Quick access to main page (top) Direct access to main contents Quick access to main page (bottom)

Too Extreme? Nantucket Beaches Push For Equality with THIS New Bylaw

Daniel Kim Views  

Everyone, regardless of gender, will be allowed to be topless on the beach in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Travel+Leisure reports that a gender equality amendment, set to apply to all beaches on Nantucket Island, is awaiting implementation after receiving approval from the attorney general. The ordinance gained traction when Nantucket residents voted in favor of the gender equality amendment at their annual town meeting last May.

The draft amendment was written based on the idea that “to promote equality for all, everyone is permitted to go topless on all public and private beaches on Nantucket Island.” On June 6, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey officially endorsed and formalized the amendment.

Healey explained in a letter, “This approval does not reflect any policy stance, such as agreement or disagreement leading to the passage of the ordinance.” She emphasized that it was “solely an approval or disapproval based on the consistency with state law, and it did not evaluate any matters or validity associated with the ordinance.”

The attorney general’s office further stated that the Nantucket ordinance does not conflict with two Massachusetts laws containing the provision that “breast exposure is permissible in certain situations.”

Nantucket Island released a statement asking “all residents and visitors to adhere to the newly amended ordinance” and “everyone to patiently respect this ordinance that is being applied for the first time on a Massachusetts island.”

They further clarified that the new ordinance pertains to the beach area and does not extend to other areas such as the parking lot.

Massachusetts State Representative Dylan Fernandes voiced his approval on X (formerly Twitter), affirming that “this is a victory for gender equality.”

While nude beaches have long existed in Massachusetts, Nantucket is the first to formalize it through an ordinance. The impact of this ordinance approval on the island’s beaches will only be accurately confirmed next summer.

Daniel Kim
content@viewusglobal.com

Comments0

300

Comments0

[LIFESTYLE] Latest Stories

  • 25,000 Microplastics in One Cup? Why You Should Rethink Takeout Coffee
  • Neck Pain After Sleeping Wrong? Here's How to Fix It Fast
  • That Ache in Your Hip? It Could Be Pelvic Necrosis
  • Is Guinness Actually Good for You? Science Says It’s the Healthiest Beer
  • 10 Smart Ways to Keep Your Face From Puffing Up Overnight
  • 10 Foods to Fight Fatigue and Boost Your Energy

Share it on...