In 2013, New York City police were strictly prohibited from detaining topless women - provided, of course, that they did not break any laws. The world received the news with unprecedented joy, but in fact, the largest city in the United States has never banned going topless, although people were regularly arrested for it. What is the situation now with walking around New York with bare breasts and equality in this matter between men and women?

It’s hard to imagine that many women in New York are seriously concerned about what they will face for walking in an indecent, but extremely attractive to men, look. It’s more a matter of principle, and it was out of principle that photographer and artist Holly Van Voest regularly exposed herself on the streets of the city for several years. Having painted herself a mustache and thereby turning into her alter ego named Harvey, Van Vost exposed her breasts on the streets of New York, in front of schools, in restaurants, once even in court (for this she had to apologize, and the judge, who was deeply over 80, admitted that he had never seen anything like it). There was no sexual connotation in Holly's actions - in the image of Harvey, who looked more like a transvestite than a man, she demanded equal rights for both sexes, including nudity in a public place.

Holly Van Vost was regularly detained by the police under all sorts of pretexts, but the only time she was really in danger was when she exposed herself in court (it could have been considered an insult to the authorities). Holly was searched, put in a “monkey barn” and even sent for a psychiatric examination, but none of the arrests resulted in any consequences for her.

Holly Van Voest Photo: Mario Tama / AFP

The fact is that in New York it has been possible to go topless for quite a long time - since 1992, in accordance with a court decision in Monroe County, New York. The court found that the state does not have the right to decide how much of a woman's breasts can be exposed in public, and found the law banning topless walking, which affected several women in the city of Rochester, to be discriminatory. According to the court, women have every right to be topless in the same place where men can afford to take off their T-shirt. The court made the only exception for strip clubs: if a woman exposes herself in order to earn money, then local authorities have the right to prohibit her from doing so (in other words, if the municipality suddenly decides that it’s time to cancel striptease for money, it will have all the legal grounds for this).

The court's decision was in effect for many years, but was not particularly enforced - there were always few people willing to walk topless in New York. So the police, apparently, did not even know that women who decide to go out “without a top” are not violating anything. Holly Van Vost began her holy war for the right to show her breasts in 2011, that is, 19 years after the historic court decision.

Moira Johnson Photo: www.toplessmoira.com 1 /4

A year later, her example was followed by Moira Johnson, a pretty woman of about 30. She was once kicked out of a yoga class when she decided to take off her T-shirt, following the example of some men in the room. Moira was offended, began suing yoga centers and walking topless on the streets of New York's East Village, and also started a blog . Like Van Vost, Moira repeatedly had trouble with the police, she was even detained in Union Square, although she did not break any laws.

In the end, the New York police were tired of detaining half-naked women and getting into awkward situations (and they had nothing to do with the Ukrainian FEMEN). In February 2013, police officers were told at meetings that detaining girls as long as they expose only the upper part of their body and do not violate any legal norms is illegal and pointless - let them please the eye.

The order was kept secret, but the same Van Vost discovered that in the spring, when it became warm enough to go out half-naked, she suddenly stopped being arrested. In mid-May, the police admitted: topless women can walk around safely. In private establishments, however, the owners are free to set their own rules. Van Vost celebrated her victory and continues to walk around New York bare-chested, simultaneously suing the city police for wrongful arrests in the past.

To the obvious regret of the male population of New York, crowds of young, slender and beautiful girls did not appear on the streets, for whom only a go-ahead from the police was enough for complete emancipation. However, one New York club for those who like to read naked is enough - from attics and gardens closed from prying eyes, it has moved to Central Park. The girls note that the police now treat them favorably and do not prevent them from indulging in their favorite pastime, and passers-by thank them for such propaganda of reading.

19-year-old model Cheyenne Lutek from New Jersey decided to test New York's newly acquired tolerance for women with bare breasts. Teaming up with 29-year-old photographer Allen Henson, she went on a raid through the East Village in early July. The test on the city streets was successful (in one of the photographs, Lutek, although shyly covering himself with his hands, is posing in front of a policeman), and then the girl and the photographer went to restaurants. Having sat down at the table, Lutek immediately pulled off her T-shirt and watched the reactions of those around her. She was immediately kicked out of one Italian establishment, but a sushi bar in the East Village was very happy to have such an unusual guest and even let her into the kitchen to take pictures with the chefs. Henson plans to photograph several more topless girls in restaurants and release the photographs in a single series as an art project.

August 25 is International Topless Day, and New York City seems to be the best prepared for it this time around.

Let's lie down for freedom