Should this woman be allowed to swim topless?

[stuntman]

Woman has mastectomy and opted out of reconstructive surgery. She was told that she was not allowed to swim topless because she is a woman.....afterwards the administration said it would be OK for a short time until she was physically well enough to swim with a top on a gain.

I don't object her being allowed to swim topless at all and I don't see how another person could reasonably object to it so I am putting the question out there: Should this woman be allowed to swim topless?

Toronto Star story: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1215607--breast-cancer-survivor-wins-right-to-swim-topless-in-seattle?bn=1

http://i.thestar.com/images/4b/50/4cfe36814673bef078ad70a67a79.jpg

[_Allan_]

Woman has mastectomy and opted out of reconstructive surgery. She was told that she was not allowed to swim topless because she is a woman.....afterwards the administration said it would be OK for a short time until she was physically well enough to swim with a top on a gain.

I don't object her being allowed to swim topless at all and I don't see how another person could reasonably object to it so I am putting the question out there: Should this woman be allowed to swim topless?

Toronto Star story: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1215607--breast-cancer-survivor-wins-right-to-swim-topless-in-seattle?bn=1

http://i.thestar.com/images/4b/50/4cfe36814673bef078ad70a67a79.jpg

In Ontario, it's legal for women to walk around outdoors topless and braless. It was made legal back in 1994.
However, I think the admin of the pool, saying it's ok for now, while she heels.

[Audience]

The taboo surrounding bare breasts is ridiculous. I would have hoped we would have made more progress to mature as a society in my lifetime.

[Hambone]

In Ontario, it's legal for women to walk around outdoors topless and braless. It was made legal back in 1994.
However, I think the admin of the pool, saying it's ok for now, while she heels.

Ya, but this happened in the U.S..

Here in Canada, I wouldn't give a <censored> if I saw her at a my local pool topless or walking around in public for that matter.

[Ojam]

The taboo surrounding bare breasts is ridiculous. I would have hoped we would have made more progress to mature as a society in my lifetime.

+1, North America is ridiculously prudish.

[Ottomaddox]

Wow. I admire her inner strength.

[Jucius Maximus]

This woman has a physical disability that really prevents her from swimming using the usual outfit. I don't see a problem with her going topless.

[yao416]

No because in this world sexism exist.

Well. At least on RDF

[sylpherware]

I read the title and was gonna post something like "Only if she was this hot"...

Now I feel like jerk... :cry:

[nauru]

The taboo surrounding bare breasts is ridiculous. I would have hoped we would have made more progress to mature as a society in my lifetime.

+1

[najibs]

Sure. Anyone who complains about it is as lame as those who think breast feeding in public shouldn't be allowed.

[uber_shnitz]

While I agree that she should be allowed due to her condition I have to respond to this...


+1, North America is ridiculously prudish.
Double standard as I'm sure you don't want men's junk to be allowed to be displayed in public.

[jerrysiz]

While I agree that she should be allowed due to her condition I have to respond to this...


Double standard as I'm sure you don't want men's junk to be allowed to be displayed in public.

What does "men's junk" have to do with this? Breasts are not genitals.

[abu_sme]

While I agree that she should be allowed due to her condition I have to respond to this...


Double standard as I'm sure you don't want men's junk to be allowed to be displayed in public.



Isn't it already a double standard that men are allowed to be topless but women aren't?

[natty32]

why not? NBD

I just got back from Spain and kinda off topic but at the beach and even walking on the streets every woman is topless. If you are wearing a top people are like wtf lol

[uber_shnitz]

Isn't it already a double standard that men are allowed to be topless but women aren't?

I think it's also a double standard that men cannot wear skirts or say the words "aww cute", "hankie" and "fabulous" without having their sexual orientation questioned :razz:

I'm not saying there aren't double standards, but I think it depends on the society. Men have associated far more sexual connotations with breasts than women have with male pectorals so if we let women be topless in public, I'm not 100% sure of the reaction of people :| We'd need to have a generation of kids that have grown up around women who are topless (such as kids who grow up in nudist camps) so they won't associate any particular taboo or sexuality to breasts the way we do.

[Swswswish]

I don't see why breasts are considered taboo, when we are perfectly fine with pre pubescent kids playing video games involving murder, crime, and drugs.

North America ftw. :facepalm:

[mbg]

I don't see the problem. She just looks like a guy.

And it should be easier to swim without breasts, especially for breaststroke, so the lifeguard organization should be encouraging more people to undergo this procedure to increase public pool safety.

[mbg]

I don't see why breasts are considered taboo, when we are perfectly fine with pre pubescent kids playing video games involving murder, crime, and drugs.

North America ftw. :facepalm:

Mainly because kids already born and playing violent video games are a sunk cost for society. We're not going to get rid of them and have to deal with it.

But if you can prevent more bad kids from entering the world, you win. And you can do that by suppressing sexual urges until people are mature enough to raise kids properly.

[Ojam]

While I agree that she should be allowed due to her condition I have to respond to this...


Double standard as I'm sure you don't want men's junk to be allowed to be displayed in public.

As mentioned, breasts are not gentiles, but I'll just say I didn't have an issue with it on the beaches in Italy, so why would I have an issue with it here? Are penises somehow supposed to make men more uncomfortable than vaginas? I find it interesting that you chose a man's "junk" and not a women's "junk". That may say more about you than you think.

[nalababe]

No issue for anyone to swim topless...Or walk around topless...

People are just too uptight.

[Sauerkraut]

As mentioned, breasts are not gentiles

Didn't know mammaries could be classified as Gentile. Anyway, in keeping with the strict "no religious" discussions allowed policy, this thread should now be closed.

[eldiablo]

every woman should be able to go topless

[Ojam]

Didn't know mammaries could be classified as Gentile. Anyway, in keeping with the strict "no religious" discussions allowed policy, this thread should now be closed.

lol, only non-hebrew ones.

[mbg]

every woman should be able to go topless

there should be a tax credit for going topless.

[wilsonlam97]

there should be a tax credit for going topless.

Yeap:D

[desidealer49]

Judging from the comments, I guess being civilized equals reverting to cavemen days nowadays.

[googoo]

Wow. I admire her inner strength.

Agreed!

[stuntman]

Can a mod declare us enlightened and non-prudish now?

[Supercooled]

People make me sick.

[cheapmeister]

In Ontario, it's legal for women to walk around outdoors topless and braless. It was made legal back in 1994.
However, I think the admin of the pool, saying it's ok for now, while she heels.

Are any women taking advantage of this? I have only heard of one female in Cambridge who was swimming topless, but that was years ago and I haven't heard of anyone since.

[stuntman]

Are any women taking advantage of this? I have only heard of one female in Cambridge who was swimming topless, but that was years ago and I haven't heard of anyone since.

I was downtown at around 4pm during a week day and a woman with HUGE assets was walking beside me at at the lights at the Eaton center. Being right beside her I was about the only one that could not look :(

[djemzine]

First off, kudos to hear for surviving breast cancer. Secondly, props to her for being courageous and not caring about others/her image after the treatment. Lastly, I think yes she should be allowed to swim topless, mainly because its "best" for her in terms of less pain in doing so.

[cheapmeister]

I was downtown at around 4pm during a week day and a woman with HUGE assets was walking beside me at at the lights at the Eaton center. Being right beside her I was about the only one that could not look :(

Wow! Good thing she didn't distract any driver into making a car accident!

[dealseeker2011]

For me, she's still a woman so I think she should not be allowed.

[Setz]

I think all women should swim topless. ;)

[mbg]

I think all women should swim topless. ;)

I don't think you've thought this through.

[tsxnation]

As nice as it would be to see topless women in the streets of Toronto, I wouldn't want that to become the norm. I realize that women can go topless if they wish, but this society is not ready for it in my opinion.

With this specific case I think she should be allowed because of the mastectomy as it wouldn't really make people look twice at her.

[Jon Lai]

First off, kudos to hear for surviving breast cancer. Secondly, props to her for being courageous and not caring about others/her image after the treatment. Lastly, I think yes she should be allowed to swim topless, mainly because its "best" for her in terms of less pain in doing so.

Please excuse my ignorance, but how does not wearing a top help? If she's in pain should she not be swimming at all? Does wearing a top really make any difference in terms of pain?

[dibksbgon]

This woman has a physical disability that really prevents her from swimming using the usual outfit. I don't see a problem with her going topless.

Meant to respond to this earlier.

Not to be nitpicky but:
I would not label her as having any sort of physical disability unless it was her who was the one labelling herself. And I doubt she would say she has a physical disability.
A physical disability impairs one from physical functioning the way others do. Inability to wear a bathing top would not be one of those things (it isn't a physical function to wear a bathing top...) And even that said, she very much could wear one she just shouldn't have to.


To the topic at hand.
I don't get our issue with breasts. It is skin with a nipple on it. Lets be honest. Breasts do not offend people... Nipples do if they are attached to a female. The only real difference you have between men and women's breasts is that ours happen to be rounder and bigger (generally speaking) but these days, I am surprised many men don't have to wear bathing tops to cover their large vesicular teets.

[Supercooled]

Meant to respond to this earlier.

Not to be nitpicky but:
I would not label her as having any sort of physical disability unless it was her who was the one labelling herself. And I doubt she would say she has a physical disability.
A physical disability impairs one from physical functioning the way others do. Inability to wear a bathing top would not be one of those things (it isn't a physical function to wear a bathing top...) And even that said, she very much could wear one she just shouldn't have to.


To the topic at hand.
I don't get our issue with breasts. It is skin with a nipple on it. Lets be honest. Breasts do not offend people... Nipples do if they are attached to a female. The only real difference you have between men and women's breasts is that ours happen to be rounder and bigger (generally speaking) but these days, I am surprised many men don't have to wear bathing tops to cover their large vesicular teets.

Haha so true. man teets are becoming ever more pervasive.

[kennyhohoho]

If she's forced to wear a top, men with anything larger than an A cup should be forced to wear tops too.

Man boobs are just plain nasty. :confused:

[CSK'sMom]

Please excuse my ignorance, but how does not wearing a top help? If she's in pain should she not be swimming at all? Does wearing a top really make any difference in terms of pain?

Swimming would be part of her physio therapy which is normal for women after breast cancer surgery. With a mastectomy, the surgery is really invasive getting all the lymph nodes out in the armpit area and it damages all those muscles. There is often lots of residual pain in the shoulder and upper arm which is why physio therapy of swimming in a heated pool in recommended.

[ishfish]

Swimming would be part of her physio therapy which is normal for women after breast cancer surgery. With a mastectomy, the surgery is really invasive getting all the lymph nodes out in the armpit area and it damages all those muscles. There is often lots of residual pain in the shoulder and upper arm which is why physio therapy of swimming in a heated pool in recommended.

...and a top would be most uncomfortable given the process of healing.

I think it is great that she is not hiding - an inspiration and more powerful than seeing pink ribbons.