Lacey Tompkins had a memorable day at the beach the other day – for all the wrong reasons.
Here’s the skinny: Lacey and her boyfriend visited the beach at Dominion Park in Saint John, N.B. And the couple did what most people do at a beach – go for a dip, soak up the sun, and so on.
The trouble began when Lacey decided to do a little sun tanning. And hey, what better way to avoid those pesky tan lines than to go topless? So it was that Lacey removed her bikini top and started soaking up the rays.
Alas, not everyone was amused.
According to a Postmedia story, along came a female lifeguard. She lectured Lacey to cover up because being topless was indecent and there were children present at the beach.
Lacey responded by saying she was doing nothing wrong. She ignored the warning and continued to tan in topless mode.
About 20 minutes later, a uniformed police officer approached Lacey. He also warned her to cover up – or face public indecency charges. Thus, she reluctantly covered up.
Talk about a tempest in a B-cup!
But here’s the thing: women going topless in public is perfectly legal. And it is based on a court ruling that dates back some 30 years ago.
We speak of the Gwen Jacob decision. In July 1991, Gwen was a 19-year-old University of Guelph student who was criminally charged when she was spotted walking down a Guelph street topless on a hot summer day. Her rationale: if men are allowed to go topless, why not women?
Gwen fought the charge and the case went all the way to the Ontario Court of Appeal. In 1996, the court decided that she was not guilty of indecency. This ruling meant Gwen Jacob and other women had earned the right to appear topless in public.
The crux of the matter is that maybe you agree with the Gwen Jacob decision or perhaps you do not. But it’s a moot point given that women going topless in public these days is no longer a criminal act. Period, full stop.
Now you’d think that a competent cop would know the law of the land. But apparently not.
And so it is that Lacey Tompkins, much like Gwen Jacob way back in 1991, is not going quietly into the night. Lacey has filed an official complaint. And we’ll be shocked if that complaint isn’t upheld. Stay tuned.
But there is another angle to this story. And it is an angle that the mainstream media dares not report on. And it has everything to do with the blatant hypocrisy vis-à-vis public nudity.
Which is to say, why did Lacey Tompkins get harassed for NOT breaking the law? Yet so many members of the Rainbow Mafia at pride parades go BOTTOMLESS – which is indeed against the law. Yes, you can go topless – but you cannot display your genitalia and buttocks.
Speaking of which, we don’t care what your sexual orientation or gender identity is, please note: NOBODY wants to see your junk or your fat, ricotta cheese candy ass.
As a side note, can anyone kindly explain to us how it is that demonstrating one’s pride means getting totally bare-naked in public? Sorry, does not compute…
Regardless, these gross exhibitionists are never told to cover up nor are they charged with public indecency – despite the police presence at these parades.
Bottom line: if you are a heterosexual woman NOT breaking the law, you will be harassed by police. But if you are a member of the LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP community, well, law enforcement will turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to illegal public indecency. This is equal parts outrageous and egregious and a dereliction of duty by members of law enforcement who are supposed to uphold the law regardless of identity politics.
In the meantime, our advice for Lacey Tompkins is simply this: next time you’re sunbathing in a topless state at the beach and you are approached by a member of law enforcement, simply say that you’re trans. Trust us: you won’t be harassed nor criminally charged. Rather you will receive a heartfelt apology and then congratulated on celebrating your gender identity.
Hellbound and Down 