California’s Venice Beach seeks topless sunbathing

Venice Beach, a California town known for its laid back style in an already laid back state, wants women on its shores to be able to go topless.

In doing so it cites what it calls links with Europe as it seeks an easing of US laws that many foreign visitors find prudish.

The Venice Beach town council voted Tuesday to let women go topless on its beaches, where tourists blend with skateboarders, street musicians and hippie-style pot smokers.

The vote was announced on the web site of the surrounding area of Venice, a Los Angeles area that takes it name from canals evoking those of Venice, Italy.

It must now be approved by Los Angeles town council, which can veto the proposed change and which for now bans women going topless at its beaches.

In its decision Tuesday the Venice town council said its beach was founded and conceived in the model of the European culture of Venice.

As topless sunbathing is common all over Europe, a lot of people elsewhere in the world and in many places in the US would like women to have the same rights as men and be able to suntan topless, the council said.