Letter: Toplessness will lead to more female objectification

Editor,

While I respect the goal to obtain equal rights among men and women, I was disappointed after I read (Monday’s) story, “Activists Go Without for Topless Equality.” While their intentions may be to de-sexualize the female body, the results are furthering our objectification as women.

There is a difference between women being the same as a men and being treated as equals. Men and women are different: our anatomy, our hormones and our general urges set us apart. That does not make one inferior or superior to the other. It makes us different — in beautiful ways. We need to embrace our diversity, while still valuing the life of the other and giving equality to each other.

Women, how are we valuing our bodies by making them out to be less than what they are? That is what this protest showed to me: that women are saying our bodies are as ordinary as men’s bodies. But if we look at the miracles and wonders of the human body, we would recognize that neither the female nor male anatomy is ordinary. They are altogether an amazing creation, intended to be honored, respected and treasured — not to be treated as mere objects for the world to look at as mundane.

How would women in Albuquerque going topless like men better our society? I don’t see any benefits — only outcomes that result in more objectification of women, less respect for the female body and children being exposed too early to nudity. I see teenagers with developing sexual drives having more unprotected sex if their peers are topless, which could lead to more STDs and unplanned pregnancies.

It may seem like a reach to you, but the correlation seems possible to me. I see men targeting topless women as objects and sexually assaulting them — even though being topless is not an invitation to be assaulted. But do they know that? Are we willing to put ourselves at risk just to prove a point?

What would come next: males having the right to be bottomless? I don’t see a more progressive society from this, but a more perverted one. Why? Because women’s bodies will never be valued and respected as they should be, especially topless. I think we deserve better as women.

We are not men. We are women — and we are beautiful.

Sincerely,

Sade Patterson

UNM student