A battle brewing in New Hampshire over nudity -- specifically, a law regarding women going topless -- has become personal for a legislator after she wrote against the ban on social media and received questionable responses from two of her male colleagues.
The proposed bill would allow cities and towns to outlaw women exposing their nipples, except in the case of breastfeeding. The legislation was filed after a movement to make female toplessness acceptable, called "Free the Nipple", came to New Hampshire last summer.
"I definitely think that in 2016 there shouldn't be any law that begins with 'a woman may not,'" said Democratic State Rep. Amanda Bouldin. "The bill is sexist and unconstitutional. And that's all it is at the end of the day and that should be enough to kill a bill."
Bouldin took to Facebook to write against the bill. Two of her colleagues fired back, including the bill's sponsor Republican Rep. Josh Moore.
"If it's a woman's natural inclination to pull her nipple out in public then you should have no problem with a man's inclination to stare at it and grab it," Moore wrote.
He later deleted his comment.
"No disrespect," wrote Rep. Al Baldasaro, "but your nipple would be the last one I would want to see."
He stood by his comment Sunday, although he admitted he could understand why some women may feel insulted by his comments.
"I'm not apologizing for nothing. I mean, I have no reason whatsoever to see the breast of a colleague," he said. "Many Republican women, many in my district, believe that with nudity, there's a time and a place."
Although Baldasaro said he doesn't agree with all aspects of the bill, he suggested the advent of public nudity in New Hampshire made it necessary.
FOX25 was unable to reach Moore for comment.
The legislature returns to session Wednesday.
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