We Asked New York Women If They #FreeTheNipple

Image via Complex Original

Complex: What do you think about women being topless in public?

Megan: We’ve seen it in Times Square. I think people automatically look at the topless women in Times Square and go, “Oh my god, what are they doing?” Because you don’t see it often. You see men running around central park with their tops off all the time. So it’s almost normalized, but I think it’s not normalized to see women topless, so it’s a bit more strange.

Katie: We’ve see quite a few men, on a run, topless. And we were like, well, technically if women aren’t allowed to, then why should men be allowed to run around with no shirt on?

Would you be comfortable being topless in public?

M: I’m not sure about public sort of place like this. I don’t think I could. But I mean, we were on a beach and we met two other backpackers who were German and they just started sunbathing topless. They didn’t mind. But I think it’s a different culture, in Europe, it tends to be more normal to see that when you go to beaches. But I think for us it’s a bit different, so I don’t know if I could, but in my backyard I probably could.

K: In England it’s pretty, like, you wouldn’t do it. I suppose it’s the way people would react to it. Women obviously, if there’s a man running down the street, wouldn’t say anything ... Whereas if women did, it would get a lot of people saying things. Like even when we walk down the street with a shirt on and people say stuff.

Have you ever heard of the #FreeTheNipple campaign?

No, not really.

Did you know that it’s legal for women to be topless in New York City?

I did not know that, no…until today.

Would you feel comfortable being topless in public? 

In New York City, no. [It's] a cultural thing, a safety thing. You know, you wish that other people could respect you, but you don’t know how the next person is going to react.

Have you heard of the #FreeTheNipple campaign?

Honestly, I just know about my model friends wanting to post their nipples on Instagram and can’t. I see the hashtag FreeTheNipple all the time and that’s about it. 

Would you feel comfortable being topless in public?

No. Unless I was on a nude beach away in, like, Mexico with my boyfriend ... I think just personal. Like I said, if it were Fort Tilden or something like that and I was with people that I was comfortable with. 

Have you heard of the #FreeTheNipple Campaign?

Jen: No.

Vivian: No.

Would you feel comfortable being topless in public?

J: I am not comfortable with it. I think it’s just…I think too much staring would go on right now and I wouldn’t be comfortable with that.

V: I would agree ... I think I would still feel uncomfortable going topless, walking around the city… people just staring for the sake of it being something that’s not commonly accepted.

Have you heard of the #FreeTheNipple campaign?

It’s a campaign for women to have boobies out whenever they want, wherever they want.

Would you feel comfortable being topless in public?

It’s not for me, but it’s for whoever wants to do it. In New York, [it's] definitely a safety thing.

Have you ever heard of the #FreeTheNipple campaign?

Yeah. I know it’s supposed to be a, not a liberation thing, but to equalize both women and men going topless and all that. Like not sexualizing breasts.

How do you feel about being topless in public? 

In New York I think ... I wouldn’t mind. But coming from my country...my country’s really close-minded. Since I grew up there, I don’t really know if I would be able to do it. But I think that if anybody should do it, don’t make a big deal about it ... Instead of teaching people not to go topless, they should be teaching men not to catcall people.