Commentary: Topless in Seattle is Not a Good Idea

[rockin'robin]

A Seattle woman, who has undergone a bilateral mastectomy, fought the parks and recreation department for the right to swim topless. After repeated denials, the 47-year old got her wish after The Stranger published an article on Thursday about her situation. Now she can swim in Seattle's pools with certain restrictions.

Should every cancer survivor have the right to bare it all?

Topless in Seattle

The ordeal started back in March when Jodi Jaecks went to swim at the Medgar Evers Pool. She had undergone a bilateral mastectomy, the removal of both breasts, and has nothing but scars where her breasts used to be. Jaecks informed the pool personnel that she would be swimming topless. The staff refused to allow her to swim. She repeatedly requested to be allowed to swim topless over the past year and each time she was denied. Seattle Parks and Recreation has a rule forbidding women to go topless at the pools.

After the article ran, the Parks and Recreation Department did an about face and has granted Jodi Jaecks the right to swim topless, with certain restrictions. She can only swim during adult lap swim.

What about everyone else

Seattle's Parks and Recreation Superintendent, Christopher Williams, issued a statement, "Our original concern stems from our responsibility to accommodate the needs of all our patrons. In this case I see nothing that might alarm the public. I think our staff were correct to follow our policy at the time the earlier decision was made, and my decision is based on new information."

So what changed Williams' mind?

As a breast cancer survivor, I differ from what seems to be the popular opinion. It is fine that they allowed Jodi to swim topless, but this could set an interesting legal precedence. Should all women with breast cancer be allowed to swim topless just because a bathing suit is uncomfortable? I had a mastectomy and the thought of swimming topless in a public pool never crossed my mind.

Why get into a situation that sets arbitrary and discriminatory rules. In Jaecks' case, it is obvious that she had surgery. My concern is that it will be left up to the staff to decide which breasts, or lack thereof, are acceptable and which are not. This policy discriminates against women who decided to have breast reconstruction.

Let's take this one step further. Men should be able to go bottomless in public pools if they had surgery for prostate cancer and a swim suit is uncomfortable -- otherwise it is gender discrimination. All-girl and all-boy clubs are not allowed anymore. Seattle's Parks and Recreation Department would be better off having a nude adult swim instead of trying to sort out who should be allowed to bare all.

Commentary: Topless in Seattle is Not a Good Idea - Yahoo! News

 

[kokonut]

A Seattle woman, who has undergone a bilateral mastectomy, fought the parks and recreation department for the right to swim topless. After repeated denials, the 47-year old got her wish after The Stranger published an article on Thursday about her situation. Now she can swim in Seattle's pools with certain restrictions.

Should every cancer survivor have the right to bare it all?

Topless in Seattle

The ordeal started back in March when Jodi Jaecks went to swim at the Medgar Evers Pool. She had undergone a bilateral mastectomy, the removal of both breasts, and has nothing but scars where her breasts used to be. Jaecks informed the pool personnel that she would be swimming topless. The staff refused to allow her to swim. She repeatedly requested to be allowed to swim topless over the past year and each time she was denied. Seattle Parks and Recreation has a rule forbidding women to go topless at the pools.

After the article ran, the Parks and Recreation Department did an about face and has granted Jodi Jaecks the right to swim topless, with certain restrictions. She can only swim during adult lap swim.

What about everyone else

Seattle's Parks and Recreation Superintendent, Christopher Williams, issued a statement, "Our original concern stems from our responsibility to accommodate the needs of all our patrons. In this case I see nothing that might alarm the public. I think our staff were correct to follow our policy at the time the earlier decision was made, and my decision is based on new information."

So what changed Williams' mind?

As a breast cancer survivor, I differ from what seems to be the popular opinion. It is fine that they allowed Jodi to swim topless, but this could set an interesting legal precedence. Should all women with breast cancer be allowed to swim topless just because a bathing suit is uncomfortable? I had a mastectomy and the thought of swimming topless in a public pool never crossed my mind.

Why get into a situation that sets arbitrary and discriminatory rules. In Jaecks' case, it is obvious that she had surgery. My concern is that it will be left up to the staff to decide which breasts, or lack thereof, are acceptable and which are not. This policy discriminates against women who decided to have breast reconstruction.

Let's take this one step further. Men should be able to go bottomless in public pools if they had surgery for prostate cancer and a swim suit is uncomfortable -- otherwise it is gender discrimination. All-girl and all-boy clubs are not allowed anymore. Seattle's Parks and Recreation Department would be better off having a nude adult swim instead of trying to sort out who should be allowed to bare all.

Commentary: Topless in Seattle is Not a Good Idea - Yahoo! News

The prostate cancer example is a bad, bad example. Both sexes will still show their bums anyway.

If a woman lost both of her breasts to cancer and want to go topless, fine. Same as men. Both don't have boobs. Well, you have man boobs but they certainly do not force them to wear a bra!