Why are men and women treated differently in this situation?

[netto]

Summer weather and men are walking around in public wearing nothing on their top half. It's not to everyone's taste but it's considered acceptable.

If a woman did the same what would happen? Would she be arrested for exposure, or some like that?

How can that be right? Has this law/rule ever be challenged?
Surely everyone should be treated the same regardless of sex and gender.

I've said the same as you. I don't particularly want to look at sweaty hairy mens chests with their stomachs sticking it. Women are way better to look at but we have to cover ourselves to be considered decent and sweat our arses off.
I can imagine us being arrested for it as it would be classed as exposing ourselves.
Can't really win though cause I'm sure men wouldn't mind women walking round topless and staring at our tits.

Sticking out*

misandry and misogyny

🏆

I asked a cop this. They said nothing would happen.

Should everyone be treated the same really? I mean women have boobs but men just have a chest.

How would you like your 12yo daughter to be told that in mandatory school swimming lessons, she must swim in bottoms only, just like the boys?

breasts are sexualised and so exposing them is considered indecent/immoral

mens chests (unless in exceptionally good shape) aren’t sexualised to the same degree

it’s the sad truth of the matter, and the same reason some get up in arms about breastfeeding in public

"Indecent Exposure" only applies when its a male exposing their genitals. If someone complained about a topless woman in a public place, you'd likely be asked by police to cover yourself up first of all, and if you refused charged with a public order offence. That doesn't mean you'd end up in court, or with a conviction though.

Do you mean nothing would happen if a woman walked around topless?

I think they would.

What is the difference? Just the fat behind the nipples. I have a male friend who has proper breasts due to the medication he is on. Some women have had their breasts removed.

I agree with you on the top half usually. But having wandered around a coastal area today I actually saw noone topless - man or woman (apart from on the beach - I’m talking walking around the town which fronts onto the beach). But I did see several women wearing shorts that were so short they reveal the lower buttocks. Most had good figures, far better than mine, but I still didn’t want to see it!

It's not an offence, so the police would only pay any notice if someone actually made a complaint.

Was walking by a river one hot summer day. Woman walking towards us, topless and feeding a baby. She was very well blessed and causing a bit of interest but she wasn't arrested. When we walked back she was sitting by on a bench still feeding baby.

This was in the middle of a city.

@XenoBitch good point!

No. It is not illegal for a woman to be topless. That is what I was told by a female police officer.
If you look into it, it is not illegal for a woman to be topless.

Women have breasts which, whatever we believe, have a different currency in our society than parts which men and women have. We can expose our backs, knees, arms etc to the same degree as men. Neither can expose genitals, breasts seem to have the status of honorary genitals.

Personally I would prefer a far more relaxed attitude to nudity, as the Germans have, and for both sexes, but a more rigorous approach to good manners and while relaxing in the park or beach with no or few clothes is fine, I don’t think anyone should be in shops, on the bus etc topless.

I live in a seaside town and those very short shorts seem very popular.

A woman wouldn't actually get arrested unless there was some kind of aggravating factor. Public nudity isn't technically illegal unless you're likely to cause alarm or distress to the public, which is quite a high bar for a topless woman to pass.

Exactly, women have breasts and men only have a chest.

Breasts are for feeding babies, they have a purpose, they are heavy (or mine are anyway) and they get hot and sweaty. In my mind it makes a lot more sense for breasts to be uncovered than for men's chests which don't serve any purpose at all.

But yes the reason is Misogyny.

Whether we like it or not the aim in most, if not all, areas is to treat everyone the same.

I think everyone should have to wear a top when out and about.

There is a difference between thinking women could have the same freedoms as men and forcing women and girls to go topless.

Most blokes I see topless are middle aged, hairy with a huge gut hanging over their shorts. Nobody wants to see that!!
Go to places like Spain and its quite acceptable for women to be topless. I was a bit shocked first time I ever went to Spain and there seemed to be legions of elderly women with saggy old tits walking up and down the beach and tbh it wasn't a particularly nice sight!!

No patience at all with any belief that breastfeeding should be ‘discreet’ or covered up.

Who said it should be? Have I missed something?

They are bodies, owned by people simply enjoying the sun. Nothing to do with providing you with what you consider to be a ‘nice sight’.

This is the sort of ageist, judgemental, misogyny-driven shit that ultimately sexualises breasts, by saying they can only be exposed when judged aesthetically pleasing enough. Aka sexually attractive enough.