Three women in an odd case have challenged the New Hampshire city ordinance prohibiting public nudity.
Heidi Lilley, Kia Sinclair and Ginger Pierro were fined in 2016 Laconia after they went topless to Weirs Beach on Memorial Day weekend.
A police officer approached them and asked them to cover themselves up after some beachgoers had complained. After they refused they were arrested.
The three women looking for a legal hearing to dismiss the charges were denied and so have appealed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court which have set a date of February 1st for their hearing.
The women have argued “There’s no state law forbidding female toplessness and the ordinance is discriminatory since men are allowed to go shirtless.”
They believe this is also a breach of their constitutional rights to freedom of expression.
“The law in the state of New Hampshire is that it is legal for a woman to go topless, so we’re trying to get the town of Laconia to recognise and to stay with the state,” Lilley said
“The town ordinance, in our opinion, is not constitutional. We’re hoping the Supreme Court will see that.”
The women are part of a global campaign which is pushing for acceptance of women baring their nipples in public called the ‘Free the Nipple movement.’