I think anyone who wants to walk around topless should go through an application process.

Are you nominating yourself for the approval committee?

Yes.

I love you people!

^_^

Now that has the potential to be a dangerous question!

I think it's more of a pathos thing than a logos thing. The way our society deals with breasts is at times problematic, but getting a widespread dialog on the subject just doesn't happen outside of places like academia when its all about logic & reason. Having a hundred random women march down a street topless on the other hand? That will get everyday people talking [not necessarily in a way that will actually help but, oh the details].

There are problems that would make widespread toplessness in day to day life unpractical. Sure there's the cosmetic issue of sagging from a prolonged lack of support, but beyond that there are health concerns regarding bodily fluids here. Breast milk has the potential to transmit HIV, diseases, certain drugs (there are stories of babies ODing from the milk from drug using moms). So, if the girl filling your drink in the fast food drive thru doesn't wear any clothes, and unknowingly leaks into something she's serving, that's a health hazard.

That's why there is a difference between allowing citizens to go topless to the beach, and allowing them to go topless into a place that serves food. You're going to find even states that allow the former, rarely allow the later and have their health codes explicitly forbid citizens go topless around food or medical equipment [this is what originated all those "no shirt no service" stickers on restaurant doors]. The "everyone live life 24/7 naked" idealism is, at least in such cases, a pipe dream.

Now you'll notice those "no shirt no service" stickers on restaurants don't specify what sex the warning applies to. That's because guys can lactate as well as girls, it's just less common. There are overweight guys running around out there with "manboobs" that are functional [in that they lactate] because of extreme cases of gynecomastia. They can go shirtless all they want in states where girls cannot. So why are the rules sex biased in public sometimes, but not in places that serve food? If the law should be anything, it's consistent & blind.

I totally agree with you. And from what you've said I have the feeling there is actually no problem whatsoever . Women can't be topless, but neither can men (no shirt no service), and the beach is always filled with exposed breasts and I don't see anyone objectifying. This problem looks a bit improvised to me.
But then again, who am I to judge.

--
I had no idea gynecomastia can go THAT far as to cause lactation in men.

Yup, there are also stories of dads without gynecomastia lactating when their wife has a baby, although its very rare.

It was probably an evolutionary thing at one point so offspring could survive the death of the mother.

There's an absolutely hysterical scene in the Family Guy when Peter thinks he's a woman and tries to nurse Stewie, who finds out it's Peter and shudders...completely brilliant.

Well, its not so much the clothes per se, its more about the bras. They do inhibit the plunge southward and the subsequent purchase of medical insurance against getting gravel rash on your nipples.

-LS