Seattle P&R allows BMx woman to swim topless

I am fascinated by this because I had relentless pain after my first mastectomy. 2 years later, the pain is calm enough where I can wear a Still You cami...so I felt validated that another woman felt this same terrible pain. It is not "just me".

Anyway, I love that there are such brave people pushing the limits, but it isn't for me. I would react glad that another person can express their freedom, to each their own. But then again, I covered up more than I needed to even when I had boobs....

I applaud her for doing this, although i would not feel comfortable w/o a top on in public i still don't like my DH looking at me so know i would not let others see me as well. I don't find my scars ugly at all its just not who I am. But i say, good for her.

I'm going to comment on this just because everyone in my household happened to be watching the news when we saw this report and the comments started flying.  Albeit an unpopular opinion by the sounds of things, I can't believe they gave this woman the right to swim topless in a public pool. First of all, I can't really relate, I only had a lumpectomy, a large one, which left me rather deformed, but only a lumpectomy just the same, so I guess you can argue I don't know what I'm talking about. We live in a civilized society...clothes are not an option (unless you happen to live in nudist colony), I think this is a selfish request on her part. I don't get the point of making everyone else uncomfortable so she doesn't have to be. My best friend since high school had to have a cancerous testicle removed....he happened to be a daily swimmer. I know he didn't feel the need to go without trunks just to get in the pool. He just didn't go until he completely healed. How ridiculous it would have been if this thought had even crossed his mind. I get she's in pain and can't wear any sort of bathing top that touches her scars but what's stopping her from throwing a t-shirt over herself? Everyone in a family knows how deforming breast cancer is...that doesn't mean we have to stick it in someone's face, make them completely uncomfortable, just to make a point. The same way I wouldn't have whipped it out without covering myself when I was breastfeeding in public. It's a matter of morals and respect for others. If you want to make your point, there's other ways of doing it....show it on the news, post your pictures on the internet if you're so inclined, but I find it very selfish and disrespectful that she chose a public pool to make her point. Even my youngest son, who's no where near fully cooked yet, told me he discussed this news story with his friends downstairs after they saw the news story. You know how teen boys can talk. I was so proud of him when I overheard him say having a girlfriend without breasts wouldn't bother him because a man isn't much of a man if he lets that get in the way. This from the son of a woman who's never gone "topless", just so the rest of the world can "see" what it's like. Completely the wrong decision on the part of P&R. By foolishly making your point in a public pool, I feels she has just hurt our cause, and herself in the process. But in the end, to each his own. I suppose it's everyone's right to do what they want to do. I had trouble explaining her actions to my kids, but I certainly didn't have to explain the horrors of being disfigured by breast cancer and handling it with some dignity. 

No, and I don't understand how the two can be compared. But like I said above, whatever floats your boat. I guess if you look at it that way, my friend should have been allowed naked in a public pool too. I'm glad it never occurred to him to ask.

Edited for clarity.

I didn't know it was legal either. Huh...I just learned something new.

It isn't. Breasts or not, I choose to cover my upper half. If she doesn't want to, her choice. Not my thing to expose my private parts (whether still there or not) in public.

I'm with you Gracie. Stuff happens to people all the time. But, most people don't ask the world to adjust for them. It isn't all about you (them)! I have a nice big scar across my chest and wouldn't dream of asking others to accommodate me. Rather, I will do my best to accommodate them. It's called selflessness.

gracie, nobody is askibg you to go topless. But surely you can see that the idea of covering private parts that are no longer there makes little sense.

I completely agree with you river rat. I doubt I would want to go topless myself, but there is a big difference between not wanting it yourself and then telling others they shouldn't do it either.

Yes, I understand, but what about other amputees? Should they also hide or disguise their amputations?

For the record, I wear foobs and I doubt I would go topless, but having followed the discussion about this woman on a couple of different boards, I am beginning to think that it really should not be her problem if other people are uncomfortable with her scars.

People seem to get much more emotional about this than they would be about a missing leg or whatever. 

I do not believe that everyday she leaves home naked from the waist up, this is opening a door to men and women that have surgery in their genitals and have pain and discomfort , they have also the right to go naked. Working with cancer patients, I know for some how difficult is to find the right underwear.

I see her statement more a gender issue, she is wearing men trunks.

Personally I chose who to can see my scars, they are mine not the whole world I do not need to rub people faces with them,I am a very private person and even at work many do not know I had breast cancer and mastectomy.

I don't think it is rational. But, It does produce shock and makes people uncomfortable. So, for that reason I would not do it. Why would I want to make people uncomfortable so I'm not inconvienced? I just think that is selfish....and maybe irrational!

I don't find it selfish nor irrational.  I find it empowering.  Men in Speedos make me uncomfortable, but my comfort shouldn't dictate their rights.

And if a man had uncomfortable genitals from surgery I'd have no problem with him wearing a skirt.  I also don't have heart failure on the rare occassion that I notice a man is going commando in pants that might reveal more than I'd like to see.  I just look away.

I live in a California beach community. Sometimes we get tourists from Europe who go topless(with breasts). It's not legal but everyone seems to look the other way including the lifegaurds. I think the problem here is that she asked for permission. She should have just showed up at the pool & swam her laps. I doubt an 18-19yr old lifeguard would confront her. I'll have to ask a former lifegaurd friend of mine what she would have done.

I swim laps & I had a BMX. Swimsuits are annoying in how they hit my chest but I don't have pain issues & feels sorry for this woman. I'm not bold enough or uncomfortable enough to pull this off. The P&R people seemed to have made the right decision in my opinion.