Did the GoTopless 2010 Chicago Rally with Bare-breasted Women Create Equal Rights?

A meeting was organized on Sun., Aug. 22, at noon for the GoTopless march. Women were encouraged to come to the North Avenue Beach House, located at 1600 N. Lake Shore Dr., to support going topless in public. Marches for this women's rights event also happened on Sunday in Venice Beach, CA; New York, NY; Miami, FL; and Denver, CO. But if Chicago women continue fighting for this right on or after that day, will they be arrested?

"Yes, they'll get arrested but not by me," said a Chicago Police Officer who declined to give his name. "I'm one of the good guys, but it's still considered indecent exposure."

Breast-feeding in public is the only time that women can expose their full breast without possibly being arrested.

According to CPD, if a woman exposes her breasts enough to see her nipple(s) and police are around to see it, she can be arrested. She will spend approximately eight hours in jail, be finger-printed, photographed and processed.

After receiving a court date, the judge can choose whether to throw out the misdemeanor case. It is possible to go to jail for up to 365 days depending on the judge.

Even if there isn't a complaint from onlookers about a woman being exposed, if a police officer shows up, the officer can arrest her as the complainant.

Even in "top freedom" cities like New Orleans, LA during Mardi Gras, police still have the option to arrest women with their full breasts exposed.

In 2009, an artist named Jill Coccaro--who goes by the name Phoenix Feeley--was arrested for having her breasts exposed in New York. Phoenix Feeley spent 12 hours in jail. However, In New York, it's legal for women to go topless so when she was arrested she sued the city and received $29,000.

Additional Notes: This entry was originally published by the Chicago News & Events Examiner.