NC bill could mean prison time for topless women

[cali]

RALEIGH -- A bill that could send women to prison for going topless in public appears headed for approval by the North Carolina legislature.

The Republican-backed bill headed to a floor vote in the House would amend the state's indecent exposure law to expand the legal definition of "private parts" to explicitly include "the nipple, or any portion of the areola, or the female breast."

Depending on whether such exposure is judged to be "for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire," the woman could be charged with a felony, punishable by up to six months in prison for first-time offenders. More mundane exposure would be a misdemeanor meriting up to 30 days in jail.

Co-sponsor Rep. Rayne Brown, R-Davidson, told members of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that her bill was triggered by topless rallies promoting women's equity that were held during the last two years in Asheville. Though her district is more than a two-hour drive from Asheville, Brown said her constituents are concerned whether the topless protests are legal.

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http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/politics&id=8991671

[HERVEPA]

1. Is there no end to the stupid?

[cali]

3. that was rhetorical, I assume.

[HERVEPA]

6. Of course. I know it's endless.

[FSogol]

2. Remember kids: Nipples are dangerous, Guns are A-OK!

[PufPuf23]

8. It is a slippery slope from the right to bare arms to the right to bare nipples.

What odd times and odd creatures are humans.

[GoneOffShore]

11. Will they outlaw "Slippery Nipples"?

The Slippery Nipple is a layered cocktail shooter most commonly composed of Baileys Irish Cream and Sambuca.

Wikipedia

[Kalidurga]

4. So the second amendment is held up to be the most supreme of amendments.

The first amendment not so much.

[TeamPooka]

5. Tel Rep. Brown she is bringing Sharia law to NC and the bill will go away. nt

[riverbendviewgal]

7. interesting . it is legal for a woman to be topless in Ontario

Very true....but to tell you the truth, I rarely see any going topless other than the beach.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/07/19/gwen-jacobs.html

While Jacob's court case did open the door for women to breastfeed in public, little else has changed since that sweltering day in July when she went topless to get relief from the heat, said Judy Rebick. She was president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, Canada's largest women's group, at the time Jacob went to court.

"In 20 years I don't think I've ever seen a woman topless on the street," Rebick said. "Women don't walk around topless because they get hassled, they get harassed if they do. People stare at them. It's cultural, something about North America and the Puritan history."

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Guess they only like seeing female breasts in dark, smokey, strip clubs. And of

course, in Playboy in the john.

[Hugabear]

10. "Any portion of the female breast"

So does this mean a woman can be thrown in the slammer for wearing a low-cut shirt?

They're only a few steps away from requiring burqas

[reflection]

12. The double standard is indefensible.

http://gotopless.org/

I support the right of women to go topless, and I don't say it in a stupid "huh huh boobies" way, but in a way that demands a logical explanation for the double standard. There is none.

[justiceischeap]

13. I see a lawsuit a coming with this one, should it pass.

If they're going to ban a woman's nipples, they should be banning a man's nipples too.

[obamanut2012]

17. Oh, it will be overturned

It's against our state constitution.

[Botany]

14. And this helps produce jobs how?

n/t

[subterranean]

15. Glad to see they're focusing on the important issues.

I wonder how many of Rep. Brown's constituents actually expressed concern about the legality of bare breasts in Asheville.

[obamanut2012]

16. And it will be overturned

It is gonna be a long four years here... I miss Bev.

[Dash87]

18. What is it about the female anatomy that horrifies them so much?

Big deal. Did they forget to graduate mentally from Middle School?

[baldguy]

19. A brain able to make free, informed choices.