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Video: A NSFW Interview With The East Village Topless Lady
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 20, 2012
Modified May 20, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published May 20, 2012
Modified May 20, 2012
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This week, we finally learned the identity of the young woman who has been walking around the East Village topless in recent weeks. Activist Moira Johnston said she wanted to raise awareness that "it's legal for woman to be topless anywhere a guy can be without a shirt since 1992 here in New York State." Joey Boots caught up with her in Union Square the other day, and filmed an interview with her. Watch the NSFW (breasts ahead!) interview below.
Among other things, the 29-year-old discusses being harassed by middle-aged men and debating going topless with passersby (including one man who says topless women are "going against God's law"). Johnston also tells how she was detained by cops for over an hour this week (because she was topless near the children's park in the square), then released when they realized they couldn't keep her. The arresting officer told her "it could be considered endangering the children...I asked his personal opinion, and he said he didn't think it was endangering the children."
So never forget that it IS legal to go topless here—International Go Topless Day is August 26 (here's a look at last year's). But also keep in mind that it's still not legal to go completely nude in public.
Tagged
breasts
east village
manhattan
moira johnston
topless
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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