Q&A: Water Park
Water Park
Question
Is it permissible to vacation at a mixed-gender water park? And can a distinction be made between that and a pool / the beach?
Answer
It is hard to permit it if women go there dressed as they do at the beach. It is a place whose very nature is immodest, so it seems this is not a case of “it is unavoidable and not intended.” At the beach, if one goes off to the side, there is room to be lenient, even if he may not succeed in avoiding immodest sights, because that is a case of “it is unavoidable and not intended.” But here the entire place is like that. One could debate the question of norms of modesty, which depend on place and time, but those who are careful in Jewish law have practiced stringency in this, and therefore it seems improper to do so.
Discussion on Answer
There is a difference between a person who is known for his piety and an ordinary person who has no improper thoughts, where it is not evident that there is no prohibition here. Even though there is no formal halakhic prohibition here, and it is hard to make a blanket rule, rather each person depends on his own thoughts. But it seems that there is nevertheless room for concern about appearances, when the common practice is to be strict about this.
And what about someone who is known to be gay? Presumably he has no improper thoughts (I assume so; I haven’t researched it). Based on the distinction you made between someone known for his piety, seemingly the same should apply to a gay person.
And if all women are to me like white geese, is it permitted? Or even if I’m right, is my personal view disregarded, and you can’t let everyone decide for himself in Jewish law and act in a way that makes him an exception (and maybe this is even because of appearance)? And if you would prohibit it, what about carrying the bride on my shoulders, where we do in fact find a Tanna who acted that way?