Court upholds woman’s right for topless protest: Florida resident believes nudity laws are applied unfairly to women
Society & Values - 2 days ago - msnbc.msn.com
news item submitted by Marie H. - 50ish divorcee from Santa Fe, NM.
A topless activist wins the right to protest bare-chested - on Friday the 13th!
An appeals court has ruled that women can demonstrate topless as part of a legitimate political protest, striking down the arrest of a woman who has repeatedly flouted laws banning women from publicly going bare breasted. (A.P.)
The Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Appeals on Oct. 5 upheld a county judge's opinion that Elizabeth Book could protest topless on the city's Main Street Bridge.
Book was arrested by Daytona Beach police and fined $253 during Bike Week in March 2004. The city said she violated an ordinance banning public nudity that was passed in 2002 to curb indecency at special events.
Book also faces charges in a separate case, where she was arrested for appearing topless in front of topless Grecian statues near a city auditorium in July 2005. She has been charged with disorderly conduct in connection with the incident.
=Comments=
James C. (clone of Tim Allen)
Saturday October 14, 2006, 6:32 pm
We are all born naked. The laws requiring clothing were probably written by old, fat men with small packages. Of course, cold weather is a good reason to wear clothes. Otherwise, lose some weight and let it all hang out, America.
Anita H. (a woman - and read what SHE says...)
Saturday October 14, 2006, 10:58 pm
Women are so stupid sometimes!!!
This Is Not America (also a woman - one who loves the only meaningful Bowie song ever, evidently...) - Sunday October 15, 2006, 10:48 am
Go Elizabeth...these laws are disciminatory and need to go...the sexist laws have been oveturned in parts of new york and oregon...
Carol Ann (distinguished lady)
Sunday October 15, 2006, 2:39 pm
What can I say. Seems dumb and a little tribal. Topless beaches, yes. Topless protest and public display a waste of sensuality on a mundane cause.
Matthew H. (whose avatar is a picture of Sesame Street's Cookie Monster...)
Sunday October 15, 2006, 11:52 pm
I was not born naked. I had fur- thank you.
Luciano P. (moi)
Monday October 16, 2006, 10:23 am
Cookie monsters and antichrists aside, everyone's born skinny and shivering!
Freedom to roam as one pleases is one thing - but to use nakedness to enforce some agenda is simply not a good idea... Besides, not everyone has the climate favorable to that either...
Sensuality has no place indeed amidst any form of activism - plus, all it does is trivialize what could be some people's only treasures...! Long gone are the days when a dame's nudity was a touching sight; all has been overexposed these days (and nights!) and practically for every conceivable reason too!
True sensuality always was in the eyes anyway - and in the eye of the beholder! ;)
Having said that -in a public forum- I will say here, on my turf, that even when it is a promotional stunt, bare breasts outdoors is an odd anachronism... Such as evidenced by the BOOBS ON BIKES extravaganza in Auckland, New Zealand (pictured below) which saw a horde of porno "stars" (hoes really) strut their stuff while riding on the backs of would-be studs - really much-too-happy to oblige extremely rough-around-the-edges bikers... The mayor of Auckland (incidentally a certain Dick...) pretended not to like it much, rather meekly, in a public statement issued after the "event"...
Wayne Drought / AP
After all, aside from protests and promotional stunts like this "boobs on bikes" so-called "parade" (which was organized to publicize an erotica show coming to town (which it, de facto, eroticized too - but that is another story) - and the parade cleaved all of town -which still flocked to main street to see it; go figure- a parade that proceeded in complete legality hence...) - exposing one's anatomy only exposes one to fines and legal hassles really...!
It is certainly not worth the "trip"...
2 comments:
Topless porn star parade cleaves Auckland
‘Boobs on Bikes’ event draws crowds to main street but miffs city officials
Updated: 4:50 p.m. ET Aug 23, 2006
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Two dozen bare-breasted porn stars paraded on motorcycles and military vehicles down the main street of New Zealand's biggest city Wednesday after beating efforts by Auckland officials to prevent the promotional stunt.
Thousands of people, many of them clicking away with cell phone cameras, lined the street for the “Boobs on Bikes” parade by male and female porn actors, most semi-clad in black leather, to publicize an erotica show that opens in Auckland later this week.
The crowd — four deep in some places — was reportedly bigger than that for the city's annual Santa Parade at Christmastime.
Organizer Steve Crow, a local multimillionaire porn movie distributor and producer, earlier had won approval for the parade from the city council, infuriating its conservative mayor and several councilors.
Mayor Dick Hubbard said he would review local bylaws in a bid to prevent any more topless parades in Auckland.
"We do want a vibrant city, (but) I think the parade does our image harm rather than good," Hubbard said.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Earlier reported news:
Oh! Oh! Topless porn star parade gets OK
New Zealand’s largest city approves lunchtime event down its main street
Updated: 8:44 p.m. ET Aug 8, 2006
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A lunchtime parade of topless porn stars down the main street of New Zealand's biggest city has been given official approval — as no laws will be broken.
The parade later this month will feature up to 30 porn stars riding on the back of motorcycles or in open cars through Auckland's CBD to promote an erotica exposition.
The bare breast drive has been held informally since 2003, but this is the first time permission has been sought, and given, by Auckland City Council.
Organizer Steve Crow said it would promote an erotica expo that opens in the city Aug 25.
Several city councilors opposed to the parade were surprised to find it had been given a green light without them being consulted.
They learned of the approval from a council memo from events and promotions manager Annabel Lush, which noted that it was not against the law to go topless on the city's Queen Street.
They also were told police had approved the parade and would be in attendance to ensure road safety.
Councilor Noelene Raffills said the parade would be too distracting for a central shopping district during the busy noontime.
"It is not like a television set you can turn off or a book you can shut," Raffills was reported telling The New Zealand Herald newspaper Tuesday.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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