School’s out…there’s a Star Wars movie in the theaters…grocery stores have broken out the hot dog buns and the red white and blue…it may not officially be summer yet, but we’re calling it. Finally. Enough with the cold, enough with the rain, and enough with the clothes.
As those of you who’ve followed our adventures for a while know, it’s legal in New York for women to go topless anywhere a man can. But you rarely see women doing it, even when the weather would easily justify it. Why? Either because people don’t know it’s legal (or aren’t 100 percent certain it is — though it absolutely, 100 percent is) or, even if they do know it’s legal, because they’re worried about what might happen if they tried it. The result: when we came to the lush and lovely East Lawn in Central Park this weekend, we saw this…
And even this…
But until we showed up, not this:
So we had a job to do. Our mission is to act as a sort of aide-memoire, reminding everyone in shouting distance that going shirtless is every woman’s right. Well, it’s your right if you live in New York — and it should be your right everywhere.
What did we do with this right of ours? Just enjoyed it. We didn’t shout, we didn’t don balaclavas or hoist picket signs — there are times for that, but we prefer simply leading by example. We swiftly got rid of what limited waist-up garments we wore to the park–
(We might, in some cases, briefly have disposed of some waist-down garments as well. It was just such a nice day.)
We brought out snacks courtesy of Driscoll’s and Starbucks…
…which not only supplied calories but enabled a recreation of The Creation of Adam.
We dove into books by Jeff VanderMeer…
and Jeffrey Eugenidies…
and some people not named Jeff.
Between the food for thought and the plain old food, our appetites were well sated — especially when you add in the sun and the breeze and the neighborly dog who came over for petting and belly rubs, and the absolute and utter lack of fuss made by anyone at all over our bare chests. One infrequent member marveled at it: No one’s bothering us. No one’s saying anything. No one’s staring.
Right. Exactly. And that’s just the way it should be.
Freedom should always be this easy and feel this good.
If you would like to take part in one of our events this season — if you’d like to feel this free and this good — please email us at toplesspulpfiction@gmail.com. We welcome all women, whether you’re a veteran of topless beaches or a nervous first-timer. Write to us. Ask any questions you have. Come once to try it for yourself. But don’t deny yourself this pleasure and this privilege.
It’s your right as much as it is any man’s.
Summer at last! Keep spreading your beauty, the world needs more beauty. Thanks.
You all are so lovely!
Love your pics you brave and beautiful women!
Love it that no one is messing with you.You’re in NY city parks a lot. Ever thought of maybe a park outside of the city? Try a public pool.
The thing with parks outside the city is that they’re outside the city, and you have to get to them. Last summer we did go to a beach outside the city, but it involved chartering a bus and making sure everyone who wanted to come showed up at the same time to get the bus, and making sure everyone was ready to leave at the same time, etc. We might do something like that again sometime this year if we think of an idea that gets people excited enough…but if it’s just a trip to a park, we’ll probably stick to the many parks we have available to us in the city. (A beach is another story, since there are none of those in Manhattan.)
As for public pools, we’ve thought about it, but most public pools aren’t all that nice, and they tend to be full of kids, which doesn’t bother us and probably wouldn’t bother the kids too much, their parents might feel differently. It’s just a question of whether we feel like fighting that fight sometime when we could just be relaxing in a nice park instead. 🙂
Did your open enjoyment persuade any of the others who were almost chest-free?
Persuade them to take their tops off? No. Persuade them that women can go top-free outdoors in New York and not only not get arrested but also not get harassed or hassled in any way? I would think so. And maybe that will lead to them experimenting with it themselves someday. It’s a process, and every step counts.
That leather corset did the trick! Great series, great pics, and you’re advancing the freedom of women to just be themselves in public, which is good for humanity. Well done.
Gorgeous girls, love seeing you all out and about. Glad your summer is here at last.