Saskatoon sunbathers go topless to prove a point

Several sunbathers in Saskatoon went bare-chested on Sunday to celebrate International Topless Day.

It was afirst for Mariah Cox, one of about 30people, many of whom did not wear tops,who gathered on a sandbar in the city's north end.

"Today I'm out here just to enjoy my civil liberties, havea good time at the beach with everybody else," Cox said.

She referred to cases where women have been asked to cover up, and said women and men must recieve equal treatment.

"It's not harmful to anybody,"Cox said.

She said she will likely go topless again on hot days, but she added she's probably OK withsituations where both men and women are required to wear shirts.

"I hope this will make people more confident to stand up for what people believe in."

It's about rights,say supporters

Neil Sinclair said he came to the event to support women's equality.

"Today is just people exercising their legal rights and setting an example for Saskatoon that from this day forward in a public place, where men can go topless women can go topless also," Sinclair said.

• Being topless in public is legal, B.C. woman reminds others after police encounter

Court decisions in Saskatchewan, Ontario andBritishColumbia over the past two decadeshave affirmed women's rights to go topless in public.

The issueflared up again this summer when three women in Kitchener, Ont.,were stopped by a police officer for cycling without any shirts on.In another case this summer, awoman in Kelowna, B.C., saidshe was approached by an RCMP officer while sunbathing topless and told to cover up.