Women Topless Overview
Have you ever been on a beach relaxing in the sun on vacation and felt the urge to strip off your bikini top and show some skin? Well your not alone….
For some reason we as women feel the need to strip our tops and bare our bosom at some point or another throughout our lives, but the problem is that not all countries and even parts of countries for example the USA see it the same way we do.
Our focus is on women only, we feel if a woman wants to go topless then she should feel comfortable, safe and most important have the right to do so.
Anywhere it is acceptable for a man to go topless than a woman should have the same freedom without ridicule or feeling any sort of anxiety.
So we decided to take a look at the international landscape to find out where exactly we can in fact bear our breasts without the worry of finding ourselves behind bars.
A few facts that we learned throughout our investigation was that the right for women to go topless is actually an international movement. For example, Free the Nipple is a women’s topless freedom campaign that was founded in 2012. This movement highlights the fact that men can appear topless in public yet it is considered sexual or worse, indecent if women do the same. The campaign focuses on changing the culture of the world in an attempt to not only make it legally acceptable for women to bare their nipples but more importantly culturally acceptable.
In parallel Top Freedom is both a cultural and political movement charging forward throughout the world attempting to force change in national and international legal systems giving women the same rights as men when it comes to being topless in public. Furthermore, Top Freedom supports and is fighting for the rights of nursing mothers to be able to breastfeed in public.
So let’s take closer look at just where in fact you can show it all without concern around the world starting with the USA
United States Topless Beaches
Throughout the US matters of public morality are considered a state decision not a federal decision and in some cases down to the city level. The Top Freedom movement has made enormous headway throughout the USA with a number of states permitting women to go topless. Rest assured there are more on the way in the very near future.
California
California law permits public nudity that is not considered lewd or offensive
San Francisco
San Francisco allows women to go topless. With exceptions for example public parks require advanced approval which for the most part is posted at parks and beaches. A popular topless beach in San Francisco is Baker Beach.
Colorado
Since September 2019, it is legal to go topless in Colorado
Florida
Surprisingly it is not legal in Florida for a woman to go topless unless it is a beach that has been designated as such.
Idaho
Nothing in Idaho state law prohibits female women from going topless where it is appropriate in other words for the most part where men can go topless, than women can too.
With this said, a limited number of municipalities within Idaho do prohibit topfreedom for women for example Twin Falls, Moscow and Boise City. Female topfreedom is legal in Eagle, Garden City, Ketchum , Meridian, McCall, Coeur d’Alene and Sun Valley.
Illinois
It is absolutely illegal for women to go topless on a beach in Illinois
Kansas
Since September 2019, topfreedom or women going topless is legal throughout Kansas including the city of Manhattan which amended its city code to allow topless freedom.
Maine
Topless freedom is 100% illegal in Maine
Maryland
Presently it is illegal for women to go topless in Maryland. To be honest, we don’t believe that it is going to stay the course for very much longer and the top freedom movement is putting a great deal of pressure on the state to abolish the laws in place.
Massachusetts
Topless freedom is 100% illegal in Massachusetts.
Minnnesota
It is legal for anyone and everyone to go topless in Minnesota
Missouri
Like everywhere else in the world, someone has to be different and Missouri is no exception. In Missouri it is legal for a woman to be topless as long as the darker region around the nipple or areola region is covered by an opaque material. Pasties anyone?
Nebraska
In Nebraska it depends on which region you are in. There is no point at this time to list which ones allow and don’t allow topless freedom as it is changing very quickly and the data would be out dated. Check first before you visit.
New Hampshire
Topless freedom is 100% illegal in New Hampshire.
New Jersey
It is not legal for women to go topless in New Jersey
New Mexico
Another state as of September 2019 that has supported top freedom. It is legal for women to go topless throughout the state thanks to a win in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
New York
In New York it is 100% legal for women to go topless, as a matter of fact the police have been strictly advised not to bother women that are topless and to leave them alone as there are no laws in place prohibiting women being topless.
Ohio
Ohio law actually forbids public exposure “private parts”. But state courts have ruled that “breasts” are not private part yet will fine you for exposing them. Go figure….
Oklahoma
Ok here is one for you, the 10 Circuit’s ruled that a woman must be treated equal to a man, yet the Attorney General in Oklahoma has said it does not necessarily apply in Oklahoma. To make matters worse, the State Representative has stated that a case must work its way up the Oklahoma court system and to the supreme court and the supreme court must make the same decision before Oklahoma will be topfree.
Oregon
The indecent exposure laws in Oregon are to prevent nudity. What this means for women is that going topless is not considered nudity in Oregon and will not be guilty of violating public indecency laws or local indecent exposure laws.
Texas
Way back in 1972, before I was born the Texas Equal Rights Amendment was passed which districts within Fort Worth and Lewisville have used to block top freedom. Women in Texas can in fact be charged with public nuisance laws however Austin does not see it that way and women can go topless where women sunbathe for example at Hippie Hollow, Zilker Park and Barton Springs during various festivals.
Utah
A win in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, made top freedom legal as of September 2019 in Utah.
Washington
In the state of Washington, public nudity is not considered illegal, in other words women being topless is legal unless accused of performing any action considered obscene in public while being topless. Makes sense to me
Wyoming
A win in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, made top freedom legal as of September 2019 in Wyoming.
USA Women Freedom Topless Map Summary by State
Canada – Topless Freedom
Way up in Canada, our close neighbors, they for the most part are supporters of women going topless. As far as they are concerned, if a man can go topless, than a women can go topless. This culture change really got steam back in 1991 when Gwen Jacob in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, removed her shirt and was charged with indecency. She was in fact convicted but the case was later overturned by the Court of Appeal. The outcome of this case was that it was determined that being topless, bearing the female bosom, was not considered indecent under the definition of the Criminal Code. Later this case led to the acquittal of women in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan who were faced with similar charges.
Now with this said, you can in fact go topless especially on beaches in Canada, unless it is specifically posted however, topless women on beaches are far and few between. With this said it is slowly becoming more commonplace, but is not considered the norm even with the law allowing women to be topless.
Mexico Tanning Topless
Mexico is a misunderstood country when it comes to being topless. Most people assume its legal everywhere, but this is absolutely not true. The only place in Mexico that it is in fact legal is Playa Zipolite (a nude beach located in the state of Oaxaca). Now there are other locations for example on a few beaches in the state of Quintana Roo in the Riviera Maya region where going topless is allowed. Now with this said most beaches you can get away with it in Mexico however you do run the risk of getting a fine. and if you are asked to cover up, our advice is do it
Europe The Women’s Topless Movement
Denmark
Forget topless, for the most part nude sunbathing is legal in Denmark. Danish beaches welcome nude/ topless sunbathing and in other public outdoor places for the most part topless is legal unless it is deemed to be offensive behaviour or cause public disgrace or outrage.
Interestingly in December 2007 a forum of men and women calling themselves the Topless Front swam topless in public swim baths to promote topless equality. Now moving forward in March 2008 the Copenhagen’s Culture and Leisure Committee voted to allow topless bathing in its swimming pools. After they voted, it was revealed that no laws had existed against topless bathing, effectively making the vote unnecessary. Now a small number of public baths have restricted it themselves.
Finland
In Finland, toplessness is in no way illegal. With this said, women going topless have been removed from beaches in limited cases. Sandra Marins and Säde Vallarén not only criticized these events but organized Finland’s first topless equality even called Tissiflahmob “Breast flash mob”. On June 12th 2019, Finland’s Independence day, both Vallarén and Marins and showed their boobs on TV and it sparked conversation and death threats. In 2020 Tissiflashmob had gained a great deal of traction and took place in eight different cities.
France
There is no specific law in France that bands women going topless on French beaches, however many public beaches have posted and banned it such as the beaches along the river Seine in Paris.
Greece
Toplessness in Greece is legal and is widely practiced by tourists and locals as there are no cultural taboos or restrictions against it.
Italy
Unless otherwise specified and posted, women going topless is officially legalized throughout Italy including all public beaches and swimming pools. Back in March 2000 the Supreme Court of Cassation determined that the exposure of the nude female breast was considered a “common accepted behavior”, and therefore, was “entered into the normal social costume”.
Poland
In Poland the laws are slightly different when it comes to topless sunbathing on the beach. A woman can go topless on a public beach as long as no one objects. If someone objects than by law the woman needs to cover up immediately. A police officer cannot charge a woman for being topless unless someone does complain, in other words the police cannot do anything without an official complaint.
Spain
There are absolutely not laws prohibiting women going topless on beaches in Spain. Even Barcelona has abolished any restrictions against women going topless. Unless otherwise posted all public pools allow women to go topless. There are numerous surveys taken each year in Spain, indicating that forty to fifty percent of Spanish women over the age of 18 have gone topless at least once on a beach and the numbers are growing.
Sweden
Sweden has no laws that prohibit women going topless on their beaches. With this said, public and private establishments do have the right to post that swimwear tops are mandatory however these situations are minimal and not considered the norm. Furthermore never posted on public beaches.
Oceania
Australia
It is legal for a woman to sunbath topless on beaches in Australia? The correct answer unfortunately is sort of…Weirdly Australia nudity laws only refer to the genital region for both men and women. Many locality councils have imposed their own roles under their jurisdictions. In addition many women who have gone topless get charged with ridiculously vague charges for example offensive behaviour or public nuisance. As for general public beaches it is tolerated for the most part. Our advice, check first before attempting to go topless on their beaches, you don’t want your vacation ruined by a ridiculous charge.
New Zealand
Now New Zealand is a different story; there are no laws prohibiting nudity in public places let alone their beaches. For the most part you can be nude on a beach in New Zealand as long as you keep to yourself so going topless on a beach in New Zealand is a no brainer as long as you respect families etc. and do not flaunt it.
Top Freedom – We Have Come A Long Way
