Why must women wear shirts in public when men don't?

Question

This question has bothered me since I've been old enough to have to wear in top at the pool in the summer when boys didn't have to.

While men can go completely topless while cutting the grass, I would have the police called on me. I've tried to find a difference between me and my neighbor, and all I can come up with is the extra fatty tissue that make up mammary glands. We both have skin and nipples. What's the big deal, other than society is just uncomfortable? Are we, as a society really that afraid of b*****s?

I'd like to clarify that I'M NOT A FEMI-n**i! I'm a stay-at-home mom who is married. I'm simply just wondering why I'm sweating myself to death out side, and I'm seeing other people in my community who have options to the heat, and I don't. Are there really laws that say I must cover up?

Answer 1

I couldn't agree with you more. It's really unfair and biologically it's not a big difference, merely a social limitation, which is extremely annoying on hot summer days.

And it's funny if you go out even without a bra under your shirt when the sun is boiling your skin away and some fat guy without any shirt and just shorts on will shake his head on you for going out like this.

In the end, all the arguments against women walking around topless are similar to those of the islamists forcing women to go out in a burka. It's exactly the same strategy and mind, in the hot summer, a tight bra can be just as uncomfortable and suffocating.

I do hope this will change in future though.

Answer 2

I don't think it's a fear of b*****s. I think it's an intense love of women's b*****s. Society's afraid of guys getting turned on and having s*x in public. Do you want your children seeing that?

Answer 3

let'em breath honey I won't tell

Answer 4

Hi!  I live in Atlantic City and prior to 1940 it was illegal for men to be barechested on the beach (indecent exposure(!)  As for the women, police officers actually walked up and down the beach with rulers, making sure bathing skirts were long enough (for awhile, women actually wore shoes and stockings on the beach as well)!

Answer 5

Women's b*****s are deemed as private, I assume, and therefore count as nudity. Its a good question, however

Answer 6

Actually those who do not wear a shirt, are making themselves hotter than those who wear a shirt, sweat, and the sweat stays close to the body.  I know this for a fact, because I teach martial arts, and those who wear thier uniform during the hotter months, stay cooler than those who do not.  The sweat evaporates, and then the body temperture increases.  The sweat that stays near the body acts as a cooling device.

That's why my best friend, Lisa, who has no sweat glands, ended up passing out in band because she never could sweat, to keep the body cool, and before she knew it she was out.

But as far as the answer to your question, I don't know.  Men have nipples too.  I really don't get it either.  

It all depends on the culture where you are at.  Speaking of my best friend, her mother is from the Micronesian islands, and women go bare topped all the time, they just have to cover their knees, in their grass skirts.

Answer 7

In some communities, one can legally go topless in one's own yard and in others, at certain beaches.  But Puritan America is so dementedly obsessed with female b*****s it's as if you'd pointed a gun at a prominent politician to show 'em.  We even pretend that small children, for whom nature created b*****s, will be traumatized by the sight of them.  I know, it's bullshite, but whatta ya gonna do?

Answer 8

I think you'll find its women who insist on it, they need to keep men from seeing b*****s so they will be more tempting and desirable.  This is about sexual power.  If you mow the lawn topless, I doubt any of the guys will complain.

Answer 9

I'm guessing becuase that would drive men to be more... risque... But I know what you're saying, I feel the same way. I guess the world is still kinda conceited in some ways. Like it or not, this world is still dominated by men, and I can imagine it'll stay like that for a little while longer, as much as I hate to admit it XP

FYI FTW, I'm also not a femi-n**i. I just believe in equivalence.

Answer 10

Its a ridiculous double standard, As we all know, there are quite a lot of overweight men who go shirtless who have a larger chest (ugh)then a lot of women . Everyone knows whats under women's shirts,so whats the big deal?.. It isn't a law in all places so you could always check with the local town/city offices.

Answer 11

Simply because Male version of human isnt capable of handling stuff like this, females are capable.

before this thing becomes common lot of males would have created a lot of problems.

in short ...................   males are not flexible, that's all !

Answer 12

I believe it might be because although you say they look the same men annot fed babies perhaps the is why male b*****s and womens b*****s are deemed different.Good Q though.

Answer 13

My husband and I were talking about this today. It's just the double standard. Just think of all the beaches in other countries where women can go topless. Some places in the United States allow this too, such as New York (can't recall if it's the state or just the city).

The basic trouble is that people here completely associate the female breast with s*x. That's why many people can't stand to see a woman breastfeeding in public either. They cannot separate the functions, even though breastfeeding is one of the best things a woman can do for her infant. So many cases of people telling a woman in a restaurant to nurse her baby in the bathroom (strikes me as gross), even though baby is eating.

Check around, there are people into fighting this kind of thing. Going topless isn't my thing, but there are certainly times when I think it should be my own choice, not the law.

Answer 14

Well men are buit differently womens b*****s are considered as a turn on to men.. a mans breast is often considered as a turn off.... if you want men chasing you and invite sexual harrassment then you could try to go topless....it makes men stop and stare... that's a fact...

... I frankly would not want to show off my b*****s to the whole world.. you would be arrested for public exposure... if you want to go in the nude.. there are nudist beaches where everybody is legally allowed to walk around in the nude..  you don't have to wear a shirt.  but you can go out in your garden wearing shorts and a bikini top.... that won't be so hot to make you sweat a lot to wear that.. but that is totally acceptable to do garden work in a bikini top and shorts... x

Answer 15

i am girl just u and i have wear tops in the pools to and it is not big deal u can say we are little diffrent

Answer 16

because women can look at a bare chested man and still concentrate.