The Raelians are at it again, advocating for women’s rights with topless rallies.
This UFO-based religion believes that life on Earth was created by extraterrestrials. The group also believes that women have just as much right to be topless in public as men. So, every year, the Raelians promote rallies across the country in an effort to incite societal change.
"As long as men are allowed to be topless in public, women should have the same constitutional right. Or else, men should have to wear something to hide their chests," according to Rael, the “spiritual leader” of the Raelian Movement.
The Raelian church established its GoTopless organization in 2007 to advocate for equal topless rights. Since then, this organization has encouraged individuals to coordinate and participate in demonstrations on GoTopless Day, which occurs every year on the Sunday closest to Women's Equality Day, which is August 26.
On Sunday, August 24, unsupported supporters participated in GoTopless rallies across the country, and in Canada too. According to the Toronto Sun, at a rally in Montreal, there were approximately two dozen topless women and several shirtless men showing support by wearing bras. But the paper points out, “Onlookers taking cellphone pictures of the topless women outnumbered protesters.”
The GoTopless celebration was apparently more successful in New York where, according to the New York Post, “200 bare-chested men and women chanted, ‘Free your Breasts! Free your mind!’” It is already legal for women to be topless in public in New York. But one supporter there explained to the Post, "We are here to support the women in states where it is illegal to go topless and breast-feed in public.”
