A council in Greater Sydney has banned G-string bikinis at its public pools, igniting debate about double standards in dress codes. Blue Mountains Leisure Centres (BMLC) announced the policy on Facebook, clarifying that thongs and G-strings are not acceptable for males or females, while bikinis remain permitted.
The post aimed to address confusion over appropriate swimwear, but drew mixed reactions. Comments ranged from 'if you don't like it, don't look' to 'it's about the rules … don't like them? Then swim and bare your bum elsewhere'. One person argued that as long as practicality and safety are considered, it should not be anyone else's business.
Cultural expert Lauren Rosewarne from the University of Melbourne said Australia has a long history of policing women's bodies. She noted that summertime conversations about swimwear provide 'a legitimacy to looking at women in small bathing suits', and that women's attire is debated in ways men's is not.
Rosewarne added that the underlying message is that women must avoid distracting men, placing responsibility on women for male behaviour. She argued it is not women's duty to manage others' reactions, stating: 'Not everything is sexual just because you see it as such.'
Most Australian pools have rules requiring full briefs for bottoms. In 2023, Marion Outdoor Pool in Adelaide faced criticism for urging 'modest swimwear'. Earlier this year, a man complained to Gold Coast Council that skimpy swimwear made him 'uncomfortable', despite admitting he 'admired a shapely bare bum'.
