Bruce Lawson ✅ (quiet time)May 22
At the weekend, a group of trans women protested topless at the Scottish Parliament about the recent Supreme Court ruling that the Equality Act defines women as "biological women". The police couldn't arrest them, because to arrest them for showing their breasts would be to define them as women (it's not illegal for men to be topless). And, of course, the right-wing press that reported on it censored their breasts, thereby making their point for them.
Show threadKen M SweeneyMay 22
@brucelawson hold on. It illegal for women to be topless in Scotland?
Show threadBruce Lawson ✅ (quiet time)May 22
@TheComfortableSpotPodcast Dunno; I think it could be considered "indecent exposure", which is against the law. One protester said “If the Supreme Court can see these woman legally as men, then they’ll have zero issue with them going tops off.” https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/17/scottish-parliament-holyrood-trans-protest-supreme-court/
Topless trans protest outside Holyrood a ‘public act of grief, resistance and solidarity’

Trans women staged a topless protest outside of the Scottish parliament to condemn the UK Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of 'sex'.

PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news
Show threadKen M SweeneyMay 22
@brucelawson it's bonkers that women topless is considered indecent but men aren't. Yet another example of inequality.
Show threaddoboprobodyneMay 22

@TheComfortableSpotPodcast @brucelawson
@jebantyk

I am told, by wiser people than I, that in #England & #Wales, the #crime of indecent exposure requires an "indecent" component. Merely walking about as your Deity/mother nature made you is not - in and of itself - a criminal act. One's accuser must explain to the judge's satisfaction why your exposure was indecent (maybe you needlessly jiggled something about, for example).

They went on to tell me that this is not the case in #Scotland, where one may be detained simply for rambling naked. They did not know whether or not one would successfully be prosecuted in the Scottish #court, but they thought it probable. It was not their area of expertise.

I did thank them for their advice, and put my clothes back on ;)

#law #lawfare #UK #God #nudity #art #policing #police #courts #rambling

Show threadHighlandLawyer
@doboprobodyne @TheComfortableSpotPodcast @brucelawson @jebantyk@mastodon.cloud
"Rambling naked" will be a reference to the (in)famous naked rambler. Exposing ones genitals in public "in a sexual manner" is an offence, but merely being naked (with no sexual intent) is not.
However prudish PFs took objection to the Naked Rambler's expeditions, arrested him for breach of the peace, then when he attended court he was ordered to dress; he refused, so was done for contempt of court
May 22 at 6:56pmTusky
Show threaddoboprobodyneMay 22

@HighlandLawyer @TheComfortableSpotPodcast @brucelawson

Thank you! I did wonder. I should say the court is probably deserving of contempt, if it cannot stomach the human form, although I'm sure the court would disagree.

#law #lawfare #nudity #police #policing