GoTopless Pride Parade in New York City to mark 8th Annual GoTopless Day on Aug. 23

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Jul 28, 2015, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, July 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On August 23, the women's rights organization GoTopless will hold Go Topless Pride Parades and other events in New York, Los Angeles and over 60 other cities worldwide for the 8th annual GoTopless Day, according to a statement released today by GoTopless.

"Our goal is for equal gender topless rights to be enforced worldwide, freeing women's nipples," said GoTopless Spokesperson Rachel Jessee, the actress, model and performer who leads GoTopless in NYC. "In New York, police will block off streets from Columbus Circle to Bryant Park to let our GoTopless Pride Parade pass."

She said New York is the ideal location since it's already legal for women to go topless there.

"Since 1992, New York has been one of the world's few cities to legally recognize women's topless rights," Jessee said, adding that the past year has helped to further that right elsewhere. "The movie 'Free The Nipple' was released, and actresses and performers like Scout Willis, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Iggy Azalea have been baring their nipples publicly in support," she explained.

GoTopless is inviting both men and women to "stand up with topless pride" on Aug. 23 to honor the 95th anniversary of Women's Equality Day and to support the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

"Spiritual leader, Maitreya Rael, who inspired the creation of GoTopless and founded the Raelian Movement, says there must be absolute equality between men and women to ensure the preservation of society," Jessee stated. "Centuries of gender inequality and exclusive male rule created major planetary imbalances that could prove fatal to society. It's time for change!"

She said enforcement of equal topless rights is a crucial aspect of gender equality.

"Dr. Marcus Wenner explains how banning the female bare chest harms brains of women and girls," Jessee said. "It's liberating and empowering for women to free their bodies from repression. Freeing nipples and bodies frees minds as well, restoring self-image and self-esteem. Therefore, our topless pride parades will overflow with bare breasts, joy and fun. We'll have breast-decorated floats and carnival costumes, plus topless acrobats, jugglers and other performers. In New York, we'll have a milk truck for breastfeeding moms, and we'll conclude at Bryant Park with more performances and a speech about the ERA and GoTopless."

SOURCE GoTopless