Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
New Kickstarter Campaign Uses Photos Of Boobs To Raise Topless Awareness
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 24, 2012
Modified May 24, 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 .
View all 7
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 24, 2012
Modified May 24, 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
We all know by now that being topless is totally legal in New York whether you are a man or a woman, right? But there's nothing wrong with drawing some more attention to that fact, like the young woman baring her breasts in the East Village has been doing lately. And now the man behind the Topless New York series has launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for an exhibit showing years of his photographs documenting The Cause.
As usual, if you want to see boobs, you're gonna have to pay. At press time the Kickstarter only has 95 bucks, of the $10,000 it needs, so loosen those pursestrings. And while you do that, we asked Mr. Topless New York what got him into this in the first place (attachment parenting?)—he told us: "I first became intrigued by the unusual law in NY when I was in law school, but it wasn't until a few years later, in 2007, that I decided that it was important to raise awareness about it, and concluded that putting together a series of photos might be the way to do it." But does he get criticized or called a "pervert" for his work? "I've never been called a 'pervert' for doing this project—I've certainly heard a few expressions of displeasure during a shoot, but they're typically directed at the model who's daring to offend traditional sensibilities by exercising her equal rights under the law, not at me."
Click through for a look at the result of some of these shoots, and what he'll have on view if his project gets funded. Needless to say, they are NSFW!
Tagged
kickstarter
topless
topless new york
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson 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
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 12:55 p.m. ET
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
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 .