[Facepalm] Rep. Rayne Brown Introduces Bill Criminalizing Nipple Exposure

[Daft]

Rep. Rayne Brown, North Carolina State Republican, Introduces Bill Criminalizing Nipple Exposure

North Carolina state representatives have introduced a bill that would "clarify" state law to specifically prohibit the baring of women's breasts. Women worried about showing too much of their "private area" should use pasties, or perhaps duct tape.

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, or any portion of the areola, of the human female breast."

Rep. Rayne Brown (R), who co-sponsored the bill, said that while it may seem frivolous and even funny, "there are communities across this state, there's local governments across this state, and also local law enforcement for whom this issue is really not a laughing matter," according to WRAL in Raleigh, N.C.

Brown said that she was prompted, in part, by Asheville's second annual topless protest and women's rally this past August. Asheville is around 130 miles from Brown's district, the Associated Press writes.

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."

The AP reports that, depending on the intent of the exposure, 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.

The AP goes on to write that HB 34 would give law enforcement authority to make arrests and would clear up confusion stemming from a 1970 state Court of Appeals ruling, which said the term "private parts," as then specified in state law, did not include breasts.

WRAL writes that Rep. Sarah Stevens (R), who chairs the North Carolina House Judiciary Subcommittee C, downplayed the impact the bill might have, but that committee member Rep. Annie Mobley (D) worried it might penalize women for wearing "questionable fashions."

Rep. Tim Moore, (R), on the other hand, said to WRAL, "You know what they say –- duct tape fixes everything."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/rep-rayne-brown-north-carolina-introduces-bill-criminalizing-nipple-exposure_n_2695720.html

[Zeraf242]

I like how as soon as women take off their tops, they are automatically being sexually distracting to the public. Even if that wasn't there intention. 

[DoozerUK]

should use pasties

Delicious



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasty

[Delta]

A felony? Boobs are criminalized like armed robbery? What the f'ck?
However, the bill number being 34 is probably unintentional humor in this situation.

[Danee]

A felony? Boobs are criminalized like armed robbery? What the f'ck?
However, the bill number being 34 is probably unintentional humor in this situation.

It is America, it is the south, it is the fucking Republican old time doctrine and teachings and it is suppression and it is wrong. Plain wrong, I despise them.

[Danee]

From a NC newspaper:


http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20130217/SP05/130219644/

[natureboy1776]

Remember to also keep all your other "external organs... of excretion" covered too. Namely: eyes, nose, and all sweat glands.  Order your full body shrouds now before the summer rush.

[Malachite]

That is quite simply idiotic. First, there really is no reason why female breasts should be considered obscene, when male breasts are not. The only visual difference is that males generally are, simply put, flatter. Nipples, meanwhile, are more or less identical on members of either gender. Thus, criminalizing the exposure of SPECIFICALLY that portion of the breast makes about as much sense as criminalizing the exposure of the male earlobe. Frankly, it is discrimination. (As are all laws that criminalize the exposure of certain areas of the body for one gender but not the other, but that's a whole new kettle of fish.)

[Delta]

Generally as in "on average", not as in "always", right? Because I for one pack more chest flab than some girls due to.. umm... not being the slimmest guy.

[Malachite]

Indeed, I meant on average, as with more than six billion humans on the planet, there are more than six billion different formats for a human body. With so many different forms, I would be innately uncomfortable with making such a sweeping and absolute statement.

[Westernyelp]

The US is such a land of contradictions, its amazing that the fifty states remain together when you look at it from afar. as for the big scary nipples, how ridiculous!

[Dario Western]

The South should never rise again. :-( 

[AElf]

The US is such a land of contradictions, its amazing that the fifty states remain together when you look at it from afar.

Not at all.  Remember what happened the last time a group of states attempted to assert their rights.

as for the big scary nipples, how ridiculous!

I really wonder how much of this is the effect of the religious right and how much of it results from the plain old fashioned male urge to make women chattels.  Either way, it is an epidemic disease in the US and I fear our own government leans in the same direction.

[natureboy1776]

Remember to also keep all your other "external organs... of excretion" covered too. Namely: eyes, nose, and all sweat glands.  Order your full body shrouds now before the summer rush.

I forgot to mention the mouth. Which could be considered both an organ of sex and excretion.

[The Streaker]

women could face up to six months in prison for an errant areola

Holy heart failure, Batman!    Are nipples really that offensive? If you don't want to show your breasts then don't, but if you want to, you should have the right! I mean in some cases it just makes more sense to have a shirt off!