Reader: Men in America Aren't Ready for Women to Go Topless in Public

A comment has definitely hit a nerve if it spawns dozens of responses. That was the case with a post on our report about Go Topless Fort Collins' campaign to decriminalize the female breast — by demanding that city officials remove references to breasts from FoCo's public-indecency ordinance. What did...

By Michael Roberts

August 12, 2015

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A comment has definitely hit a nerve if it spawns dozens of responses.

That was the case with a post on our report about Go Topless Fort Collins' campaign to decriminalize the female breast — by demanding that city officials remove references to breasts from FoCo's public-indecency ordinance.

What did the writer in question do to inspire so many reactions? She suggested that men wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to act improperly if confronted with the sight of so many shirtless women.

Here's what she had to say.

Roni D. Hotka writes:

Now, I'm not saying women would be "asking for it" if they went topless, but wouldn't that just be an invitation for pervs to reach out and touch? Girls in bikinis at cons already have issues with men touching inappropriately, just imagine what men would do if women were walking around topless. I'm all for equality, but I don't think the U.S. is ready for this.

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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