Sweden’s women to swim topless in its municipal pools?.

Two women bathed with bare chest at the swimming pool in Umeå, now they have started a petition for the right of women to dress as men, even at the swimming pool.

A petition for women to get to swim with bare chest at the swimming pool in Umeå has collected nearly 200 signatures. Fanny Karlsson and Elin West got the idea for the petition after they tried to swim with swimming trunks at the swimming pool in Umeå; a manifestation of women’s rights and for a avsexualisering of the female breast. It went well for about fifteen minutes.

– Then came a lifeguard and said that the manager’s policy is that you have to have top, says Elin West.

They discussed a while with The claimant who argued that there must be equal for all, that all women must have the upper.

– We certainly think that it is really not the same for everyone, men and women must be different Dressed at the bath house today, and that’s what we want to pay attention.

Demanded money back
Fanny Karlsson and Elin West had checked the rules before they visited the swimming pool and nowhere did they find any rule that you have to have a bikini.

– We got names and numbers to the bathhouse boss and we got our money back.

The girls photographed themselves and the image picked up by the network FEMEN Sweden Facebook. There they have received great support, but also criticism and attacks.

– We have received many strange comments, one person wrote, for example, that one can not equate the man’s chest and female breast because women’s breasts are sexual organs. Another was afraid that this might lead women to start breastfeeding in public, says Elin West.

Long history of oppression
Elin West believes that swimsuit long been an issue for Equality Movement. Already in 1905, when the first modern swimsuit came was questioned it because it was considered shameful. In the 1920s, measured how much bone sticking out under your bathing suit, it was too much, it was fine.

This may seem like a small thing compared to other equality issues, so why is this so important to bathe topless?

– This is not about everyone has to walk around with bare breasts all the time, but to be able to do it if you find it convenient, says Elin West.

But you get the objectified when you make these kinds of actions. Is there not a danger that people look more at your breasts than listening to what you say?

– It’s the price you pay for that woman always been limited, this is about owning rights to her own body. Our purpose is to have a discussion about why women’s breasts are so sexualized. This is because we want to draw attention to the oppression of the female body.

Met bathhouse manager
On Monday, had Fanny Karlsson and Elin West a meeting with bathhouse boss. They handed over the signatures and sat down and talked with him for a long moment.

– The meeting was a bit stormy, but in substance he agreed with us. He said he will raise the issue with the board tomorrow (Tuesday), said Fanny Karlsson.

I’ve been passed the story by one of SLN’s Swedish readers, regarding an incident that happened last March (2014). I’ve not been able to find any updates online to see if the ladies won their battle to have equality with men, and I’d be delighted if anyone can update us on the story. (The text above is a verbatim Google Translation of the story found in the link).

Like the men do: model Jelena tries out a swimming pool in ‘male’ swim clothing.

Ella