California attorney fights for women's right to go topless
 

SACRAMENTO — As a Ventura County public defender, Liana Johnsson has handled many life-changing cases, but her biggest public crusade these days has been going topless.

For months, Johnsson has been fighting to allow topless women at California beaches and parks, and now the issue has made its way to the Capitol.

A group of lawyers, at Johnsson's request, has asked the Legislature to make topless sunbathing legal, saying the ban is the last criminal sanction that treats women differently than men.

The new movement has urgency: Because of a December court ruling, Johnsson and other attorneys contend, women convicted of indecent exposure could find themselves listed as sex offenders under Megan's Law, alongside rapists and child molesters.

"At some point, men's breasts became liberated and women's didn't," Johnsson said Friday. "This is the only thing left that men are legally allowed to do and, for women, they have to register as a sex offender. The real issue is there should be equal protection under the law."

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I fully support the bill. In fact, all freedom loving individuals in the world should fully back this bill. God Bless USA, God Bless California.

Its my understanding that the spirit of "Megan's Law" was to register sexual predators. People that were guilty of multiple abusing of pre-buscent children.

Prosecutors now abuse the law itself by including any type of offense with a sexual connotation.

We are an uptight society when it comes to sex.

Sunbathing . . . registered sex offender for life . . . please . . .They should shoot the prosecutor for being stupid.

Ever seen ugly tits at a nude beach? Some men should cover up as well, but that's just my perverted sense of beauty.

Sunbathing should be equal to all sides, but where would this law stop? At a beach, walking around on the streets. I don't think California wants to open that jar or worms just yet, but keep me posted on this one...

That's the nature of law. Prosecutors and defense lawyers are always looking to distort the meaning of law to serve their ends. Nothing new here.

you say distort, i say interpret.

I don't think that law means that men and women are treated differently. Women's breasts are much different then men's breasts (well for most men and women). The anatomy is different...so therefore the law is different. Women's breasts are viewed as sexual...to me, men's aren't. I mean it's not like men get breast implants to change the way people look at them sexually (I'm sure there are exceptions--transexuals, etc.).

I just know that if I were to take kids to the beach...I wouldn't want women to be exposing thier breasts.

I mean, I understand her arguement...but I still think it's absurd. Where is the line drawn?

The passed legislation like this in Ontario.

Women wanted the right to go topless anywhere men did...so that was more than the beaches. Th courts gave them that right but then the women who chose to go topless complained that men were shouting at them, whistling, calling names as they walked down the streets.

That legislation was repealed. Women are now only allowed to go topless on the beaches (at least I still think they are allowed).

This is going to blow up in her face...and she doesn't see it coming.

I see where you are coming from, but to be honest, I did not see any boys (or men for that matter) oogling women when I was in Europe where there are plenty of topless beaches. The only people I saw making a big deal out of it were....Americans.

I don't see a problem with it quite honestly. There is a difference between being topless on a beach, and wandering the streets with the hoots out.

True...there is a difference. I just think it's classless I guess.

Is support part of the issue?

Never mind.

The only place in the US I've ever seen hot topless girls on the beach was in South Beach. And they were definitely not American.

If you're hot, show it. If not, I'm gonna ask that you hide it. None of that pregnant mom booby stuff.

-Rudey

If I recall, when that legislation passed originally, wasn't it women who were breast feeding who fought for it? Because they were being prosecuted for breast feeding in public? (I may be remembering it wrong, but I thought was what caused the problem in the first place)

I wouldn't have a problem with having topless beaches, but, I think there should be family beaches where that isn't allowed too. That way, parents would have a place where they could take their kids if they didn't want them exposed to the topless beaches.

Dee

any woman with a chest of decent size shouldn't want to go around topless... bouncing = ouch. Bouncing also equals saggyness.

Unless you boys want to see all women with droopy ta-tas, you should think twice about your opinions on this ;)

When did they repeal it? I guess I figured the topless girls interviewing people in front of the campus main library for the Naked News were "exploiting" the legislation... and that was last Sept - during Frosh Week

Lovely.

Women should be able to go topless wherever men can. It's not our fault that so many Americans are so over or undersexualized (I'm not sure which) that they can't handle seeing breasts without acting like buffoons.

I love California. I hope it passes. Topless sunbathing is great.

whoever brought up transsexuals made me think...would a transsexual male who has had breast implants be allowed to go topless? After all, his breasts wouldnt be real or functional...yet they would look the same as breasts that are required to be covered up...just curious

I'm 99% sure that you can no longer walk the streets topless, however, you are permitted to be topless on a beach.

Also, if I am correct, I really don't think anyone is going to spend the time and arrest women who are going topless down the streets.

AGDee, I think breastfeeding in public may have been the issue at first, however, the woman who took it to court was not a breast feeder.

Lady Pi Phi - I think you're mistaken - at least provincially (perhaps Toronto has a bylaw in place?)

There was an issue last year (or perhaps the year before) about a topless car wash. Basically, you could walk around topless, but you can't flash them around. Something about zoning laws or something.

I never understood tanning topless, personally. Burnt nipples = bad!

In general, I support a woman's right to go topless, mostly for the fact that if she can't, then people do get dragged into court for breatfeeding in public.