Activists in Catalonia are jubilant after the Spanish region's government informed its town and city halls that they must permit women to swim topless in public pools.
A 2020 Catalan equality law includes showing off one's chest.
However, since the legislation was introduced, a few municipal swimming pools have banned the practice, resulting in dozens of complaints every summer.
Discrimination of any kind is now prohibited by local authorities.
The Catalan government's department of equality and feminism informed them in a letter that prohibiting women from wearing topsless "excludes part of the population and violates the free choice of each person with regard to their body.".
According to the statement in the document, local government must "defend against discrimination for any motive... including sex or gender, religious convictions, or dress.". .
It also stipulated that full-body bathing suits, such as the Muslim "burkini," should be permitted, as well as breastfeeding.
A representative for the Catalan department of equality told Spanish media that the letter was just "a reminder," but that municipalities were required to abide by it.
The pro-independence Catalan Republican Left (ERC), which controls the regional government, has the theoretical authority to fine any town hall found to have broken the rules up to €500,000 (£430,000). .
Members of a feminist organization called have complained about town halls frequently because doing so has been prohibited. Mugrons Laures. Free nips.
Mariona Trabal, a representative for the group, said, "This is a gender equality issue: Men could [go topless] and women couldn't.".
She continued, "We don't know why they took so long, but we are very happy," in reference to the letter.
Outside of Spain's swimming pools, the topless issue has also generated a lot of discussion.
The singer Roco Saiz's torso was covered with an LGBTQ flag by event organizers at a Pride celebration on Saturday in Murcia, a city in southern Spain. She claimed that after her performance, local police had questioned her.
