This from the AP (sent by Will who saw it on MSNBC and is always generous in sharing “can you believe this madness type stories.)

It seems that despite an appeals court ruling 15 years ago that determined women have the right to be shirtless anywhere men are allowed to be shirtless, the New York City police arrested a woman, Jill Coccaro, (now known as Phoenix Feeley) two years ago for “indecent exposure” when she walked topless in public.

She was held for 12 hours before she was released and told she would not be prosecuted. She claims that during that time she was treated roughly and also taken for a mental health exam.

So if you’re shirtless in public and you’re female you must be crazy?

What is it with our need to hide women’s breasts? I know women’s breasts are assumed to be sexualized in mainstream American culture, so somehow it seems dangerous to let them be seen in public, but really, why?

We could just as easily frame women’s breasts as utilitarian devices on standby and fetishize men’s nipples which seem to serve no purpose other than the receiving of sensations. (Think ice cubes and clothespins!)

The city admitted no wrongdoing in its settlement, and I have no corroboration of Feeley’s claim that she was subjected to a mental health exam, but it strikes me as consistent with our general dominant-culture tendency to assume that anyone who breaks the norms (even legally) must be a criminal or a lunatic. Break from conventional behavior and your mental health is called into question. Who says we’re a society of individualists! (It seems to me we’re individualists in motivation and acquisition of stuff but conformists in terms of social behavior.)

Not exactly a nonsequitor: This Saturday is the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Want to see a lot of very sane women and men sans shirts? Step off is at 2pm.

...because public space really matters!

Elizabeth