When Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Amanda Bouldin shared her opposition to a bill barring a woman from showing her nipples in public, Republican Rep. Josh Moore, the bill’s co-sponsor, responded with a comment that appears to advocate sexual assault on women who are topless in public.
New Hampshire Rep. Amanda Bouldin, a Democrat, took to Facebook Tuesday speaking out against a proposed bill that would make it illegal for a woman to show her nipples in public.
"It's sexist and completely unnecessary," Rep. Bouldin said. "I actually oppose the bill, but the conversation has become my breasts."
The bill's co-sponsor, Rep. Josh Moore, a Republican, wrote the following on Boudin's Facebook post:
"If it's a woman's natural inclination to pull her nipple out in public and you support that, than [sic] you should have no problem with a mans [sic] inclination to stare at it and grab it."
"I guess he's saying that being nude in front of him is as offensive as assault, I don't know," Bouldin said. "I think he has a personal problem with nudity and that's why he sponsored the legislation."
Another lawmaker, Rep. Al Baldasaro, a Republican, wrote on Bouldin's wall, "No disrespect, but your nipple would be the last one I would want to see."
"I guess I never gave any thought to how high up I would want to be on someone's nipple list," Bouldin told necn Thursday.
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Over the phone Thursday, Baldasaro said he supports the anti-nudity bill and stands by what he wrote to Bouldin on Facebook.
"Amanda is a beautiful lady, she's a sweetheart, she sits right in front of me. Why would I want to see her breasts, or see her in the nude," he asked. "I married an angel."
When asked whether he has any apologies or regrets, Baldasaro said, "No, none whatsoever."
Baldasaro says the bill likely stems from the national Free the Nipple campaign. The topless protests to promote gender equality gained traction in New Hampshire over the summer.
But Bouldin says for her, this really isn't about advocating for public nudity.
"It's 2016, and we shouldn't be creating legislation that starts with the words, 'a woman may not,' it's ridiculous," she said. "I want to keep my clothes on, it's bad government that I find restricting."
What's liberating though, Bouldin says, is seeing the power of a simple post.
"That's what I like about Facebook, you can get to know the people that run your life," Bouldin said.
Rep. Moore deleted his Facebook posts and has not yet responded to our emails and phone calls. The bill does have an exemption for breastfeeding.
There will be a public hearing scheduled after the new year.
