Canadians, get it off your chests

[Gob]

Hundreds of Canadian woman joined a topless protest march after three sisters were allegedly stopped by police for cycling without shirts.



Saturday's "Bare with us" march took place in Waterloo, Ontario. The women say that police told them to cover up whilst cycling in the neighbouring town of Kitchener last month.

They have filed a formal complaint with the police.

It is legal for women to be topless in Ontario after a court ruling in 1996.

Protestors held signs that included the slogans "They are boobs not bombs, chill out" and "Nudity isn't sexual."

The three sisters, Tameera, Nadia and Alysha Mohamed, say that they took their shirts off because it was a hot summer day.

However, they allege that a police officer approached them and told them to cover up. But when they challenged this, the officer said he was stopping them for bike safety reasons.

One of the sisters is an award nominated Canadian singer under her stage name Alysha Brilla.

"I had no idea how polarizing the issue would be. I thought people wouldn't be so disturbed by the female breast," she told CBC news.

"We just want to advocate and let people know that they do have this right," the singer added.

Ontario passed legislation confirming the right of women to go topless in 1996, after the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned a woman's conviction for removing her shirt.

Gwen Jacobs had been fined in 1991, but on appeal the court found that there was "nothing degrading or dehumanising" about her going topless in public.

[Beer Sponge]

I would be willing to lend a hand or two in support, if asked.

[Gob]

At least one of them would be already occupied, surely?

[TPFKA@W]

With so many more pressing issues that women have I can't understand how this has become so paramount in the quest for equality.

[Lord Jim]

Hundreds of Canadian woman joined a topless protest march after three sisters were allegedly stopped by police for cycling without shirts.

But being Canadian, they of course went topless in the politest and most inoffensive possible way...

[Beer Sponge]

At least one of them would be already occupied, surely?

I would ask one of the ladies for a hand with that Gob!

[wesw]

those two redheads in front had better get naked in the forest somewhere, they are gonna get a nasty burn out in the sun....

[Econoline]

So is this that Nude Democrat Party I've been hearing about on the CBC?

[MajGenl.Meade]

"Nudity isn't sexual"

Well, that depends on context, doesn't it? Me nude? Definitely they are right about that. Makes me feel sick too

Them nude.... well.....

Sandra Bullock nude.... get out!

[Big RR]

Is that the context/situation behind the nudity or solely the individual who is nude and how attractive your perceive them to be? I have a friend who is a gynecologist who has been known to frequent strip clubs. When I say I think that's like me going into a legal library for recreation, he insists it is all the context of the situation; in the exam room it is never sexual, in the club, it always is, regardless of the individuals involved. I would think social nudity might well be the same thing, something nonsexual except to adolescents and those who never grew beyond that age.

[oldr_n_wsr]

and those who never grew beyond that age.

I resemble that.

So seng some fairly attractive female, walking or bicycling down the road naked (or with no top on) would not cause you to look at her longer than you would a fully clothed female walking/cycling by? Especially when it's not seen everyday?

ETA
But then again, isn't that the point? We don't see it every day so it's seen as sexual.
I remember when I was 17 I spent the summer in Germany. One day we went up the Zugspitz (tallest mountain in Germany) and up at the top there were bleachers with women sun bathing with their tops off. Of course being 17yo and not used to seeing boobies, I got excited, but to others around it was no big deal.

[Big RR]

Sure, I might look at it longer, but it would not necessarily be because it was sexually exciting; indeed, if a 90 year old was walking down the street topless, I might look longer as well. It's the novelty, not overt sexuality.

It's interesting you bring up nude sunbathing; I have been to many topless and nude beaches in the Caribbean and Europe, and once the novelty wears off I found I really didn't notice it all that much. I recall once when I was at a multinational company we were at the home of my boss on the Jersey shore; a French attorney was there as well with his 15-16 year old daughter, and the first thing she did was take off her top to sunbathe by the pool. When she went to go on the beach I quietly told her father that she could be arrested if she walked topless there, and when he responded it seemed like he didn't even really notice she was topless (even though all the other women present wore tops); it was just as natural to him as you or I taking off our shirts by the pool.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Not quite oldr. I might look at an attractive female cyclist for ... oh... 15 seconds as I drove past. A naked attractive female cyclist I would only look at for 5 seconds.

Then I'd be extricating myself from a six car collision.

[oldr_n_wsr]