Activists in Spanish region of Catalonia are celebrating a victory as the regional government of Catalonia has informed town and city halls that they must permit women to go topless in public swimming pools. This move comes after the introduction of a Catalan equality law in 2020, which guarantees the right to go topless.
Despite the legislation, some municipal swimming pools had been prohibiting topless bathing, leading to numerous complaints every summer. In response, the Catalan government’s department of equality and feminism issued a letter instructing local authorities to eliminate any form of discrimination. The letter emphasized that preventing women from going topless excludes a portion of the population and infringes on individual freedom regarding one’s body.
The letter also emphasized the need to allow breastfeeding and the use of full-body bathing suits, including the Muslim “burkini.” A spokesperson for the Catalan department of equality clarified that the letter served as a reminder and that municipalities were obliged to comply with its instructions.
The regional government, led by the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left (ERC), has the authority to impose fines of up to €500,000 on any town hall found to be in violation of the regulation. Numerous complaints filed against town halls that prohibited topless bathing have been lodged by a feminist group called Mugrons Lliures (Free Nipples).
Mariona Trabal, spokesperson for the group said: “This is a gender equality issue: Men could [go topless] and women couldn’t.”
“We don’t know why they have taken so long, but we are very happy,” she added, regarding the letter.
The issue of topless bathing has also garnered attention beyond swimming pools in Spain. During a Pride event in the city of Murcia, the singer Rocío Saiz performed topless and was subsequently questioned by local police. Organizers of the event covered her torso with an LGBTQ flag in solidarity.
