Broadcaster and columnist Lori Welbourne goes topless in front of Kelowna mayor Walter Gray

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      This isn't something that happens every day in the world of politics.

      So you can imagine Kelowna mayor Walter Gray's surprise when journalist and blogger Lori Welbourne decided to reveal her breasts during an interview.

      Welbourne wanted to know how Kelowna officials would respond if she went down the street topless.

      Gray, who's come under fire from pro-choice groups in the past, kept his composure as Welbourne untied the top of her dress and let it fall to her waist.

      "What are you doing?" Gray asked.

      "It's really hot in here," Welbourne responded.

      "Really?" Gray said.

      Then Gray said, looking in Welbourne's eyes, "Well, someone would probably phone the police, thinking that that was illegal."

      "And is it illegal?" Welbourne asked.

      "No it's not," Gray said. "The bylaws were repealed."

      Welbourne then sought confirmation that she can go topless in Kelowna.

      "I'm not suggesting you should do that," Gray replied.

      Comments

      24 Comments

      DavdH

      Aug 25, 2013 at 3:46pm

      Mayor Gray might have looked into her eyes at some points, but at 1:05 he looked directly down to her breasts. Good for Mayor Gray!

      Contrary to growing popular opinion, female breasts are not "non-sexual". Lori Welbourne knew that full well when she popped her top and exposed the girls. She knew exactly that she was going into "shock mode".

      Meathead

      Aug 25, 2013 at 4:31pm

      This is the best piece of news all summer! Why haven't the major dailies indulged yet?

      Confused

      Aug 25, 2013 at 5:12pm

      I think she hurt her cause more than she helped it. She herself stated that a woman should be able to go topless wherever a man can go topless. I have never seen or heard of any many going to a 'business meeting' or function topless. And if a man took off his top during an interview I think that everyone, men and women would find that inappropriate and possibly offensive. Women, would probably suggest that the guy isn't taking the woman seriously for the 'business meeting'. So I found her actions not only inappropriate but offensive and really unfair to that mayor. I don't know either the mayor or reporter, and personally I would have preferred that the image wasn't blurred because I would have loved to have seen her breasts. But as far as supporting her cause for women being able to go topless everywhere men do, she is going about it the wrong way. As we all already know, in North America the breasts have for far too long been sexualized and hidden. But you can't go from one extreme to the other. You need to gain support first. So start changing Canada's view on this topic by first focusing ONLY on beaches. Start with some beaches and maybe delay those that are mostly families with kids. Then you slowly expose your cause to all beaches. Once it has been accepted maybe even supported on beaches, THEN and only then you start to focus your efforts on public areas like walking along the street etc. But anywhere a man must put his shirt on (i.e. inside stores, restaurants, libraries, etc.) a woman must do the same. If you focus your efforts in this way, then maybe just maybe we might see the day when it is common to see breasts walking up and down the street. Which by the way I would love to see. But watching this video made me feel sorry for the Mayor and made me feel opposition to the reporter and her cause. That's just my opinion. GL

      Julie

      Aug 26, 2013 at 4:23am

      I'm opposed to this nonsense!
      .. even if we do have rights, there's also limits! Want attention or roam free without any clothing, do it in your own backyard or home. There's also other places for this. Not all of us wants to see it and I think it's too much. We already are dealing with such an open world we need to have some toning down somewhere were we can call it normal and sane for or children to grow. -- you wonder why we have all these problems with negative sexual intentions!

      bemused

      Aug 26, 2013 at 5:19am

      she's funny,
      he is fine,
      her pixelated chest is annoying.

      Natty

      Aug 26, 2013 at 7:37am

      It is sad and strange that humans are the only mammals that have sexualized a purposeful body part. Fun bags? Try baby feed bags.

      dasho

      Aug 26, 2013 at 7:38am

      Anyone have a link for that unblurring app that's out there?

      I gotta say

      Aug 26, 2013 at 8:05am

      this gals' got it all wrong. Being able to take off your top in public has little to do with 'equal rights' for women. If you're really interested in 'equal rights' for women, then begin by addressing the fact that women earn 70 cents to every dollar a man earns. And if you're really interested in having your body treated with respect, then begin by addressing the systemic sexualization of women and girls in the media. This was just a dumb media stunt by a dumb media person. And BTW, most men have the decency not to walk around shirtless. That sort of decorum is properly kept at the beach.

      Alan Layton

      Aug 26, 2013 at 8:43am

      I think going topless has been legal for quite some time now and yet, other than a few brave ones at 3rd Beach, it's rare to see an openly topless woman anywhere - other than nude beaches. I think it's mainly because women know that going topless WILL bring them a lot of unwelcome attention and most others are too shy anyways. This is never going to change and the idea that if we see them all of the time then they won't be sexual is nonsense. Perhaps it is like that with out partners, who we have seen naked for years, but that doesn't carry over to strangers. Although I support women's rights to go topless, I sure wouldn't want my daughter to be one of them. Our society is what it is and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

      DavidH

      Aug 26, 2013 at 11:07am

      What annoys me most about the claim from GoTopless (and extreme breastfeeding advocates) that female breasts are "not sexual" is that most adult women and men know that it isn't true.

      You would be very hard-pressed to find (a) A woman who does not receive some erotic enjoyment from the fondling of her breasts and nipples, or (b) A (heterosexual) man who does not understand this and derives his own erotic enjoyment from being the fondler.

      I have no difficulty at all with the idea that women must have the right to appear bare-chested in public and breastfeed in public. But please don't tell me that breasts are simply "milk bags" with no sexual purpose. It simply isn't so and we all know it.

      Now that female toplessness is generally accepted, perhaps the organizers of "GoTopless" should start a new movement that aims to prohibit women and men from deriving pleasure from the sight of/touch of female breasts. That will take much longer (maybe forever) and provide them with a new political platform.