Brooklyn, NY – City Decides Not To Cancel Women’s Hours At Williamsburg Pool

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    Brooklyn, NY – Hours after being castigated for its decision to end separate swimming hours for women at a Williamsburg pool, the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation has reversed its decision and will allow the program to continue.

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    Gender segregated swimming has been offered at the Metropolitan Pool and Recreation Center on Bedford Avenue is Williamsburg for years, with women’s only hours offered from 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and between 2:45 PM to 4:45 PM on Sundays. Several days ago a group of Chasidic women at the pool were told by a lifeguard that the program was to be terminated on June 11th. Unhappy with the changes, some of the women reached out to Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who attempted to intervene on their behalf.

    “We never got a clear answer why the program was coming to a close,” Hikind told VIN News. “They said it was some kind of human rights issue and that it was discriminatory. How is it that in New York, where we are so progressive and we try to respect everybody, that we could be so culturally insensitive?”

    In a press release sent out this morning, Hikind called upon the Department of Parks and Recreation to reinstate the women’s swimming hours, noting that the pool was open to all women of any race or religion during those hours, not just members of the Chasidic community. Hikind also reported that those who swam at the Williamsburg pool during the women’s hours said that they never saw anyone else waiting to use the facility after they left.

    “It was the middle of the day,” said Hikind. “The kids are in school, people are at work and it was just ridiculous. We are so busy taking care of everyone’s rights. Why wasn’t anyone consider of the rights of these women?”

    Hikind said that he was notified by City Hall this evening that the women’s swimming program would be continuing and he thanked Mayor de Blasio for resolving the problem in a timely manner. Hikind also praised the women who contacted him and made him aware of the problem.

    “It just goes to show you that instead of just accepting what appears to be a bad decision, by standing up and speaking out, they were able to get things done in a very real way,” said Hikind.


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    20 Comments
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    7 years ago

    So now get to work on the same-gender restrooms.

    7 years ago

    Could you imagine if it were Muslim women who used the pool….

    Secular
    Secular
    7 years ago

    Shvimkleid

    shimonyehuda
    shimonyehuda
    7 years ago

    one term diblasio got a phone call from one of his developer bosses. no problem

    yankee96
    yankee96
    7 years ago

    Dov does it again for frum community !!

    Moishe_Mechel
    Moishe_Mechel
    7 years ago

    if there was a couple of hours a week set aside for the heiliga transgender, the city wouldn’t of had a hava amina 2 even think of depriving them.
    BTW – i hope heimisha veiyber know not to bring along thier purses to a public pool

    RocklandRes
    RocklandRes
    7 years ago

    How is this even remotely legal? Good o’l Hikind.

    kenyaninwhitehouse
    kenyaninwhitehouse
    7 years ago

    Why is Hikind dealing with people outside his district all the time?

    7 years ago

    Why aren’t these women working? If they have time to swim they have time to work and shouldn’t be getting a dime in benefits.

    mewhoze
    mewhoze
    7 years ago

    I think some of the people post stupid comments here just to see if others will fight with them

    7 years ago

    Yeah but wait till a transgender he who becomes a she wants to swim during women’s hours. That’s a scary thought.

    Boomworm120
    Boomworm120
    7 years ago

    Oh no, we must liberate these women! Surely they want to be swimming with the men, but are being held back by these chauvinist, mysoginist regulations!

    (note the sarcasm, please)