Michelle Monaghan

Influencer Ava Louise went viral in May when she flashed her breasts at the New York to Dublin portal. The portal is an interactive video display which allows people to see each other from other sides of the world. 

Ava’s actions, among others, caused the display to be temporarily shut down, and the OnlyFans model received death threats because of it. The incident has reignited the debate about whether women should be allowed to show their bare breasts in public. 

A common argument is that men are allowed to go shirtless, so why can’t women? This is further emphasised by the importance of breastfeeding, which necessitates women exposing their breasts in public. Feminist movements say stopping women from being topless sexualises their bodies. This can also contribute to a stigma around breastfeeding. But counter points raise issues around sexual crimes and making people uncomfortable.

When Did Free The Nipple Start?

In 2014, an American film called Free the Nipple focused on a movement to decriminalise female toplessness. Although it was not a real-life documentary, the film began a movement when it was still in production in 2012.

Director Lina Esco says the cast and crew took to the streets to raise awareness of the issue, sparking a revolution.

She said: “The first week we started shooting Free The Nipple, something extraordinary happened: our little independent film exploded into a full-blown “real life” series of direct actions.

“While indecent exposure is considered a crime, what is determined as ‘decent’ is decided differently in each state.”

“With topless women, activist groups and graffiti artists invading the streets of New York, waging a cultural war for our freedom. It was beyond inspiring to see so many dedicated individuals from so many walks of life, filling in to play their part in a concerted movement.”

Is It Legal To Go Topless?

In England and Wales, it is not illegal to be naked out in public, but there are exceptions to the rule. These are two crimes: indecent exposure and outraging public decency. 

“When it comes to female celebrities openly showing their support, Florence Pugh is at the top of the list.”

The first is when an individual deliberately exposes their genitals to frighten or upset someone else. Anyone can commit a crime, whether privately or in public. Outraging public decency is when someone does something ‘lewd, obscene or disgusting’ in the presence of at least two members of the public. 

In America, where the Free The Nipple movement receives a lot of attention, female toplessness is generally frowned upon despite there being no law against it. While indecent exposure is considered a crime, what is determined as ‘decent’ is decided differently in each state.

The law in Indiana, Tennessee, and Utah states women showing their breasts in public is illegal. In comparison, 33 other US states allow it, and 15 have ambiguous laws.

How Do Celebrities Support Free The Nipple?

When it comes to female celebrities openly showing their support, Florence Pugh is at the top of the list. The British actress has made several red-carpet appearances in dresses with sheer tops that show her breasts.

“I’ve lived in my body for a long time. I’m fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it.”

In 2022, it was a bright pink tulle gown at a Valentino couture show in Rome. Following the show, Pugh received a wave of abuse from online trolls, mainly men. Responding on her Instagram, she said: “It isn’t the first time and certainly won’t be the last time a woman will hear what’s wrong with her body by a crowd of strangers.”

She continued: “What’s been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see. Do you even do it with your job titles and work emails in your bio?

“Many of you wanted to aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my ‘tiny tits’, or how I should be embarrassed by being so ‘flat chested’. I’ve lived in my body for a long time. I’m fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it.”

Pugh ended it with the hashtag #f**kingfreethef**kingnipple. The post got 2,582,413 likes and a flood of positive comments. 

What Needs To Change?

Although it isn’t illegal for women to be shirtless, it has become highly stigmatised. For example, social media giant Meta has policed posts on Facebook and Instagram in the past. In real life, women are at risk of verbal and physical harassment (especially from men).

All of this, despite the fact it is perfectly acceptable for men’s nipples to be shown in public. It’s easy to argue that the stigma around nipples is another way of fetishising and policing the female body, giving men the choice of what is and isn’t an ‘appropriate’ body.

Nipples must be accepted as a normal body part, unlike an arm or a leg. The unnecessary shaming of female bodies is bad for politics, gender equality, and even our health.

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Featured image courtesy of Victoria Strukovskaya on Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image licence found here.

Originally from Australia, Michelle moved to the UK to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. She is a reporter at the Farnham Herald and a NCTJ trainee at News Associates. Michelle holds a Bachelor of International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts, with a Major in Women's Studies and a Minor in Creative Writing from Flinders University.

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