Now that they've given in to the Jews, the Muslims are going to demand much more than that in the future. What a corrupt city government New York has.
You're going to have segregated beaches like they introduced in Australia. And then "youths' from the modest side will wander over and harass, or worse, the women on the immodest side.
Pools often set aside hours for various activities, i.e. swim teams, water polo, or what have you. Setting aside a few hours for swimming by gender doesn't strike me as being a big deal.
Sounds discriminatory! The ACLU needs to get involved and fight for the men and transgenders! What with everyone can go to anyone's bathroom these days, New York is discriminating against Transgender boys who will use to swim with the girls and now will want to swim boys, but with the girls on certain days. Or something like that?
I have mixed feelings on this. If I had heard that a pool said this is a female swim time and this is a male swim time, I would find it odd and not very open to the public because it reduces the amount of time for everyone to use it. But I wouldn't be opposed. But if I find out they are doing it to cater to a religion I would be opposed. If a person makes a choice, like religion, that causes them to chose to restrict themselves from socially acceptable behavior, then we as a society should only cater to their choice if it doesn't mean we need to expand additional social resources. Do what you want I your own home, in your own church. But when you want other people to have to follow your own rules or to take a socially owned resource and restrict it to follow your own rules, then I have a problem.
I too have mixed feelings. On the one hand, a "reasonable accommodation" does indeed seem reasonable -- but you'd need to have a "men only" time as well.
On the other hand, this is *entirely* a religious issue, a personal choice that some people make to restrict *themselves* to whom they can or can't swim with, and the government shouldn't have anything to do with it.
I'm inclined to lean towards a public pool being always open to everyone -- and if your personal religious beliefs mean you won't go there with everyone, that's your problem. The government isn't obligated to make special accommodations for whatever religious beliefs are out there, they're only obligated to not restrict you having those beliefs.
Mostly, I feel bad for them women in this position, raised in a misogynistic, patriarchal environment where they're not allowed to be normal human beings.
I could say that the need for clothing is a religious thing. What is wrong with everyone walking around naked. Who gets to decide what is "wrong".
Seems the requirement to be clothed is based in some puritanical religious belief that infringes my right to public accommodation in the nude.
Can we get the government to stop enforcing religious ideas like "clothing must be worn". I was born naked. It is natural to be naked. Clothing is unnatural and to force me to wear it to go to public places seems wrong. :)
2 pools in all 5 boroughs is a minor affair. Children are restricted during lap time and adult aquatic classes, so.... The city shouldn't be required by law to do it, but I'm glad they do. A pool is a service and they should serve the public by packing the pool with people who want to swim. Obviously they found a public need.