Women shuck their shirts for Go Topless Day in Vancouver

Topless women plan to walk through downtown Vancouver Sunday as part of International Go Topless Day.

Event organizers say it’s not fair that it’s socially acceptable for men to walk around without their shirts on, while it’s taboo for women to do the same.

In Vancouver, it’s legal for women to bare their chests, however it’s not a common site at the city’s swimming holes, unless you’re at a nudist area such as Wreck Beach.

Women will shuck off their shirts in 40 cities around the world to take part in the demonstration.

Demonstrators in Vancouver will walk on Robson Street from Denman to Hornby streets this afternoon.

In Kelowna, topless advocate Lori Welbourne pulled an eyecatching stunt during an interview with mayor Walter Gray to raise awareness for the cause.

The blogger was interviewing the mayor on whether women in Kelowna would be arrested for going topless. Halfway through, she bared her chest.

Gray said that if a woman in Kelowna did the same thing, someone would probably phone the police thinking it was illegal, although bylaws against women baring their breasts have been repealed.

He said while a woman wouldn’t be breaking any laws, just because she can go topless doesn’t mean she should because her actions may be distracting to others.

The interview ended with an exasperated Welbourne telling Gray that she found his earlobes distracting.

With files from the Canadian Press