Written by Mayah Centavo, Asst. Opinions Editor

A couple of weeks ago, College Life Editor, LaShawn Olgesby, wrote an article saying “My nipples aren’t for you” to advocate for the “Free the Nipple Campaign.” Oglesby said that being attracted to breasts means that you have a fetish.

Fetishes are geared more towards abnormal objects such as feet and bondage. Who knew that just being attracted to something makes you have a fetish? According to Olgesby, if you like men then you have a fetish, if you like women you have a fetish, and if you like both men and women, you definitely have a fetish.

Liking something or having a fetish is, in general, irrelevant. Equality is the main goal.

A main argument for the “Free the Nipple” movement is that breasts aren’t sexual objects. This is not true. Well, it is not completely true. Women do not view breast as being sexual. On the other hand, some men do.

Breasts, tits, boobs or however you choose to describe it, on a woman is a sign of sexual maturity. Controlling organs, sexual or not, gives women power. We’re stripping away our womanhood. Breasts are one way women distinguish themselves from men.

Women’s breasts have evolved to being secondary sexual organs while the man’s breasts have not. Unfortunately, they are not the same. It’s not fair to pretend like they are.

Nearly all forms of culture, art, entertainment, and society view breasts as being sexual organs. Sexuality is ingrained in all. Some find their sexuality to be empowering. So you want to desexualize nipples but still be viewed as sexual beings? It’s impossible to have it both ways.

For the women that want to “free the nipples”, are you still going be offended when men stare? Are you still going to be pro free the nipple when your husband or boyfriend is staring at another woman? Nudity grabs attention.

Women want to free the nipple but shame women for being strippers and showing off their bodies. There is a double standard.

Fighting for nipples is not something that all women might want.

What about the children? We are forcing children to grow up too fast. We are forcing children to ask and talk about sex. Where is their childhood? The decision to teach children about sex should not be forced upon parents.

If women are going to fight for this movement, it’s important to stop using small, thin, models and celebrities as the spokespeople. Especially since celebrities shape our ideas of what the beauty standards are. Regular women of all shapes and sizes need to be on board with this movement also.

Above everything, I believe that women should have equality. Mother’s should be entitled to the right to feed their children without getting fined or kicked out of establishments. I believe in gender equality 100% but I am not 100% for the “Free the Nipple” campaign.

Change needs to be made without glamorizing the idea of free nipples. On one hand, freeing the nipple is important to allowing mothers to feed their children and on the other hand, people want to free the nipple just to get attention.

In all honesty, there are more important things women should fight for first.

Freeing the nipple should not be a priority. For example, equal pay and equal opportunities should be women’s main focus. Women make 78 cents to every male dollar. Worry about equal pay first then nipples can be the number one focus.

If it’s okay to free the nipple, so let’s let the penis swing. Free the body not just the nipples. Nipples have power. Stop trying to take it away from us.

By: Mayah Cantave