Aside from men being horny in the 1800s, and this being a holdover since that time, is there any actual reason why this hasn’t changed?

If society was dominated by women, would this be more likely to change?

I was sweating my ass off hiking in the hot sun, and the question has been bothering me all day after my top soaked through with sweat.

  • DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone
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    5 hours ago

    You know, I’ve been in places with lots of nudity, and for the first day or so all you want to do is look. Then after that you stop looking and it just becomes normal. I imagine if women going topless was more common, guys would not look any more than they currently do.

  • Pandoras_Can_Opener@mander.xyz
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    5 hours ago

    Reading the comments made me wonder how people react to elderly people in a female body and those considered unattractive who go topless. It’s probably still harassment?

  • teolan@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    In many countries in public spaces women can be topless wherever men can. Sadly it doesn’t mean they feel safe/comfortable doing so.

  • Professorozone@lemmy.world
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    12 hours ago

    As a cis male, I’m totally in favor of this idea.

    In fact, I went to school in Germany and I was throwing a frisbee with some friends in the park. It was a beautiful summer day, which was rare, and I retrieved the disc that landed near an attractive young lady sunning herself topless. I still think of her fondly.

      • crimsonpoodle@pawb.social
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        23 minutes ago

        Ooohh nooo someone appreciated my tits what a travesty. Like yeah if they said something, or if they stared, or if they objectified the person that’s bad. But I think as a society we’re moving past the whole caring what other people think. But hey, I’m gay so I’m Switzerland; do what you like and more power to you.

  • Mamdani_Da_Savior@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    Man here

    If you ladies wanna walk around shirtless at the gym and work out I personally have no objection and I promise I won’t say a word to you.

    However you are going get looks, a lot of them.

  • teagrrl@lemmy.ml
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    18 hours ago

    They can, but harassment from men keeps lots of women from doing so. We already get harassed when we’re covered.

  • dil@lemmy.zip
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    14 hours ago

    I personally don’t want a boner at the gym, I really wish men only gyms were a thing

    • teolan@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      Dude. If have enough remaining brainpower to ogle women at the gym and enough blood flow to spare to give you a boner I can assure you you’re barely working out.

      Learn to focus.

      That said, being topless (for both men and women) in a gym is gross. Don’t leave sweat everywhere. The question is for running outside…

      • dil@lemmy.zip
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        2 hours ago

        Lol I can deadlift max weight and still get hard 5 minutes later, maybe see a doctor? If anything I get harder easier after excercise because of the blood flow

    • dil@lemmy.zip
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      14 hours ago

      I’m a grower, I wear boxer briefs, it’s just all around uncomfortable to get aroused in public lol, it’s not a choice personally, if I could have no sexual feelings when outside id be down actually, men also have to wear shirts at my gym, think its a common rule

        • dil@lemmy.zip
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          2 hours ago

          Everyones fit and wearing basically swimsuits while recording themselves with tripods trying to get tiktok famous, so theres a reason, I actually never had this issue before everyone tried to be a workout influencer, the last decade the gym has become a bit much

      • dil@lemmy.zip
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        2 hours ago

        I avoid any issues? I just stare at the ground or ceiling the whole time, would like to be able to just not have to worry about that and have an all male gym.

        And like if I get one I can make it go away, it just hurts initially, because it goes from 1 inch to 6 very quickly and its never in a proper position in my shorts to expand. I can have max control, but if I suddenly see something it may just happen, like I still make it go away by thinking about something else to be clear lol.

        • untorquer@lemmy.world
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          1 hour ago

          Ooh that doesn’t sound nice, you shouldn’t be hurting yourself.

          I’m suggesting you learn [train yourself] to be in the presence of women comfortably without even having to worry about getting an erection. It makes it a lot easier to get to know women.

          But if you want a men’s only gym there’s plenty of hole-in-the-wall places called “Iron Pounders” or something like that. At-home weights are also widely available.

      • the_elder@midwest.social
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        9 hours ago

        Teach, don’t preach. This things got a mind of it’s own. If you know how to turn off my doppelwanger don’t keep it to yourself.

        I’ve gotten rock hard looking at sand. Fucking sand. Don’t tell me we can control it.

        • teolan@lemmy.world
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          7 hours ago

          If you’re actually working out you don’t have blood flow to spare to have a boner…

          And if as you say you can have a boner looking at sand it and don’t control it it seems to me like having topless women around shouldn’t influence that much the odds you get a boner.

          • dil@lemmy.zip
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            2 hours ago

            If im at the gym for an hour and a half I take like 5-10 minutes breaks between sets, I max weights and my gym has enough room usually to where ppl arent waiting for the area? Idk anyone who just works out continuously, yeah if I’m actively squatting/deadlifting, I wont get hard but for the breaks in between its a possibility. And it’s more like it starts up and goes back down, rather than staying up? But since it grows it’s never in a comfortable spot to get hard, itll grow like straight forward.

        • untorquer@lemmy.world
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          8 hours ago

          Just like any other emotion arousal is a response to a thought. It’s a wave of experience that’s washing over you. That part you can control but it’s less important here. The important part is the thought triggering the arousal. When you are in a situation where you think you can experience sexual outcomes (even if just fantasy) you’re likely to trigger your arousal response and pop a boner. These thoughts can also be tied to set and setting. You probably trained yourself not to have erections around family or in places with social stigma around it like most public places. So you have to recognize that you’re having a thought of sexualization, then you can reframe the setting as an inappropriate one for sexual arousal.

          In the moment you can respond with deep breathing meditation if that helps. Focus on your breathing and think about the thought and (paradoxically) feel the feelings the thought brings. You’re doing two things. 1. You’re changing your learned response by doing something other than sexualizing a random stranger or sand (which ironically, being silica, is technically rock hard). 2. You’re learning how to recognize the thought, emotion and mechanics of it’s development to better manipulate it.

          It’s not like it’s quick and easy, it can take a while and some effort, but not being a pest nor feeling guilty about contributing to women’s daily difficulty is imo worth it. Not only does this make you a better more approachable person in public but learning about your own arousal can make you last longer (if that’s an issue) and have better, more intense and rewarding sex/pleasure. Win win imo!

    • webadict@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      So, any woman with a double mastectomy is no longer a woman? Damn, cancer keeps getting harder and harder.

        • webadict@lemmy.world
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          3 hours ago

          Holy shit, that is a fucked up thing to say.

          Like imagine telling a woman with cancer, “luckily, your vagina is the only thing keeping you a woman”. As if their genitalia is what defines them as a woman.

          What a disgusting thing to say. What the fuck is wrong with you?

            • webadict@lemmy.world
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              2 hours ago

              Definitionally, if you say a part of being a woman is having breasts, and a woman doesn’t have breasts, you are saying they are either less of a woman or not a woman at all.

              Either that, or your initial argument is wrong, and having breasts has nothing to do with being a woman, so there is nothing wrong with going topless as a woman.

              I will say it feels like you definitely believe not having breasts makes you less of a woman because you said “technically makes you a woman” here, which is a weird thing to say if you were arguing that women shouldn’t be allowed to go topless for some sex-related reason.

            • webadict@lemmy.world
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              3 hours ago

              Oh, my bad. I’m glad you told her she is only less of a woman because she has no breasts.

              People like you are sick in the head.

              Women aren’t less women because they lose their breasts. They’re not less women for not having a vagina, whatever the fuck that means. Like, if your labia or clitoris are removed, are you less of a woman? If your uterus is removed, are you less of a woman? What a disgusting thing to tell women, that their womanhood is their genitals.

              People like you make breast cancer so much harder than it already is.

              • Liljekonvalj@feddit.org
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                3 hours ago

                I literally never said any of that.

                This is a weird conversation and I just realized I’ve been having it with multiple different people. I thought it was just one person. So let me recalibrate.

                And actually bounce, because this is getting less about what’s being said and the ideas behind the opinions and more just emotional garbage… for me at least, sorry. I’m really sorry you’re going through a lot. I really wish you a full recovery for ever ❤️ But for me to go down this road with you over an issue I never intended do discuss,and to be honest never said any of the things… No… Sorry but no.

                I also hope you get the help you need, and I’m guessing you’re American so I wish you all the best going forward. With or without tits and shirts.

                Bye ✌️🕊️

                Edit

                I just realized you’re not the cancer girl. However, everything still stands.

                God luck ✌️🕊️

                • webadict@lemmy.world
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                  3 hours ago

                  Part of, you also have your vagina?

                  Part of

                  you also have your vagina?

                  You say disgusting things and try to backtrack when called out on them. You are such a coward to say horrible things and then pretend you didn’t.

                  No woman is defined by her breasts, vagina, or even chromosomes, and losing any part of her is not being less of a woman. Any woman with breast cancer is just as much of a woman before as after. Fuck you.

    • uniquethrowagay@feddit.org
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      7 hours ago

      So a male breast is not part of the gender? Something beging part of what makes you a man or a woman certainly isn’t where we draw the line.

    • TempermentalAnomaly@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      Grow the fuck up and start thinking like an adult and not a horny little boy. Oh uncomfortably hot sweaty woman… She must want me because boobs. Jesus.

      • Liljekonvalj@feddit.org
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        7 hours ago

        I’m a woman. But hey, good luck with your problem. I see you wanted 0 criticism. Good luck 👍

        Edit

        I must note the irony of you wanting someone to grow up whilst getting very emotional real quick. Again, good luck.

  • Global_Liberty@lemmy.ml
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    1 day ago

    In much of Europe and North America, female toplessness is legal. As for why women don’t take advantage of it when exercising, breast movement varies from annoyance to uncomfortable and throwing off momentum depending upon size. As a result, many women exercise wearing what is most convenient: a sports-bra top. However, concerns about harassment are sadly valid.

    Women are the majority of voting age adults, but they aren’t a homogeneous group voting exclusively on gender. 45% of women voted for Trump in 2024.

    As a male who exercises in high heat on occasion (35-38c), I have never once thought that I’d rather be naked. I wear breathable, light colored clothing. I also wear a top. Sun burns aren’t healthy.

    • volvoxvsmarla@sopuli.xyz
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      1 day ago

      breast movement varies from annoyance to uncomfortable

      As a teenager and young woman, not being able to find a good super supportive sports bra for my weird size was one of the reasons I stopped trying to exercise.

      I still hold my boobs automatically when taking the stairs or when I run somewhere. Otherwise it hurts and feels like my breasts are being torn away from my body.

      • AFallingAnvil@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        I’m a dude, we seldom think about these kinds of things until women bring them up then suddenly women disliking having large boobs makes a lot more sense. Sounds like a bit of a raw deal, fun to look at, terrible to own.

  • communism@lemmy.ml
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    1 day ago

    There was a movement to decriminalise women being topless (because it is actively criminalised in a lot of places). Unfortunately it’s fallen off. It’s particularly ridiculous because women are the ones who have an actual need to expose their breasts in public, ie some women need to breastfeed—no men need to.

    Some people get turned on seeing topless men but it’s not a sex crime for men to be shirtless in public. Free the nipple 2025

    • RBWells@lemmy.world
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      17 hours ago

      Pretty sure breastfeeding is protected all over the US. It certainly is in Florida.

      I’m not even big in that department, don’t wear a bra for yoga, but running? That needs a sport bra, and working outside I wear long sleeves to keep the sun off.

      I do think beaches here should allow topless suits for women though. That might go a long way towards desexualizing simple nudity, people would get used to it. I agree that it ought not be a rule that you have to cover your boobs at all if you don’t want to.