Aarhus reinstates two swimming clubs after gender equality pledge

Two swimming clubs in Aarhus will regain access to municipal pools after committing to comply with gender equality rules, the city announced in a statement Saturday. The clubs had lost their booked swim times earlier this month for refusing male supervisors during women-only sessions.

Aarhus councillor for culture and citizen services Jesper Kjeldsen (Social Democrats) confirmed the reinstatement but warned of permanent bans for any future violations. “I note that these two associations now wish to comply, which naturally pleases me,” Kjeldsen said. “However, we will not let this go—if we see further breaches of equality rules, access will be revoked immediately and without warning.”

The city will continue unannounced inspections of pool facilities. Meanwhile, a third club has been barred after rejecting a male municipal employee during a women-only swim session. “This is completely unacceptable,” Kjeldsen said, acknowledging calls for stricter penalties.

Criticism came from Danmarksdemokraterne’s city councillor Jakob Søgaard Clausen, who argued the reinstatement sends the wrong signal. “In my view, this is an far too lenient approach,” Clausen said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the councillor is now accepting that religiously segregated swimming continues in Aarhus.”

Kjeldsen defended the decision, citing legal requirements for consultation before permanent bans. He added that the city plans to raise the issue with national authorities, noting that current rules allow only warnings for clubs that refuse municipal staff. “I actually find that problematic,” he said.