system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
I don't believe that shirtless laws (or lack thereof) should be allowed for both sexes, CMV

OK, so this viewpoint is strictly from an American pov.  I don't believe that our country, culture or legal system is fairly built to support both men and women being allowed to be shirtless (and braless) in public.

I campaign and support womens rights in prettymuch all endeavors, but I can't help but feel a slight tinge of hypocrisy whenever I see a "shirtless" rally to support laws which will allow women to walk around completely topless in public.  Why?

Because in our culture we've built such strong views about the female physique, even legal views.  I do *not* believe that we, as a culture, should stifle change (this is, after all, natural evolution of society)...the problem with it, to me, is that we have such strong liability legislation and social statutes which create a disparity between how we're **told** we should now be treating breasts vs. how we **do** treat breasts.  For example;

As a male, any number of people could stare at my chest (shirtless or not), touch my chest, etc...without repercussion.  A bouncer at a bar could hold me at a distance by placing his hand there, for instance.  A person at my workplace could move me to the side at the chest level, also.  

None of those actions would be deemed appropriate if I were a woman.  Yet the most common argument I hear for equal sex shirtless legislation is **men can do it, women should be able to, as well. They're just breasts, get over it**, said by people who try to dismiss breasts flippantly as if it's "just another body part".  Which it is, however, clearly people *dont* feel that it's just another everyday body part...because I could get in severe trouble for touching them, or even looking too long.

It just seems to be like an awful double-standard...and until the same people who say "they're just breasts" *actually* believe that statement, then there's no point in trying to pretend that a spade is just a spade.

CMV?

**EDIT:  I've actually had a LOT of very good discussion (along with some smarmy conclusion jumping and strange misguided interpretation).  I think my mind is almost changed, but I suppose I should have asked this along with my original post -- What would be the argument FOR equal shirtless laws, other than simply saying "men and women are equal, dur"?  Ive received a lot of discussion arguing against my points, but nothing really arguing for the opposite, so I'm curious.**

**EDIT 2:  Great job today.  Along with the ethical debate of allowing same-sex topless laws, I received some great perspective in terms of how society tends to behave in areas that already have these laws.  

From what I understand, it's more of a pseudo-hot button topic? The reality of the situation is that, in the places that we have laws that allow same sex toplessness, the general public doesn't seem to care? Kinda like how there's nothing (that I know of) to show that a ton of people started lighting up when weed was decriminalized?

You, and several others, have done a great job today :)

∆**
gpt
So, to clarify, you're saying that people shouldn't be allowed to show their breasts because you're not allowed to stare or touch them?

Generally, you're *not* allowed to touch another person in society.  If you tried any of that pushing with strangers, you'd be out of line socially and legally, regardless of the gender of the person you touched, and regardless of whether their chest is bare or covered.  The bouncer can touch you because he's an authority figure, not because you're a man.  Bouncers throw women out of bars all the time, and yes, sometimes they touch their chest in the process.

If you stare, you might be found creepy, but there's no legal prohibition on looking at another person in a public space.  If you get in their face or stalk them, that's different, but looking at their breasts or looking at their face is no different in the eyes of the law.

As someone who lives in a place where nudity is legal, and has been in plenty of situations with non-sexual nudity, it really isn't a big deal, and the hypocrisy you see is mostly your own imagination.  If people can go around wearing itsy-bitsy bikinis, why does a nipple suddenly push it over the line?