Over twenty years ago a woman from Guelph, Ont., fought -- and won -- the right to take off her shirt in public. So why was another woman asked to put her shirt back at a recent beer festival in Toronto?
As a dare from friends, Jeanette Martin took off her shirt, and even though she kept her bra on, festival organizers threatened to escort her from the grounds if she didn't cover up.
Organizers were apparently concerned for Martin's safety, as she would attract unwanted attention from men. But Martin maintained that she didn't feel threatened at all.
"Deal with the guys if there is a problem," she said, "but don't come over and pre-emptively tell me that I'm going to start a problem."
It's back to the chicken-and-egg argument, it seems. Is it a woman's fault if her dress code provokes unwanted male attention?
Was Martin simply exercising a civil liberty, or should she have respected the organizers' judgement and covered up, when in Rome, etc?
Image Credit: cbc.ca
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