We’re a group of friends, and friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends, and complete strangers, who love good books and sunny days and enjoying both as nearly in the altogether as the law allows. Happily, in New York City, the law allows toplessness by both men and women. So that’s the way we do our al fresco reading. If you’re in New York and the weather’s good, won’t you join us sometime…?
To find out when and where we’ll be meeting next, write to us at toplesspulpfiction[AT]gmail.com.
You can also follow us on Twitter: @toplesspulp
Awesome!
Absolutely brilliant!
Brava ladies! Gloria Steinem should be proud.
Good for you, girls! I was just saying the other day to my girlfriend that if men are allowed to walk around without their shirts on woman should able to as well.
Exactly. Maybe your girlfriend can come join us sometime.
what will you do when the winter comes ’round?
Shiver. Or stay indoors.
I wish there was a group like this in LA. I would love to join.
That would be great – maybe you could start one…!
very well done to you for promoting reading as a fun experience. do you have anything special lined up for Halloween?
good luck!
What a wonderful idea! Too cold to do something outdoors, but I bet we could throw one hell of a costume party. Come As Your Favorite (Topless) Character From A Novel, or something.
The law doesn’t just apply to NYC – it’s all of NY state. Thank you for helping to make the human body less taboo while also promoting a love of reading!
I think what you do is great and people need to get with it! Nudity is fun and relaxing
Just to satisfy my curiosity: Do you take turn taking picture of each other for you postings, ot do you have a designated photographer?
It varies. We’ve got one member who is a recovering photojournalist; any really nice photos you see are hers. But if she’s not around, we have someone else do it
I really, really enjoy reading this blog chicas. You guys are wonderful.
-Danee
Thanks, Danee. We’d love to have you join us sometime, if you’re in the area. Or send in a photo of yourself reading – we’d love to post it!
I admire your courage, O.C.T.P.F.A.S. By taking action, you are exercising your right and making it possible for others to feel more comfortable in exercising this same right. Even though this right has existed for a number of years, without this action it might as well have not. Thank you.
It’s encouraging to see American ladies bringing themselves in-line with what happens in Europe on a regular basis. Great to see society accepting this as well.
Today I drank toast to the day when websites like yours will no longer have to be NSFW.
Don’t stop now. There are always indoor gatherings – like naturists. But…. judging by the blankets y’all are using in central park and where everyone is placed, I can’t help but notice that the photos seem as if many were taken on the same day, or at least on days close together, during the summer months. Why are they being featured in subsequent blog entrees dates – as if you guys are constantly doing this?
Actually, we just went back to the same spot in Sheep Meadow three separate times! And when the same people came, they often brought the same towel (or blanket, or whatever).
The last two posts we made featured photos from prior events, but that’s just because it’s been too cold to go out. Until it gets warmer, photos from old events will have to tide us over. But other than that, each post has been from a different event.
Wow. You’re making the world a better place…seriously. Isn’t it nice you can have fun doing it?
You seem to be enjoying yourself and helping to make reading fashionable and sociable- sounds heaps better than the average book group.
Good luck to you girls. I think it’s great what you are doing. If you want to go topless in the park, why shouldn’t you?
How fun. Great idea. I have to tell my friends about it. Are there events when we can be totally nude?
Generally, full nudity isn’t legal outdoors (though there are some exceptions for artistic performances and such). But we have gotten together indoors sometimes, at spas and such, and gotten naked then.
Now that the weather’s almost spring-like in New York City, will you be planning any more meetings?
Not quite spring-like enough! But the thaw will come…
Anytime the weather’s good, you can assume we’re planning meetings. We held two this week and will keep doing it until it turns too cold.
here I sit with bated breath
(though even it should cause my death)
to hear good news of your next appointment
where, if the sun were a might too wicked,
I shall run, bring soothing ointment
to ease the burden of reading halfnaked
If only we were the Outdoor Co-ed Topless Poetry Appreciation Society…
You could always expand your repetoire to poetry.
Reading has always been sexy. That said, you have upped the ante somewhat. I was genuinely charmed and enchanted when I stumbled across this just now. Well done you.
I admire you ladies for having the courage of your convictions as well as your excellent taste in reading material.
BRAVA!
I don’t see any evidence of the “co-ed” part? Where are the topless dudes? Do you chase them away? If I showed up with a book, would I be welcome, no matter what age or sex I happen to be?
We generally have a guy or two at our events, usually the s.o. of one of another participant or a good friend. But we work hard to keep the male/female ratio female-friendly, which means girls outnumbering the guys rather than the other way around. Age is not an issue. We’ve never had any elderly participants or kids, but we’ve had people in their twenties, thirties and forties, and would gladly welcome older or younger participants if they were interested. What matters is your attitude and how you behave, not how old you are.
I had a similar question! I’m trying to find out if any members of IP would be willing to do this, but we are made up of 3 guys and 5 girls. Seems super fun and super cool, also it would be awesome to blog about / meet y’all.
Well, you can do it without us, of course – it’s not like we’re the only ones who get to enjoy the city topless. All women do. So if the 3 guys and 5 women at IP want to do it, do it! And who knows, maybe we’ll wind up doing it in the same place sometime and can all say hello…
I’ve never seen a more compelling argument for visiting New York! What could be more wonderful than free-spirited people who love reading?
I think what you ladies are doing is great. People in this country will have a fit over a bare breast as if it’s going to damage a child, but yet those same people won’t have a problem with their kids viewing violent images on television, or playing violent video games. Who’s really going to be hurt from seeing totally natural and topless women in the park reading? I’ve also seen your bras with that thick metal underlining. I can understand wanting to let your girls hang free, and just relax, because it has to be uncomfortable to be in those contraptions all day long.
I’m curious – how do you handle the inevitable ogglers? and, now that your site has hit the huffington post, can you trust men (esp teenagers) to not shmuck it up and show up for the wrong reasons? Is this a case where you can become a victim of your own success? ie too much attention turns prospective free spirited ladies away? Personally, I think it’s fantastic, another way to show non judgementality and free an exercise of personal and political freedom. After all, we will all be dust one day, enjoy the wonder that is the human body! Anyway – awesome! One more reason why NYC is what it is…
They’re not inevitable. At yesterday’s event, for instance, not a single person ogled or made any unwelcome comments at all. On the contrary, everyone around us took it in stride, and several women who weren’t even part of our group joined in by taking their tops off as well. Sure, there are some men who’ll behave badly, but frankly that happens when we’re wearing both halves of our swimsuits too.
Here-Here! Power in numbers! The Sheep Meadow provides a safe haven for this beautiful, harmless movement. Intellectually speaking, it’s about time. My freestyle Frisbee friends and I will be discreetly observing.
You gals are awesome! I’d love to hang out with you and read a book but this ex-NYer has to suffer in the TX heat. No tan lines are soooo sexy, keep those tops off!
I love this idea, and you look marvelous. I would love to join you, but as a Seattleite it would be a bit of a schlep; not to mention that this sunshine thing you bathe in is quite foreign to me and makes me a little uncomfortable. Anyway, have fun out there and wear lots of sunscreen.
A very innovative and unique way I must say. I was also curious about how was the experience with onlookers and gawkers, but already answered above. Keep going, and hope to see your numbers grow!!! Kudos.
Wow. You guys are officially the coolest people on the internet. I totally want to join! (I’ll have to see if I can rope in any Aussie mates for a chapter of the Outdoor Co-ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society).
Great to see people having fun while making some kick-arse political points.
P.S. reading is sexy!
We need to change Washington State law so a group like yous would be possible in Seattle, so both men and women could go to a park togther to read, topless,
… while the rain turned the books into “real” pulp fiction and the readers grew moss and little mushrooms on their shivering bare chests. Okay, so maybe it’s not such a great idea after all, but you New Yorkers keep it up!
Congratulations to all of you!!! A whole bunch of girls will be watching you to see how this turns out. You have created a wave!!!
Your project seems a little zany to me, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. It could tend to make things just a little less neurotic. Really, even if not everyone has every body part, we all have more or less the usual body parts, and it shouldn’t be a federal case. If you wanted strategic parity with men, though, you wouldn’t sun bake in your underwear. Men wouldn’t do that. So, you’re not going at parity, but pushing the envelope the next bit. Over time, you might as well push it all the way. There’s nothing wrong with elbows. There’s nothing wrong with the rest, either. People just need to get a little more normal over the whole issue. Embezzling $1billion at Goldman Sachs is a big deal, but no one cares about that. Show an extra sliver of rump, and it’s a big deal. This is backwards. Systematic corporate corruption matters. Fashion choices (blunders or not) matter a lot less.
Agree with all you have to say…just puzzled by the comment about sunbathing “in your underwear.” Maybe I’m forgetting but I don’t recall too many of our members being in underwear. We’ve had some swimsuit bottoms, some shorts, some skirts…I guess once in a blue moon someone just wears a fun pair of panties, but it’s not like that’s the norm for us. As for what men do, we see them all the time in trunks that look for all the world like boxer shorts (or Speedo-type suits that are briefer than briefs). So I’m not sure I understand the comment about underwear. But your general point is a fine one. We’ve all got more or less the same parts, and anything we haven’t got we’ve certainly seen. So why get agitated about seeing them again?
I love how you girls celebrate the human body
that’s the way it should be! Count me in 
I think what really counts here is that we all really are the same. In my humble opinion, women have much more interesting parts, but we all still are basically the same. What makes YOU ladies different is that you have the courage of your convictions.
BRAVO!!!!!!!
You are fighting a brave and noble fight here. (And winning) I am a nudist and I think any activity that points out the ridiculousness and pointlessness of clothing is a wonderful thing. Keep it up! I will too and maybe someday no one will be ashamed to be who they are.
Hooray for books and sunshine. Awesome.
Brilliant! This is a wonderful way to exercise your rights and to celebrate the beauty of womanhood! Please keep it up
Beautiful expression of liberty in Central Park. Continue the good work toward equality. I think the next step should on the beach at Jones Beach State Park.
Hi I live in Austin, TX and would be super excited to start one of these groups with your permission.
This is really cool.
Absolutely! We’d love to see chapters spring up all over. All we ask is that you send us some reports from time to time so we can post them here on the blog and show people what you’re up to.
For all those that live in different places and would like to start their own chapter, you just need to get half a dozen people to meet up with. Maybe an anonymous local advert with a mobile number or email (it’s easy to set up a google email address). That way you can hopefully filter out the idiots, get a group set up and choose your first day and location. Go on girls go for it!
For too long it has been men leading revolutions, changing opinions, getting laws revised. It would be great to see women changing the world!
The phrase “slip your bra off” caught my attention and made me me wonder if our fight for topfreedom should also include brafreedom, or at least the right to choose.
Absolutely – women should be free to wear or not wear bras as they prefer.
I had meant to say that you have the full support of our group for what you are doing, both in public and here on the internet, so we applaud your efforts and remember the suffragettes.
Consciously or unconsciously you have undermined the two major arguments made for stating that all women should wear a bra at all times – modesty and ‘support’. A similar argument applies to naturism, which I note you occasionally indulge in.
If this site will allow links I will post one to a guest blog I just wrote for a naturist group on this topic.
http://nudistnaturistamerica.org/naturism-naturist-women-bra-necessity
Hope everyone can come out and join the topless march on Aug 26
http://gotopless.org/gotopless-day
Girls!
What you are doing is great! I am a little shy but def interested in trying it once or twice with the others.
Do you have any upcoming events in the flatiron district?
Thanks!
Lizbeth
We’d love to have you. Just write to us at toplesspulpfiction@gmail.com and we’ll get you info the next time we’re planning to be in your area.
And don’t be at all concerned about feeling shy. Baring your breasts in public by yourself might be terrifying to you, but when yours are only two of perhaps twenty nipples happily warming in the sunlight, I promise you’ll feel nothing but elation, pride, and satisfaction.
I am very much looking forward. I have mixed feelings of shyness and a sense that I also want guys to look at my breasts and find them to be sexy and attractive but to an extent- you know what i mean?
Lizbeth, I had a feeling that this tricky subject would come up sooner or later. Probably many of us harbour a secret exhibitionist streak, but obviously we don’t want what is being done here to be labelled as such, or it risks being beyond the legal protection. There is nothing inherently wrong in our feeling sexy or appreciating the gaze of other women or men, but it is not the primary motivation, which is one of empowerment.
What I have realized as a man, and recovering objectifyer is that there isn’t anything wrong with my being sexually attracted to breasts. Nor is there anything wrong with a woman feeling her breasts are sexual. It’s the notion that that is all they are or can be that is screwed up. I also find lips and legs to be very sexy but I don’t freak out every time a woman speaks.
I learned while watching my wife breastfeed our babies. Sometimes they’re no big deal and at other times they are wonderfully sexual.
Love what you are doing. It takes some brave pioneers to take these steps knowing full well the general public is going to make a big deal out of it. Keep it up! It is catching on! Just the other day I was riding my bike and noticed a woman on the park bench laying on her back. Shirt up to her chin. At first I thought I was hallucinating! Good to know we are co-creating the world we wish to be in. A fare, sane, and stable one.
As a writer of hero pulp, and an advocate for women’s rights everywhere, I have to say that this is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Thanks for keeping pulp fascinating. My only question is…any reason you seem to only go for mystery pulp? There’s a lot of fantastic horror, action, hero, fantasy and science fiction out there, too. Hell, I tend to consider most romance as the modern pulp (have you ever seen the Harlequin line Editorial Guidelines? They almost read like Lester Dent’s Master Plot Formula), so even that goes a long way towards keeping pulp alive. Keep up the reading, support pulp (and ePulp). I love you all just for being amazing.
We read other things too – but the guys at Hard Case Crime have been great about getting us advance copies of their books, so you’ll tend to see them at our gatherings more often!
As an as yet undiscovered writer, I too am happy to see and hear people reading. The fact that you choose to do so au naturel is almost a side issue. But for both causes/intents/reasons/whatever, please carry on your excellent activities and please continue being an example to all the rest of us.
Thank you for doing what you do. Now if only the beaches, or should I say the people at the beaches, were a little more appreciative if I went topless. It’s always the soccer moms who give the dirty looks or make the snark comments. I’m thankful your group is raising awareness that we can go topless in public anywhere men do. Your group should plan an event at one of the local beaches, maybe you’ll encourage some others to join in your freedom!
Completely agree! It’s one of the tragedies of how our society deals with gender that it’s often women who are most critical of other women taking advantage of their freedoms. Would love to visit the beach sometime with our army of bare-breasted culture warriors, proudly proclaiming “They’re just boobs! Like knees, ankles, shoulders, backs. Body parts. We’ve all got ‘em. Nothing to be ashamed of.”
Hey, if you’re in the area, why not come to one of our events in the city?
Of course the same thing happened when we raised our hems above our ankles and our sleeves above our wrists, and even when we wanted to vote. Fortunately we persisted. The feminist literature describes this as ‘internalising the patriarchy’. Women patrol their own ranks to make sure nobody steps out of line and risks women being further repressed or attacked. As long as we stay in the kitchen we are safe to do as we please.
[...] to go on August 26 and in New Jersey, it is still illegal for women to be topless. Kudos to the crime fans of New York City who meet weekly in Central Park, on rooftops, or other locations to read topless in public. [...]
I love you all! My friend and I have decided it is time to move to NYC just so we can meet friends as brilliant as you all!
Thanks, Stephanie! We love you too! You don’t even have to move, just come for a visit while it’s still warm and we can all hang out…
I have been pondering the link between naturism and topfreedom. One might expect naturists to support topfreedom, but while the former is generally ‘private’ the latter is very public. But how many of those supporting (I am being careful to avoid the word ‘activist’ since you say you are not) topfreedom are also naturists. You seem to be exploring that angle, which incidentally I support.
I think most naturists would support a woman’s right to go topless anywhere she wants, even if they themselves wouldn’t do it in all the public places we do. Similarly, I think most of us would support naturism, in the sense of not thinking it’s weird or peculiar or should be banned, even if some of us might not choose to go bottomless, even when were on a private rooftop. In general, I think people who enjoy nudity tend to be sympathetic to other people who enjoy it.
Happy Go Topless Day everyone! Although I must admit I prefer the term Topfreedom!
Are you anti-ogling? I’m not quite clear on that. There certainly a lot of photos of great looking topless women.
I have no problem with your toplessness if you don’t have a problem with my ogling. If you won’t modify your behavior to suit my sensibilities, why should I change mine to suit yours? Honest question.
Or, is the project simply trying to de-sexualize the breast? Doesn’t seem like it, since you’re trying to “make reading sexy.” I assume the “sexy” part is the toplessness.
We’re not anti-looking, we’re anti-rudeness. We’re out in public, and anyone who wants to look at us is welcome to do so, the same as they would be if we were wearing more clothes. But if we were fully dressed, it wouldn’t be okay to walk within inches of us staring hungrily as you pass, and it wouldn’t be okay to sit two feet away and stare intensely for an hour without pause–that would be rude. And it doesn’t become less rude when you do it to us when we’re topless. Look, smile, wave, say something nice if you feel like it, and keep on walking. Or sit nearby but occupy yourself with your own pursuits (reading a book, maybe!) and only glance our way casually now and again, don’t eye us like a hungry mongrel salivating over a steak. In other words, be a friendly, empathetic, normal human being.
This is doubly true because what we’re doing is apparently giving you pleasure! If you were an offended evangelical Christian who decided to make our lives miserable because you felt we were making yours miserable, that would be one thing. I wouldn’t be happy about it, but at least I’d understand your reasoning. But if you like what we’re doing, why in the world would you needlessly act in a way you know will make us uncomfortable and make it less likely we’ll do this thing you like again…?
I think it is great that your group is challenging and hopefully changing opinion. You girls are topless in the park reading a book and minding your own business. Who is this hurting? It’s not against the law in NYC. What’s the problem? If only more people had your courage to stand up for their beliefs and rights. Keep it up!
Well good on ‘yer. I couldn’t possibly object to nudity unless it came with some faux-righteous putdown of the passer by’s natural attraction to it. For the record, I’ve spent untold hours on naked beaches and obviously support clothing-free whatever, on the other hand, I’m not a fan of having my natural inclination to admire (tactfully I hope) in any way restricted (that is, short of photographing, gross staring, or that thing I used to see in Sheep’s Meadow all the time, a dressed dude sitting literally at a bikini-ed woman’s feet, looking up her crotch.) You guys by the way are all ridiculously gorgeous.
Brilliant work, ladies. I applaud your group for expressing their freedom in such a beautiful manner. I think our society is much too restricted and closed minded. I hope your adventures and related blog open some minds to the beauty of the human form.
I look forward to some cerebral posts about the all reading that you’ve accomplished on your outings this summer!
Keep up the good work.
Too bad we don’t have a group of people like you over by my neck of the woods
Reading and getting naked 2 of my favorite pastimes 
These latest pics look really artsy, something about those black and white photos that really stand out?? Your beautiful people!! (-: 
I can’t help feeling how lucky you are to have such a beautiful roof top garden, although I did wonder if the photographer standing on the chair might attract attention from the windows in the background! (not that that would be illegal I think). I also felt that ‘meeting the public’ was an important step forward if one of your aims is to normalise breasts, as opposed to just having a nice time in comfortable wear. As you say, we should be able to socialise normally, regardless of what we are wearing above the waist without attracting any unusual attention, and feel completely relaxed about it just as guys might.
I see you have some imitators in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
http://www.tera.ca/Images/vancouver.jpg
NIFTY (Naked Iconoclasts Fighting the Yoke) held a successful topfree reading event in Vancouver’s Grandview Park on Saturday, September 8, 2012. Inspired by the Outdoor Co-Ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society events in New York, we enjoyed an afternoon of reading and good company on a beautiful Vancouver Saturday. We are pleased to report that we were entirely unmolested, unchallenged, and simply accepted as part of the mix of humanity enjoying the park that day.
Our next event is scheduled for Saturday, September 29 from 13:00 to 15:00 at Grandview Park; all are welcome.
I suppose there is no reason you can’t franchise chapters all over the world.
Agreed! We were thrilled to hear about NIFTY’s event and would love it if other groups around the world were inspired by us to do the same.
I hope this question is not out of line, but have any of your members ever posed for SuicideGirls? I am asking because I can’t help noticing that several of your members have collections of tattoos that would be right in style for that site. Just curious.
Not that we know of.
I really am glad for you girls that feel its ok to show the rest of the world its ok to go topless just like men. If the rest of the world would just “chill out” and do the same it would be alot better place. And Im new here.
Ok, this is officially awesome!
Have you ever considered holding some sort of event for Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Perhaps an indoor photoshoot/calendar shoot or book auction?
A book auction is a fun idea. Doing events indoors really isn’t the same, in terms of demonstrating that women and men should be equal in terms of public toplessness, but they can certainly be fun to do for other reasons…
Perhaps signed copies of books from Hard Case Crime?
While technically a group with ‘Outdoor’ in their name is not quite the same indoors, you have demonstrated that in fact you do have indoor events. If equality is the only issue then one would concentrate on venues where men have traditionally been allowed to do this. That would include parks, beaches, sports, the streets etc. However if men and women were equally shirt free indoors the objective would still be fulfilled.
However a related question, which people like Moira Johnston appear to be addressing, is whether women should merely follow male traditions, or explore other venues where being shirt free could be an option.
That in itself raises questions as to whether the objective should be merely ‘equality’, or also include breaking down taboos, stigma and shame relating to the human female breast.
Hi from your fan from Israel
It is like 2 kind of art meeting together!
I love reading and I love being naked… You are doing both things together
Do you have men reading with you too?
We do, though rarely more than one or two men at any given event, just to keep the events female-focused.
I go “spinning” and they have limited changing rooms. The guys change their shirts in the hallway while we wait in line for the changing room or just change our shirts while leaving on our sports bras (really, what’s the point?). Inspired by your website, I have found a corner to change in. No one said a word yet. Perhaps, you ladies are slowly changing the world … or at least New York City!
God bless you. Love to think we inspired you!
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Hoping everyone is safe after the storm
Thanks. Haven’t heard from everyone, but everyone we’ve heard from seem to be okay.
Haven’t heard or seen anything here lately? I hope everyone is alright
best wishes!!!
Everyone is fine. It’s just too cold to go topless outdoors! We do have an indoor event planned for later this week, so you should see a new report soon…but they’re likely to be few and far between until the thaw comes in the Spring…
It would be good – even for an ‘Outdoor’ group, to be able to make indoor events topoptional. That would be one step closer to normalising topfreedom. That means more topfree friendly businesses and institutions. However it is asking a slightly different question to – I wish to remove my top to sunbathe, or because it is so hot, it would be moving beyond an equality question. But then by being occasionally bottomfree you already have!
how does a person become a member? I have been collecting pulp fiction for 6 years now and this seems fun.
Just send a note to toplesspulpfiction[AT]gmail[DOT]com, and we’ll add you to our list to hear about future events.
I support what you guys stand for. thumbs up! peace, love and topless reading to all.
Bravo à vous !
hope there will be something like this in Greece
Brilliant work, ladies!!!! I applaud your group…..
Wait–don’t people go naked all the time in Greece? At least on the beaches? That’s certainly the impression I had…
hhaaahhah
all the time??? where do i live anyway? 
Great concept, after reading the posts please let me offer a couple things. Keep it pure, as pioneer’s of your club your going to get the good with the bad. You made the choice to exercise your equality. Don’t get caught in defensive posts, there isn’t any reason to defend or make rules how others should act. Guys that watch were brought up having to make an investment to see real breasts. Whether it’s dating or throwing dollars on a stage. So to keep it simple there is a little shock value there. Older ones can’t change, younger will be more accepting.Your getting some sun and reading, keep it that simple. When you get on a podium it defeats the normalcy of what your trying to promote. Also keep your groups around a dozen, small groups reflect the ” not a big deal ” premise. That way you can acomplish 2 things. First several groups can be in different places, reflecting a common act. Second you can have groups that don’t have event photographers. I’m sure more would participate if they knew it wasn’t going to be posted on the web. The random picture is going to happen but give an opportunity to not have event pictures taken. Not wearing a bra 30 years ago was not a big deal, not sure why that changed. Somehow it went backwards. Oh, just to poke a little fun, soccer mom’s did the same thing when they were young. It was just at parties or testing their boundaries. Your approach can bring about change, especially if you can get expanding to take hold. Repetition should help with the gawkers, the more common it becomes the less it should be a concern of their’s. One last thing, keep it focused. You might want to reflect on whether to post the roof gatherings. Fun but different, takes away from what I understood you were trying to promote. Ever forward and take care ladies.
you guys are awesome!
Dear all at OCToPFAS – a belated happy New Year to you all, and best wishes for a long outdoor season in 2013.
Your big fan in London, Douglas Lee
PS Thank you for posting your round-up of the most popular pics from 2012 – and how clever of you to put my own favourite at the top of the list!
Hi All.
Thought you and your friends and fans might enjoy my new little venture on etsy…I carry inexpensive framed reproductions of classic pulp novels, magazines, movie posters…including a nice selection of exploitation/sexploitation titles. I’ve started out with 135 titles with many more to come! Thanks for the terrific blog!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FRAMEDVINTAGE
While seen your pictures I’ve noticed something: you’re so cute that’s difficult to find a so pretty group of women walking just arround. I beleive you haven’t use fotoshop for them, so how you choose your members? Just by friendship between you? First of all you must love pulp fiction novels we know, but how else?
Just by friendship, or friend-of-friendship. There is no requirement that anyone look a certain way in order to come to one of our events. Of course, we tend to chose photos to post in which we look better rather than worse, but we have all ages and body types.
I mentioned on Twitter that the Law in DC was the same as in NY. I actually found the statute.
It used to just say any “exposure of his or her person” but was updated to say the actual parts.
DC 22-1312
It is unlawful for a person, in public, to make an obscene or indecent exposure of his or her genitalia or anus, to engage in masturbation, or to engage in a sexual act as defined in § 22-3001(8). It is unlawful for a person to make an obscene or indecent sexual proposal to a minor. A person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $500, imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both.
Tom – what does that have to do with this group? Or did you mean that exposure of the person is now ok with the exceptions mentioned? The law in NY was determined by the courts not the legislature.
I thought it was interesting. The law in DC is the same as NY and was also because of a court case. People I know don’t believe it. I tried to look up the ruling but couldn’t find it. I did find the amended DC regs and found it interesting that the reworded it so there was no vagueness. It used to just say his or her person. Now it’s specific as to what you can’t expose and doesn’t include breasts.
It would be helpful if someone wanted to try walking topless here if they had a copy of the law in hand if they got stopped.
Thinking of the most recent post from this intrepid group of pioneers, when you live in NY as opposed to California Outdoor-Indoor might be a a more appropriate title – or just Public. Not easy to find a mixed spa these days for co-eds.
As I think many people are aware House Bill 34 in the North Carolina General Assembly seeks to make the nipple and areola of the human female breast a ‘private part’ so that it is included in the indecent exposure law, and hence a misdemeanor or felony and hence possibly be subject to imprisonment.
What nobody seems to be considering down there is whether in those states that have not criminalized the female nipple there is actually any perceivable harm to society. The worst that they can come up with is that ‘constituents are concerned’.
Even more bizarre was a comment in committee that the use of duct tape would protect women from arrest and conviction.
Ultimately that is why it will be courts that have to make the determination.
What is ridiculous about the duct tape. Aside from the obvious insensitivity, is that they still don’t get the irony of barely covered and bare. The irony is that skimpy revealing attire, that covers the minimum the law requires is much more sexual than a bare breast. Skimpy attire calls attention to the breast in a teasing manor. Once initial shock wears off, I think most people can get used to the naturalness of breasts.
I salute your courage, dedication and determination (Snow Day). I told the politicians in N Carolina (above) to visit Central Park in the summer. Clearly I was wrong!
If it’s co-ed why aren’t there any men? You’d think it would be a problem keeping too many of us from showing up. Maybe when they find out it’s about reading and not Tarantino they lose interest? A mystery.
We always have at least one guy, sometimes two, at all our events; they tend to be camera shy, but if you poke through our site you’ll spot them in some photos. But we do try to keep the events female focused.
I LOVE this and think you guys know how to take advantage of a good book and a sunny day in the city. Perhaps I’ll join you all sometime..
Please do! We would love to have you!
I am straight, not a lesbian or bi-sexual, maybe a little bi-curious,
CAN I COME OUT AND PLAY?
Of course! Our events aren’t about sex, they’re about enjoying an afternoon in the sun with friends. Straight, gay, bi…it’s all good.
Welcome to Spring! Now the question is – will the movement grow, and more importantly will it spread to shall we say – the less enlightened parts of the country?
I for one hopes the movement grows. As a journalist, this is a sign that women are finding their Lilith energy, well some of them. Also the east coast is different from the west coast, like OWS was different from Occupy LA. My two current stories about this new wave are below. The second link plugs your group.
http://temeculacalendar.blogspot.com/2013/04/accredited-charity-accredited-disease.html
http://temeculacalendar.blogspot.com/2013/04/nurses-get-cover-author-headlines-vid.html
I saw this on the news and thought that I should stop by and say hey. Reading and promoting reading is always a good thing, clothed or unclothed. In any case, if men can go topless, women should be able to as well. I was just talking about these topics with a female acquaintance of mine a few weeks ago. I feel the world would be a much better and happier place if everyone embraced two things 1. Equality for all regardless of size, shape, gender, race, status, or sexual orientation. 2. Recognizing that nudity/bare skin is not always sexual and that women(or anyone, for that matter) are not objects to be ogled. At the same time, people should accept and embrace the inherent sexuality and beauty in all human bodies and minds. On the topic of books, I haven’t read any pulp fiction crime-noir, but I’m a fan of some urban fantasy/horror crime-noir lol
. The books on your list look cool, though. I’ll read most anything but I like horror and sci-fi best, especially the classics(Poe, Lovecraft, Asimov, etc). I also read a lot of non-fiction works about science. I applaud you for exercising your right, and hopefully you can shift opinion elsewhere so that something that should be a natural right becomes legal everywhere else.
Have you ladies read Seduction of the Innocent by Max Allan Collins? It seems like a pretty interesting take on the Fredric Wertham book and ensuing controversy, and has received excellent reviews.
Have we? If you look through some of our photos, you’ll see some of us holding copies of that very book.
The best blog ever I have seen in my life
on the east coast
A little plug supporting your reading/exhibitionist group. http://hereticaljargon.com/2013/04/28/the-outdoor-co-ed-topless-pulp-fiction-appreciation-society/
Would your group ever consider graphic novels? There’s TONS out there that could fit into your literary sensibilities.
Absolutely! We have some members who are into comics and graphic novels. We even have one who writes them…
Thanks! I’m Mexican and love to see new ways of freedom, and most fun reading in groups! See you in the summer!
Heretic, that raises a number of questions. Do you think this is exhibitionism? – the legal definition would not appear to apply here, surely. Also do you think one of the purposes is to ‘push the boundaries of what is socially acceptable’? Couldn’t this just be a group of friends enjoying themselves and inviting others to join them? Pornography – well that is very much in the eye of the beholder, but by no stretch of the imagination does this reach that level. I think what is important is that if you don’t exercise your rights you lose them, and if you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any. However they say there is no such thing as bad publicity, so we shall see if the group grows or creates daughter groups.
Hi
In Kazakhstan friends of mine go topless at home, at their dachas and at the beach without reservation as to who might be about-I think that they are way ahead of the curve then is the case here.
Lewis
Hi
Without any need for a book my sister manages to put most of the women in our family on edge simply by wearing a bikini.
Lewis
Wow! I didn’t grow up in a nudist colony but at public parks and pools in particular, there was never any problem for the male, opposite for the female. At least in America since the 30s, 40s, and 50s from pictures I have seen. Recently I reported a story about the start of ‘hiding women’ on this website. Look for ‘Origin of Taboos On Women’ story here, http://temcal.com
Hi
That’s great that your group is changing peoples’ attitudes. I think you are all really brave and great role models for other women. Hopefully more women will follow where you have led. Keep up the good work!
Liam