Hundreds of topless women and men marched down Denver’s 16th St. Mall on Saturday to promote topless equality.

Organizers said the Go Topless Day Parade sought “to improve relations between the sexes in the U.S and reduce objectification by reminding America that while nudity and sexuality can overlap, they aren’t the same thing.”

Terri Hunter of Julesburg has attended the parade for the last three years. This year she brought her daughter Desiray Gonzales; Both were topless and covered with paint and glitter.

It’s about more than just boobs, they said.

“We want to be comfortable and walk down the street or mow the lawn without a shirt like anyone else. They don’t say anything to men.”

Matt Wilson and Mia Jean curated the event in Denver in 2013 and its popularity has increased each year. Wilson claimed that more than 1,000 people attended this year’s event.

Going topless is legal in the City and County of Denver, and organizers want residents to know that. They hope to raise awareness of double standards they called sexist and to spawn smaller group protests without it being a national or special occasion. They also hope to combine the event with Slut Walk — which begins Sunday, and sends a similar message — in coming years and create one weekend-long event that promotes equality and negates body shaming, rape culture and sexualizing women.

“This has become very meaningful for me and such a labor of love,” said Jean. “If you notice, this is a family friendly event. People bring their children and they don’t find it odd to see people nude. We as adults make it odd. Other countries have successfully intertwined nudity into their culture. It’s very natural and I want to normalize it.”

The march also served as an opportunity to show that men and women “can embrace topless equality while promoting respect and healthy boundaries,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

The meet-up began at the Bannock Street end of Civic Center Park, near the corner of Colfax and Broadway, starting at 11 a.m.

Marcher migrated towards the 16th St. Mall at 1:30 p.m.

Phrases like “Free the nipple now!” and “Their skin is not my sin,” were chanted as marchers progressed from Civic Center park, down the mall and back. Spectators were encouraged to join in the march but there was no pressure to bare any skin.

“It’s all about comfort level. You can see some people are wearing shirts, some pasties,” Jean said. “I find it liberating because once we all band together it’s not so strange and it’s such a safe environment to express yourself. There’s no groping or other violations of your body.”

Gustavian Graeb, a 23-year-resident of Denver, walked topless in support of his fellow women. This was his first parade in Denver but he attended the Fort Collins parade the previous two years.

“Today is for one love,” Graeb said. “It doesn’t matter your shape, your size, your color. Everybody is welcome.”