At a Swiss outdoor pool, police officers on Sunday afternoon escorted a transgender woman out of a nudist area after complaints from women. Several people protested the action on-site. According to police, a scuffle ensued in which a police officer was injured.
Staff at the Marzili pool in Bern reportedly asked the woman to leave the “Paradiesli,” the optional nudist area for women. The affected person allegedly refused, and that’s why the police were called, according to the police report. The statement notes that the “affected person”—the police refrain from using the term “woman”—also actively resisted the police measures.
During the operation, a female officer from the cantonal police was physically assaulted by an as-yet-unknown person and lightly injured. After the transgender woman was taken to the station and then released, there was a spontaneous show of solidarity, which remained peaceful, the police said. The police did not at first release further details about the reason for the preliminary detention. An investigation into the incident is underway.
City: The action was wrong
The City of Bern criticized the way this was handled. The bath reportedly decided to remove the woman by police action after talks failed to yield results. The Department of Education, Social Affairs and Sport deeply regrets this decision, the city said. “All people who identify as women and who live as such have access to the voluntary nudist area Paradiesli,” the city stressed. A guiding document prepared by the Sports Department in cooperation with the Office for Equality on Gender Issues helps staff on site manage access to gender-segregated areas. In a “hard case,” the official gender listed on an identity document governs. “The affected person met the access rule,” the city stated. It said it would clarify and more openly communicate the guidelines and would seek to engage in dialogue with those involved.
