North Carolina representatives have introduced a bill that would “clarify” a state law to ban nipple slips and otherwise prohibit the baring of breasts. Women worried about showing too much of their “private area” should use pasties or even duct tape from now on… or they could be breaking the law. Basically, do not emulate any Kate Upton photos like this one. The proposed legislation, House Bill 34, would make it a Class H felony to expose “external organs of sex and of excretion, including the nipple.” The law also extends to “any portion of the areola.” Good to know. Depending on the intent, women could face up to six months in prison for an errant areola, with “more mundane” exposure resulting in a 30-day sentence. There is an exemption for breastfeeding. Rep. Rayne Brown (R), who co-sponsored the bill , tells WRAL in Raleigh that while it may seem frivolous or even funny, it can also be a serious issue. “There are communities across this state, local governments across this state, and local law enforcement for whom this issue is really not a laughing matter.” Brown said that she was prompted, in part, by Asheville’s second annual topless protest and women’s rally this past August. What went down there? According to the Asheville Citizen-Times , the event last year drew around a dozen women, who took off their shirts to “promote women’s equality.” WRAL writes that Rep. Sarah Stevens (R), who chairs the North Carolina House Judiciary Subcommittee C, downplayed the impact the bill might have. Opponents, such as Rep. Annie Mobley (D) worried that the law was sexist and that it might penalize women for wearing “questionable fashions.”
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Nipple Slips Targeted By N.C. Lawmakers: Too Much "Exposure" Could Mean Felony
