Go Topless Day Annual Parade On Venice Beach
Photo GoTopless.org
The eighth annual Go Topless Day Pride Parade returns to Venice Beach on Sunday, August 23, with a lively march down Ocean Front Walk with topless acrobats, live music, dancers, stilters and other attention grabbing performances produced by L.A.-based Cosmic Carnival.
“Venice respected topless equality in the 1970s,” said GoTopless spokesperson Lara Terstenjak, a Los Angeles-based actress and performer. “But since the 1980s, an unconstitutional city ordinance has banned women from going topless. That’s gender discrimination!”
Dare to bare at your own risk. Though the Venice Neighborhood Council voted 12-2 in favor of topless rights in April, it's still illegal to go topless in L.A. city and county.
"Venice Beach was founded and designed around the European culture of Venice, Italy," the neighborhood council said, "and … topless [sun]bathing is commonplace throughout Europe, much of the rest of the world and many places within the U.S."
Dozens of other topless pride parades will also take place this Sunday as Go Topless Day is celebrated across the country.
Parade Schedule
1 p.m. Navy St & the Boardwalk. Set up of parade characters and interviews.
2 p.m. Parade starts and heads south toward Windward Circle. with performances along the way.
3:30 p.m. Arrive at Windward Circle. Go Topless speech and more Cosmic Carnival performances.
4 p.m. End of parade at Windward Circle.
