Right to go shirtless/topless in public?

[ProgressiveModerate]

This issue came to my attention for 2 reasons recently:

1. A HS friend was telling me about how their college banned anyone (male or female) from being topless on campus.

2. Even though I've been working out and have gotten decently fit I still have body dysmorphia, so trying to be shirtless more (when it's appropriate) to gain some confidence back, especially since by conventional standards I am fit.

I've also noticed a decent number of younger people, mostly on the left and far left who really seem to hate when men go shirtless, even in a situation where it's conventionally acceptable like running, pool, or beach. They seem to come at it through the lens that somehow men being topless re-enforces the patriarchy which I don't quite buy. I also think some people don't like it when they see a fit person take off their shirt at the beach and feel like they can't.

I also know there's debates around if men have the right to go topless, why shouldn't women? There are a few places, mostly liberal cities and vacation towns where local governments say women have the same right to go topless as men. Still pretty rare, and from my understanding even if the right is there it's often rarely used likely because of social norms and stuff.

Should local governments be able to regulate if someone should be allowed to go shirtless in public? Should private institutions be allowed to? Should our culture encourage or discourage people to go topless? Should distinctions be made between men and women?

[ProgressiveModerate]

As for men being shirtless, I am one person on "the left" that wants to see more of it, not less.  I think men that spend so much time and energy to look like Adonises should take their shirts off and show off what they have.  It's good for community morale to see healthy men  .

As for women, breasts are normal and natural, and there's nothing wrong in my opinion with a topless woman on a hot day hiking up a hill, or on a beach trying to stay cool.  It's just fine to me.

but have respect for families with kids though - I think if I had a child I would not mind them seeing a topless person on a hot summer day, but there's others that would not want the children to see that due to them feeling its "improper" or "inappropriate", so there should be a level of respect for those that don't want to see you without the right amount of clothing.

I feel as a society we've become so much more casual.  In the year 1950, I bet it was very odd to see a guy jogging around a crowded neighborhood without a shirt.  Today, in the summer, you see it.  It's a different time.

Actually tend to agree with your first point; I think the expectation to be shirtless in a pool or on a beach has helped motivated a lot of men to work out and stay healthier. I've noticed in NYC an increasingly large subset of (mostly fit) men who make shirtless part of their casual style if they're just going out to the park or something. This is a bold take, but unless a place is like a fancy restaurant or somewhere where certain formalities are expected, "no shirt no service" policies should largely be abolished. I don't see a problem with a shirtless guy walking into Starbucks to buy a coffee.

One thing I will say is there is an issue with unrealistic body standards for men, but I think that's more of a problem with social media rather than too many men being shirtless irl.

[ProgressiveModerate]

This is something people make a far bigger deal about than it is. It's actually not illegal in most places in the US for women to be topless in public.



(Also Minnesota should be light blue as well.)

It's actually been legal in all of Canada for almost 30 years because of a Canadian Supreme Court decision...and guess how often women are seen topless in public in Canada. It also seems the majority of Canadians aren't even aware of this.

So it's almost entirely a social expectations thing than a legal thing.

I find it interesting how little correlation this map has with evangelical populations or whether a state is red or blue.

Probably because in mainstream politics it’s a non-issue; many of these laws were likely enacted 50 or 100+ years ago and no one has bothered to change them.

[ProgressiveModerate]

Men are just naturally far more sexually aroused by seeing a woman’s bare breasts than women are by seeing a man’s chest. That’s why women going topless is far more discouraged

What about lesbians? They are into the same stuff too and the argument falls apart when you include them.

This also makes me think about gay men. Would they view another man’s chest similar to how a straight man would view a woman’s? The argument can also fall apart in that way.