Which states in USA allow women to be topless in Public?

pass297Original Poster

Oct 5, 2010

Does anybody have a list? I do know some do....

ReactReplySubscribe

Replies

ME
Member
Oct 15, 2010
There is a non binding question on the ballot in western MA. concerning this right now.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/15/a_twist_on_equality_laws/?p1=News_links
Comments on the article contain all the usual childish views.
ReactReply
CO
Curt, or Cowboy
Oct 15, 2010
A bit more research suggests that some states,such as Ohio, have laws specifically crafted ( probably more by accident, considering the mentality of the typical congress-critter ) to BE interpreted in whatever way is prosecutable under SOME statute. This is a likely explanation why ORC uses the term "private parts" instead of genitals.
HOWEVER, a bit more research suggests that this was also true in Seattle, and that the law there was enforced ( originally ) with the "opaque covering" wording.
We know that originally, the nude bikers WERE arrested for being nude by not having any opaque covering. Some research suggests that this is THE reason ( originally ) for the body paint ! When painted, they WERE covered with an opaque covering, the paint !!
Over time, the novelty of the painted nude bikers became an expected novelty part of the show.
SO......
By being creative, and entertaining in a positive way, it is likely possible to be "nude" in any state, if carefully crafted to present a positive and entertaining, yet technically complying with the "law" jot and tittle.
Of course, just as in Seattle, one should expect to be arrested, or at least admonished, in the early years.
Ohio law mandates an opaque covering, but it does NOT mandate a TEXTILE opaque covering !!
So, if done is a positive and entertaining, and certainly NOT an "in your face" way, it's quite likely one can "get aways with" any number of things one might suffer dire consequences for otherwise.
I've neither the time, money, nor inclination, to make this kind of fight by myself, but I'd easily wear body paint along with a crowd in some kind of parade to further the cause in a POSITIVE and ENTERTAINING way.
I've said on these forums, and elsewhere, for years, how important it is to do these things in a NON-CONFRONTATIONAL way, and we can certainly make major inroads fairly easily, over time.
ReactReply
CO
Curt, or Cowboy
Oct 15, 2010
One could argue that this woman IS wearing a fully opaque covering, so is not "technically" nude under law....
ReactReply
AC
AceNOregonGirl
Oct 23, 2010
I suspect in vermont it is similar to Oregon. Whereas there is no law "against" it.
ReactReply
CD
Cheri Donna Dawson
Oct 23, 2010
[quote]I suspect in vermont it is similar to Oregon. Whereas there is no law "against" it.[/quote] Local law may be different (ie city, county, etc.) VERMONT's state law reads: TITLE 13 Crimes and Criminal Procedure PART 1 Crimes CHAPTER 59. Lewdness and Prostitution Subchapter 1. Lewd and Indecent Conduct § 2601. Lewd and lascivious conduct A person guilty of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $300.00, or both. Amended 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 23. Of interest in VT(From NAC's webpage): Lake Willoughby / Westmore In 2008, the selectboard of the town of Westmore, Vermont, was encouraged to consider an anti-nudity ordinance that would apply to nearby Lake Willoughby. The southwest cove of the glacial lake has a long tradition of clothing-optional use. The Naturist Action Committee facilitated the formation of Friends of Willoughby - Southwest Cove. NAC worked with FOW-SWC and others to oppose the ordinance. The ordinance failed. The Naturist Action Committee continues working with FOW-SWC and local naturists. In 2009, local nudity opponents accused one or more naturists of environmental mischief. The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) began an investigation and summoned local naturists (including FOW-SWC members) to appear for questioning. NAC retained an attorney to represent the naturists. Subsequently, FPR declined to pursue the investigation. NAC did not leave it at that. The Naturist Action Committee entered into an understanding with FPR and its parent agency, the Vermont Agency for Natural Resources (ANR) concerning the responsible use of Lake Willoughby. NAC turned a potential liability into a genuine public lands success story.
ReactReply
RA
rain-dance
Oct 28, 2010
Vermont does not have a state law limiting nudity. People skinny dip in the rivers and lakes all over the state legally. It is considered good manners to ask clothed people who may have been present before you arrive if they would find it offensive or uncomfortable if you skinny-dip. the Basic rule state wide is that nudity is ok unless someone complains. If they do you should cover yourself. Some of the towns have ordinances requiring people to be clothed. Brattleboro for instance does not allow nudity in public parks and on main streets, but it is otherwise legal to be unclothed. There are at 4 swimming holes along the west river within 10 miles of Brattleboro where nudity is customary. All of these areas see usage by nude and clothed people. You can ask anyone where they are, (even a cop). Also it is illegal in Vermont to interfere with a woman breast feeding a baby.
ReactReply
CA
cappy_ron
Oct 28, 2010
Here, along the beaches of the Outer Banks, it is legal for a woman to be topless in the areas that are considered "National Parks". I know there have been several instances where people have complained that a woman is topless and the police just replied "live and let live". Even in the township areas where supposedly it's illegal, woman have been seen sunning topless and the police looked the other way. We had one park ranger that transfered in and was writing tickets to beach-goers for nudity and was going as far as hiding in the dunes to try and catch people in the areas where nudity has been accepted for decades. One of the local judges complained due to the fact that he didn't want his docket filled with such non-sense as did the local federal magistrate. So, he has been transferred away and all is back to normal. We have even been on the beach totally nude and had a young female park ranger approach us and inquire as to whether or not we had seen a specific type of bird in the area. we had a conversation for about 20 minutes, her supervisor came along and he spoke to us for a few minutes and not one word was said about the fact that we were totally nude. I'm hoping this isn't an isloated occurance and is the norm.
ReactReply
CD
Cheri Donna Dawson
Oct 28, 2010
[quote] ... along the beaches of the Outer Banks, it is legal for a woman to be topless in the areas that are considered "National Parks". [/quote] === That is not true. I wish I had the actual law with me from the Federal side. I used to take a group of nudists to a Group Campsite in the Pisgah National Forest. One year we were approached by a ranger. When we got home, I did some research to find out we were in the wrong. From the NAC website:Federal Units in North CarolinaCape Hatteras National Seashore Park Service rangers have issued occasional tickets for nudity in recent years at the beach in the traditional clothing-optional area at Ocracoke. The Naturist Action Committee is working on this issue with Seahore management and with Friends of Ocracoke Beach, the local naturist user group. Rangers have also given citations for nudity at Nags Head. A recurring theme seems to be federal (Park Service) rangers who are new to North Carolina or who do not fully understand the state law they are being asked to enforce under agreements of concurrent jurisdiction with the state.LegislatureFollowing a major rewrite of the state's indecent exposure law four years ago, state lawmakers have been relatively quiet on issues affecting naturists. NC Law: § 14-190.9. Indecent exposure. (a) Unless the conduct is punishable under subsection (a1) of this section, any person who shall willfully expose the private parts of his or her person in any public place and in the presence of any other person or persons, except for those places designated for a public purpose where the same sex exposure is incidental to a permitted activity, or aids or abets in any such act, or who procures another to perform such act; or any person, who as owner, manager, lessee, director, promoter or agent, or in any other capacity knowingly hires, leases or permits the land, building, or premises of which he is owner, lessee or tenant, or over which he has control, to be used for purposes of any such act, shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. (a1) Unless the conduct is prohibited by another law providing greater punishment, any person at least 18 years of age who shall willfully expose the private parts of his or her person in any public place in the presence of any other person less than 16 years of age for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire shall be guilty of a Class H felony. An offense committed under this subsection shall not be considered to be a lesser included offense under G.S. 14-202.1. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breast feed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother's breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breast feeding. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a local government may regulate the location and operation of sexually oriented businesses. Such local regulation may restrict or prohibit nude, seminude, or topless dancing to the extent consistent with the constitutional protection afforded free speech. (1971, c. 591, s. 1; 1993, c. 301, s. 1; c. 539, s. 124; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1998-46, s. 3; 2005-226, s. 1.)
ReactReply
CD
Cheri Donna Dawson
Oct 28, 2010
[quote][/quote]double post due to timing out
ReactReply
DA
David
Apr 24, 2011
Where can this be found, the law and/or interpretation of it?
ReactReply
PE
PeteyB
Apr 24, 2011
[quote]You have NO idea how odd this all seems to a Western European... I don't think that there's any laws about being topless here in Belgium....You want to? Well, do it..just don't offend anyone near you... I can't remember a beach anywhere in Europe where there wasn't any topless sunbathing going on...[/quote] It's odd to a lot of americans as well. There are a great number of laws here based on religion that are still on the books and enforced.
ReactReply
CO
Curt, or Cowboy
Apr 24, 2011
[quote]You have NO idea how odd this all seems to a Western European... [/quote] Consider that the discussion is rooted in the USA. Though I'm not going to look it up for the verbatim right now, there are laws that require all motor vehicles operating on public roadways to be preceeded 100 yards by a man carrying a lantern to warn oncoming horses. How relevant is THAT ?
ReactReply
CA
Canoodler
Apr 25, 2011
A lot of the more accessible pools in Vermont are posted with signs disallowing nudity. I got some shocked stares from a couple of dog walkers when they found me strolling by a quiet, out of the way creek in my all-together. (I was just as shocked!) There were no other cars there as I parked and it was a rainy, cool day. Oh well, I lived. (:
ReactReply
SE
Seeker20060001
Apr 27, 2011
NO WAY!!!
ReactReply
WE
welovebeingnude
Jul 13, 2016
[quote][quote]You have NO idea how odd this all seems to a Western European... [/quote] Consider that the discussion is rooted in the USA. Though I'm not going to look it up for the verbatim right now, there are laws that require all motor vehicles operating on public roadways to be preceeded 100 yards by a man carrying a lantern to warn oncoming horses. How relevant is THAT ?[/quote]There are also laws still on the books that say a driver of a motor vehicle must blow his horn every time that he is approaching another motorist. I think New Yorkers are still following this law today, lol
ReactReply
KO
Kohaan
Jul 14, 2016
[quote]From post # 25: ...Based on the original question, suffice to say that Ohio is questionable at best.[/quote] During the WNBR protest, the police actually escort the naked riders. At least, they did where I was... As I see it, two things appear to be evident... the right to be offended takes priority over anything you are doing, even if you are not doing anything... Of course, you might think, there is NO official right to be offended, but... it only takes one person to claim being offended to put you in a lot of trouble... #2: Your state of dress, or undress, takes priority over your actions. As stated above, it requires no action to be guilty of a sex crime, if you're naked. ...Is that what the law is saying? ... How's that working? Look around... Do we now have less crime?

[quote]From post #39 ... There are a great number of laws here based on religion that are still on the books and enforced.[/quote] It's interesting that some people will claim simple nudity is a - sin - when there is no support for that accusation in their source of authority. Many verses support, just the opposite... However, certainactivitiesdonewhile nakedarecondemned. But, of course, the truth rarely, if ever, stops a dedicated, self righteous person from preaching what they want to believe. ...Does it?

ReactReply
DE
DesertRat
Jul 15, 2016
[quote] [quote]From post # 25: ...Based on the original question, suffice to say that Ohio is questionable at best.[/quote] During the WNBR protest, the police actually escort the naked riders. At least, they did where I was... As I see it, two things appear to be evident... the right to be offended takes priority over anything you are doing, even if you are not doing anything... Of course, you might think, there is NO official right to be offended, but... it only takes one person to claim being offended to put you in a lot of trouble... #2: Your state of dress, or undress, takes priority over your actions. As stated above, it requires no action to be guilty of a sex crime, if you're naked. ...Is that what the law is saying? ... How's that working? Look around... Do we now have less crime?

[quote]From post #39 ... There are a great number of laws here based on religion that are still on the books and enforced.[/quote] It's interesting that some people will claim simple nudity is a - sin - when there is no support for that accusation in their source of authority. Many verses support, just the opposite... However, certainactivitiesdonewhile nakedarecondemned. But, of course, the truth rarely, if ever, stops a dedicated, self righteous person from preaching what they want to believe. ...Does it?

[/quote]This may be slightly off topic but if a woman accuses a man of indecent acts, he is thought to be guilty regardless of actual facts. Unless there is a witness or some recording device, the man is guilty. It's hard to prove a negative.
ReactReply
MA
ManOfWicklow
Jul 15, 2016
[quote]All of Ontario Canada plus we have legal nude beach in Toronto[/quote]When did Canada become part of the USA?
ReactReply
HA
Hawk
Jul 16, 2016
[quote]Women can go topless in NY state anywhere a male is allowed to.[/quote]Indeed
ReactReply