Can You Hit the Streets With a Bare Chest With Zero Consequences?
Your answer depends solely on your gender. Let’s see why this discrimination is considered “normal” and why it actually isn’t.
Whether in Islamic, Western societies or other societies, the debate on whether women should be as free as men to expose their bodies is — unfortunately — still on.
These gendered double standards are not only blatant but infinitely infinite in examples: from the different versions of the veil that Islam allegedly preconizes for women, through the different legal treatment of bare chested women and men throughout the world, to Twitter’s censorship of female nipples and not male nipples…
Nipples getting discriminated against… Crazy, right?
If you’re still reading and didn’t close the tab because I remind you of the standard feminist rhetoric *grins* let me congratulate you for having passed the first test of having an open mind. Hooray!
In a more serious tone, the female body is just as “normal” as the male body. Why should women cover up and not men? Why are women’s bodies up for public debate and not men’s?
I’ll try to answer these questions by stating common arguments and their rebuttal:
1. Because God said so
While this argument is of no use in front of irreligious people, its intense religiosity is blinding. Let’s examine it quickly from an Islamic angle (because I’m mainly adressing Moroccan muslims). God created women and men in their current form. Then, God ordered women to cover up from head to toe and ordered men to cover up from their navel to their ankle. This argument is very reductive of God’s will in case it actually upholds it.
The rebuttal: If God created women the way they are, who are you (individual, group, government) to oblige them to cover up? If God wanted women to be covered up why weren’t they created that way? It would have really simplified the job of entitled and misogynist jerks who see women as walking wombs.
2. Because women are more attractive than men
Ugh nope. This argument is clearly one that is hugely influenced by the “male gaze”. All you need to do is consider, for once, that women have sexual needs, desires and fantasies too. It is easy to dismiss this reality when all that the media portrays is a male point of view of pretty much anything remotely sensual let alone sexual.
Men’s bodies in all their shapes are just as attractive as women’s.
The rebuttal: If someone is, according to certain people, beautiful, why should they hide? Obliging someone to cover up is an intrusion, no matter the reason. You can’t just oblige a free and independent person to cover up when you don’t oblige another free and independent person to do so.
3. Because women can be in danger
Well, that’s a lame argument. Seriously though, you do realise that women aren’t at fault if a sick person sexually assaults them, right? Providing women with smart-ish gadgets and rules to avoid “getting raped” is such an inefficient if not aggravating measure.
The rebuttal: People never tell someone who has survived a murder attempt that they shouldn’t have angered the culprit; or someone who got robbed that they shouldn’t have had valuable things on them. Rapists are responsible for their acts. If covered up women aren’t inherently safe either, why then consider clothing or lack thereof a justification for such a terrible crime?
Some noteworthy examples
The men’s march in Tangiers to encourage fitness
While the march has a noble cause, it is surely noticeable that there were no women in it. Was it on purpose men-only or did they struggle to find fit women who could showcase the benefits of physical exercise?
I guess we’ll never know.
What I know is that everybody loved the idea of sexy, fit and well-hung men parading in Tangiers. As we know that demonstrating, protesting or marching requires a very subjective and hard-to-get permission, it surely was also okay with the authorities.
What’s wrong with that? Nothing. We wouldn’t want to deprive the world of such a wondrous show. These men are sexy as hell.
What is not okay is the impossibility of a female equivalent (with nipples and all).
Femen
In 2015, two Femen activists took a photo to denounce the oppression of LGBT people in Morocco (Art. 489 of the Penal Code).
Of course, as we know, a woman’s body is an absolute taboo. This act sparked such an outrage. Whether it was only because of the act or also because of its location is a matter of perspective.
What is inane about this example is that the 1500 people who protested against those 2 women and Femen, in general, seem to be incredibly… out of touch with the meaning of that act. (Notice another protest that is okay with the authorities — have you seen a pattern yet?)
The act was indeed provocative because it was unexpected and unique. But its meaning goes beyond the kissing and the bare chests. It defies a whole social and legal system. It speaks for two oppressed groups in Morocco — women and LGBT+. And the resistance that ensued speaks volumes about the Moroccan majority’s stance.
Regardless of Femen’s real agenda or lack thereof, it is surely clear that women’s breasts are offensive for pretty much everyone.
The question is: why go bat-shit crazy about a pair of boobs when it’s only a fatter equivalent of a man’s chest?
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