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Date Published: 28/06/2023

Public swimming pools in Catalonia, Spain must allow topless bathing

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Barcelona and other regions must also welcome burkinis and breastfeeding pool-side

Public swimming pools in Catalonia, Spain must allow topless bathing

Human rights activists in Catalonia are celebrating a major win this week after the Spanish courts voted to uphold a 2020 law allowing women to go topless at public swimming pools. The legislation stipulates that town halls can’t condone any kind of discrimination based on gender, religion, sex or dress and so breastfeeding poolside and full-body bathing suits, such as the Muslim burkinis, are also allowed.

Banning women from bathing topless, which many municipal pools have done over the years despite the law, "excludes part of the population and violates the free choice of each person with regard to their body", the Catalan government's Department of Equality said in a statement.

The document added that local authorities had to "defend against discrimination for any motive".

The legislation is by no means new and the Catalan government simply wanted to remind town halls of their obligation to uphold it; failing to do so could result in fines of up to 500,000 euros.

Gay Pride events are currently running all across Spain and the topless topic was recently highlighted in Murcia when singer Rocío Saiz’s concert was temporarily halted after she stripped off her T-shirt; the show was only allowed to go on after organisers covered her upper body with an LGBTQ flag and the pop star later revealed she was questioned by police after the event.

But up in Catalonia, feminist group Mugrons Lliures, or Free Nipples in English, is pleased that the equality law has been reinforced:

"This is a gender equality issue: Men could [go topless] and women couldn't," said Mariona Trabal, spokesperson for the group.

"We don't know why they have taken so long, but we are very happy," she added.

In other news: Heatwaves in Spain killed 20% more people in the summer of 2022

Image: Freepik

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