Women want Supreme Court to overturn topless sunbathing ban

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — A group of women is going all the way to the top with their challenge of a beach town ban on topless sunbathing, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against allowing men but not women to show all that skin.

Ocean City, Maryland, passed its ordinance four years ago after plaintiff Chelsea Eline contacted police asserting a right to go topless. An appeals court affirmed the ordinance, saying a town can impose unequal restrictions to protect public sensibilities. But the chief appellate judge urged the justices to reconsider Supreme Court precedent in such cases.

The women say the law discriminates against their gender in violation of the equal protection clause.

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