Should towns be allowed to regulate toplessness?

On Saturday, August 26 women will remove their tops on Hampton Beach to advocate for gender equality.

“Go Topless Day,” organized by Free the Nipple, has happened annually since 2015.

Local Hampton officials are not planning any extra police presence on the day, and representatives of Free the Nipple say other beachgoers generally do not harass demonstrators.

The event has nonetheless motivated policymakers across the state to call for laws against toplessness. 

Current laws on toplessness

State law does not give towns the authority to regulate clothing in public, and a court threw out an ordinance in Gilford banning female toplessness.

In 2016 the New Hampshire Legislature rejected a statewide ban on toplessness and a bill that would have given towns the power to regulate clothing in public areas.

It remains to be seen if any legislator will introduce the issue again in 2018.

Arguments for and against a ban on toplessness

Supporters of a law to ban toplessness argue it is a matter of public decency, particularly in public places that are supposed to be family-friendly.

Opponents of laws against toplessness argue that women’s breasts have been overly sexualized, and laws against toplessness might be used to persecute breastfeeding mothers.

Would you support a law allowing towns to ban toplessness?  Share your opinion in the comments below.