I’m just one of those people who’s uncomfortable with nudity. It's not personally my cup of tea. No, it doesn’t stem from low self-confidence or a strict Catholic upbringing; I’m just one of those people who aren’t the biggest fans of nudity. Yes, I wear shorts and sometimes even crop tops, but I’m definitely not the type of person who would walk around naked. It’s not me.
Now some people are all for that. I’m an advocate for people “doing them,” totally and completely being who they are. So I have no problem with people that are gung-ho about this whole nudity thing; they do them, and I just turn away. It’s that simple.
The Free the Nipple Campaign is a movement that supports equal rights among men and women, balance in censorship on social media sites and legal rights for breast-feeding in public. Starting in 2015, the phenomenon continues to pop up in headlines across the Internet and the news. With the latest Instagram debacle of Amber Rose’s recent post, Bernie Sander supporters being arrested for showing up nude to a political rally and the recent passing of the New Hampshire bill to “free the nipple,” I struggle to find the connection between feminism and equality in being able to show one’s nipple.
Maybe it’s my own ignorance on what feminism means or my discomfort with the idea of people suddenly walking through Seattle naked, but I don’t get it. Why is there massive support for a movement such as this when we still can’t get a movement promoting equal pay or encouraging younger girls to pursue STEM related careers? Is it because it’s weird? Is it because it’s something as crazy and taboo as nudity?
I understand the complaints: if men can show their nipples in public and on the Internet, why can’t women? Yeah sure, that makes complete sense, but many women are using this platform as just a reason to voice their opinion. I’m not discrediting their opinions; I’m sure sitting in public parks naked has some sense of comfort that I can’t comprehend, but stop saying “just because the guys have it.” Where’s the voice of the overworked single mom who needs to breastfeed her child in a public area in that? What sense of equality are we propelling forward? Women are standing in the middle of metropolitan areas yelling for their rights. What need do women have to show their nipples? Wouldn’t you get cold? Saying “just because” doesn’t give value in equality.
Feminism is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. I see how “Free the Nipple” falls under that, but the root of feminism is in encouraging women to see themselves as equal counterparts to men in every aspect; specifically the important ones, like education, the workforce and in life. If the same type of attention were shed on topics that more directly related the future generations of women, who knows the potential that could be tapped? In having women viewed as equivalent to men, more minds can be geared in helping solve the biggest problems of our time. So excuse me, when I don’t understand how the legal right to expose your nipples helps us get further as a country or what values that instills in young woman.
But maybe it’s the little victories that make the difference, and being able to “free the nipple” is the catalyst we need to spark a butterfly effect of other feminist movements. That’s fine—if nudity is what it takes, I can get over my discomfort and let people "do them."
