Swedish bathers in naked shower outcry

[Danee]

From: http://www.thelocal.se/33464/20110428/



Regular visitors to a Stockholm-area public swimming pool have
expressed their outrage over the refusal of fellow bathers to get
naked.

In an open letter published in local Stockholm news paper Södra Sidan,
a group of regular visitors to the Skärholmen public swimming pool
have demanded that something be done about visitors refusing take
showers and saunas in the buff

"This is a difficult subject to bring up, as it is often dismissed as
prejudice, as if we are judging a specific group in society or
pointing our finger at ‘immigrants’," the group wrote.

According to the authors, people with foreign backgrounds often
flouted the rules posted on the walls of the swimming pool changing
rooms by refusing to remove their swim suits or underpants in the
showers and in the saunas, or for failing to shower at all before
entering the sauna or gym.

The staff at the swimming pool charged with monitoring the situation
seem to have ‘given up’ or are avoiding confrontation due to the
‘unpleasant behaviour’ of those that refuse to shower naked, the
authors claimed.

“If this is a matter of timidity, they could always wear a towel
wrapped around them in the sauna or turn away in the showers,” they
wrote.

Thomas Lindell Taylor, manager of the public pool in Skärholmen, does
not think that the writers of the article are right in their
criticism.

"The article is identifying immigrants as the problem. I don’t agree
with that," he told Södra Sidan.

Instead it could be a question of a clash between generations,
according to Lindell Taylor.

In his view, younger visitors to the swimming pool are simply ignoring
the rules.

Swimming teacher Lars Birdal agrees added that not everyone is
comfortable with nudity, explaining that the pool is many ways is a
reflection of society at large.

"The public pool is like a miniature society and the problems you meet
outside the walls you also see within," Birdall told Södra Sidan.

Among visitors to the bath the opinions are mixed.

One Muslim visitor told the newspaper admitted to showering with his
swimming trunks on and changing in a toilet stall in order to avoid
undressing in front of others.

Another visitor said he is often irritated by the fact that people
don’t take off their clothes before showering.

"Some people don’t care about the rules. It may have something to with
their upbringing. But when I tell them off they start a fight with me.
I am an immigrant to Sweden myself, but have been accused of trying to
act ‘Swedish’. But all I want is for things to be clean and nice," he
said.

Not everyone agrees that there is a problem with overdressing in the
Skärholmen public pool showers.

“Perhaps some aren’t used to getting naked in public, but I really
don’t think that is a problem here,” one visitor said.

This is not the first controversy in Sweden revolving around
appropriate swimming pool attire.

In 2008, the city of Gothenburg was ordered to pay damages to two
Muslim mothers who were kicked out of a swimming pool for not removing
their veils.

This led to some swimming pools renting out ‘burkinis’, a move
considered more hygienic than allowing women to swim with their veils
or regular clothes on.

And in 2009 swimming pools across the country were forced to take
policy decisions on women bathing topless following pressure from the
Bara Bröst network - which translates both as 'bare breasts' and 'just
breasts' – arguing that if men can swim without a top on, women should
be allowed as well.

[soccerboss]

An interesting article. With the risk of seeming to sit on the fence , I ask the question, Is stipulating that 'You must be nude'  just the same as stipulating 'Nudity not allowed' ?

Steve.