Protest To Aim At Equal Topless Rights In Daytona Beach

[thedrifter]

Protest To Aim At Equal Topless Rights In Daytona Beach

POSTED: 9:03 am EST March 2, 2004
UPDATED: 6:51 am EST March 3, 2004



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Liz Book believes exposed breasts are a part of motorcycle culture, so the Volusia County mother plans to lead a protest of topless women on the last day of Bike Week.

Book hopes to lead 1,000 "top-free" women and men along a half-mile of Main Street at noon Sunday.

"I never want to see another girl handcuffed and crying in the street because she yanked her top," said Book, 42. "Exposed breasts have been a part of the biker lifestyle for more than 50 years."

City officials and police are taking a wait-and-see approach, in part because the city's ordinance allows nudity when it is part of a political protest.

"It all depends on their behavior," said Al Tolley, Daytona Beach police spokesman. "The complexion of any protest can change, and it can turn into a lewd act in a heartbeat."

Kevin Kilian, a vice president of The Chamber-Daytona Beach and Halifax Area, said his group also is opposed to Book's planned protest.

"We as a community make a lot of concessions for our visitors," Kilian said. "It shouldn't be too much to ask that they respect the laws while they're here."

The city's nudity ordinance resulted in fines of $253 each for 59 women who exposed their breasts during last year's Bike Week, which attracts tens of thousands of bikers each year from around the nation, according to police records.

Book herself was arrested in 1998 when she bared her breasts inside the Full Moon Saloon bar.

Women recently have won the right to go top-free in parts of Maine, Vermont and in several provinces of Canada, said Morley Schloss, a retired school administrator who helped decriminalize women's bare breasts in New York in the late 1980s.

A group of women in Brevard County, known as the "Topfree 10," have filed a federal lawsuit seeking the right to go shirtless in nonsexual contexts wherever men do.

"We're fighting for our rights to do what men do," said Lori Mauldin, a sales clerk at a Daytona Beach T-shirt shop who intends to march in the protest. "If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me."

Do you support equal topless rights, allowing women to show their breasts openly, just like men?

http://www.wftv.com/news/2888490/detail.html

Sempers,

Roger

[TracGunny]

No, there are many causes in the fall of civilizations (read your history); the decline of society's standard of morality is one of the biggest.

I am afraid I see no comparison to men's breasts and women's, biologically or aesthetically; I have never nearly wrecked my car when a man walks topless down the street...

However, since Daytona is only 80 miles south of me, I just might have to take a trip down there and "see" Ms. Book's side of the argument...

[greensideout]

Now there's a TITillating question!

[namgrunt]

There is a part of me which would welcome bare breasted women in the public. And it didn't take Viagra to affect that part. However, I also have to use the larger head to see the potential psychological damage which might result from such openness in front of young children.

When I get past the initial happy reaction, I think of all those women who would have one more reason to inject themselves with materials to enhance their physical appearance. I hate silicone because it is hazardous for the woman to have inside her if the implant breaks, and it looks unnatural.

Worse yet, what of the older ladies who might be tempted to go out shopping sans tops. I don't relish the sight of a wrinkled topless great-grandmother turning into the aisle I'm standing in, buying my bread.

[Super Dave]

Originally posted by TracGunny
No, there are many causes in the fall of civilizations (read your history); the decline of society's standard of morality is one of the biggest.

I am afraid I see no comparison to men's breasts and women's, biologically or aesthetically; I have never nearly wrecked my car when a man walks topless down the street...

However, since Daytona is only 80 miles south of me, I just might have to take a trip down there and "see" Ms. Book's side of the argument...

Watch out Ms. Brooks may outweigh you by 100 pounds or more...

[yellowwing]

What? Can't you imagine Janet Reno and her 'friend' walking around topless?

[Kurt Stover]

Seeing Hildabeast topless.....Ack!!! If lying king bill couldn't handel it, ugh...have to think about smashing little puppies heads, cutting, my hand with a dull knife...anything to get that vision out of my head.....Aghhhh!!!!

[TracGunny]

Thanks for ruining the fantasy, people! Here I was thinking she would recruit young co-eds or Hef's girls for the protest... (Out weigh me by 100 pounds? Yuk - shudder)

On a serious note, any of you guys have wives? Daughters? Granddaughters? I still disagree with the public Freedom of Breast idea...

[namgrunt]

I'm sure there will be proponents for this, such as Madonna. If a person wants to go that route, there are nudist communities which would let you go without anything except a dogtag chain to carry your wallet on. I'm not ready for it, but thats my decision.

It would be great if you go to a campus and find bold ladies, but not if you went to church and discovered the craze had gone there too. You can bet someone would try it, for the shock value if nothing else.

namgrunt (The Prude)

[usmc4669]

We need a bill in Congress to allow women to go topless the same as men, then if a man touch her breast fine her $10,000, put her in jail for 6 months, for having breast that invites men to touch. As for old grandmothers the law would state that they would have to roll them up so that they wouldn't be in the way of other shopper shopping for bread, this would do away with training bras for little girls, then dirty old men could look at then without have to worry if they will be put in jail. Outlaw implants, if you have them show then, if not keep them covered. Or then we could pass a bill that would make it illegal for men to go topless, make him wear a bras if they don't and a women touches them fine him $10,000 lock him up in jail for 6 months for having breast like a woman.LOL

[mrbsox]

NO

I would ...

NOT support NO support

(ha-ha... pun intended)

Some things are just generally accepted as being in 'poor taste'. Scratching your ba11s in public.

Some things are just generally accepted as being 'not right', but they are not covered by any law.

Let me draw an anology...

I DO NOT support the idea of women in a combat role. It's not against the law, just against what I think is right. It is also just 'not the thing to do'.
But.... there are times when it MAY be advisable to make the exception. That doesn't mean we need legislation.

A woman bareing herself in public is HER decision, albeit against 'the grain' of normal thinking. But it SHOULD BE her decision to, or not to.

By passing a law making it right, by definition, makes something else wrong, or left out, or discriminated against, or..... law suits waiting !!

Leave it alone (a don't touch pun inserted here) and if you don't like the idea, stay away from bike week.

Terry

[mrbsox]

After reflection,
re-reading the question,
and a simple clubbing over the head (thanks Gunny)

I guess I have to answer

YES

I would support a womans RIGHT to go topless,
but not always her decision to.

[CPLRapoza]

Yes, amd regretably No. Yes because of the fact that, what guy wouldn't mind walking through a college campus and seeing all these hot young ladies bare breasted, I know I wouldn't. But I would have a problem picking my nephews up from middle and High school seeing that. PLus you would have totake in the account of Sexual Harrassment. It's bad enough women you this already to dishonor men, not all cases are fraudulent but alot are. Now just from looking at her you can get charged, because she said you were awking her and she didn't like it. It would cause more harm then good, way more harm. As for the old lady in the grocery store, unless you lie in the BAckwoods of somewhere, I now when I go to the Supermarket I have to put my shirt on, NO shirt No Service. So ladies Just keep that **** where it belongs and leave it there for your own good.

[usmc4669]

Now at 75 I'm not one who don't enjoy looking at a well develop young thing, to me it is art and I repeat art, God put her together, now not for all to see. The way that some of our your and some not so young women dresses they leave nothing to the imagination. So if these women want to go topless in front of a bunch of hog riders then let them, block off an area that the public will have to stay out of or make them pay to go see the fun. Remember the old saying the right to bare arms, then this would be the right to glare breast.

[TracGunny]

usmc4669: um... you're borrowing all those motivation hog-board photos from your 21-year old grandson... right?