Topless march draws onlookers in Portland

[Maine-ah]

Topless march draws onlookers in Portland
By The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine — About two dozen women drew a crowd of onlookers when they took off their tops and marched down a downtown street in Portland, Maine, to promote what they call equal-opportunity public toplessness.

Organizer Ty MacDowell said the point of Saturday's march was that a topless woman out in public shouldn't attract any more attention than a man who walks around without a shirt.

According to the Portland Press Herald, by the time the group reached the end of the march there were more than 500 people — a mix of marchers, young men snapping photos, oglers and people just out enjoying a sunny, warm day.

It's not illegal for a woman to be topless in public in Maine, and police said there were no incidents or arrests.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/140416.html

[NJmaverick]

1. "by the time the group reached the end of the march there were more than 500 people"

lol, sounds like their point about topless women not attracting attention was not exactly made.

[eShirl]

2. Most of the time it's so darn cold, nobody wants to go topless here

but it's nice to know we have that legal option.

[Maine-ah]

4. lol, I'm all set on going topless in public as well

but, I do lay out topless in my back yard during the summer and it's nice to know I can't get arrested for it

[Warpy]

3. There are nudie beaches all over New England

They're the townie beaches that are a little more difficult to get to that the tourists rarely find. Once in a blue moon some tourist manages to stumble onto one and raises hell because their precious suburban brats saw somebody naked coming out of the water and the cops go by and tell everybody to put their clothes on until after the weekend and that tourist goes back home and that's it.

However, marching bare chested through the middle of town is quite different. It's not really appropriate for males to do it, either, especially these days of so many of them with manboobs and worse.

It would be lovely to mow the lawn topless, though.

[Maine-ah]

6. one of our nude beaches is called Lake Wood

up at Acadia.

[LiberalFighter]

12. Instead of the cops telling the nudists they should tell the tourists

to read the damn signs.

[Warpy]

14. There were no signs

and you had to know where the access was. Still, tourists out birdwatching or something would blunder onto the beaches every once in a while and purse their lips and their underwear bunched up.

[Jennicut]

13. Yup. There is also a nudist colony up in Woodstock where my husband once had to read the meters at

as a meter reader for CT Light and Power. It was an ....interesting experience he said.

[Lerkfish]

5. this thread is pointless without pictures

(someone had to say it)

:)

[Bucky]

8. here ya go, a girl not wearing her top...

... hat.

[Uben]

7. I'd have to agree

If the puritans weren't so obsessed with women's breasts, a topless woman in public would eventually go unnoticed. What is it with people's obsession with body parts? We are the only animal that acts this way. Civilized? Under what pretext? Some imaginary beings (adam and eve) supposedly eat a piece of fruit and they are suddenly made aware that their nudity is bad? You may believe it, I don't. I can't help but believe that some king who sold clothes declared nudity illegal. This makes a hell of a lot more sense than eating a friggin piece of fruit that to this day has never been seen or experienced again.

If we all started walking around naked tomorrow, by the end of the week, no one would even care. Animals only get aroused when their female counterparts are in heat. Humans get aroused when a lady drops a friggin pencil!

As long as we let the puritans dictate our laws, this insanity will continue. You see the same thing in other religions. If a woman went naked in public in an Islamic country, they would be killed. It's all about man's obsession with imaginary beings cooked up by a bunch of fanatics.

Religion will be the downfall of mankind.

[Berry Cool]

9. Why assume that it all has to do with religion

or that all religious people think that all nakedness is bad?

Enough with the blanket blaming of religion for everything you don't like...really.

[Uben]

10. Okay....

...then you explain it. All mainstream religions that I know of look at public nudity as a sin. It'll be interesting to see what you come up with.

I don't blame religion for everything I don't like. That is something you just made up to suit your needs. My claims are documented in the bible and the koran. What is yours based upon?

[walldude]

18. Ever heard of a BURKA?

Please, while religion may not be to blame for everything, I think we can safely say that the whole puritan attitude of "breasts are bad but bloody nails in the hands, crown of thorns on the head rising from the dead zombie Jesus is alright" comes from.. religion.

Sorry but these days, with the loony right Christians, the loony right Muslims, and the Criminal Catholic Church, religious people ought to go fix their own fucking houses before they start whining about someone elses.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

11. Seems like a futile attempt. If it has to do with sex... people will notice.

All animals, humans too, are hard wired to take notice of sexual/reproductive aspects with regard to their sexual counterparts.
It's part of species being driven to reproduce and it's completely natural.
I don't think any amount of social conditioning can counteract millennia of genetic programming.
People WILL take notice and attract attention, even if they don't gawk or stare or broadcast any notice taken.

A woman going topless will draw attention... especially if she's got a nice pair.
Just like a very fit/sculpted man going topless will attract the attention of people attracted to masculine figures.
:shrug:

[cbdo2007]

16. Yeah, it seems like this event does the exact opposite of what they claim they

are trying to do.

By going topless in a group where they know it isn't really acceptable they are trying to draw attention to themselves and the fact that they are topless rather than make it seem like it's no big deal.

Really though, the world must be out of causes because I can think of about a million things more important than whether or not women shoudl be able to go topless around town without being stared at. If a woman looks great in a pair of jeans and a tight sweater, she's going to be stared at so it really has nothing to do with the *skin* aspect of it. Men like to check out women. This isn't going to change.

[Roon]

15. A straight comedian said he loves going to gay parades

he always marches with the topless lesbians..the lesbians don't mind, they think he is gay!

I sometimes drive cab in Downtown Denver, every once in awhile you will see a topless woman.There is always a gentleman to give her an escort..lol

[L0oniX]

17. THE MILK HAS GONE BAD!

[spanone]

19. .....

[Confusious]

20. First, a million other things more important

Second, the only way it's not going to be a big deal is if all males are either gay or have no libido.