Here's to Gender Equality (2 Photos)

Berliner Bäderbetriebe, the municipal operator of Berlin's public swimming pools, has ruled that women and non-binary individuals are allowed to go topless on equal terms with men at the city's public facilities.





Authorities conceded that visitors had faced discrimination, confirming that all patrons at Berlin pools are now entitled to swim and sunbathe topless.

The shift comes after a discrimination complaint was filed with the Senate Department for Justice, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination by a woman who, in December 2022, was ordered to cover her chest or leave an indoor pool—a rule not enforced against male swimmers.

A spokesperson for the pool operator explained that its house and bathing regulations had not actually contained gender-specific swimwear mandates for years, though she acknowledged they had been enforced inconsistently across different facilities and visitors.

Doris Liebscher, head of the Senate’s anti-discrimination ombuds office, welcomed the clarification, stating that it establishes "equal rights for all Berliners, regardless of gender identity" and provides legal certainty for pool staff.

She added that going forward, "the focus must be on ensuring this policy is applied consistently and that no more facility bans or expulsions are handed down."

The complaint follows a similar incident in 2021, when a woman was ejected from an open-air swimming complex in Treptow-Köpenick for sunbathing topless.