Women in Berlin will soon be able to go topless in the city's public swimming pools, the Berlin state government said on Thursday. The new bathroom rules that allow everyone to go swimming without covering their torso follow a discrimination complaint from a woman who was not allowed to go topless in a pool in the capital.
The woman, whose identity was not released, turned to the Senate ombudsman's office for equal treatment to demand that women, like men, be allowed to swim topless, Berlin's Senate for Justice, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination said. in a written statement.
In reaction to the complaint and the ombudsman's involvement in the case, the Berliner Baederbetriebe, which manages the city's public swimming pools, decided to change its dress code, according to the statement.
"The ombudsman's office warmly welcomes the Baederbetriebe's decision, because it establishes equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or non-binary, and because it also creates legal certainty for Baederbetriebe staff." said Doris Liebscher, the head of the ombudsman's office.
In the past, women who bared their breasts in Berlin swimming pools were asked to cover up or get out of the pool, and were sometimes forbidden to return.
"It is now important that the regulation is applied consistently and that no more evictions or housing bans are issued," Liebscher said.
It was not yet clear when exactly the new bathroom rules would apply.
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