The issue of topless equality is front and center this weekend at Venice Beach.
As part of National Topless Day, protesters will march topless to make a statement against laws that allow men to parade around shirtless, but require women to cover up.
Under this chest-case scenario, women will go topless and men will march clad in bikini tops. Latex nipple covers (they look like actual nipples) will be handed out to women at the beach.
From the event website:
Did you know that in the 1970's Venice Beach was a nude beach? And now... even a woman's nipple has become indecent. That's because our society has become more civilized over time, more family friendly, they tell us. It is difficult to understand how the millions of European children cope on the beach in Europe every summer.
In this demonstration, we invite the men to show what EQUAL RIGHTS truly means. At this moment on Venice Beach women cannot go topless, so in complete constitutional equality, the men will cover their chest as well. Will men with bikini tops look ridiculous? Maybe, but constitutionally, so do women in this double standard legal topless battle.
A Yo Venice piece on the 2008 event noted there was a large group of women and supportive men, and "about 3,000 men with cameras."
"Guys are great," Go Topless director Nadine Gary told AOL News. "They understand this issue, and we get lots of cooperation from males."
The Go Topless protests started three years ago. It was founded by members of the Raelian Movement, which believes life on Earth originated from alien scientists who created men and women in their images.
According to the Go Topless website, we're left with two options: either women are allowed to go topless, or men should be forced to cover their chests in public, too.
It's a matter of bareness.
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The Venice protest march will start at 2 p.m. It shouldn't be difficult to spot the group somewhere near Ocean Front Walk at Navy Street.
