Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
NSFW: East Village Topless Woman Says She Gets "Support" From Onlookers
By
Jen Chung
Published May 18, 2012
Modified May 18, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 18, 2012
Modified May 18, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
There's been a young topless woman walking around the East Village for the past few weeks and, finally, she has spoken, confirming that she's baring her boobs to remind everyone that women have the right to go free-ranging in New York (so she's not just trying to avoid ghastly tan lines). NSFW photo below.
EV Grieve posted photos earlier today and Racked got an interview with the activist, Moira Johnston, who explained, "I'm going topless today. It's to raise awareness that's it's legal for woman to be topless anywhere a guy can be without a shirt since 1992 here in New York State." (Holly Van Voast knows that firsthand.) Johnston continued, "I've been going topless for a couple weeks now," and said of the reaction, "I get a lot of support. Well, there's mixed reactions, because people aren't used to seeing it in our culture yet."

Via EV Grieve
And it seems she's been arrested—and released by the cops—too!
Moira Johnston The Topless girl of Union Square arrested 2 days ago & then released when cops realized she broke no law twitter.com/JoeyBoots/stat…
— Joey Boots (@JoeyBoots) May 18, 2012
Mark your calendars—Go Topless Day is August 26 (here's a look at last year's).
Tagged
breasts
east village
fashion
legal
topless
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Sep 26, 2026
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.
By
Hannah Frishberg
How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest
By
Sonia Rao
NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .