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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/topless-swimming-pools-ontario-human-rights-1.4214832
A woman who has filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario wants to "normalize" the act of swimming topless, says her lawyer.
Marie-Pier Dupont says her client, who does not wish to be named, was prompted to file a complaint when she was searching for a hotel for the occasion of her husband's birthday.
She asked several hotels if she would be allowed to swim without a top, as is her preference.
According to Dupont, the complainant was told by several hotels that she would not be allowed to swim topless, but was not given any reason or explanation.
"Some people have suggested that it's kind of dishonest of her to do a complaint without actually having been a client. The real reasoning behind that is simply because she doesn't want to be put in a situation where she would be publicly humiliated."
So she decided to file a complaint instead.
According to Dupont, the legal basis for the complaint stems from Section 1 of the Ontario Human Rights Code, which says that every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, regardless of sex or gender.
"It's very simple. At all of those facilities a man could show up without a top, and he would be allowed to swim that way," said Dupont. "But they discriminate against women because of some type of different conception of the woman's breast versus man's breast."
Marie-Pier Dupont is a lawyer representing an Ontario woman who has filed a human rights complaint after being told by several hotels that she would not be permitted to swim topless in their pools. At least three hotels have already changed their policies. (Roger Dubois/CBC)Some Ontario hotels have updated their policies
The complaint lists several Ontario hotels, as well as the Calypso Theme Waterpark east of Ottawa.
Dupont says that since the complaint was filed, at least three of those hotels have made changes to their policies, and now permit women to swim without a top.
Groupe Calypso Valcartier, which owns the Calypso Theme Waterpark, said Wednesday that it would maintain the rules against women being topless at the park.
A woman who has filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario wants to "normalize" the act of swimming topless, says her lawyer.
Marie-Pier Dupont says her client, who does not wish to be named, was prompted to file a complaint when she was searching for a hotel for the occasion of her husband's birthday.
She asked several hotels if she would be allowed to swim without a top, as is her preference.
According to Dupont, the complainant was told by several hotels that she would not be allowed to swim topless, but was not given any reason or explanation.
"Some people have suggested that it's kind of dishonest of her to do a complaint without actually having been a client. The real reasoning behind that is simply because she doesn't want to be put in a situation where she would be publicly humiliated."
- Ontario water park firm on topless ban despite rights complaint
- Human rights complaint targets policy on female toplessness in pools
So she decided to file a complaint instead.
According to Dupont, the legal basis for the complaint stems from Section 1 of the Ontario Human Rights Code, which says that every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, regardless of sex or gender.
"It's very simple. At all of those facilities a man could show up without a top, and he would be allowed to swim that way," said Dupont. "But they discriminate against women because of some type of different conception of the woman's breast versus man's breast."
The complaint lists several Ontario hotels, as well as the Calypso Theme Waterpark east of Ottawa.
Dupont says that since the complaint was filed, at least three of those hotels have made changes to their policies, and now permit women to swim without a top.
Groupe Calypso Valcartier, which owns the Calypso Theme Waterpark, said Wednesday that it would maintain the rules against women being topless at the park.
