G-string-clad locals have braved a wet morning on a Gold Coast beach in a show of opposition to a community leader’s recent comments against skimpy bikini bottoms.
The “freedom of peach” rally at Broadbeach on Friday attracted dozens of women and men — including some wearing mankinis — on Friday morning.
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Local swimwear designer Rebecca Pask called the rally after businessman and charity founder Ian Grace’s comments that “we don’t need” to see “these bare bums” in the Gold Coast community.
“The rally is around freedom of choice,” Pask told Sunrise on Friday.
“In 2024, we need to have the freedom to wear what we want to wear, whether we’ve got the peaches out or not.”
Debate has surrounded Grace’s call for a G-string bikini ban, which was made public after he wrote to Mayor Tom Tate, before he told a Sydney radio show that women were “demeaning and cheapening themselves” by wearing the skimpy items.
A rally-goer accused Grace of putting sexual connotations on G-string bikinis, when she “wasn’t doing it (wearing a bikini) for men”.
“It was never a sexual thought,” she told Sunrise.
“The fact that it’s been sexualised and so much attention has been brought to it is really disheartening.
“We’re in a generation where we just want to be free.”
Grace told 7NEWS this week since his views were made public, a “whole bunch of people have been giving me examples” of people wearing G-string style clothing items on buses, at shopping centres and at cafes.
“You get off the beach, cover up. That’s really very simple,” Grace said.
“It’s just common decency.
“We want young girls and guys to have respect for themselves, for others, to be confident.
“Is baring their bums going to do that? Is that going to engender respect?”