Over 20 women marched topless Friday in Maine to protest the double standard that exists between women and men in regards to clothing.

Police reported no problems with the display, although critics called it degrading, according to The Portland Press Herald.

Though it is legal for women to be topless in Maine, as it is in many other states, it is still socially unacceptable. This attitude is sexist and wrong.

There are reasons most women choose to cover up — the same reason most men do not walk around all the time without shirts on. Not covering one’s chest would create a distraction in most work or social situations.

When at the beach, however, or a similar location where all some women wear anyway are two triangles to cover up, they shouldn’t be shunned for wanting to go bare.

The idea that the female breast is somehow pornographic or related to sex is very Western — countries such as the Philippines have a very different social standard when it comes to bare-chested women.

In the United States, however, to see a woman walking around without a shirt on is little less than shocking, but hardly pornographic.

The protestors likely anticipated any distraction created by Friday’s march. Some of the more negative reactions were exactly what they were trying to expose.

One woman tried to cover up the marchers with a blanket. Instead of looking like a legitimate voice in the protest, she looked like an embarrassed mother whose child had misbehaved.

Raising children in a society where women are told they cannot show a certain part of their flesh without being labeled as scandalous will only hinder that society, contributing to self esteem issues and sexual promiscuity.

Some against the rally said that many people just wish not to see bare-chested men or women walking down the streets — an argument that reinforces negative body-image stereotypes and unrealistic social standards.

Though most women probably won’t choose to walk down the street topless any time in the near future, the point is they should be able to without being laughed at or heckled.

Reach Nicole at ndgilber@asu.edu

Categories: Columns Opinion

Tags: feminism topless women