhead1952]

I live in Austin, TX. We have a park in the middle of town called Zilker Park. It's a nice city park, and in the middle of it is a natural spring-fed pool called Barton Springs Pool. To make a long story short, the pool is a popular gathering place during the summer. And it's not unusual to see women of all ages (but predominately 20-40 yr) swimming and sunning topless. At first it's a shock, as you just don't expect to see it. But after about 15 minutes of giving yourself whiplash, you just don't care anymore.

This sounds like several spots on Lake Travis during the hot summer. There are several parks, especially Hippie Hollow, that tend to have quite a few late teen to late 30 yr old women swimming and sunbathing topless. Seen that many times.

[colorado tanker]

Oh man! As far as I'm concerned she can pull her shirt up - as long as she covers her face with it.

[Clock King]

I wouldn't worry too much about this. 1) most women are fairly self-conscious about their bodies, moreso than men and will decide not to go topless in any public situation, Girls Gone Wild Because They're Drunk not withstanding. 2) most women, at least those with reasonable to large breasts find it uncomfortable to go around with no bra for any extended length of time. Notice how the whole burning your bra fad of the past faded when women found wearing anything other than a cotton T-shirt without a bra was not fun.

[philosofy123]

I have ZERO experience when it comes to toes. as a matter of fact, I think it could be just nothing but hipe?

[Nick Danger]

This will make a great social experiment. By all means, let's have women running around topless everywhere. I want to know what those career girls who already flash everything around the office will do to get noticed once that happens.

[nobody_knows]

"Oh man! As far as I'm concerned she can pull her shirt up - as long as she covers her face with it."

AND it's one of these T-shirts she's wearing!

http://www.butterfacewear.com/products.cfm

[MrConfettiMan]

>>Just out of curiosity, is that a group of five women or ten?

That's what I was thinking. :-p

[MrConfettiMan]

>>Book's husband, Robert Van Winkle, bailed her out in 1998 when she was arrested for baring her breasts inside the Full Moon Saloon.

Given the name of the bar, methinks this woman exposed the wrong part of her anatomy.

[Hodar]

Fingers, toes, chest ...

What you were suggesting is sex play, and that is just not an acceptable public display under any conditions. However, the point remains; a man can drop his shirt to mow the lawn, work on his tan, bike, or simply go for a walk, and this is acceptable.

If a woman does exactly the same thing, in exactly the same manner, in the same place, at the same time, she may find herself arrested and charged with indecent exposure, as if she were a flasher or other sex offender.

Breasts are not sexual organs. The have only one purpose, they exist to provide food for the young. Some men have larger breasts than some women. America has placed a huge amount of taboo and mystery around women's breasts. It's stupid, but it's there. Heck, go to a 'gentlemen's club' and just look around. You will see fine, young nubile girls between the ages of 18-30, all prime, thin and gorgeous. But you know what? Bypass the alcohol, don't buy a lapdance, so you are just a 'voyeur' and you know what? You will become bored with the scenery in about 15 minutes. This same thing will happen at the pool. Once you get beyond the 'shock' of seeing what is normally covered, you'll wonder why they were covered at all.

It's really not a big deal.

[colorado tanker]

"When everything looks good but her face -- she's a Butterface.'

ROTFLMAO!

[Old Professer]

the city's ordinance allows nudity when it is clothed in political protest.

Sounds like someone playing golf inside a greenhouse.

[atomicpossum]

What a bunch of boobs.

[robertpaulsen]

"The goal is to add Daytona Beach to the small but growing list of places that allow women to show their breasts openly, just like men."

This could backfire. On some beaches in the United States, men were prohibited from going topless as late as the 1930s.

Daytona beach could decide that no one goes topless.

[Labyrinthos]

City officials and police are mostly taking a wait-and-see approach...

Seems to me they ought to nip this before things get out of hand.