We recently had the good fortune to reach nearly 2 million viewers with the brief video documentary that 60-Second Docs created about us. Maybe by the time you read this it’ll be over 2 million, who knows. In any event, it’s a lot of people, all over the world, who have now been exposed to the fact that women in New York are free to go topless outdoors in public anywhere that men are. That’s a wonderful thing. We hope it encourages more women to try it if it’s allowed where they live, or to try to change the law where they live if it’s not allowed yet.
But public spaces aren’t the only ones in which people sometimes enjoy relaxing without clothes on. There are private spaces as well, such as this rooftop sundeck that we periodically visit for a bit of naked R&R. Happily, even in jurisdictions where public toplessness isn’t an option for women, private toplessness (or nudity) generally still is — you just have to find a suitable spot.
That’s not a substitute for equality in the public realm — nothing is. But if you can’t take your shirt off in a public park where you live, or on the beach, we hope you don’t let that keep you from getting a taste of outdoor nakedness altogether.
Similarly, if you live in New York and could legally go topless in the middle of Central Park but feel too shy to do it, maybe an afternoon sunning on a private rooftop would be a good way to try it out.
One way or another, we hope you do try it. It’s the most liberating, satisfying feeling! And each small step is another step closer to the ultimate goal: freedom and equality everywhere.
Today the rooftop, tomorrow the world.
