NYC Councilman To Host Sex-Segregated Beach Days

The New York Daily News reports:

A Brooklyn city lawmaker is sponsoring sex-segregated beach days to give his Jewish and Muslim constituents an opportunity to enjoy the seaside. City Councilman Chaim Deutsch announced the first ever “Southern Brooklyn Beach Day,” with separate dates for men and women by the sandy spot behind Kingsborough Community College.

Deutsch, who is an observant Jew, plans to pay to rent the space by the publicly financed community college, he said. The permit fee, which has not been determined, will be paid from private donations. But sorting out the legality of the event may be no day at the beach for the city’s Human Rights Commission.

City law says public accommodations cannot exclude people based on sex unless there’s an exemption “based on bona fide consideration of public policy.” Deutsch said he believes that will not be an issue because he intends to pay for the city permits required to host the event.