At the time when the heat is affecting the whole Spain from end to end, her province Catalonia made the decision to release it topless bathing for women in public pools. A request that had been made by activists for some time.
This right is enshrined in the Catalan Equality Law of 2020. However, several municipal swimming pools did not allow topless swimming, causing dozens of complaints every summer. Local authorities are now mandated to prohibit all forms of discrimination.
Preventing women from going topless “excludes part of the population and violates the free choice of each individual in relation to his body”the department of equality and feminism of the government of the autonomous province of Catalonia informed them in a letter.
Breastfeeding and burkinis allowed
The document stated that local authorities should “advocate discrimination on any ground… including sex or gender, religious belief or dress”. It also stipulates that breastfeeding should be allowed, as well as the use of the Muslim burkini.
A spokesman for Catalonia’s equality department told Spanish media that the letter was just “a reminder” but that it was mandatory for municipalities to obey it.
Heavy fine
As the BBC reports, the regional government, led by the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left (ERC), can theoretically fine any town hall found to have breached the rule up to €500,000.
It is even worth noting that many of the complaints filed against town halls where topless bathing was not allowed came from members of a feminist group called Mugrons Lliures (free nipples in Greek). “This is a gender issue: Men could [να κάνουν τόπλες] and women don’t”said Mariona Trumpal, a spokeswoman for the group.
Toplessness has sparked several debates in Spain, with the latest incident taking place at a Pride event in the southeastern Spanish city of Murcia, where organizers covered the body of singer Rothio Saith with an LGBTQ flag after she took to the stage topless.
Source: News Beast
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