Getting Naked for the Greens

The Green Party entry for 2011 Edmonton Pride

                                                  
Painted and topless  

The Pride Parade this year was a huge hit!  It was incredibly large, with a wonderful enthusiasm from both participants and the crowd. I think it was a perfect parade to have lost my virginity to and considering it was Pride I chose to bare it all.  To “Stand Up” proud and perky!  When I was at the Pride Parade last year I had such fun and got to see so many kinds of people most of them hardly dressed so I had decided to follow suit for the next parade. To live up to my decision one year ago I went topless and painted for this event and walked with my fellow Greens.  I had used my new love interest, liquid latex, and painted “Green Party” as well as peace signs on my body with green paint.  I was not expecting the empowerment to be shattered by an unfair bylaw.

Being this naked for all to see was probably one of the most freeing feelings I have gotten to experience thus far.  Okay that was wrong.  There is no probably, that was the most freeing experience I’ve had.  Nothing quite compared to it, you know just one of those character building type of days I guess.  It took most of my courage to take off my top and parade through downtown Edmonton, but once I had gotten over that I really had a lot of fun, and it was hard to put clothes back on!

Just being able to have no clothes on was a fantastic feeling, but the cheers and requests from photos were a wonderful boost for my ego.  Getting to have this achievement on my own personal level, as well as the acceptance from those around me is something I will hold dear.  However, I’m ambitious and I hope that I gave something to others with this display as well.  It would be nice if I was able to empower people, especially women and encourage a more adult approach to topless women.  I hope that I could have started a trend.

I was told that breasts were shameful and should be covered up

So once we got to Churchill I was pretty bubbly and totally enjoying my nakedness.  I got to watch a drag queen perform for the very first time, and she was fabulous!  The stage performances were great, and the street performances were also superb.  I even saw a topless woman hula hooping and looking wonderful doing it, and totally added to my surety and dignity of this choice; until the RCMP came.  I watched as two Mounties came and told the young topless woman to put on her top.  After she had complied I had noticed that I had caught their attention and in short order I was then also being told to put on my shirt.  I asked them why and if they had happened to notice the numerous topless men at Churchill that day they responded with it is a bylaw.  I said that it was unfair and against the charter, he told me I would have to leave if I did not cover myself.  Like most people I am not really a fan of confrontation so I nodded and walked away to straighten out my thoughts.
 

There were a couple of things I could have done at this point.  Put a shirt on.  Leave.  Stay topless and avoid confrontation. Stay topless and look for the confrontation.  If I had put a shirt I could have hung out and saw some more of the fantastic show at some cost, or I could have stood up for my sex being equally judged by the law.  This was a tough choice for me.  Every part of me was screaming that this was not okay; it was discriminatory and sexist and at Pride was the last place this should be occurring!

"An unconstitutional bylaw is an unconstitutional bylaw"

Still being at a crossroads I saw my partner in crime once again hula hooping half naked.  After watching her for a second time being asked to hide her shame I had to talk to her and the city officer to see what was up.  The officer at first got defensive with me assuming that I was there to argue, and although part of me had wanted to, I was sure to make clear that I was only inquiring why not.  I told him that the apparent bylaw was against the charter, and he had confirmed that but it was an issue of morality and children.  Let’s pause here.  First, we are at a pride event if it was up to what police had deemed to be moral there would be a lot more escorts off the leased, might I add, property.  Secondly, bare breasts being a problem with children…the most natural combination that I can think of?  My jaw hit the ground and I really wished I had my recorder.  

Here they are bothering another topless person... this time a male

At this point I was pretty annoyed and since this officer seemed to be speaking for some other authority I had decided to leave.  This whole episode had put a giant wet blanket on my whole day, and left me feeling disempowered and even wrong for exposing my womanly body like that amidst of all the naked men.   Because that is somehow more “moral” in the eyes of the law.  On the way home in a small form of protest, to make myself feel better, I had rode past the police station wearing nothing by my underwear bottoms. 

Women should have the liberty to uncover themselves and feel dignified doing it.

This is a fight I have decided to take on even though I chose not to then.  I did not have the time or resources for this battle.  The choices one has to make when there are so many causes to fight for.  After feeling so free, to have an acceptance for your nudity and sex, I have become envious of males that can do that without worry.  Women should not have to feel envious for the freedom of men.  Not anymore.  One might even say it is unconstitutional.   So in the near future when I can devote more of me to this I will take up the torch to fight this fight and I’ll be topless doing it. 

Next year I'll forget the liquid latex