Those of you who have been following our adventures for a while have come to recognize some of our members. “Whatever happened to that one with the tattoo of a moth on her abdomen?” you’ll ask. Or, “It was nice to see the member with the green stars on her arms.” (Tattoos are helpful identifiers when you don’t have clothes on.)

And we love welcoming the same people back, summer after summer. But we also love welcoming first-timers, and this past week, when the thermometer briefly poked its nose into the high 70s, we held a picnic in Central Park specially for people who’d never been to one of our events before.

In fact, many of them told us they had never gone topless anywhere before — not in a public place. And you can see from the smiles on their faces just how happy an experience it was for them.

It makes us appreciate what we’ve got that much more when we get to see it through the eyes of someone who’s never had it before, or at least never had it at home. (One new member told us she got used to sunbathing topless when she lived in Europe. But America isn’t Europe, and this was the first time she’d ever done it here.)

We had plenty of people around us who weren’t topless, but happily not one of them — not one — questioned our right to enjoy the sun bare to the waist. In fact, no one said a word to us, and even the occasional glance we got was passing and respectful.

One pair of little girls walked past with hands up by their eyes to block their view…but as we watched, we saw one of them peek through her fingers. Maybe in ten years or so, when she’s deciding for herself what to wear in the park, she’ll have a vague memory of this day and it will help her decide to choose the path of freedom.

In the meantime, we enjoyed our freedom as we always do. We read–

We snacked on things healthy and un–

We enjoyed the feeling of our bodies under the sun–

And we left feeling warmer and healthier than we have for a long time. Not just because of the sunlight, though that was wonderful, but because of the freedom. Because of how good it feels to be happy and (nearly) naked outdoors, to do it together with a group of smart, interesting, like-minded women, and to know we’re safe and in the right. It was a delicious afternoon, and we were especially glad to share it with newcomers.

We would love to share it with you, too, if you’re a woman in the New York area and would like to see what it’s like for yourself. Just send us an email. We’re at toplesspulpfiction@gmail.com. We’ll never share your name with anyone, and anything you’re wondering about you can ask us. We would be so very happy to hear from you.

Because your breasts deserve to feel the touch of the sun too.