free the nipple

File:Free the Nipple.jpg in London, June 2015|alt=A topless woman, with her nipples covered with adhesive tape crosses and "Free the Nipple" written on her torso.]]

Free the Nipple is a topfreedom campaign created in 2012 during pre-production of a 2014 film of the same name.{{cite news|author=Jenny Kutner |url=http://www.salon.com/2014/12/16/maybe_america_just_needs_a_big_blast_of_boobies_lina_esco_tells_salon_about_her_topless_crusade_to_free_the_nipple/ |title="Maybe America just needs a big blast of boobies": Lina Esco tells Salon about her topless crusade to free the nipple |work=Salon.com |date=16 December 2014 |access-date=2015-04-04}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lina-esco/free-the-nipple_b_4415859.html|title=Why I Made a Film Called Free the Nipple and Why I'm Being Censored in America|first=Lina|last=Esco|date=9 December 2013|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=2017-01-11}} The campaign highlights the general convention of allowing men to appear topless in public while considering it sexual, suggestive, or indecent for women to do the same and asserts that this difference is discriminatory, contravening women's rights. The campaign argues that it should be legally and culturally acceptable for women to bare their nipples in public.{{Cite journal|last=Höfner|first=Susan|title=Free the Nipple!|url= https://www.academia.edu/20907784|date=2016|accessdate=3 July 2024|journal=Academia.edu}}

History

Historically, women have sometimes been arrested or charged with public indecency, disturbing the peace, or lewd behavior for baring their breasts in public, even in jurisdictions where there was no law explicitly prohibiting doing so.{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/health/the-weird-wild-legal-history-of-breasts-and-104942336487.html |title=The Weird, Wild Legal History of Breasts and Nipples |website=Yahoo Health |date=12 December 2014 |access-date=2015-01-20}} In New York state, female toplessness was made legal around 1990, and when a woman was arrested there in 2005 for appearing topless in public, a court ruled in her favor and she later received US$29,000 in damages.NBC News. [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19293933 "NYC pays $29,000 over topless arrest"] Associated Press, New York, 18 June 2007. Retrieved on 1 March 2015.

In 2012, filmmaker Lina Esco created a documentary of herself running through the streets of New York topless. As the documentary was being made, she posted teaser clips with the hashtag #FreeTheNipple. In 2013, Facebook removed these clips from its website for violating its guidelines. In 2014, several celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Lena Dunham, Chelsea Handler, Rihanna and Chrissy Teigen posted photos on social media to show their support of Esco's initiative.{{Cite journal|last=West|first=Sarah Myers|date=22 September 2017|title=Raging Against the Machine: Network Gatekeeping and Collective Action on Social Media Platforms|url=https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/989|journal=Media and Communication|language=en|volume=5|issue=3|pages=28–36|doi=10.17645/mac.v5i3.989|issn=2183-2439|doi-access=free}}

In 2015, the campaign received attention in Iceland after a teenage student activist posted a photo of herself topless and was harassed for doing so. In support of the student and the initiative, Björt Ólafsdóttir, a Member of Parliament, posted a topless photo of herself in solidarity.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/06/free-the-nipple-liberation-photos-breasts |title=#FreeTheNipple: liberation or titillation? |first=Sophie |last=Heawood |newspaper=The Guardian |date=6 April 2015 |access-date=2015-12-22}}

In 2016, two protesters, Tiernan Hebron and UCSD graduate student Anni MaCitations:

{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/Annima1016/videos|title=Anni Ma|website=YouTube}}
{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36913602/free-the-nipple-campaigner-arrested-at-comic-con-shares-sexist-abuse-online|title='Free the Nipple' campaigner arrested at Comic Con shares sexist abuse online - BBC Newsbeat|last=Baggs|first=Michael|work=BBC News |date=28 July 2016}}
{{cite web|url=https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb8125200b/_1.pdf|title=Students Protest Nudity Laws at Free the Nipple Event|last=Lee|first=Bruce B. Y.|date=21 May 2015|newspaper=The UCSD Guardian|volume=48|issue=56}}
{{cite news|url=http://ucsdguardian.org/2015/05/20/students-protest-nudity-laws-at-free-the-nipple-event/|title=Students Protest Nudity Laws at Free the Nipple Event|date=20 May 2015|first=Bruce B.Y.|last=Lee|newspaper=The UCSD Guardian}}
{{cite news|url=http://ucsdguardian.org/2015/05/20/visible-nipples-topless-women-are-still-not-asking-for-it/|title=Visible Nipples: Topless Women Are Still 'Not Asking For It'|date=20 May 2015|newspaper=The UCSD Guardian}}
{{cite news|url=http://triton.news/2016/05/alumni-profile-anni-ma/|title=Alumnus Anni Ma: From Fear to Freedom|newspaper=The Triton (UCSD)|date=10 May 2016|first=Curtis|last=Yee}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/events/465422590287469/|title=free the nipple - ucsd|website=facebook.com}}
{{cite web|url=https://coed.com/2015/05/21/ucsd-protest-nudity-laws-free-the-nipple-event-photos/|title=UCSD Protests Nudity Laws With Free The Nipple Event|website=coed.com|first=Alexa|last=Lyons|date=21 May 2015}}
{{cite news|url=http://ucsdguardian.org/2015/10/15/breaking-incoming-fraternity-pledge-solicits-topless-pictures-from-female-student/|title=Fraternity Pledge Solicits Topless Pictures from Female Student|newspaper=The UCSD Guardian|date=15 October 2015|first=Kriti|last=Sarin}}
{{cite web|url=http://klaq.com/uc-san-diego-students-go-topless-in-support-of-free-the-nipple-campaign/|title=UC San Diego Students Go Topless to Free the Nipple|website=KLAQ 95.5 FM|date=21 May 2015|first=Emily|last=Slape}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.yomyomf.com/meet-anni-ma-who-is-freeingthenipple-for-feminism-equality-and-social-justice/|title=Meet Anni Ma Who is #FreeingTheNipple For Feminism, Equality and Social Justice!|website=www.yomyomf.com|access-date=2017-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116034225/https://www.yomyomf.com/meet-anni-ma-who-is-freeingthenipple-for-feminism-equality-and-social-justice/|archive-date=2018-11-16|url-status=dead}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.10news.com:80/news/dozens-go-topless-at-ucsd-to-free-the-nipple|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413114502/http://www.10news.com/news/dozens-go-topless-at-ucsd-to-free-the-nipple|url-status=dead|title=Dozens go topless at UCSD to 'Free the Nipple' - 10News.com KGTV ABC10 San Diego|date=13 April 2016|access-date=27 May 2019|archive-date=13 April 2016}}
{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/127774321|title=Anni Ma: Free The Nipple|last=Entertainment|first=Balestra|date=13 May 2015|via=Vimeo}}
{{cite web|url=http://abc7.com/news/video-topless-women-arrested-outside-bernie-sanders-rally/1260193/|title=VIDEO: Topless women arrested outside Bernie Sanders rally|date=24 March 2016}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38m-8KVfY6k|title=Two Female Topless Bernie Sanders Supporters Arrested / Los Angeles *partial political nudity*|author=Loudlabs News|date=26 March 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joRG23or51o|title=#FreeTheNipple Arrest outside of San Diego Comic Con|last=Anni Ma|date=26 July 2016|via=YouTube}} were arrested for indecent exposure outside of a campaign appearance for Senator Bernie Sanders on 23 March. They appeared topless except for pieces of tape over their nipples, and had the words "Free the Nipple", "Equality", and "Feel the Bern" written on their chests. Los Angeles Police officers asked them to cover their breasts, and the two women refused and were arrested. They were held for 25 hours in jail but were not charged with any crime. After being released, Ma filed a federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department. Ma said that her action was not lewd because mammary glands are not sexual organs, but rather have the purpose of breastfeeding children, and said she believed she did not at any point show her "genitals" or "private parts". Her attorney claims she was never "nude" and that California's indecent exposure law applies only to genitals, not breasts. Her lawsuit also alleged that her constitutional rights had been violated, that she had been subject to unlawful gender discrimination, and that federal civil rights laws had been violated.Citations:
{{cite web|date=8 August 2016|title='Free the Nipple' Bernie Sanders Activist Sues LAPD for False Arrest, Assault|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/free-the-nipple-bernie-sanders-activist-sues-lapd-for-wrongful-arrest-assault/|access-date=2017-03-26|work=Broadly.}}
{{cite web|last=AldoRaine1234|date=20 March 2016|title=Video of topless woman interrupting Bernie Sanders at rally in Phoenix to protest Trump|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB1f0wsZ9uc|via=YouTube}}
{{cite web|title=Anni Ma v. Los Angeles Police Department - Free the Nipple lawsuit - Fourteenth Amendment To The United States Constitution - Damages|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/320316257/Anni-Ma-v-Los-Angeles-Police-Department-Free-the-Nipple-lawsuit|website=Scribd}} She was topless at a Bernie Sanders campaign rally, 19 March 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona, and she was led to the back of the venue without incident.Citations:
{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/20/a-topless-woman-interrupts-bernie-sanderss-rally-she-was-there-to-protest-donald-trump/|title=A topless woman interrupts Bernie Sanders's rally. She was there to protest Donald Trump.|first=John|last=Wagner|date=20 March 2016|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}
{{cite news|url=https://www.salon.com/2016/03/25/meet_the_freethenipple_activists_arrested_at_bernie_sanders_l_a_rally/|title=Meet the #freethenipple activists arrested at Bernie Sanders' L.A. rally|date=25 March 2016|website=Salon|first=Katie|last=Levingston}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bernie-sanders-demonstrator-sues-lapd-20160804-snap-story.html|title=She was arrested for being topless at a Sanders rally. Now she's suing LAPD|date=5 August 2016|via=LA Times}} On 23 January 2016, Anni Ma, as a FEMEN activist, Carly Mitchell, Chelsea Ducote and Marston protested at a "Walk For Life" event at the San Francisco City Hall and the Civic Center.Citations:
{{cite web | title = Femen US Disrupts Walk for Life and David DaLeiden | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZm_boVGsA | publisher = Chelsea Ducote via YouTube | date = 23 January 2016 }}
{{cite news|url=http://sfist.com/2016/01/25/nsfw_video_topless_activists_disrup.php|title=[Update] [NSFW] Video: Topless Activists Disrupt Saturday's Anti-Abortion Rally, Get Arrested|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105221233/http://sfist.com/2016/01/25/nsfw_video_topless_activists_disrup.php|archive-date=5 November 2017|url-status=dead|website=sfist|first=Jack|last=Morse|date=25 January 2016}}
{{cite news|url=http://sfist.com/2016/01/22/30000_abortion_opponents_to_descend.php|title=30,000 Abortion Opponents To Descend On San Francisco Saturday|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105211527/http://sfist.com/2016/01/22/30000_abortion_opponents_to_descend.php|archive-date=5 November 2017|url-status=dead|website=sfist|first=Eve|last=Batey|date=22 January 2016}}
{{cite press release|url=https://femen.org/femen-u-s-a-news-release-femen-usa-disrupts-david-daleiden-at-walk-for-life/|title=FEMEN U.S.A. News Release: Femen USA disrupts David Daleiden at Walk for Life|website=FEMEN|date=24 January 2016}}
{{cite web|url=https://femen.org/no-charges-filed-against-femen-usa-activists/|title=No Charges Filed Against FEMEN USA Activists|website=FEMEN|date=10 March 2016}}
{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-history-of-toplessness/|title=The History of Toplessness|date=24 August 2015|magazine=Vice|first=Lauren|last=Oyler}}
{{cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/we-spoke-to-the-woman-fighting-to-legalize-toplessness-in-los-angeles-424/|title=Meet the Woman Fighting for the Right to Go Topless in LA|date=27 April 2015|website=Vice|first=Allegra|last=Ringo}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/arts/venice-beach-topless-bout-time-5513717|title=Venice Beach Topless? 'Bout Time|first=Isaac|last=Simpson|work=L.A. Weekly |date=23 April 2015}}
{{cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/the-freethenipple-topless-parade-brings-the-gender-equality-battle-to-venice-beach-7316024|title=The #FreeTheNipple Topless Parade Brings the Gender Equality Battle to Venice Beach|newspaper=L.A. Weekly|first=Star|last=Foreman|date=29 August 2016}}
{{cite news|url=http://laist.com/2016/08/22/go_topless_day_returns_to_venice_be.php|title=Go Topless Day Returns To Venice Beach This Weekend|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115144619/http://laist.com/2016/08/22/go_topless_day_returns_to_venice_be.php|archive-date=15 November 2017|url-status=dead|first=Juliet Bennett|last=Rylah|date=22 August 2016|website=LAist}}
{{cite web|url=http://laist.com/2016/08/05/topless_protester_arrested_at_korea.php|title=Topless Protester Arrested At Koreatown Sanders Rally Sues The LAPD|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116073605/http://laist.com/2016/08/05/topless_protester_arrested_at_korea.php|archive-date=16 November 2017|url-status=dead|first=Juliet Bennett|last=Rylah|date=5 August 2016|website=LAist}}
{{cite web|url=http://michellewolffcomedy.podbean.com/e/toplessness-is-legal-in-san-francisco-boobies-boba-sfpd-interview-with-anni-ma-3/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117174839/http://michellewolffcomedy.podbean.com/e/toplessness-is-legal-in-san-francisco-boobies-boba-sfpd-interview-with-anni-ma-3/|archive-date=17 November 2017|title=Toplessness is Legal in San Francisco: Boobies, Boba & SFPD: Interview with Anni Ma (3)|date=12 August 2016|website=Sex, Drugs and Vegan (Michelle Wolff Comedy)|via=PodBean}}{{Failed verification|date=January 2021|reason=Audio not archived}}
{{cite news|url=http://sfist.com/2017/01/19/womens_march_using_the_same_route_m.php|title=Women's March Using The Same Route, Meeting Place As Anti-Abortion March on Saturday|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105203748/http://sfist.com/2017/01/19/womens_march_using_the_same_route_m.php|archive-date=5 November 2017|url-status=dead|first=Joe|last=Kukura|date=19 January 2017|website=sfist}}
{{cite web|url=https://player.fm/series/sex-drugs-and-vegan/nipple-equality-interview-with-anni-ma-2|title=Nipple Equality: Interview with Anni Ma (2)|date=5 August 2016 }}
{{cite web|url=http://twincitiesgeek.com/2016/08/a-twin-cities-geek-girl-goes-to-san-diego-comic-con/|title=A Twin Cities Geek Girl Goes to San Diego Comic-Con|first=Bri Lopez|last=Donovan|date=29 August 2016}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/anni-ma|title=Anni Ma Stock Photos and Pictures|website=gettyimages.com}}

File:Free the Nipple UK, Fringe 2017 213.png]]

Free the Nipple events were held in Brighton, England, in 2016,{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/hundreds-strip-brighton-beach-topless-8146392|title=Hundreds strip off on Brighton Beach to stop social media boob ban|first=Nigel|last=Wallace|date=9 June 2016|newspaper=The Daily Mirror |access-date=2017-11-17}} 2017Citations:

{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/free-the-nipple-protest-brighton-beach-censorship-social-media_uk_575949ede4b041514369549f|title='Free The Nipple': Hundreds Gather In Topless Protest On Brighton Beach|first=Natasha|last=Hinde|website=Huffington Post|date=9 June 2016}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/events/1537848803210026/|title=Free the Nipple on Brighton Beach (Meet at Entrace [sic] to Pier)|website=www.facebook.com}}
{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/sammieaurora/status/739461797883826176|title=We're sunbathing, I didn't see anyone else topless. #FreeTheNipple #Brightonpic.twitter.com/YwMzMxKQL2|first=Samantha|last=Pressdee}}{{dead link|date=December 2020}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/freethenipplebrighton/|title=Free The Nipple (@freethenipplebrighton)|website=instagram.com}}
{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/@Freethenipbton/|title=Free The Nipple Btn (@Freethenipbton)|website=twitter.com}}
{{cite web | title = Home page | url = https://freethenipplebrighton.wordpress.com/ | publisher = Free the Nipple Brighton}}
{{cite news|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15484543.Campaigners_march_along_Brighton_seafront_to__free_the_nipple_/|title=Campaigners march along Brighton seafront to 'free the nipple'|newspaper=The Argus|location=Brighton|date=21 August 2017|first=Siobhan|last=Ryan}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14540113.200_women_and_men_march_topless_to_Free_The_Nipple_on_Brighton_beach/ |title=200 women and men march topless to Free The Nipple on Brighton beach|author=Joel Adams|website=The Argus|date=7 June 2016 }}
{{cite news|url=https://thetab.com/uk/sussex/2017/09/05/we-spoke-to-one-of-the-organisers-behind-this-years-free-the-nipple-21164|title=We spoke to one of the organisers behind this year's 'Free the Nipple'|date=5 September 2017|website=The Tab|location=Sussex|first=Katie|last=Tobin}}
{{cite web|url=https://uk.style.yahoo.com/boots-fire-allegedly-refusing-print-free-nipple-march-photos-083610439.html |title=Boots under fire for allegedly refusing to print 'free the nipple' march photos |first=Alice |last=Sholl |website=Yahoo Style UK |date=25 August 2017}}
{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/boots-free-nipple-photos-nudity-policy-breasts-march-develop-film-bee-a7910891.html|title=Boots 'refused' to print photographs from 'Free the Nipple' march|date=25 August 2017|newspaper=The Independent|first=Olivia|last=Petter}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-brighton-uk-19th-aug-2017-free-the-nipple-protest-in-brighton-credit-154652418.html|title=Stock Photo - Brighton, UK. 19th Aug, 2017. Free the Nipple Protest|first=Rupert |last=Rivett|website=Alamy}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/freethenipbrighton/|title=freethenipbrighton|website=facebook.com}} and 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/16354431.free-nipple-organisers-vow-return-protest-topless/|title=Free the Nipple organisers vow to return to protest topless|newspaper=The Argus|location=Brighton|first=Arron|last=Hendy|date=14 July 2018|access-date=22 January 2019}} The Free the Nipple Brighton group{{cite web|url=https://freethenipplebrighton.wordpress.com/|title=Who are we?|website=Free the Nipple Brighton|access-date=29 September 2020}} is headed up by Bee Nicholls and Mickey F, both of Brighton.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sussexlocal.net/free-nipple-takes-brighton-seafront/|title=Free The Nipple Takes To Brighton Seafront|last=SK|date=2018-07-02|website=Sussex Local|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-22}} There was also a Free the Nipple event in 2017, held in Charleston, West Virginia.{{cite news |last=Coyne |first=Caity |date=24 June 2017 |title=Dozens go topless, braless in Charleston to normalize female bodies |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/dozens-go-topless-braless-in-charleston-to-normalize-female-bodies/article_cb0864ee-5710-5ab6-a852-691048af1025.html |work=Charleston Gazette-Mail |location=Charleston, West Virginia |access-date=8 February 2022}} and one was held in Hull, England, on 26 August 2017. The date is celebrated as Women's Equality Day and Go Topless Day, being the anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920 which gave US women the right to vote.{{cite news|url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/women-take-tops-hulls-first-386257|title=Why these women went topless on Hessle Foreshore today|first=Elizabeth|last=Mackley|date=26 August 2017|newspaper=Hull Daily Mail}}

Court cases

Various court cases in the United States have involved the question of whether women may publicly expose female breasts. Two examples are Erie v. Pap's A.{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2550942384996791158&q=public+nudity&hl=en&as_sdt=2003|title=Erie v. Pap's AM, 529 US 277 - Supreme Court 2000 - Google Scholar}} and Barnes v. Glen Theatre.{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13977097322948440019&q=public+nudity&hl=en&as_sdt=2003|title=Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc., 501 US 560 - Supreme Court 1991 - Google Scholar}} These involved ordinances that placed restrictions on how women were legally permitted to appear in public, focusing on banning any public exposure of the female breasts. A lawsuit was filed as Free the Nipple v. City of Fort Collins,{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10601192275792345743&q=people+v+santorelli&hl=en&as_sdt=2003|title=Free the Nipple v. City of Ft. Collins, 216 F. Supp. 3d 1258 - Dist. Court, D. Colorado 2016 - Google Scholar}} which was an attempt to remove the provision in the municipal code of Fort Collins, Colorado, that prohibits women from revealing their breasts. The federal lawsuit was won at the appellate level. In September 2019, after spending over $300,000, Fort Collins decided to stop defending their ordinance and repeal it. That effectively gave women of all ages the right to go topless wherever men can in the jurisdiction of the 10th Circuit (the states of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma, including all their cities).{{cite news |last=Williams|first=Peter|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/topless-women-win-big-colorado-city-drops-ban-n1056701 |title=Topless women win big as Colorado city drops ban |date= 20 September 2019 |work= NBC News |access-date=2019-09-20}}

There are two U.S. states where the mere showing of women's breasts is illegal: Indiana{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chicagoinc/ct-met-topless-law-1112-chicago-inc-20171110-story.html |title=Chicago's ban on uncovered women's breasts upheld by divided court |date= 10 November 2017 |newspaper= Chicago Tribune |access-date=2017-11-27}} and Tennessee.{{Cite web|date=n.d.|title=Nudity and Public Decency Laws in America|url=https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/nudity-and-public-decency-laws-in-america-31193|access-date=8 December 2020|website=HG.org}}

Social media campaign

Every major social media platform has its guidelines and policy regarding nudity and revealing nipples. Facebook only allows photos of nipples to be posted when it is "in the context of breastfeeding, birth giving and after-birth moments, health (for example, post-mastectomy, breast cancer awareness, or gender reassignment surgery), or an act of protest."{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/objectionable_content/adult_nudity_sexual_activity/|title=Community Standards {{!}} Facebook|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2018-06-20}}

Instagram generally censors nipples on women's bodies.{{cite news|title=Breast in show! How nipple pasties went from underwear to outerwear|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/jun/01/breast-in-show-how-nipple-pasties-went-from-underwear-to-outerwear|newspaper=The Guardian|location=UK|first=Ellie Violet|last=Bramley|date=1 June 2022}} Instagram's guideline for nudity states "We know that there are times when people might want to share nude images that are artistic or creative in nature, but for a variety of reasons, we don't allow nudity on Instagram. This includes photos, videos, and some digitally-created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks. It also includes some photos of female nipples, but photos of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding are allowed. Nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is OK, too."{{cite web|url=https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119|title=Community Guidelines – Instagram Help Center|website=Instagram}} This is an update from Instagram's historic community guidelines, which included the ambiguous phrase "keep your clothes on."{{Cite journal|last=Olszanowski|first=Magdalena|date=2014-04-03|title=Feminist Self-Imaging and Instagram: Tactics of Circumventing Sensorship|journal=Visual Communication Quarterly|volume=21|issue=2|pages=83–95|doi=10.1080/15551393.2014.928154|s2cid=145667227|issn=1555-1393}} Instagram's former CEO Kevin Systrom said that because of the Apple's App Store regulations, every app needs an age rating. If an app contains nudity, it has to be rated 17+. The CEO would prefer Instagram remain at its current rating of 12+, to attract a younger audience.{{cite web|url=http://www.konbini.com/us/lifestyle/heres-real-reason-instagram-wont-freethenipple/|title=Here's the real reason Instagram won't #FreeTheNipple|first=Lydia|last=Morrish|date=5 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007205046/http://www.konbini.com/us/lifestyle/heres-real-reason-instagram-wont-freethenipple/|archive-date=7 October 2015|website=Konbini}}

Pinterest allows artistic and non-sexualized nudity.{{cite web|url=https://help.pinterest.com/en/articles/nudity|title=Nudity|publisher=help.pinterest.com}} Their reasoning on why they allow nudity and mature content is for "art, safe sex education or advocacy for political protests".{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Differing rules are applied by other social media and these change with time. In 2014, YouTube had no specific policy that barred nipples, but the platform did not allow sexually explicit material. Google+ had a policy of not allowing nipples to be shown unless they were in cartoons. Flickr and Tumblr allowed users to control how much nudity they wanted to see, but when the filtering was switched off there were no restrictions. Twitter placed no restrictions on female nudity.{{cite web|url=https://hyperallergic.com/131620/your-concise-guide-to-social-medias-female-nipple-policies/|title=Your Concise Guide to Social Media's Female Nipple Policies|website=Hyperallergenic|first=Alix|last=Taylor|date=20 June 2014}} In 2018, Tumblr changed its rules to ban "female-presenting nipples" and other nudity,{{cite news|title=Tumblr will ban all adult content on December 17th|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/3/18123752/tumblr-adult-content-porn-ban-date-explicit-changes-why-safe-mode|website=The Verge|first=Shannon|last=Liao|date=3 December 2018}} though these restrictions were relaxed in 2022.{{cite news|title=Tumblr will now allow nudity but not explicit sex|url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23435516/tumblr-porn-ban-modified-nudity-allowed-sexually-explicit-depictions-banned|website=The Verge|first=Adi|last=Robertson|date=1 November 2022}} Google+ was shut down in 2019.{{cite news|website=Mashable|title=Google+ dies today|url=https://mashable.com/article/google-plus-shutdown/|first=Stan|last=Schroeder|date=2 April 2019}}

A tactic that activists have taken up is the use of the hashtag #FreeTheNipple. This tag has been used on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where it can be used for searching the databases for posts with the same tag.{{cite journal |url=https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/download/989/989 |title=Raging Against the Machine: Network Gatekeeping and Collective Action on Social Media Platforms |first=Sarah Myers| last=West |publisher=Cogitatio |location=Lisbon |journal=Media and Communication |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=28–36 |issn=2183-2439 |doi=10.17645/mac.v5i3.989 |date=22 September 2017 |access-date=2017-11-15|doi-access=free }}

Film and television

In 2014, director Lina Esco released her American feature film Free the Nipple. The film is centered around a group of young women who take to the streets of New York City as they protest the legal and cultural taboos regarding female breasts by way of publicity stunts, graffiti installations, and First Amendment lawyers. After shooting the film in 2012, Esco found it difficult to get the film widely released, motivating her to start the campaign in December 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.etonline.com/news/154681_the_naked_truth_behind_the_free_the_nipple_movement/ |title=The Naked Truth Behind the 'Free the Nipple' Movement |publisher=Etonline.com |date=3 December 2014 |access-date=2015-04-04 |archive-date=3 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403090818/http://www.etonline.com/news/154681_the_naked_truth_behind_the_free_the_nipple_movement/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/free-nipple-picked-up-by-736179|title='Free The Nipple' Picked Up By Sundance Selects For North American Release|magazine=Hollywood Reporter|first=Austin|last=Siegemund-Broka|date=29 September 2014|access-date=2015-12-21}}

In episode 106 of The Bold Type, the main character, Kat, participates in the campaign on social media by going against Instagram's guidelines by posting pictures with male nipples pasted onto women's bodies. In the episode, Kat said that freeing the nipple is more than just about Instagram and more about equality.{{cite web |url=http://www.refinery29.com/2017/08/167301/bold-type-free-the-nipple-episode-6-instagram |first=Ariana |last=Romero |title=The Bold Type Proves Freeing the Nipple is About So Much More than Instagram |date=9 August 2017 |website=Refinery29}}

Influential people

Some celebrities have expressed support for the #FreeTheNipple movement on social media, including Miley Cyrus,{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3631924/free-the-nipple-breasts-sex-symbol/|title=Free the Nipple! The Problem With How We Think About Breasts|magazine=Time|first=Rachel Kramer|last=Bussel|date=12 December 2014}} Lena Dunham, Jennifer Aniston,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/jennifer-aniston-justin-theroux-aveeno-beauty-wellness-friends-hair-reese-witherspoon|title=Jennifer Aniston on Bringing the #FreeTheNipple Movement to the Masses First|magazine=Vogue|first=Kate|last=Branch|date=10 August 2017}} Scout Willis,{{cite web |url=https://i-d.co/article/the-nipple-controversy/|first=Tish|last=Weinstock|access-date=2017-11-17 |date=4 June 2014 |website=Vice |title=The nipple controversy}} Rihanna,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.allure.com/gallery/celebrities-free-the-nipple|title=18 Times Celebrities Freed the Nipple (NSFW)|first=Rosemary|last=Donahue|magazine=Allure|date=3 August 2017}} Cara Delevingne,{{cite news|url=https://fashionista.com/2014/07/cara-delevingne-topless-free-the-nipple|title=Cara Delevingne Goes Topless For 'Free The Nipple' Campaign|website=Fashionista|first=Alyssa Vingan|last=Klein|date=11 July 2014}} Naomi Campbell{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/9/16/9341015/free-the-nipple-naomi-campbell|title=Naomi Campbell's #FreeTheNipple photo couldn't survive Instagram's silly nudity rules|website=Vox|first=Margarita|last=Noriega|date=16 September 2015}} and Florence Pugh.{{Cite news |last=Demopoulos |first=Alaina |date=2023-01-18 |title=Free the nipple: Facebook and Instagram told to overhaul ban on bare breasts |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/17/free-the-nipple-meta-facebook-instagram |access-date=2023-07-20 |issn=0261-3077}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.papermag.com/miley-cyrus-free-the-nipple-instagram-chrissy-teigen-rihanna-scout-wil-1810518754.html|title=Miley Cyruss showed her Nipples Off on Instagram without being Reported|magazine=Paper magazine|location=New York City|first=Ilana|last=Kaplan|date=20 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523061940/https://www.papermag.com/miley-cyrus-free-the-nipple-instagram-chrissy-teigen-rihanna-scout-wil-1810518754.html|archive-date=23 May 2016}} Florence Pugh, in an interview with Vogue, addressed comments on her red carpet gown and said, "If I'm happy in it, then I’m gonna wear it. Of course, I don't want to offend people, but I think my point is: How can my nipples offend you that much?"{{Cite web |date=2023-01-11 |title=Florence Pugh Addresses Her "Free the Nipple" Controversy |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/florence-pugh-addresses-her-free-the-nipple-controversy |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}

Miley Cyrus publicly supported the movement in 2014 when she posted a topless photo of herself on Instagram. The caption included #freethenipple. The photo was quickly flagged and taken down from Instagram.{{Cite web |date=2014-12-29 |title=Miley Cyrus Goes Topless |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/miley-cyrus-topless_n_6390150 |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=HuffPost |language=en}} Even with pushback she continued to post photos online, including photos of a cut out of her face on nude dolls and other topless women. Since 2014 she has pushed the boundaries of this movement, continuing to express herself through media, clothing and speech. In 2015 she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a popular late night talk show since 2003. When she lifted her top to reveal the sparkly heart patches covering her chest, Kimmel said "now I am embarrassed".{{Cite web |title=Miley Cyrus made Jimmy Kimmel squirm with her exposed skin then explained why that's a problem|website=Upworthy |url=https://www.upworthy.com/miley-cyrus-makes-jimmy-kimmel-squirm-with-her-exposed-skin-then-explains-why-thats-a-problem-rp |date=4 November 2022|first=Thom|last=Dunn}} Speaking about the campaign, Cyrus said: "The nipple, what you can't show, is what everyone has. But the jug part that everybody doesn't, you're allowed to show underboob. I've never understood the way it works".{{cite web|url=https://mic.com/articles/124497/miley-cyrus-made-a-brilliant-point-about-why-we-must-free-the-nipple|title=Miley Cyrus Made a Brilliant Point About Why We Must Free the Nipple|website=Mic|first=Julie|last=Zeilinger|date=27 August 2015}}

Scout Willis, daughter of American actor Bruce Willis, went shopping topless in New York City in 2014 shortly after Miley Cyrus’s Instagram post was deleted.{{Cite web |date=2014-05-29 |title=Bruce Willis' daughter Scout goes topless in protest after Instagram bans breastfeeding pictures |url=https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/bruce-willis-daughter-scout-goes-topless-protest-instagram-bans-breastfeeding-pictures/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Closer |language=en}} After her shopping trip Willis posted a photo to Twitter (now X) with the comment "Legal in NYC but not on @instagram". She followed it with another comment and attached photo saying "What @instagram won't let you see". Instagram has community guidelines prohibiting nudity, which led to a mother’s account being temporarily deactivated in 2017 after she posted a photo showing her breastfeeding her child.{{Cite web |date=2014-05-13 |title=Mother's Instagram deactivated after breastfeeding photo |url=https://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/instagram-deactivated-breastfeeding-photo/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Today's Parent |language=en}}

Charli XCX wore a sheer black dress to the Brit Awards 2025, broadcast on television by ITV, and began an award acceptance speech with the comment: "I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we're in the era of free the nipple though, right?". She was applauded by the audience for the comment, and added: "They put the clap track on, cool. Thanks for being on my side."{{cite magazine|title=Charli xcx Calls Out ITV for ‘Complaining About My Nipples’ After Winning BRIT Award for Artist of the Year: ‘We’re in the Era of Free the Nipple Though, Right?’|url=https://variety.com/2025/music/global/charli-xcx-itv-complaining-about-nipples-brit-awards-1236324490/|magazine=Variety|date=1 March 2025|first=Ellise|last=Shafer}}

The Nipple Bra

In October 2023, Kim Kardashian posted an announcement on Instagram about the upcoming release of "The Ultimate Nipple Bra" by her clothing company Skims.{{Cite instagram|user=kimkardashian|author=Kim Kardashian|postid=Cy6H6RGR4aK|date=27 October 2023|title=Coming Oct 31: The Ultimate Nipple Bra|access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Instagram}} The Nipple Bra, which simulates the appearance of hard nipples, sold out in under a month following its release. According to an article in The Washington Post, purchasers liked that the bra was able "to offer a sort of controlled bralessness" meaning "that it enhances the bust such that you look like you’re wearing a T-shirt over a pristine breast augmentation or 'idealized' pair of natural breasts". Lina Esco commented that "anything to help get the nipple to be finally free is important".{{Cite news |last=Tashjian |first=Rachel |date=2023-12-13 |title=Consider the nipple |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/fashion/2023/12/13/nipples-skims-bra/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}

The Nipple Bra can be used by people who would like to contribute to the Free the Nipple movement but who don’t have the means to do so (people with mastectomies or other bodily issues).{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Dress codes

The "Free the Nipple" movement challenges double standards in societal norms while advocating for gender equality through dress codes. These regulations often permit men to go shirtless or at least wear a shirt without undergarments while women are often prohibited from attending school without abiding by these rules. It aims for equal treatment for men's and women's dress codes. It promotes self-acceptance and societal acceptance to challenge the stigma surrounding female bodies being sexualized. For example, the dress code policy from the Glenbrook South High School handbook states that an appropriate dress code, "promotes self-respect, balances social responsibility with self-expression and is free of distracting, disruptive, threatening or offensive diversions from the educational process."{{Cite web |last=Sharp |first=Alexandra |title=Dress codes in schools: ensuring appropriateness or sexist, stifling? |url=https://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/features/2016/04/22/dress-codes-in-schools-ensuring-appropriateness-or-sexist-stifling/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=The Oracle}} Common stigmas include showing skin, nipples, and cleavage. "Free the Nipple" asserts that girls shouldn't get sexualized or policed for their natural autonomy. As some may see dress codes as something that's needed to reinforce traditional gender norms in school and professionalism in the workforce, others argue that a strict dress code contributes to the sexualization of young girls and perpetuates the idea that women's bodies are inherently provocative or distracting for others.{{Cite web |author=Editorial Staff |title=Editorial: Patience with the dress code wears thin |url=https://redwoodbark.org/20136/opinion/patience-with-the-dress-code-wears-thin/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Redwood Bark}}