Topless women and men flocked to Brighton Beach yesterday afternoon for the annual ‘Free the Nipple’ protest, which aims to challenge sexist double standards, such as the accepted sight of topless men in public, but not women.
Photos show the peaceful activists, believed to number in the hundreds, marching along the East Sussex coast.
The protesters gathered in Hove Lawns at 2 p.m. to paint and sign their bodies. Then they marched to the i360 where they rallied and had a picnic.
According to the Argusa poster of Free the Nipple Brighton 2022 read: ‘Free the Nipple is a global movement of people protesting the double standard of nipple censorship, body shame and unwanted sexualization.
Women have painted petals around their nipples and covered breasts in glitter
Photos show peaceful activists, believed to number in the hundreds, marching along the East Sussex coast
Two activists sitting together enjoying an ice cream have flames painted on their nipples
Topless women and men flocked to Brighton Beach yesterday afternoon for the annual ‘Free the Nipple’ protest, aiming to challenge sexist double standards, such as the accepted sight of topless men in public, but not women.
“Every year we come together in Brighton to say no to the many ways the male gaze dictates how we behave in our society.”
Photos show crowds of colorful protesters covered in body paint, singing and holding placards above their heads as they marched in the sunny weather.
The images feature messages on signs that include “Free the Nipple,” “Still Not Asked!!!,” “Isn’t it Wild There Are Legal Nipples and Illegal Nipples,” “Sexualized Since 1999,” and ‘My body my choice my life my voice’.
A man has a red bikini top painted over his nipples in what appears to be a challenge to the garment’s gender-based use
A woman has a message painted on her torso that reads: ‘Mine sustains life. Why do they insult?’
The images feature messages on signs that include “Free the Nipple,” “Still Not Asked!!!,” “Isn’t it Wild There Are Legal Nipples and Illegal Nipples,” “Sexualized Since 1999,” and ‘My body my choice my life my voice’
A woman has a message painted on her torso that reads: ‘Mine sustains life. Why do they insult?’
In one photo, two activists sitting together enjoying an ice cream have painted flames on their nipples. In others, women have painted petals around their nipples and covered breasts in glitter.
Meanwhile, a man has painted a red bikini top over his nipples, which appears to challenge the gender-based use of the garment.
The Free the Nipple Brighton website describes the annual demonstrations along the coast as ‘designed to highlight the sexist double standards in our daily lives and to challenge the perception of bodies, breasts, nipples and gender’.
The protesters gathered in Hove Lawns at 2 p.m. to paint and sign their bodies. Then they marched to the i360 where they had a rally and picnic
Protesters challenge ‘double standards of nipple censorship and unwanted sexualization’
Photos show crowds of colorful protesters covered in body paint, singing and holding placards above their heads as they marched in sunny weather
The Free the Nipple movement started in 2012, with the first Brighton march taking place in 2016.
But six years later, there are still controversial social media policies that ban female nipples, while the appearance of female nipples in public has not yet normalized.
Brighton organizer Bee Nicholls said: Sussex World the campaign aims to ‘dismantle the dictatorship of the male gaze and the shame associated with the body’.
Controversial social media policy banning female nipples persists, while the appearance of female nipples in public has not yet normalized
The Free the Nipple movement started in 2012, with the first Brighton march taking place in 2016. A woman has been pictured during the protest in Brighton this year
The Free the Nipple Brighton website describes the annual demonstrations along the coast as ‘designed to highlight the sexist double standards in our everyday lives and challenge the perception of bodies, breasts, nipples and gender’
They explained, “The male versus female nipple double standard sends a message that certain bodies are inherently pornographic, regardless of context; when people show “too many” breasts, they are sexualized and therefore not worthy of respect.
‘The Eurocentric beauty standard perpetuated by porn, advertising, media and film makes unrealistic demands on the body; the perky naked breast is unreasonably sexualized.
“Free the Nipple Brighton is an opportunity to defy body shame, protest this sexist double standard and challenge unrealistic ideals of beauty in all forms.”