New Hampshire rejects bill criminalizing women for showing breasts, nipples in public

CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire House has rejected a bill that would have made it crime for women to expose their breasts or nipples in public.

The House voted Wednesday against making it a misdemeanor for women to show their breasts with “reckless disregard” for whether it would offend someone. The bill was partly a response to a “Free the Nipple” movement that led to two women being cited for going topless at a Gilford beach.

The bill also caused a spat among lawmakers after a male lawmaker said if women want to show their breasts publicly they should be OK with men wanting to “grab” them.

Bill supporters had cautioned that allowing women to go topless at beaches could lead to them also going topless at libraries and Little League games.