Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Exposing the Double Standard

I recently made a short video, shall we say public service announcement (PSA), that addresses the double standard of nudity in the place where I currently live - Marin County, California.  This problem is by no means unique to Marin however, so I encourage you to expose the double standard if it also exists on your own community.  And chances are, it does.  It's one thing for there to be cultural preferences, but quite another if such discrimination becomes law, which is the situation that women face in most places in the United States. (In contrast, many places in Europe do not discriminate between female and male nudity under the law.)  If you happen to find out that your municipality is one of the lucky places in which there is a uniform standard of nudity, by all means test it out!  Culture will never change unless we act on our beliefs.  Here are a few tips for getting involved in this movement for women's equal rights:

  • Create a culture of acceptance in your life by pushing your own boundaries.  I myself have practiced this over the years - step by small step - and believe me, it yields results!
  • Contact your local officials to express concern if your community has a sexist public nudity ordinance. www.municode.com is a good place to find out about your local ordinance.
  • Participate in GoTopless Day, August 28, 2016 (every year on the Sunday closest to Women's Equality Day). www.gotopless.org has more information.  If no events are listed for your area, you can easily organize one with their support.  
  • Support the #Free the Nipple campaign and watch the film (available on Netflix).  Visit www.freethenipple.com for more information.
  • Enlist some friends and get creative!  Remember that all of us are co-creators of culture, whether by action or inaction.