Equal rights or indecent exposure? Woman organizing topless rally in SGF

A Republic woman is organizing Springfield’s first Free the Nipple rally, part of a national movement for women’s rights to be topless in public.

While some might view the Free the Nipple rally as a violation of indecent exposure laws, organizer Alysa Berrer says it’s about protesting inequality and the sexual objectification of women’s bodies.

“I think its ridiculous that men can walk around with their shirt off but women will get arrested for that,” Berrer said. “I kind of want to start our own movement in Springfield because we are so conservative.”

More than 200 people have indicated on the event’s Facebook page they plan to attend the rally at 8 p.m. Friday in downtown Springfield, but Berrer, 18, said she has no idea how many will show up or how many will “free their nipple” by going topless with tape covering their nipples.

Berrer encourages men and women to join the rally — with or without shirts. Several supporters will be carrying signs, Berrer said, and using the hastag #FREETHENIPPLES to spread the message on social media.

Dr. Erin Kenny, director of Women and Gender Studies at Drury University, said she had not heard of the topless movement but supports Berrer’s plans for a rally.

“I’m an anthropologist and I’ve done a lot of work in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Kenny said. “In Africa this is a non-issue. Breasts (are) basically for breast-feeding purposes. The idea that breasts are erotic is the product of our history and culture.”

Kenny said she expects some people will object to a topless rally in downtown Springfield, but not necessarily because those people are being prudes. Rather, those people have been taught to view breasts sexually.

“If you go to Europe, you will see a lot of women sunbathing topless,” she said. “And it’s just not a big deal.”

“I think they make a really good point that men’s nipples are not considered erotic,” Kenny said. “My personal opinion is that we are at a point right now where people are trying to defund women’s reproductive health, so I’m not certain why this (women’s right to be topless) is an issue. But I guess they do have a point.”

Kenny added that she thinks some women’s desire for the right to go topless in this country is a symptom of a larger issue — gender inequality.

“I think it needs to be embedded in a more systematic movement to increase equality for everyone. Women are still getting 77 cents on the dollar. Women still don’t have the same sort of opportunities for advancement. There are fewer women CEOs,” Kenny said. “I frankly don’t see how going topless improves our society, but I do recognize that men and women have different rights.”

GoTopless, a national organization fighting for women’s right to go topless in public on the basis of gender equality, announced last week it was including Columbia as a rally location for its 5th annual GoTopless Day on Aug. 26. There are about 60 rallies planned throughout the United States on that day. The date was selected to coincide with Women’s Equality Day.

Berrer said she chose Friday because there would be lots of people downtown attending Art Walk.

Lisa Cox, spokesperson for the Springfield Police Department, said as long as the females cover the areolas fully, they will not be in violation of the city’s indecent exposure ordinance. Tape can obviously not be transparent.

“If they are in violation, officers would likely verbally warn them or issue them a citation. If the issue escalated and women were refusing to comply and cover themselves as the law states they should, they could potentially be arrested,” Cox said in an email.

Springfield’s indecent exposure ordinance:

Sec. 78-222. — Indecent exposure.

(a) For purposes of this section, the term "nudity" means the showing of the human male or female genitals, or pubic area, or the middle third of the buttocks, measured vertically, with less than a fully opaque covering, the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any part of the nipple, or the showing of covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state.

(b) No person shall appear in a place open to public view in a state of nudity.