Clothing which ONLY covers the sexual parts of the body is, possibly, even more sexual than total nudity, since it makes sex the WHOLE point of the garment.
People’s actions in public, especially when they are socially destructive, are indeed of interest to everyone else.
The majority of French wear tops on the street, so even they acknowledge a sexual component to the bathing suit, since they wouldn’t appear that way at a cafe, no matter how comfortable it might be.
The existence of a European double-think on the issue of co-ed European beaches doesn’t mean that European women don’t know that a topless woman in public is generally indecent.
To you, maybe. How about the minimal swimsuits worn by Olympic swimmers and divers? Purely sexual? Of course, some peole wear skimpy swimsuits for sexual purposes. But, most don't.
The majority of French wear tops on the street, so even they acknowledge a sexual component to the bathing suit, since they wouldn’t appear that way at a cafe, no matter how comfortable it might be.
Some clothing is appropriate in certain circumstances, but not others. You can wear jeans to a ball game, but not to the opera. Going topless is appropriate on certain beaches, but not in restaurants. Different societies have different rules, of course.
The existence of a European double-think on the issue of co-ed European beaches doesn’t mean that European women don’t know that a topless woman in public is generally indecent.
It's not doublethink. It's just an understanding that different clothing is appropriate in different circumstances.
I've never found the naked human body indecent, even in certain public contexts.