We’ve seen the hashtag #freethenipple everywhere, celebrities post photos with it, it's trending on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but what is it really for? When I further looked into the Free The Nipple Movement I found an inspiring story about the fight to achieve gender equality and the desexualization of female's breasts.
Recently I watched the movie, "Free The Nipple," which is based on true events that sparked and popularized the Free The Nipple Movement. The movie follows Lina Esco, filmmaker and activist, along with her friends who started the Free The Nipple phenomenon. According to salon.com, “Esco created this film to draw public attention to the issue of gender equality and encourage discussion over America's glorification of violence and repression of sexuality.”
Freethenipple.com states, “'Free the Nipple' is a film, an equality movement, and a mission to empower women across the world. We stand against female oppression and censorship, both in the United States and around the globe.” I along with many others believe the Free The Nipple Movement is an important fight to attain gender equality in the US.
In my research I found some interesting things about laws against women going topless—including that it is LEGAL in 15 cities for women to bare their breast. According to freethenipple.com it is illegal for female to be topless in 35 states, this includes women who breastfeed in public. Also even in the 15 cities where it is legal for women to bare their breasts, women still get arrested. For example in 1992 New York City legalized public toplessness and yet today, the NYPD still continues to arrest women for going topless. How can we really make such a huge deal over a female body part?
With all this information about the Free The Nipple Movement it got me thinking. Why are female breast such a big deal?
From a young age girls are taught to never show anyone their nipples or boobs. There is a bad connotation associated with the female nipples, when in reality they are just another body part. A body part that everyone has, female and male. So why do we make such a big deal over a little “nipslip” or gasp at the idea of a woman being topless at the beach? In the movie "Free The Nipple," one of the characters Liv said, “Men can walk around topless on a hot day and women can’t.” Why do we have these double standards for a body part everyone has?
The Free the Nipple movement stands for so much more than just getting rights for women to be topless. That is simply the symbol for what all women want and that is equality. Men and women alike have some of the same body parts so why not allow us all to have the same opportunities in life? Women should be allowed to do and be encouraged to do anything men can, and that is why I strongly encourage you to join the Free the Nipple Movement.
For more information go to freethenipple.com.
