A woman who is taking photos with her chest exposed while visiting major tourist spots in New York is making headlines.
According to the New York Post on June 25, 36-year-old Canadian content creator Eila Adams has been taking photos with her chest exposed in the NYC subway, on the Brooklyn Bridge, and in the middle of Times Square, and posting them on her social media. She claims that this exposure is not just a risqué hobby, but an act of gender equality.
Adams stated, “If men can go around topless without fear of various crimes, women should be able to do the same,” adding, “Nudity is a normal act.”
Over the past six days, Adams has bared her chest to the people of New York in the name of gender equality. In New York, it is considered legal for women to expose their chests in public places.
Adams said, “For the past 30 years in New York, it has been legal for women to go topless (exposing their breasts),” and “Many women have taken this law as a symbol of gender equality.”
She emphasized, “Women confidently baring their chests is a way to normalize topless fashion, and it should be understood in the same context as men going topless.”
Adams stated, “Nudity is a very important part of my life, and I can’t understand people who have negative feelings about nudity,” emphasizing, “We were all born naked, and we should accept and love our bodies.”
She continued, “There are many negative comments, but I won’t be discouraged by them. Most people don’t realize what I’m doing, but if they do see me with my chest exposed, they would give me a thumbs-up and smile.”
Meanwhile, a 25-year-old woman named Ava Louise also made headlines in May when she exposed her chest during a live broadcast in New York.
Adams calls herself an exhibitionist. But is it necessarily exhibitionism just because she exposes her chest?
Exhibitionism is a type of paraphilia, a sexual disorder where a person exposes their genitals to others for sexual arousal.
Symptoms include fantasies, sexual urges, and sexual behaviors that strongly arouse the individual. Exhibitionists feel sexual arousal in anticipation of exposure and achieve sexual satisfaction through masturbation during or after exposure.
Experts speculate that the causes of exhibitionism could be sexual abuse in childhood, unconscious fear of the father, and low self-esteem. There are also analyses suggesting a connection with hormonal disorders, chromosomal disorders, and imbalances in neurotransmitters.
Therefore, Adams cannot be definitively labeled an exhibitionist if she is not exposing her private parts for sexual arousal.
Treatment includes a combination of medication to reduce sexual desire or impulse and counseling. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and group therapy can also be helpful. Treatment for this disorder generally requires a significant amount of time.
