GoTopless celebrates its victory for equal topless rights in TORONTO's parks and beaches!
TORONTO, Aug. 23 - The women's topless rights organization GoTopless has finally compelled the city of Toronto to revise its municipal code which discriminated against women's topless rights in its parks and on its beaches.
"We are thrilled with this victory!" declared Sylvie Chabot, the head of GoTopless in Canada and woman priest in the Raelian Movement (rael.org). "Thanks to the amendment to the Toronto city code, at last, women are truly free to exercise their topless rights anywhere they want in the province of Ontario!"
In June of 2011, the city of Toronto had refused to issue a permit to GoTopless for their topless event at the Ashbrigdes Bay Park because the presence of bare-breasted women at the planned event violated a Parks Bylaw 608 clause calling for 'appropriate bathing attire'.
GoTopless had written a letter of complaint to Ms. Shakir Director, Office of Equity, Diversity & Human Rights to report this case as gender discrimination. Indeed, women's bare chests were considered "inappropriate bathing attire" but not the men's.
"Last week, GoTopless received a letter from Ms. Shakir, letting us know that Mr. Mark Lawson, Manager of Customer Service for the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division had been consulted regarding our last year's denial of permit and that section 608 of the Municipal Code had been reviewed/amended" explained Chabot.
Mr. Lawson also confirmed to the National Post that the decision not to allow them to have a permit may be seen as discriminatory based on gender.
"This crucial change in the city code will no doubt appease women and help them gather the courage to exercise their topless right knowing they won't be fined or arrested" Ms. Chabot commented.
"Now that the law is on their side, women have to realize that exposing their breasts is not an indecent act, not any more than a man showing his chest" reminds Ms. Chabot. "They need to remember that men were also forced to hide their chest in public 80 years ago as their chest was also considered indecent at that time. Men too had to fight for their topless rights!"
Symbolically, before the march there will be few festivities at Ashbrigdes Bay Park where women are invited to experience, maybe for the first time, the liberating feeling of being topless in public and legally free to do so! Those who are uncomfortable to go topless are most welcome to join as well.
The celebration march will take place this Sunday August 26 starting at 1:00 PM at Kew Beach Avenue and Lakeshore Blvd. East (just south of Queen Street East) !
"We are thrilled with this victory!" declared Sylvie Chabot, the head of GoTopless in Canada and woman priest in the Raelian Movement (rael.org). "Thanks to the amendment to the Toronto city code, at last, women are truly free to exercise their topless rights anywhere they want in the province of Ontario!"
In June of 2011, the city of Toronto had refused to issue a permit to GoTopless for their topless event at the Ashbrigdes Bay Park because the presence of bare-breasted women at the planned event violated a Parks Bylaw 608 clause calling for 'appropriate bathing attire'.
GoTopless had written a letter of complaint to Ms. Shakir Director, Office of Equity, Diversity & Human Rights to report this case as gender discrimination. Indeed, women's bare chests were considered "inappropriate bathing attire" but not the men's.
"Last week, GoTopless received a letter from Ms. Shakir, letting us know that Mr. Mark Lawson, Manager of Customer Service for the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division had been consulted regarding our last year's denial of permit and that section 608 of the Municipal Code had been reviewed/amended" explained Chabot.
Mr. Lawson also confirmed to the National Post that the decision not to allow them to have a permit may be seen as discriminatory based on gender.
"This crucial change in the city code will no doubt appease women and help them gather the courage to exercise their topless right knowing they won't be fined or arrested" Ms. Chabot commented.
"Now that the law is on their side, women have to realize that exposing their breasts is not an indecent act, not any more than a man showing his chest" reminds Ms. Chabot. "They need to remember that men were also forced to hide their chest in public 80 years ago as their chest was also considered indecent at that time. Men too had to fight for their topless rights!"
Symbolically, before the march there will be few festivities at Ashbrigdes Bay Park where women are invited to experience, maybe for the first time, the liberating feeling of being topless in public and legally free to do so! Those who are uncomfortable to go topless are most welcome to join as well.
The celebration march will take place this Sunday August 26 starting at 1:00 PM at Kew Beach Avenue and Lakeshore Blvd. East (just south of Queen Street East) !