New Hampshire won't stop women from showing breasts, nipples

The state House of Representatives voted against making it a misdemeanor for women to show their breasts in public.

Lawmakers in New Hampshire rejected a law that would punish women for showing their breasts. (Getty Images)

Lawmakers in New Hampshire may have boosted the "Free the Nipple" movement on Wednesday when they voted against a law that would stop women from showing their breasts and nipples in public.

The state House of Representatives rejected a bill that would have made it misdemeanor for women to show their breasts with "reckless disregard" for whether it would offend someone, the Associated Press reported.

That bill was drafted in part as a response to two women who went topless at a state beach and had their case thrown out in February. The bill caused an outcry late last year when a male lawmaker said that if women want to go topless in public, they shouldn't be upset if men want to grab them, according to the AP.

Lawmakers who supported the bill warned that if women could go topless at the beach, the might also show their breasts at other public places, like libraries and youth baseball games. Opponents said the law would create different standards for men and women.

A report from a House panel said, "In a state with an average temperature of 46 degrees, the risk of rampant nudity seems rather low."

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