GoTopless activist files petition to the U.S. Supreme Court

CHICAGO, March 20, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On March 12, 2018, after 4 years of inconclusive court battles, Sonoko Tagami, member of women's organization GoTopless has filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court through attorney Joel Flaxman. (gotopless.org/news.php?extend.180)

"Sonoko is appealing before the U.S. Supreme Court to finally lay to rest the constitutional challenge of whether men and women have equal gender rights when it comes to topless rights," stated Nadine Gary, GoTopless President.

The Sonoko Tagami v The City Of Chicago court case stems from an incident that took place on North Beach in Chicago, Illinois during a GoTopless Day protest in Aug 2014. Ms. Tagami, GoTopless activist, was fined by the police for appearing at the annual gender equality protest with her nipples solely covered with opaque paint while the men around her legally appeared with theirs fully exposed. 

"Ms. Tagami decided to take her case to court and sued the City of Chicago in order to challenge the blunt gender discrimination she had been the victim of," explained Gary.  Since its inception, 11 years ago, GoTopless has always claimed that equal topless equality was protected by the US constitution and that if the courts ruled otherwise, then men would have to be forced to cover up their chest in public thus preserving gender equality. "That was the claim made by spiritual leader, Maitreya Rael, a relentless advocate of equal rights when he recommended creating of GoTopless in 2007," informed Gary.

'Now, the central legal question before the Supreme Court judges is whether or not 'traditional moral norms' really take precedence over the Equal Protection clause in the U.S. Constitution, as ruled last year by the 7th District judge panel when presented with Tagami's case," stated Gary.

"Many traditional moral norms have justified countless reprehensible and unconstitutional acts in our country's history, but thankfully they don't hold up to the supreme law of the land," said Gary.

"In today's society, a favorable ruling for gender topless equality would also have a major impact on the #metoo movement currently sweeping our country. When women will be given unequivocal equal rights not only in mind but also in body, our traditional and chauvinist moral norms will gradually give way to a more respectful rapport between the sexes," Gary continued.

"Topless equality speaks volumes when it comes to empowering women and freeing everyone from the shackles of Judeo-Christian guilt and shame," concluded Gary.

SOURCE GoTopless