The Double Standard Bar, Part 1: My Body Is Not a Crime
I stand here on a beach in Chicago with my shirt off. I am breaking the law. Chicago has a ban on the exposure of female nipples. My male counterparts can expose their nipples at will.
You don’t want to walk to around topless, you say? I don’t either.
THAT IS NOT THE POINT.
The point is that no one’s body should be legislated. My body is no different in value than a man’s body and the existence of legislation against parts of my body is evidence of a misogynistic and patriarchal society. Not wanting to walk around topless does not mean that we turn our backs on the issue.
Many people feel it is distracting, immodest, or “not family friendly” to lay eyes on a female nipple, and in order to prevent women from waving their breasts around and ruining our cities we must place a ban on it. This criminalization of the female body is in line with the vile line of thinking that a woman asked to be raped because she “was wearing that outfit.”
Let me make this clear. I am not responsible for your reactions to my body. I am not responsible for what actions you choose based on your reactions to my body. Legislating my body places the blame for everyone else’s reactions and choices back on me.
It is not my fault that my body has been oversexualized. Oversexualizing women’s bodies is about control, not about sex. Legislating my body as a result fuels the idea that my body is not mine. My body is mine. It is not a crime.
Comment below with your thoughts about double standards? Do you believe it? Do you think there should be laws governing our bodies? Do you think female nipples are harmful to society? What do you think about the oversexualizing of female breasts? Tell us what you think and then Like, Share and Tag your friends!
***The Double Standard Bar is an ongoing project designed to expose the double standards found around every corner of life as a woman, especially when it comes to our boobs.***
#doublestandardbar #thedoublestandardbar #badassbreastfeeder #thebadassbreastfeeder #mybodyisnotacrime #freethenipple
