Ativist Holly Van Voast was hauled back in court yesterday for her latest stunt – going [topfree] in St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York.
After facing the judge fully dressed, Van Voast was dismissed thanks to a 1992 state appellate court ruling which states women are allowed to go [topfree] in public.
The 46-year-old then exited the court and promptly exposed her breasts to the waiting media.
The photographer and performance artist has so far displayed her wares at Grand Central Station, the Statue of Liberty and on the Staten Island Ferry.
Having filmed her latest stunt, Von Voast informed the New York Daily News: “I want to have a reality show. Nothing works like t***.”
Sporting a mop of unruly blonde hair, a drawn on moustache and frequently bare breasts, Van Voast often performs under her transgender alter-ego Harvey Van Toast.
Harvey, Van Voast claims, was conceived to draw attention to the need to protect art and to entertain the public.
She told DNAinfo: "This is what New York is begging for right now — something kind of funny, a little outrageous. Something that blows your mind.”
In this video, Van Voast's alter-ego, Harvey, visits the Staten Island Ferry and the Empire State Building:
The rules Facebook uses to decide whether to censor users’ postings have been published for the first time, detailing its more liberal attitude to gore than to nudity.
A disgruntled former moderator has also told of how Facebook uses outsourced staff in developing countries to moderate the huge volume of material its users upload every day.
A document given to the staff of one third party content moderation firm tells them to delete “any OBVIOUS sexual activity, even if naked parts are hidden from view”. Meanwhile “deep flesh wounds are ok to show; excessive blood is ok to show” and “crushed heads, limbs, etc are ok as long as no insides are showing”.
“Slurs or racial comments of any kind” should be deleted, it says, but “humour overrules hate speech UNLESS slurs are used or humour is not evident”, meaning that comments reported to Facebook as hate speech should remain online if they are judged to be in jest and do not include racial slurs.
The rules are used by the third party firm to screen photographs, text and videos that have been “flagged” by one of Facebook’s 850 million users.
Until now, users have been forced to rely on Facebook’s relatively vague community standards to judge what it deems acceptable. On graphic content, the public page says "while we are a platform for sharing events that take place in your life and around the world, any inappropriately graphic content will be removed when found on the site."
The leaked rules for moderators are much more specific. For example, images of “urine, faeces, vomit, semen and ear wax” are banned, but images of "snot" are allowed, as are “cartoon faeces, urine and spit”.
Meanwhile depictions of illegal drug use should be deleted, moderators are told, except marijuana, “unless context is clear that the poster is selling/buying/growing”.
The rules were passed to the US gossip website Gawker.com by a disgruntled former employee of the third party firm, oDesk, who said the $1 per hour he received for screening Facebook photographs was “humiliating”.
The leak is likely to be seized on by critics of Facebook’s hitherto secret censorship policies. Last year it was forced to apologise for deleting a picture of a gay kiss, and it has long faced controversy over its ban on images of breastfeeding that include any part of a mother's nipple; last week a group of “lactivists” protested outside Facebook’s offices.
In response to the leak of its censorship rules, Facebook sought to reassure users their details were not being passed to third parties.
“In an effort to quickly and efficiently process the millions of reports we receive every day, we have found it helpful to contract third parties to provide precursory classification of a small proportion of reported content,” a spokesman said.
“These contractors are subject to rigorous quality controls and we have implemented several layers of safeguards to protect the data of those using our service.
“Additionally, no user information beyond the content in question and the source of the report is shared. We have, and will continue, to escalate the most serious reports internally, and all decisions made by contractors are subject to extensive audits.
"We are constantly improving our processes and review our contractors on an ongoing basis. This document provides a snapshot in time of our standards with regards to one of those contractors."
The answer to how to go topfree on the beach during your summer holiday may appear obvious but there is alot more to consider than simply baring all the moment you arrive on the beach (guys out there please bear this in mind, pun intended). For some women this may be the norm but for others it might be something that has always been in the back of your mind and never quite had the confidence to go for it. Well, however you feel about it, here is how anyone can go topfree on the beach this summer.
1. – Check your destination. Depending on which beach, in which country, you are at this summer will determine whether or not you actually can go topfree on the beach. For some countries this will be an extremely arrestable offence and will most certainly ruin your holiday.
2. – Don’t compare yourself. We have all seen those toned, super tanned women who walk tall down the beach without a care in the world wearing nothing but a bright pink thong bikini. If were weren’t all too scared to be seen within 5 metres of this creature we would have asked here how she managed that enviable figure. Reality is, most of us will not ever look like that so go and get that cocktail and enjoy the sun.
3. – Consider who you are on the beach with. If it’s with your partner of your friends, go for it. If it’s with your teenage children, consider their feelings first. The teenage years really can be hard enough.
4. – Be discreet. By this I mean, get yourself settled and discreetly get them out. Wipping off your top with a ‘woohoo’ the moment you step foot on the sand isn’t really necessary.
5. – Try not to blush when someone speaks to you. So easier said than done especially for us Brits!
6. – Reapply the sunscreen often. For assets that perhaps are not exposed to sunlight often they need that extra bit of tender love and care or you shall be suffering the painful consequences for the rest of your holiday.
7. – Explain clearly to your partner that it is for tanning purposes only and is not, as he may believe, foreplay.
8. – “I don’t like the idea of men looking at you” Don’t let this stop you, simply ask if he looks a women who are topfree on the beach and when he says no tell him he, therefore, has nothing to worry about.
9. – If you need a few glasses of wine in order to strip off it may be best to leave it for this year. A little bit of dutch courage goes along way but you do run the risk of becoming a little too confident.
10. – Lastly, enjoy yourself. Going topfree on the beach not meant to be stressful. If it’s not for you, you still going to look gorgeous whatever you are wearing.
For the first time, members of Ukrainian protest group Femen face a criminal case, though not for stripping in public for women's cause.
Anonymous activists of the feminist group face a criminal case in a court in the Ukrainian capital Kiev for their topless protest on the balcony of Indian ambassador Rajiv K. Chander's residence on January 18, during which they tore down the Indian Tricolour.
The activists were protesting against India's alleged visa crackdown against women from some former Soviet states.
The government has reportedly asked the country's diplomatic missions in Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to tighten the overview of visa applications by women aged 18- 40 in an attempt to curb the inflow of sex workers to India.
About 40,000 tourists from the Central Asia republics and more than 70,000 from Russia visit India every year. A large number of women from some of the Central Asian republics travel to India to work as prostitutes.
The Femen protesters, baring their breasts even in sub-zero temperatures, climbed the balcony of the ambassador's residence with placards bearing slogans such as 'Ukraine is not a bordello', 'We are not prostitutes', 'Delhi, close your brothels' and 'We demand apologies'.
A press release by Femen stated: "The problem of prostitution in India is not dependent on women from Ukraine, Russia or Kazakhstan. It is directly linked with criminal impunity for the pimping business within India itself." The protest has landed the activists in trouble as two cases were filed against them on charges of hooliganism and desecration of state symbols. The Ukrainian police said they may end up in prison for up to four years.
Femen was founded in Kiev in 2008 and has mostly women university students as its members.
The group is known for staging topless protests in Ukraine and outside for all causes concerning women, from sex tourism to Silvio Berlusconi's peccadilloes.
topless women in nyc is legal. i wasn't expecting this to be delaying the train i was on. glad i wasn't on my way to work because it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. i had no idea it was legal for women to walk around topless in NYC!
Mollie and Alex are part of a growing group of teens and twentysomethings embracing the world of public nudity - a contemporary phenomenon that's been driven by social networking sites such as Facebook as well as niche websites like Naked Vegan Cooking.
They are on a quest to normalise nudity, question the media's obsession with the body beautiful, and encourage other young people to liberate themselves by simply going naked - in the streets, in cafes or at art shows.
The new nudists are keen to take the nudist lifestyle beyond the old fashioned naturist clubs. So why is this pastime increasing in popularity and what do the parents think about their child revealing all in the most public of places?
Commercial for Pink Ribbon Magazine 100% non-profit raising money to support the fight against breat cancer. Written by Grey Amsterdam, directed by Chris Palmer at Gorgeous Productions
A hardy group of mothers staged a breastfeeding flash-mob demonstration in a city centre to declare their right to feed their babies in public.
Up to 40 mothers, some accompanied by their partners, descended on Brighton, East Sussex, and breastfed their children in front of Christmas shoppers.
Claire Jones-Hughes, 38, organised the demonstration after she was criticised by customers in a cafe for breastfeeding one of her daughters last week.
She was confronted by a group of four middle-aged women and a man in her favourite vegetarian restaurant, Wai Kika Moo Kau, after feeding four-month-old Callie.
Mrs Jones-Hughes said: "One woman said, 'It was very unpleasant watching you feed. You should have covered up more'. When I protested, the others joined in, and the man said, 'You should have used a towel'.
"I was really shocked, especially as I'd gone to a lot of effort to be discreet. You usually get nice comments when you're with a baby, and I couldn't believe I was having this conversation. In their world, it was completely unnatural that they should see me doing that."
Despite the support of another customer, Mrs Jones-Hughes was visibly shaken and reduced to tears by the incident.
She said: "After they left, the manager came over to ask what happened and was mortified when I told him. When I calmed down it reminded me of all the stories I've heard from other women who've had similar experiences."
After drumming up support online, Mrs Jones-Hughes encouraged other women to brave the cold to feed their babies as part of the flash mob at the Clock Tower.
The customer services manager, who also has a three-year-old daughter Lexie, said she hoped the event would give confidence to mothers who are nervous about breastfeeding in public.
A naked woman in a city's central square is bound to attract attention, which is exactly what Ukraine’s Femen group is hoping for with a series of high-profile demonstrations against the abuse of women's rights which has made the news across Europe.
And as [iNAKED] found out, the Ukrainian feminists are ready to conquer new horizons.
On a chilly morning in Kiev, half-naked women in racing outfits drink champagne and chant slogans. This is how the Femen movement celebrated the resignation of Silvio Berlusconi. Several days prior to that, Femen were in Rome, lending their support for the anti-Berlusconi protests.
Activist Aleksandra Shevchenko states, “We had staged a lot of protests against Berlusconi and his sexual adventures here in Kiev. And we are really happy his political career has finished."
“But we came to the Italian embassy not only to celebrate, but to say that he needs to go on trial for his sexual crimes,” Femen member Inna Shevchenko added.
For more than a week, Ukraine’s topless protesters have been making themselves heard across Europe on a road trip dedicated to drawing attention to the sexual exploitation of women.
While in Rome, one of their activists even made a revealing protest against injustice towards women in the Catholic Church at the Vatican, right in front of the Pope. Before that, they hit Paris, storming the residence of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
“Women from Italy came to us in Switzerland and said: ‘We know that you’re coming to Rome and will be staging protests against Berlusconi and the Pope. Thank you,’ they said, ‘for sharing our problems,’” Alexandra Shevchenko continued.
Their wild bra-free rallies in Ukraine have been making international headlines for several years, from protesting against the alarming rate of prostitution, especially with the upcoming Euro 2012 football tournament, to exposing flaws in Ukraine’s politics. Now they are looking even further afield.
“We understood that classic feminism no longer works,” Inna Shevchenko said. “It is, if you excuse me, impotent. But what we do brings the desired effect. That’s why not only Ukraine needs us, but Europe as well. We are planning to take over the world.”
The Femen movement has been well-received at home in Ukraine and in Europe, and now its members are planning to extend their reach even further.
“We receive lots of letters telling us to continue fighting religious injustice towards women, especially in Muslim states. That’s where we want to develop,” Alexandra Shevchenko told RT. “We are even ready to go to Iran or any other Islamic state to stage our topless protests, knowing all risks it could entail for us.”
In Ukraine alone, Femen has garnered tens of thousands of supporters. The network has taken root in Europe and now stretches as far as the United States. But with sex-tourism, prostitution, and the ‘mail-order bride’ industry still plaguing Ukrainian society, Femen say they still have a lot demons to fight at home.
Artistic Director of Dance Theater Group Kandake, Olga El, exposes her nakedness, an artistic expression to relay frustration over Christopher Columbus Day during the Occupy Wall Street protests on Monday October 10th 2011.
Author and Breast Cancer Survivor Cindy Papale is the projects Lead Model and what I call the project Cornerstone as her coming forward to participate has lead the way for all those that have followed her.
The Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project (BCAPP) is an ongoing series designed and created to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer causes. Meet the founders and learn more about the project on this episode of ArtStreet!
This article is from the Mail Online website (28th October 2011):
A breast cancer awareness campaign that uses body painting to get their message out is fuming at Facebook, saying their censorship rules have gone too far.
In the Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project, survivors of the deadly disease have their chests painted with bright images and display them with pride for the camera.
Survivors do it, not to cover up their mastectomy scars, but to feel better about their bodies and reclaim a sense of spirit and hope.
Facebook continues its moral crusade against the human nipple. Ukrainian top-free feminists FEMEN (who have faced their share of Facebook bannination) made me aware of the latest administrator crackdown on an art and advocacy project called the Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project (BCABPP).
Calling themselves “An all Breast Cancer Survivor project for awareness, fundraising, inspiration and healing worldwide” they use nude body painting and photography to help survivors express how they feel about what the disease has done to their bodies. But while Facebook generally gives an exception to nudity (which in America means exposed female nipples, bums and/or genitals) in paintings and other “art”, it does not except non-sexual nudity that has been painted...
Harriet Barber paints from a life model in her studio. This is one of the paintings in her Breast Cancer LIFE series, depicting women who have undergone treatment for the disease.
Seven years (almost eight, at this point) after Janet Jackson's intentional "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl and the $550,000 fine leveled against CBS is still being argued in court. Just today an appeals court in Philly threw out the case. Now it might be headed back to the Supreme Court.
Performance contained 161 km long walk from South Estonia, Tartu town where I live to Karepa village in North Estonia by the sea. When weather allowed, I was bare breasted. The walk took 5 days. I arrived on 12th of Aug and presented my final act on Performance Evening “Angst” on 13th of Aug at Karepa, R. Sagrits’ house-museum.
I monitored people’s reaction on my way. Since bare breasted women are rare, I wanted to know how people react if they see one in public space. Everybody were calm until we spent longer time in a small town Väike-Maarja, where the TV news filmed me in front of the Municipality Government building. Governor saw me from his window and called police. I spent two hours in police station, explaining why I was walking bare breasted. Since there is no law against bare breasted men or women in public space, police is still pondering upon my case, thinking how to punish me.
Photographs and postcards of the late Joseon period often depict Korean women working or walking with bared breasts. Apparently, for many revisionists, this is a cause of shame and these pictures have been denounced as staged photographs ― designed to denigrate Korea. They claim that no Korean noblewoman would ever be seen in such an undressed state ― especially by foreigners. They are right, to a degree. Noblewomen were secluded from the gaze of men and to be caught outside with their face bare ― let alone with breasts bared ― would have been unbearably humiliating, but these were not noblewomen ― they were women of the lower classes.
