Woman cycles topless to raise awareness that it's legal

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — When planning a bike ride, a helmet is a must. Sometimes Helena Howard brings her adorable pup, Grazie, along too. All else for them is optional though, including a shirt.

"I think it's pretty silly," Howard said. "They're just nipples."

Howard has been biking topless for a while now.

"It's hot out and men can do it so why shouldn't everyone be able to do it?" she said. When asked if she has gotten negative feedback, she said, "a little bit. I think mostly positive or just kind of curious comments but there has been some cat-calling or rude comments."

Howard said her curiosity about what the state allowed in terms of her being topless was triggered when she was cited for being topless on a beach about two years ago.

"I was on my stomach, my partner was on his back," she said. "And the police came on a routine check of the beach, they walked past me and came around again and told me that I needed to put a shirt on. Took my ID and gave me a citation for being topless in a Minneapolis park."

The Minneapolis Park Board ordinance states, "No person ten (10) years of age or older shall intentionally expose his or her own genitals, pubic area, buttocks or female breast below the top of the areola, with less than a fully opaque covering in or upon any park or parkway..."

However, Howard, in her research to fight the citation, found that the state of Minnesota doesn't say it's illegal for a female to be topless. The State Statute just defines indecent exposure as "engag(ing) in any open or gross lewdness or lascivious behavior, or any public indecency other than behavior specified in this subdivision."

Knowing this, Howard said she hit the road on her bike staying just a few feet away from parks and parkways where she still could be cited.

"I was also nervous about what other people would do but didn't really get any comments," Howard said, referring to her first topless bike ride ever. "Got some people looking or taking pictures but after that I started biking by myself. I felt safe for the most part."

Since that first ride, Howard said she takes full advantage of the sun on hot days. She is also encouraging others to give it a shot, if they're curious.

"I just want people to know that it's legal and also make people think about why it's weird to them or why they think it's not acceptable," she said. "I don't think it's all that different from a man being topless. I also want to fight the sexualization of breasts and female bodies. I think it would be a safer place if female bodies could just exist without being objectified."

Howard said she is organizing a group topless ride this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. She said all are invited to meet her and join her at the Recovery Bike Shop in Northeast Minneapolis. If you have questions or want to get in touch with her, she said she can be reached at hmlhoward@gmail.com.

Nudist bather saves family from rip tide

A woman is being hailed a hero for her unabashed bravery in helping a family in distress, near a UK nudist beach.

On Wednesday, a family of three were caught in a rip tide near the naturist beach of Pedn Vounder in South West England, reported The Sun. Fortunately one sunbather noticed their plight and was not reserved about coming to their rescue.

"It was just after 3pm and the tide was coming in. I decided to go for a final rip before going home," Layton told The Sun.

"I was topless in the sea when I saw two teenage girls struggling to swim near rocks, their mum ran in to help them and she started struggling too.

"I swam towards them and thought, 'Oh s**t' as I realised how strong the rip current was.

"I was struggling myself and they were panicking, which wasn't ideal in a situation like that.

"I was going to tell them to float, which is the best thing you can do in a rip current, but they were panicking so much it wouldn't have worked.

"They were all holding hands, so I grabbed one of their hands and pulled them all on to the beach."

While she admitted that it might have been quite a scene, she was grateful to have seen the family before she had left.

"Fortunately I'd just put my bikini bottoms on before it happened," she told The Sun.

"It's a classic – of course, I was going to be topless when something like this happens."

The nudist beach does not have a lifeguard and was one of many overrun by visitors as the UK's Covid restrictions ease, ahead of summer.

Clothes off, masks on: Reopening a nudist resort now

The popular lakeside bar at Florida’s oldest nudist resort is still shuttered, even as the rest of the Lake Como Family Nudist Resort in Lutz slowly reopens. The Bare Buns Café, for instance, now allows limited seating on the screened patio and under the pool deck canopy, albeit with everyone six feet apart — and please bring a towel to sit on.

Across the country, state and local governments are easing restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The virus continues to kill and new cases pile up, leaving businesses and communities struggling with when and how to resume operations. Florida’s robust nudist industry is no different.

“We’re in the first phase of our four-phase reopening plan, with phase four being everything goes back to normal — but whether we’ll actually get to that, nobody knows,” said Mike Kush, marketing director of Lake Como, founded in 1941 as the Florida Athletic and Health Association.

Florida’s year-round balmy weather has made it a magnet for tourists with a taste for clothing-optional swimming, tennis and volleyball. Florida has more nudist resorts than any other state — 29 registered clubs, more than twice as many as California.

Like all other aspects of the tourism industry, Florida’s nudist resorts have been hurt by the coronavirus and stay-at-home orders. Lake Como was open only to its 200 year-round residents; the 800 who visit regularly were locked out. The resort also canceled three of its biggest events, including its Dare to Go Bare 5K Run, which usually attracts 150 unclothed competitors.

Nobody knows yet how much money the resorts will lose this year because of stay-at-home orders and quarantines, said Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation.

Roe Ostheim, 72, a 24-year resident of Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee, normally stays busy playing tennis, golf and pickleball in the nude. For two months, she had to content herself with riding her bicycle around the resort — but she didn’t mind.

“I feel safer in here than I do anywhere else,” the Scottish retiree said, explaining that the resort’s residents all know each other and look out for each other.

Ostheim said a few residents have complained about the resort keeping its gym closed, as well as a temporary requirement to wear a mask in common areas, but she is not one of them. She’s glad that the golf course has reopened, albeit with some new rules: “Nobody touches anybody else’s ball, and we all start on a different hole, alternating with the one, three and five holes.”

Her friend Carolyn Hawkins, 77, has lived at Cypress Cove for 40 years, and said she’s never seen such a strange time. In the past, when other residents would stop by her house, she would gladly invite them in — but not now.

“I don’t ever let anybody in my house,” she said.

She helps supervise the resort’s recently reopened pool, where swimmers are limited to 10 at a time and must stay six feet apart.

“That’s a little challenging,” Hawkins said, noting that the rules have sparked a little grumbling. “A lot of people are waiting to get in, but they also don’t want to see it shut down again.”

All in all, though, she was glad she was inside the resort when Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued his stay-at-home orders.

“I could hang out in my house with no clothes on, and there’s no stress here,” she said.

At Hidden Lake Resort, near the Panhandle town of Jay, visitors who had recently arrived from New York, Canada and Illinois were allowed to stay on during the shutdown. It was safer than sending them home, said owner Jim Nowling. Meanwhile, nobody else was allowed in. Nowling said he had to cancel pages of reservations.

Hidden Lake is one of the smallest nudist resorts in Florida. It typically has about 35 people staying there over Memorial Day weekend, Nowling said. That marks the end of their busy season, which begins in October and goes all winter and into the spring.

With just a handful of guests over the past two months, the 800-acre resort was particularly quiet. Nowling said they lit a bonfire most nights and held potluck dinners.

Hidden Lake and the other resorts began reopening in mid-May. Doing so has meant some changes. For instance, people who normally wear nothing are now walking around wearing masks.

“We’ll have tan lines, but in a different place,” Schuttauf joked.

Some popular resort amenities — bars with live music, like the Butt Hutt, for instance — are still deemed too risky to reopen. Others are once again accessible, but with limits.

At Cypress Cove, management announced that only three people at a time will be allowed in the outdoor hot tub, and then for only 15 minutes at a time. Six can occupy the indoor hot tub, but still for only 15 minutes. Meanwhile, only 10 people at a time can occupy the pool, and for a maximum of 30 minutes per person.

The Caliente Club & Resorts in Land o’ Lakes, which bills itself as “the hottest nudist resort in the country,” posted a long list of new precautions ahead of its May 11 reopening: new hand sanitizer stations, increased cleaning, menu boards rather than handed-out menus, disposable cutlery in the restaurant, and thermal imaging cameras to check body temperature.

Lake Como and Caliente are both in Pasco County, which has so many nudist resorts it’s become known as the “Nudist Capital of the U.S.” Pasco officials have embraced the nudist resorts because they generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in tourist taxes.

Nudists may not have pockets, but they do have a lot of money to spend. A 2017 study by Saint Leo University, paid for by the association, estimated that 2.2 million nudists visit resorts and beaches and take nude cruises, contributing more than $7 billion to Florida’s economy.

Nudism first caught on in the United States 90 years ago, brought over by German immigrants who believed the best way to commune with nature was in one’s birthday suit. The nation’s first resort for nudists opened in New York’s Hudson River valley in 1931 and drew 200 members as well as police raids. A judge acquitted the members of lewd behavior, ruling they had done their best to avoid exposing the public to naked bodies.

In the 1940s, the nudism movement spread across the country, particularly once resorts began including pools and RV parking. Now they range from expensive lodging with glitzy nightclubs and four-star restaurants to facilities with few amenities beyond nature trails and a high fence.

Nudism, however, isn’t necessarily any more or less dangerous than a clothed lifestyle when it comes to the coronavirus.

“I don’t see wearing clothing as being much of a risk factor,” said University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy Prins. As for whether swimming and sunbathing can block the virus’s spread, she said, “it depends on whether you’re doing social distancing.”

“It’s generally safer to be outside than inside,” said Marissa J. Levine, director of the Center for Leadership in Public Health Practice at the University of South Florida. Other than that, she said, nudism offers no real advantages in warding off the virus

Prins and Levine did agree that one special instruction Caliente’s management offered its residents might not be as effective as it hoped.

“Being wonderful and social we know our members and guests often greet each other with a hug and a kiss,” the Caliente notice said. “In this time we might suggest a variation … We might suggest embracing the butt bump. It’s more fun than the elbow bump and doubles as a great move on the dance floor.”

Prins said: “I would recommend — not.”

Getting naked in quarantine: Interest peaks in nudist lifestyle during COVID-19 pandemic

Rosie Del Campo CTV News Kitchener Producer

@RosieDelCampo Contact

Published Friday, June 5, 2020 3:35PM EDT

A woman cooks at a barbeque at the Bare Bistro at a naturist resort near Newmarket, Ont. (Courtesy: Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park)

Legal nudity at nude beaches gets the go ahead in Florida Senate committee

Many areas in Florida permit “clothing optional” beaches.

A Florida lawmaker wants to make clear that it’s OK to be naked at a nude beach.

While it is illegal to expose one’s sexual organs in public, many areas permit “clothing optional” beaches and the state has at least 34 nude resorts.

But there are cases where people have been arrested and charged for being nude at a nude beach.

Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, wants to make sure folks who enjoy Florida beaches au naturel aren’t arrested and charged under the same set of laws as, say, child molestation.

“That’s ‘no bueno,’ as we say in Miami,” said Pizzo, about something “that is already legal and allowed by numerous communities across Florida.”

His bill (SB 850) would expressly allow being “naked in public ... including, but not limited to, clothing-optional beaches.”

“A mother breastfeeding her baby does not, under any circumstances, violate” the law, it adds.

When he addressed the state’s Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee Tuesday, Pizzo had a staff analysis that detailed how nude tourism holds a billion-dollar potential for the economy.

The state’s nude resort industry already attracts more than 2.2 million tourists a year, according to reports, and nude beaches generate an economic impact of as much as $7 billion.

For instance, Haulover Beach — the No. 2 nude beach in the world, according to Cosmopolitan magazine — is in Pizzo’s district. It produces more than $980,000 in parking fees annually for Miami and attracts as many as 7,000 tourists a day, he said.

But Pizzo has heard from people who said they were arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct simply for being nude at a nude beach.

Communities along the state’s east coast have voted to make clothes optional at places like Apollo Beach near New Smyrna, Playalinda Beach near the Cape Canaveral Seashore, and along some Panhandle beaches west of Panama City.

It’s hard to undo a lewd and lascivious charge in the eyes of a public unfamiliar with the legal system, said Pizzo, a former prosecutor.

“It could be something completely innocuous, like being in the parking lot, but you get arrested and I do a background check, and see a lewd and lascivious charge,” Pizzo said. “I’m not going to hire you.”

Pizzo now has presented the bill to two committees without opposition from lawmakers or any members of the public.

It has one more committee to clear before being available for the Senate floor. There is no House companion.

This story originally published to tallahassee.com, and was shared to other Florida newspapers in the new Gannett Media network.

Leave nudity laws to locals, New Hampshire tells Supreme Court

CONCORD, N.H. — There's no reason for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on New Hampshire's "Free the Nipple" case, the state attorney general said this week.© Rich Beauchesne Image: Free the Nipple Movement

The high court is deciding whether to accept the appeal of three women who were convicted of public nudity at Weirs Beach in Laconia in 2016. Part of a campaign advocating for the rights of women to go topless, Heidi Lilley, Kia Sinclair and Ginger Pierro argue the city's ordinance discriminates on the basis of gender and that the Supreme Court should step in to settle disagreements on the issue that have arisen elsewhere.

The court asked the state to respond in September. In its filing this week, the state said there has been no meaningful disagreement. Nearly every state high court and federal appeals court has upheld similar ordinances, it said. And the only federal appeals court that ruled to the contrary involved reviewing a preliminary injunction, not the merits of the law.

The conflict the women identify is therefore "illusory," the state said, and the court need not "wade into areas better left for the policy making of local legislative bodies."

The state also argues that the state Supreme Court was correct in concluding that the Laconia ordinance does not discriminate based on gender bur rather "simply reflects common understanding of nudity, and that men and women are not interchangeable within those understandings." While the women argue that the ordinance is based in "archaic, overbroad, and obsolescent notions about gender," the state pointed that it is consistent with other laws that recognize the female breast as an erogenous body part warranting concealment in public.

For example, the state's revenge pornography law makes it illegal to distribute private sexual images that show female breasts or other intimate parts. And another law makes it a crime to secretly observe or photograph someone's private body parts, including female breasts.

"The Legislature left that language undisturbed when it amended the statute in 2012, not so long ago as to be considered a bygone era," the state wrote.

The women now have two weeks to file a response.

There’s almost nothing you can’t do naked if you’re in this club

By Hannah Frishberg

July 29, 2019 | 3:53pm | Updated
            
Everything’s better in the buff. So says Léa Panduccio, 27, who co-founded NYC nude events group Just Naked with husband Adam Schwietert, 29, this past January.

Together, the two are encouraging nudity-loving New Yorkers to strip down for all manner of activities: playing Pictionary, listening to poetry and jazz, eating pizza, sketching live models — and, for their latest birthday-suit bash, gymnastics.

“Come roll around and embrace your inner child self with our Naked Introduction to Adult Gymnastics,” reads the description for the July 30 event.

After 20 minutes of (clothed) mingling, participants will expose themselves and practice their handstands, backbends and cartwheels in a “private space near Herald Square.” (The address is provided with ticket confirmation.)

Beginner gymnasts are welcome — as are beginner nudists. Tickets are $17 each but a $35 monthly membership fee gets you free entry to all Just Naked events.

“Being naked is just kind of a fun thing, especially for people who are not used to it,” says Schwietert, who says he isn’t a nudist or naturalist. “There’s often a lot of laughter.”

Feeling a little shy? Women can keep their undies on for cartwheels, the event page says.

There’s even a specific policy for erections.

“Become aware of your arousal, take a moment to yourself to celebrate the fact you are human and then to please excuse yourself until your fire cools,” says the event page.

There isn’t a specific social media policy, Schweitert says — but it usually works out. “We don’t even ban phones … [But] if you’re naked, where you gonna put it?”

So far, Just Naked has held over 50 events attended by more than 600 people. The Naked Dinners, they say, are the most popular. Memberships run $5 to $35.

At this point, the company’s more exciting to Schwietert than the bodies.

“The naked part will get boring after awhile,” he says, “but the people never do.”

Down in Australia, nudist spend some of their time at the beach picking up trash others have left behind.  Get a tan and do somthing good for the environment.

Cut and paste and see for yourself:

https://www.facebook.com/getnakdaustralia/videos/396086957956675/https://www.facebook.com/getnakdaustralia/videos/396086957956675/

Radium Produccions/Westend61 GmbH/Newscom

Federal courts now disagree on women's right to bare breasts.

February has seen two new rulings on whether women should be allowed to show their nipples in public, including one decision that sets the issue up for a potential turn at the Supreme Court.

The more recent ruling, from the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, holds that a Fort Collins, Colorado, ban on female toplessness is likely unconstitutional and that a lower court was correct in issuing a preliminary injunction to stop it. In a 2–1 decision, judges suggested:

the city's professed interest in protecting children derives not from any morphological differences between men's and women's breasts but from negative stereotypes depicting women's breasts, but not men's breasts, as sex objects.

 

You can read the whole ruling (and dissent) here. The decision diverges from federal judicial wisdom in a 2017 case out of Chicago. In that ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss the claims of Sonoko Tagami, who got a city citation and fine for protesting with only paint covering her breasts.

The disparity between the two federal appeals court rulings could mean a future U.S. Supreme Court case.

In other recent nipple news, the Supreme Court of New Hampshire has ruled in favor of allowing city bans on bare-breasted women. The February 8 decision upholds the convictions of three topless women arrested for breaking the City of Laconia's anti-nudity law.

"We conclude that the Laconia ordinance does not classify on the basis of gender" because it "prohibits both men and women from being nude in a public place," the New Hampshire ruling says. "That the ordinance defines nudity to include exposure of the female but not male breast does not mean that it classifies based upon a suspect class."

Two justices did dissent in part. "We agree with our colleagues in most respects: Laconia's ordinance does not violate the defendants' rights to freedom of speech and expression; it falls within the regulatory authority of the City of Laconia," they write. "However, we part company with the majority when it rejects the defendants' equal protection claim."

Naked family swimming session for all ages held at public waterpark in Blackpool

The skinny dipping event - from 6pm to 8pm this Saturday at Blackpool's Sandcastle Waterpark - has been organised by British Naturism

 

A nude swimming session is being held for families this weekend.

 

The skinny dipping event is open to adults and kids of all ages and has been organised by British Naturism.

 

You can ditch your costumes and trunks to ride the water slides and wave machines in nothing but your birthday suit.

 

The session, from 6pm to 8pm this Saturday at Blackpool's Sandcastle Waterpark, is one in a series of events by the group, with others happening at WaterWorld in Stoke-on-Trent.

 

It comes on the same day of an attempted Guinness World Record at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Manchester Evening News reports.

 

The group want to have the most naked people riding a theme park ride at one time when they climb aboard the Grand National at 5pm.

 

 

The waterpark does not advertise The Sandcastle Naturist Event as the entire venue is rented out by the group, which takes charge of the organising.

 

Based in Northampton and founded in 1964, British Naturism is the UK's internationally recognised organisation for naturism.

 

This is its 10th year at the Sandcastle and organisers are expecting around 300 visitors.

 

The group's Facebook page says it "exists to unite and support naturists, to protect naturist places and provide more, make social nudity more acceptable across the UK".

 

Tickets for this weekend's event cost £21 for adult non members and £5 for children. Under fives go free.

 

 

In my 2011 book, 2025 Five Days in Paradise, I have Grandpa reading his newspaper on Monday, July 27, 2025 when he sees the headlines: Cure for Cancer Discovered! Today I see researchers in Australia have found a common DNA thread for all cancers and have created a 10-minute cancer test. While 'we' are not there yet, we are getting closer!

The test was made possible by the Queensland team’s discovery that cancer DNA and normal DNA stick to metal surfaces in markedly different ways. This allowed them to develop a test that distinguishes between healthy cells and cancerous ones, even from the tiny traces of DNA that find their way into the bloodstream.

Healthy cells ensure they function properly by patterning their DNA with molecules called methyl groups. These work like volume controls, silencing genes that are not needed and turning up others that are. In cancer cells, this patterning is hijacked so that only genes that help the cancer grow are switched on. While the DNA inside normal cells has methyl groups dotted all over it, the DNA inside cancer cells is largely bare, with methyl groups found only in small clusters at specific locations.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the Queensland team described a series of tests that confirmed the telltale pattern of methyl groups in breast, prostate and colorectal cancer as well as lymphoma. They then showed that the patterns had a dramatic impact on the DNA’s chemistry, making normal and cancer DNA behave very differently in water. “This is a huge discovery that no one has grasped before,” said Carrascosa.

After a series of experiments, the scientists hit on the new test for cancer. The suspect DNA is added to water containing tiny gold nanoparticles. Though made of gold, the particles turn the water pink. If DNA from cancer cells is then added, it sticks to the nanoparticles in such a way that the water retains its original colour. But if DNA from healthy cells is added, the DNA binds to the particles differently, and turns the water blue. “The test is sensitive enough to detect very low levels of cancer DNA in the sample,” Carrascosa said.

Led by Matt Trau, a professor of chemistry at the University of Queensland, the researchers have run the test on 200 human cancer samples and healthy DNA. “We certainly don’t know yet whether it’s the holy grail for all cancer diagnostics, but it looks really interesting as an incredibly simple universal marker for cancer, and as an accessible and inexpensive technology that doesn’t require complicated lab-based equipment like DNA sequencing,” Trau said.

The scientists are now working towards clinical trials with patients that have a broader range of cancer types than they have tested so far.

To test for cancer today, doctors must collect a tissue biopsy from a patient’s suspected tumour. The procedure is invasive and relies on the patient noticing a lump, or reporting symptoms that their GP recognises as a potential sign of cancer. A less invasive test that has the potential to spot cancer earlier could transform how patients are screened for the disease.

The DNA in cancer cells can be riddled with mutations that drive the growth of a specific tumour, but these mutations tend to differ depending on the type of cancer. A universal cancer test would not be precise enough to pinpoint the location or size of a tumour, but would give doctors a swift answer to the question: does this patient have cancer?

Tests in the lab showed that the scientists could distinguish normal DNA from cancer DNA by looking for a colour change in the gold particle solution that was visible to the naked eye within a few minutes.

“This test could be done in combination with other simple tests, and become a powerful diagnostic tool that could not just say that you have cancer, but also the type and stage,” said Carrascosa.

Ged Brady, of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, said: “This approach represents an exciting step forward in detecting tumour DNA in blood samples and opens up the possibility of a generalised blood-based test to detect cancer. Further clinical studies are required to evaluate the full clinic potential of the method.”

Readers, this is the Generation that I believe will make my Chapter 25 "World Peace" come into being.  Read this article in OZY created with JPMorgan  Chase & Co.

You Call Them Gen Z, We Call Them ‘Philanthroteens’

Asked to picture a member of Generation Z, you might imagine a young adult with earbuds and their face glued to the screen of an iPhone. Or you might picture someone rallying behind a meaningful cause or posting on Snapchat about a new movement.

All of these, and more, are accurate depictions.

Gen Z — generally defined as anyone born after 1996 — is often referred to as the “philanthroteen” generation due to their propensity for activism and support of social causes. Born in an era dominated by the war on terror and raised during the Great Recession, Gen Z has inhabited a vastly different world than the one familiar to millennials. As a result, they’ve developed a very specific viewpoint on how to help the world. In fact, a 2018 study from Girl Up found that:

So how, exactly, does this generation plan to leave a lasting impact? Let’s look at some of the key places where Gen Z is concentrating their philanthropic efforts.

On Social Media

Millennials may remember iPods and MySpace from their teen years, but Gen Z is the first generation to be raised in the age of smartphones — and they don’t know anything different. In fact, many cannot remember a time before social media. Dean McGovern, executive director of the Bennion Community Service Center at the University of Utah, points out that social media plays a major role in how Gen Z gives back because it’s so integral to their lives. “We know social media is a big part of where Gen Z students spend their time, get news, meet people, buy products, contribute to causes and learn about events and programs,” he says.

And it’s such a tremendous driver that Gen Z may be responsible for enhancing Americans’ civic engagement. Robert Putnam, a political scientist at Harvard, reported a decline in social capital over the past decade due to decreased participation in civic groups and social clubs. But in the past few years, Gen Z has rapidly replenished this social capital through targeted websites and social media platforms.

“They’re sparking a bit of a revolution,” says McGovern.

At Work

While social media digitally connects Gen Z to various causes, this generation also seeks to bring civic engagement into their everyday lives. “They want to make change locally and actually see the difference they are making,” says McGovern. “They also want their volunteering efforts to translate to employable skills and connections to jobs.”

Considering that Gen Z will account for 32 percent of the global population next year, companies are getting smarter about engaging this growing pool of talent. And some companies are ahead of the curve. For example, JPMorgan Chase’s Good Works program connects employees to community volunteering, workplace giving, skills-based volunteerism and even board service. And the company’s employees are eager to make a difference.

In 2017 alone, more than 56,000 JPMorgan Chase employees participated in volunteer projects, donating nearly 400,000 hours of their time and almost $7 million to nonprofits of their choosing, utilizing the company workplace giving program. And to a generation of young employees that believes in putting their money where their mouth is, that level of commitment resonates.

Through Their Purchases

Much as they donate to causes they support, Gen Z also wants their consumer dollars to make a positive difference. According to a 2018 study by DoSomething Strategic, more than 50 percent of Gen Z has purchased a particular product or service to show support for a preferred cause.

Affi Parvizi-Wayne, founder of Freda, the UK’s first customized organic subscription box, explains what might be behind this type of spending mindset: “Overall, this generation is more conscious and wants to buy from brands that have purpose — allowing them to be a part of a caring movement. They have giving and activism in their DNA.”

In order to keep this young generation engaged, corporations must make a concentrated effort to promote philanthropy and encourage volunteerism to help push forward Gen Z’s belief, says McGovern, that “the world really will get better, not worse.”

For Your Covenience, My 2019 Business Card.  At least you can use the calendar in nothing else!

Update on man doing yardwork in the nude and not being arrested in Martin County.

Indecent exposure is illegal in public places in the state. But while some may be disturbed by the man’s choice to go in the nude, officials with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office previously told WBPF-News they're unable to take any action against him because the man is on private property and is “not touching himself inappropriately."

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told Fox News on Wednesday authorities are currently in the process of obtaining a warrant to arrest the man if he is spotted in the nude again.

“We’re putting the case together as we speak,” he said.

Precedents set by previous court rulings led officials to “believe we have the elements from two different state statutes” to possibly arrest and prosecute the man, Snyder said, adding the sheriff’s department worked with a legal advisor with the county's state attorney’s office to make this determination.

“We may have a case since he’s in the front yard,” Snyder said, adding the sheriff’s office first received reports of the man in 2015. At that time, however, he was only spotted nude through a window.

The man has only recently begun to “venture outside,” Snyder said.

Authorities plan to notify the man in the next couple of days of the possibility of his arrest, which would occur "only if he persists,” he said.

Man Doing His Yardwork in the Nude in Martin County, Florida -- NOT arrested!

On September 19, Channel 25 WPBF in Martin County, Stuart in particular, the TV news reporter did a piece on some neighbors' complaints regarding a man doing his yardwork in the nude.  When Deputies were called, they said he was not breaking the law!

See for yourself:
https://www.wpbf.com/article/stuart-neighbors-upset-about-man-doing-yard-work-in-the-nude/23310164

What does the Florida Law actually say?  It is found in Section 800.03 of Florida Statutes

EXPOSURE OF SEXUAL ORGANS- FLORIDA
DEFINITION, PENALTIES, AND DEFENSES

In Florida, Exposure of Sexual Organs (Indecent Exposure) is an intentional and lewd exhibition of a person’s genitals within a public place or on the premises of another. Exposure is a serious offense, with penalties that may include up to 1 year in jail and the creation of a permanent criminal record.

Definition of Exposure

Exposure of sexual organs is defined as the as the exposure of a person’s genitalia to another person with lewd intent.

Section 800.03, Florida Statutes, provides as follows:

“It is unlawful to expose or exhibit one’s sexual organs in public or on the private premises of another, or so near thereto as to be seen from such private premises, in a vulgar or indecent manner, or to be naked in public except in any place provided or set apart for that purpose.”

Proof at Trial

To prove the crime of Exposure of Sexual Organs at trial, the prosecution must establish the following four elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

    The defendant exposed or exhibited his/her sexual organs or was naked;
    The defendant did so in a public place, on the private premises of another, or so near the private premises of another as to be seen from those private premises;
    The defendant intended the exposure or exhibition of his or her sexual organs or nakedness to be in a vulgar, indecent, lewd, or lascivious manner;
    The exposure or exhibition or nakedness was in a vulgar, indecent, lewd, or lascivious manner.

            Fla. Std. Jury Instr. (Crim) 11.9

‘Vulgar’ or ‘Lewd’ Manner

As used in the statute, the terms “vulgar,” “indecent,” “lewd,” and “lascivious” mean the same thing. They mean an unlawful indulgence in lust or a wicked, lustful, unchaste, licentious, or sensual intent on part of the person committing the act.  Chesebrough v. State, 255 So. 2d 675, at 677, 677-78 (Fla. 1971); Fla. Std. Jury Instr. (Crim) 11.9

Public Places vs. Private

A “public place” is defined as any place intended or designed to be frequented resorted to by the general public. For exposure offenses occurring in a public space, there is no requirement that any person be offended by such act. State v. Kees, 919 So. 2d 504, 507-08 (Fla. 5th DCA 2005).

For incidents occurring on or near private property belonging to another person, a conviction requires a showing that someone was offended.  Id. at 506 (citing Schmitt v. State, 590 So. 2d 404, 410 (Fla. 1991)).
Penalties for Indecent Exposure

In Florida, Exposure of Sexual Organs is classified as a first degree misdemeanor, with penalties of up to 1 year in jail or 12 months of probation, and a $1,000 fine.

In addition to potential jail penalties, a conviction for Indecent Exposure in Florida will subject the accused to a permanent stigma of having engaged in lewd behavior, and interfere with employment prospects, professional licensing, college applications, and other aspects of daily life.

Mere Nudity Insufficient

Proof of mere nudity or visibility of a person’s genitals is insufficient to sustain a conviction for Exposure of Sexual Organs. Hoffman v. Carson, 250 So. 2d 891, 893 (Fla. 1971).

In order for nudity to constitute a crime, the exposure must be ‘lewd’ or ‘lascivious’ in nature. Duvallon v. State, 404 So. 2d 196, 197 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981) (overturning conviction of a female protester who wore only a cardboard sign, which allowed exposure of her buttocks and the sides of her breasts).

Lewd or Lascivious means that there must be some type of sexually-oriented intent that is lustful and/or indulgent. Chesebrough, 255 So. 2d at 677-78.

Thus, appearing nude at the beach, sleeping nude on a dock, or urinating in public are insufficient, by themselves, to sustain a conviction. U.S. v. A Naked Person Issued Notice of Violation No. P419490, 841 F. Supp. 1153 (M.D. Fla. 1993)(nude sunbathing); Goodmakers v. State, 450 So. 2d 888 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984)(nudity while asleep and motionless on a dock); Payne v. State, 463 So. 2d 271 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984) (public urination).

Breastfeeding

The act of breastfeeding a baby is also insufficient to sustain a conviction for indecent exposure. Under Section 383.015, Florida Statutes, breastfeeding is a protected act.

Thus, a mother may breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.

Constitutionality of Exposure Statute

Florida’s indecent exposure law has so far survived constitutional challenges brought on First Amendment (free speech) grounds and vagueness grounds. Hoffman v. Carson, 250 So. 2d 891, 894 (Fla. 1971).

This, however, is not to say the law will survive all First Amendment challenges if the conduct forming the basis of an exposure charge is sufficiently expressive or artistic so as to fall within the realm of constitutionally protected speech.  Id. at 894.

Defenses to Indecent Exposure

There are many defenses available to contest a charge of exposure in Florida. Some of the more common defenses include the following:

    Exposure was not intentional;
    Exposure was for a non-lewd purpose;
    Defendant was not aware of the presence of other persons, or his or her visibility to others;
    The alleged act occurred in the course of breastfeeding;
    Evidence limited to mere nudity.

Case Example- Exposure

State vs. J.M. (Seventh Judicial Circuit, St. Johns County, Florida (2013)- Our client was charged with Exposure of Sexual Organs after allegedly engaging in nude sunbathing at a public beach. Although he attempted to isolate himself in an area without other people present, he was later discovered by Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) officers conducting a patrol in the area.

Upon being retained in the case, our firm filed a Motion to Dismiss, arguing that, although our client was fully nude, there was no evidence of any lewd act or intent, as required under applicable case law.

        Outcome: Case Dismissed

Contact an Attorney

If you have been accused of indecent exposure or exposure of sexual organs, contact Hussein & Webber, PL for a free consultation.  Our attorneys handle exposure cases in Jacksonville, Orlando, and throughout the State of Florida.

Out of curiosity, I asked a deputy in Marion County if what occurred in Martin County also applies in Marion?  His response was:

I did speak with our staff attorney and he agrees that we will most definitely arrest someone here in Marion County for indecent exposure under Florida Statute 800.03.  The Breach of Peace and Disorderly Conduct statutes are a little different and may or may not be the appropriate charge for someone that is naked in a public area.  For instance, a person that is drunk and urinating in public would be charged with disorderly conduct most likely.  The law always goes back to ‘intent’.   He was intending to urinate in public and not necessarily “flash” passers-by.  However, if this same person was to yell at someone walking by and make any type of lewd gesture with his genitals towards that person, then he is looking at an indecent exposure charge.  Again, I can’t speak for other counties in Florida but, as far as Marion County goes, this is how we will handle this type of incident.

Okay, then what is Breech of Peace or Disorderly Conduct?  It appears to be a 'catch all' used at the discretion of the officer.  Seems to be very broad in scope.  Where is it found?  Florida Statutes Title XLVI. Crimes § 877.03. Breach of the peace;  disorderly conduct. 

How is the law applied?  I did some browsing and found this 1976 case adjudicated by the Florida Suprene Court -- I'm sure there are others closer to 2018 with similar arguments or even better arguments.

Justia › US Law › Case Law › Florida Case Law › Florida Supreme Court Decisions › 1976 › Moffett v. State

Donna MOFFETT et al., Appellants, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 48260.

Supreme Court of Florida.

October 14, 1976.

Rehearing Denied January 24, 1977.

Elton H. Schwarz, Public Defender, for appellants.

Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., and Anthony J. Golden and Charles W. Musgrove, Asst. Attys. Gen., for appellee.

BOYD, Justice.

Donna Moffett and Janis Chiapparo were arrested for topless sunbathing on a public beach in St. Lucie County. They were charged with violating Florida's disorderly conduct statute, Section 877.03, Florida Statutes (1975) which, in part, reads:

"Whoever commits such acts as are of a nature to corrupt the public morals, or outrage the sense of public decency . . *1156 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree... ."

Following a trial without jury in County Court, St. Lucie County, the two were found guilty and sentenced. The trial court having passed on the constitutionality of Section 877.03, Florida Statutes (1975), we have jurisdiction of this direct appeal.[1]

Moffett and Chiapparo attack the disorderly conduct statute on several grounds of constitutional invalidity. In our view none of them are meritorious. The portion of the statute against which Moffett and Chiapparo level their attack has been upheld as constitutional by this Court before.[2]

Since the beginning of civilization public nudity has been considered improper.[3] We are fully aware of the changing social values as expressed in new modes of dress, but are convinced that by enacting Section 877.03, Florida Statutes (1975), the Legislature intended to prohibit adult females from appearing in public places, including Florida's public beaches, with openly exposed breasts.

Since the statute is constitutional as applied in this case and appellants' conduct falls within the statute, their convictions are affirmed.

It is so ordered.

OVERTON, C.J., and ROBERTS and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.

SUNDBERG, J., concurs in result only.

ENGLAND, J., dissents with an opinion with which ADKINS, J., concurs.

ENGLAND, Justice (dissenting).

I respectfully disagree with the majority's conclusion as to the applicability of this statute to the conduct of these appellants, and I regret my colleagues' decision to summarily dispatch the significant legal issues raised in this proceeding.

The conduct of appellants Moffett and Chiapparo which brought about their convictions under the disorderly conduct statute was, as the majority states, simply that they were sunbathing on a public beach in St. Lucie County without wearing a top to their bathing suits. Approximately 50 to 75 other people were present on the beach at the time. The arresting officer testified that some of the witnesses were personally offended by the presence of topless women on the beach; other witnesses testified that they had no objections. So far as the record indicates, no one left the beach or moved to a more remote section of the sandy expanse as a result of the women's choice of attire. There was no evidence or any suggestion of a disturbance. One of the appellants testified that a male made an amorous advance, which she ignored, but that like advances often occurred regardless of her state of attire.

Moffett and Chiapparo attack the disorderly conduct statute on the ground that it violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, and Article I, Sections 2, 4 and 9 of the Florida Constitution.[1] Essentially they urge recognition of a right of free expression encompassing this type of activity, and argue that Section 877.03 fails to establish any discernible standards for what is permissible and what is not.[2] Their challenges to this statute raise innumerable questions which have plagued other courts attempting to deal with identical language in similar laws. For example:

*1157 "First ... there is the problem of what is meant by `public decency.' Does the word `decency' refer merely to bad manners or to immoral conduct or, more specifically, to immoral conduct with overtones of sex, eroticism or nudity? Does the term an `act * * * which openly outrages public decency' refer to conduct decent and moral when done in private, but not when in public; or conduct indecent or immoral, or both, even if private, which outrages the `public', whether done in private or public? Finally, even if we decide which attitude of the public, the moral or the decorous, is the one which must be outraged, there is the question `who is the public'? Do twelve jurors automatically represent it? That answer is a great deal easier to give in a homogeneous society, in times of well established precepts of morality and manners, such as Victorian England, than today. Our American ... society ... is highly heterogeneous in religion, race, social background and national origin, a fact which gives little assurance that the collective judgment of one jury will, in all but the most extreme cases, be anything like that of another. When the statute speaks of `public decency' does it presuppose some kind of consensus among the majority of the public as to what is and what is not `decent' and, if that assumption is wrong, to which segment of the public is the trier to look?"[3]

It is not necessary to resolve many of these complex questions, however, or to address appellants' free expression assertions. The bare facts in the record before us avoid these problems because they simply do not establish the commission of a crime under Section 877.03.

The language of Section 877.03 requires the prosecution to prove that a defendant committed an act which, by its very nature, corrupts public morality or is so indecent as to incite public outrage.[4] The State argues that it proved the commission of such acts by the testimony of policemen who believed other persons were offended by appellants' near nudity.[5] I would find that evidence, however, legally insufficient.

Section 877.03 contains strong words which require far more compelling evidence. The act derives its force from the action verbs "corrupt" (public morals) and "outrage" (public decency). If the statute's prohibition is dependent on mere offensiveness to casual observers, serious constitutional issues would be present as to whether the act was impermissibly vague. Musser v. Utah, 333 U.S. 95, 68 S. Ct. 397, 92 L. Ed. 562 (1948).

This Court has already held that the terms of this statute connote much more than an offense to the sensibilities of the persons who might view a particular form of conduct, and that the conduct it proscribes does not make the criminality of an act depend on the personal feelings of select observers.[6] Since that which is considered "immoral" or "indecent" varies considerably from generation to generation and from place to place within the state, the statute can only validly condemn acts repugnant to a general, public standard of morality.[7]*1158 The moral standards of contemporary society are hard to pinpoint, and in each case all the circumstances surrounding the alleged misconduct must be considered. This becomes less difficult, arbitrary or subjective if the inquiry is focused on a "corruption" of public morals or an "outrage" to public decency. These elements necessarily limit the statute to acts which incense virtually the entire citizenry, or which have a direct and positive corrupting effect on minors or others.

The record in this case presents no outrage or corrupting influence. Evolving standards of morality have made the freedom associated with minimal attire a feature of our contemporary society. Miniskirts and bikini bathing suits are accepted and, in some locales, standard modes of attire. Throughout Florida and the United States, if not throughout the western world, it has become common for women to wear tight-fitting and semi-transparent blouses or tops without an under-covering for their breasts such as brassieres. The apparent trend toward near nudity, and the preoccupation of our society with minimally-clothed females, are not merely expressions of personal freedom and taste. For years the government of Florida promoted nationwide interest in our sun and our beaches by advertisements which prominently featured skimpily clad females.[8]

I cannot conclude at this juncture in the evolution of modern society that the wearing of see-through blouses, or bikini bathing suits on Florida's public beaches, constitutes criminal conduct under this statute. By the same token, I can find no reasonable basis to differentiate and condemn as "disorderly conduct" the form of partial undress present here. How, I must wonder, will the majority react to a prosecution for wearing a transparent bathing suit, or one made from a translucent material which becomes transparent when wet?

The point is that under the wording of this statute it makes no sense for the courts of this state to be involved in drawing lines between permissible and impermissible variations on the degree of clothing worn by females. It seems far better to relegate criminal law enforcement to disruptively outrageous behavior, and to let society regulate its own dress standards through peer pressure and, whenever possible, civil community action. For example, there is nothing to prohibit communities from dividing beaches between those portions open to the general public and those open to persons who choose to go topless. Cf., Young v. American Mini Theatres, 427 U.S. 50, 96 S. Ct. 2440, 49 L. Ed. 2d 310 (1976); Village of Belle Terre v. Boraas, 416 U.S. 1, 94 S. Ct. 1536, 39 L. Ed. 2d 797 (1974). While some may choose to cross the lines for effect, curiosity or mere defiance of authority, the harm in such cases (if any) is minimal and well within the ability of local authorities to control.

I in no way suggest that Florida should tolerate public nudity, the apparent concern of a majority of this Court.[9] Nor would I rule out the possibility that the public sense of decency can be outraged by the conduct of persons who are nude or nearly nude in places where persons of all ages are permitted to swim or otherwise enjoy the resources of the state. If Moffett and Chiapparo had been bottomless as well as topless, or if their behavior had in fact been disruptive *1159 to others, a different situation might be presented upon which I am not now prepared to pass. I have no doubt, for instance, that some forms of sexual activity in a public place clearly fall within the prohibition of the statute even by contemporary standards,[10] although other conduct (such as public kissing) would not outrage the public sense of decency or offend contemporary public morals though some persons might find even that conduct improper.

I simply hold the view that less extreme challenges to decency and morality require a careful study of all surrounding circumstances, and that a conviction for criminal conduct can only be sustained on the basis of proof that an act actually causes public "outrage" or "corrupts" decency and contemporary morality.[11]

For the situation now before us, I would hold that topless sunbathing on a public beach is not by itself a violation of Section 877.03, and that no violation of that statute occurred on September 3, 1975 at "North Beach" in St. Lucie County when the two appellants, out of 50 to 75 present, were lying on the sand with their breasts uncovered.

ADKINS, J., concurs.

NOTES

[1] Art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.

[2] State v. Magee, 259 So. 2d 139 (Fla. 1972).

[3] Genesis 3:7 (King James) "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."

[1] This Court recently upheld the constitutionality of a different part of this statute after considering similar arguments. White v. State, 330 So. 2d 3 (Fla. 1976). We there construed the statute to prohibit conduct as opposed to mere words, limiting the operation of the statute to conduct which invades the rights of others to pursue lawful activities.

[2] In State v. Magee, 259 So. 2d 139 (Fla. 1972), we expressly upheld the very language now before us against an assertion that the language was unconstitutionally vague. It is not necessary to recede from Magee in order to reverse these appellants' convictions.

[3] In re Davis, 242 Cal. App. 2d 645, 651-52, 51 Cal. Rptr. 702, 706-07 (1966) (footnotes omitted).

[4] State v. Magee, 259 So. 2d 139 (Fla. 1972), is illustrative.

[5] The arresting police officer testified:

"Q [by defense counsel]: Did anybody mention that their morals were being corrupt[ed] by what they saw?

A: No, I think they were more embarassed."

[6] Gonzales v. City of Belle Glade, 287 So. 2d 669 (Fla. 1973).

[7] It is instructive to consider this observation made in Miller v. Jersey Coast Resorts Corp., 98 N.J. Eq. 289, 298, 130 A. 824, 828 (1925):

"[I]t would be a far stretch of the powers of this court, in this day of one-piece bathing suits, to hold that the defendant was guilty of maintaining a nuisance because the occupants of its cottage walked the streets clad only in their bathing costumes. It may be that the bather of yesteryear, clothed in the bathing costume of 1871 (the date of the covenant), was a less objectionable sight than the bathing beauty of to-day. But, judging from the popularity of the bathers' parades staged at some of our seashore resorts, the modern bathing beauty is not so uniformly objectionable to the eye as to justify the exercise of the injunctive powers of this court in excluding bathers from the streets of a seashore resort."

[8] The fact that toplessness is not more prevalent on the beaches or in the state's advertising programs may reflect in part the views of many that some fabric on females may have psychological effects on observers at least as stimulating as would be the case if no fabric were worn at all. Witness the disuse after only one or two fashion seasons of topless bathing suits.

[9] Florida's indecent exposure statute, § 800.03, Fla. Stat. (1975), prohibits such conduct. (One circuit court has held, however, that exposure of female breasts alone does not constitute indecent exposure. Moffett v. Collier, Case No. 76-5-CA (Fla. Okeechobee Cty.Ct. 1976.))

As to the relevance of Adam and Eve to this controversy, I prefer Holmes to Genesis:

"It is revolting to have no better reason for a rule of law than that so it was laid down in the time of Henry IV." Holmes, The Path of the Law, 10 Harv.L.Rev. 457, 469 (1897).

[10] See State v. Magee, n. 5 above (fornication).

[11] Cf. City of Cincinnati v. Wayne, 23 Ohio App.2d 91, 261 N.E.2d 131 (1970), reversing conviction for indecent behavior and indecent exposure for lack of proof that a woman attired without any covering above the waist, except for hat, gloves and "pasties", was not dressed according to community standards. "Courts are not privileged to take judicial knowledge that the dress of any person is indecent absent evidence." 23 Ohio App.2d at 96, 261 N.E.2d at 135. See also, People v. Gilbert, 72 Misc.2d 795, 339 N.Y.S.2d 743 (1973) (nude female sunbathing on public beach not inherently lewd); In re Smith, 7 Cal. 3d 362, 102 Cal. Rptr. 335, 497 P.2d 807 (1972) (nude male sunbathing on public beach not necessarily lewd and indecent exposure).

Call To Action: Sign These Petitions and Help Establish Two New Clothing-Optional Nude Beaches in Florida

With its ideal climate, over 1,000 miles of coastline and a huge tourism industry, you would think Florida State would have a lot more official clothing-optional beaches than it currently does. Not only is its environment conducive to nudism, but Florida law expressly states that public nudity is legal “in any place provided or set apart for that purpose.” Florida case law has established that nudity becomes a crime when it involves “lascivious” behavior, and simple nudity is not a violation.

But Florida has just eight clothing-optional beaches, most of them unofficial (and one is only accessible by boat). Establishing a c/o beach is no easy feat, even when the law is on your side, and then maintaining the c/o status requires work and vigilance, as it can so easily be taken away by those in power. (You can read SFFB’s history of what it took to establish and protect Haulover Beach, the state’s first official nude beach, in their March and April 2017 newsletters.)

There is plenty of coastline available to designate for both clothed and clothing-optional use in Florida, and there is also a solid argument to be made for how c/o beaches bring in tourism dollars and benefit the economy. More research needs to be done on this, but the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation estimates that Haulover Beach alone generates over $1 billion per year. The beach gets hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

And from the 2015 Naturist Education Foundation poll, we know that 70% of Americans approve of setting aside land for clothing-optional use!

Now, with the work of local naturist advocacy groups, in alliance with the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation, Florida stands to gain two more official clothing-optional beaches in the near future. But they need your help!

Both of these campaigns have online petitions, which you can sign no matter where you live. And seriously, how sad is it if we can’t get a few thousand people to sign an online petition? How are we supposed to portray ourselves as an actual significant population that cares about these issues, or furthermore as a forced to be reckoned with, if we can’t demonstrate our numbers with a simple petition? We know there are way more than 10,000 of us in the U.S. alone!

You may not live in Florida or travel there, but don’t think that means that the success of these campaigns won’t benefit you. The more campaigns we win and the more nude-friendly places we have, the easier it will be to establish more c/o beaches in other cities and states.

So please SIGN and SHARE these petitions using the links below, donate if you can and learn more below about these beach campaigns. You can also help by volunteering or becoming a member of these groups as well as of South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB).

1. Tampa Bay – Tampa Area Naturists (TAN), a non-profit advocacy group, has renewed their efforts to designate a new naturist beach in the Tampa Bay area. Last year they re-launched their online petition for this purpose and reported that they’ve obtained a lobbyist in Tallahassee.

TAN has identified two excellent locations for an official nude beach – Honeymoon Island State Park and Caladesi Island State Park (though they note that they are “open to other suitable locations at county or municipal beaches”). These are two state-owned parks located in Dunedin, FL. But there is one obstacle in their path – as an exception to statute 800.03 described above, nudity is currently prohibited in Florida State Parks due to an administrative rule.

The rule can be amended, but to make this happen, TAN needs at least 10,000 signatures on their petition. They are currently at a little over 3,600. So if you haven’t already, please SIGN THE PETITION. It only takes a minute, and you can even do it anonymously by using a different name. You can also donate to their fundraiser.

Then share this petition with your friends and on social media! Here is a shortcut link: https://tinyurl.com/tandip

TAN also says that printed and signed petitions carry more weight, and on their website they provide a petition form that you can print, fill out and mail to them.

2. Palm Beach County – Palm Beach Naturists is a non-profit group seeking to designate a clothing-optional beach in Palm Beach County. They have an online petition with close to 250 supporters and are aiming to reach 1,000.

If the County Commission doesn’t take action to make this happen, PBN says they are going to put up signs to designate a beach themselves.

PBN has identified several locations for a c/o beach, one of which used to have an unofficial nude area for decades. This was “Air Force Beach,” which is now part of MacArthur Beach State Park. In 1980 it was reportedly the largest c/o beach in the United States. But nude use ended in the 1980’s, and it was almost paved over for commercial development when Palm Beach County and Florida State acquired ownership of the land. Today the beach doesn’t see many visitors at all. Unfortunately this would be one of many examples of the government taking away a nude beach once visited by thousands of people a year. You can read the full history of this beach at Treasure Coast Naturists.

Take action: SIGN PBN’s petition (please note you can make up a street address if you don’t wish to put in your complete address). You can also donate or sign up to volunteer on their website www.palmbeachnaturists.org. On April 11 in Boynton Beach, FL, attend a public discussion with PBN and its board members about their plans for a c/o beach.

This post about establishing two new clothing-optional nude Beaches in Florida was published by – Felicity’s Blog

10 Most Popular Nude Beaches in Florida

(but there are others around Florida!)

St. Lucie Inlet | FloridaStock/Shutterstock

Hobe Sound/Jupiter | Florida Stack/Shutterstock

South Pointe Park | franckreporter/E+/Getty images

South Florida Free Beaches October 2018 Newsletter link:

https://sffb.com/enews/2018/2018-10.php?fbclid=IwAR2HwoFC2VNczvIKsHme7koPf3xjUHfObJF-Xz2s-0y2dNJCcorwqe9n0dE

Sample of Front page of the October 2018 Newsletter:

by Richard Mason

This is an appeal to join or renew as a sponsor / member of South Florida Free Beaches / Florida Naturist Association, Inc. (SFFB/FNA). We want to start by thanking all current and past members for their dedication and support to our association. If you are a current member of SFFB (with membership expiring at the end of 2018) or were a member in any of the previous several years, you should also receive a printed renewal notice by regular mail.

Annual membership runs from January 1 to December 31. A new or lapsed member who joins now, however, gets the rest of 2018 plus all of 2019 for the cost of one year! We are keeping our annual membership dues at $35 per household, or just 67¢ per week. With that, you get peace of mind that Haulover Beach will remain open to nude use and the pride and satisfaction of helping keep it so. Join or renew on line (preferred) or download a form that you can mail in with a check, at sffb.com/join.php.

With your application, in addition to dues, if you can, please make a substantial donation to our Legal Defense & Political Action Fund, which supports our government affairs efforts and assists individuals cited for nude sunbathing.

It costs much more than we receive in dues to operate this association, which deals with local, statewide, and sometimes national concerns. We try to accomplish as much as possible with volunteers and additional fundraising. To keep Haulover Beach open to nude / naturist use, we must keep our commitment as its mentors and stewards to the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners and the Mayor, and we incur expenses in doing so.

Ramon Maury, SFFB lobbyist

SFFB/FNA is the only strong, non-landed naturist association in Florida. It has therefore fallen to us to maintain a paid, professional lobbyist in Tallahassee, the state capital, to educate legislators and other state officials about naturist issues and to vet legislation with any possible impact on naturists, especially proposed changes to the criminal code.

Furthermore, we have to keep Haulover Beach squeaky-clean and safe in order to protect its clothing-optional status and to help other groups like ours obtain or preserve their naturist beach. We have therefore additionally tasked our lobbyist to advocate for more funding in the Miami-Dade County budget for needed public safety services on Haulover Beach that are lacking or deficient.

Other successful naturist beaches include Blind Creek, Playalinda, and Apollo Beaches on Florida's east coast and Bates Beach in Santa Barbara, CA. We are also making progress with our partners toward obtaining a rule change, at least, on a trial basis, that could allow for nude beach use in an as yet undetermined Florida State Park.

Consider your dues and donation to be an investment in the future of naturist / nude recreation in Florida and the other 49 states. "Haulover Beach is the model. South Florida Free Beaches is the way!"

Thank you in advance for your 2019 membership and additional support and for sharing this message with a friend!

If you are not a current sponsor / member of South Florida Free Beaches, please consider becoming one — numbers matter. At $35 per year for your household, it costs just 67¢ per week, as noted above. A key benefit is the continued, clothing-optional use of Haulover Beach. How much is that worth to you? Join or renew at sffb.com.

SFFB also has a separate Legal Defense & Political Action Fund that supports its government affairs efforts and assists individuals cited for nude sunbathing. Even if you're not ready to (re)join just yet, please consider donating to this fund (not tax-deductible) to help with current challenges. Donations by bank check should be mailed to the address below (in e-mail version of newsletter). Thanks!

Why Society Is Better Off Swimming Nude Without Bathing Suits

I’m not one of those nudies that feels compelled to be naked 24 / 7, and I would say that many nudists can’t be and don’t care to be naked everywhere, all the time. (I’ve mentioned this before in the common myths about nudism.)

I’m quite comfortable wearing clothes in the winter. I get cold very easily and am grateful for the sweaters I have to keep me warm. Though I’m not much into fashion or clothes shopping, I do like dressing up sometimes and expressing myself with certain colors, fabrics and styles.

However…there is one item of clothing that I prefer to keep buried and forgotten in my dresser: my bathing suit.

The bathing suit is one of the most useless articles of clothing ever invented by humanity. It doesn’t help you bathe or swim. Its only purpose is to cover up the body parts that American culture (and other cultures) has deemed obscene: butts, genitals and FEMALE nipples.

In the U.S., the general consensus seems to be: remove bathing suits and all hell will break loose. The beach will become overrun with public sex and perverts. This comes from our society’s gymnophobia (fear of nudity) and the idea that nudity = sex.

The fact is, we can do just as well as without bathing suits, if not better. Swimming nude used to be the norm in ancient Greek culture. Nude spas have been around for centuries. In America, nude swimming was mandatory and considered the norm at YMCA’s and in schools up until the 1970’s. Many of today’s nude beaches have been around for decades, proving that all kinds of people can indeed swim and sunbathe naked together with civility and respect. Acts of public sex are illegal at a nude beach just like anywhere else.

Though the bathing suit has gradually shrunk down from full-length costumes to today’s teeny bikini, the practices of skinny-dipping and nude sunbathing have never disappeared. The liberating feeling of swimming without a suit is a common reason people get into nudism.

Sure, people can wear swimsuits as a form of self-expression. There are all sorts of swimsuit designs out there. But I would argue that the discomfort, inconvenience and cost far outweigh any joy you might feel from wearing a stylish suit that fits.

Here’s why I think we’d all be better off without bathing suits:

1. They’re uncomfortable, tight and restricting before you even go in the water. Then you swim and get it wet… now you have cold, sopping wet fabric clinging to your skin. If you were swimming in the ocean or at a sandy beach, you’ve probably got some sand in your crotch, too. You get out of the water, and now the rest of your naturally-water-repellant skin dries while the suit stays wet for at least the next 15 – 30 minutes. For women who sit in wet bottoms, this can be the ideal breeding ground for a yeast infection. That should be a pretty big clue that we’re not meant to be wearing these things.

2. They’re unhygienic and unsanitary. Swimsuit fabrics trap detergents, perspiration, dirt, fecal matter and bacteria and then carry all that right into the public pool. This can lead to the spread of Recreational Water Illnesses (RWI’s). This is why it’s important to shower before entering a pool. But how many people actually shower first at American public pools? According to 2012 survey by the Water Quality and Health Council, only 32% of American adults said they always shower first, and many Americans — 44% — don’t even think a pre-swim shower is necessary.

And due to America’s weird hang-ups about nudity, how many of that 32% are showering in their swimsuits and still entering the pool with germs attached? We probably have the dirtiest public pools of any developed country.

Ever swim in a pool with a strong chlorine smell? That’s not an indicator of a clean pool. In fact it’s a result of impurities from people’s bodies mixing with chlorine in the water. This creates chloramines, which give off that irritating odor.

Needless to say, the preemptive shower is much easier and more effective when done naked. And any bacteria, fecal matter, sweat, germs, etc., that get trapped in suits could be avoided altogether if everyone swam nude. When kids were required to swim naked at the Y, hygiene was the primary reason given, and it’s still a good reason. Though we now have better chemical technology, chlorine is not some miracle pool cleaner.

The cleanest pools in America can probably be found at nudist resorts. No one is bringing in impurities from their clothing, and resort pools often have multiple signs instructing people to shower before entering. And if you don’t, a club member is likely to remind you because they want a clean pool.

3. Bathing suit shopping. As if anyone needed proof, Australian psychologist Marika Tiggemann’s 2012 study on body image and swimsuits found that women get anxious and depressed just thinking about swimsuit shopping. Most people seem to approach it with as much anticipation as a trip to the dentist, and with good reason. Every spring, we’re surrounded by ads about how to obtain the perfect “bikini body,” eg thin, tanned and toned with no cellulite, wrinkles or imperfections. It’s a message that only one type of body belongs in a bikini or any kind of revealing swimsuit. Some body-positive campaigns have been trying to challenge this in recent years with memes saying that bikinis are for everyone. However the bikini-body magazine stories, workouts and products will continue to sell as long as a profit can be made of course.

But even when you can ignore all the body-shaming media and advertising, you’re still faced with the task of finding a swimsuit that fits well. For “plus-size” women and women with large breasts, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. When you do find your holy grail of a suit, you’re lucky if it doesn’t come with a hefty price tag.

Here’s a tweet that sort of sums my feelings: “It’s pretty annoying that I have to pay like $120 for a swimsuit, like you literally are a piece of cloth that covers my nipples.”

This isn’t to say that men are exempt from any pressure to look slim and muscular in their swim attire because they definitely aren’t. Many guys certainly do experience body image issues come beach season and in general. Society needs to do more to acknowledge and address this.

How much of a relief would it be to skip the whole process of swimsuit shopping and go to a nude beach or nude pool instead?

Plus, the “unsanitary” factor applies here as well – those new swimsuits at the store are covered in all kinds of nasty bacteria!

4. SexXy double standards. The swimsuit industry is all about sexually objectifying women. A lot of swimsuits are made to emphasize a woman’s cleavage and butt. The over-sexualization of breasts is part of the reason we’re forced to wear tops at all. Victoria’s Secret adds the word “sexy” into the names of every single one of their bathing suits. This is, again, about “bikini body” standards, but it sends the message that women are supposed to wear bikinis so they can look “sexy” and attract the (heterosexual) male gaze. Why else would we go to the beach, right? Of course people want to look and feel good in what they wear. But women are just people who want to enjoy the beach like everyone else in a bathing suit that hopefully fits right and feels comfortable (if we have to wear one).

It sounds counter-intuitive, but nude beaches and nudist resorts create a more equal and less sexual environment because everyone is naked.

As for men, I know some guys wish that America would embrace the speedo already. But be happy you can legally wear one, dudes. If I showed up at the beach or pool in a speedo, I’d very quickly be arrested or shown the door in most places. It’s been 80+ years since men won the right to be topfree in public, and women are still waiting for the same right (in most states / cities).

5. Bikini tops fall off in the water or at the water park, and then everyone stares at you as you try to discretely tie or re-clasp your top back on. Many have those annoying pad inserts, too, that get scrunched up or have to be wiggled back into place all the time.

6. Tan lines. They’re unsightly and avoidable.

As the swimsuit has shrunk in appearance, one would hope that we are eventually going to do away with it entirely or at least get more top-optional / swimsuit-optional places.

For those who do need a new bikini, maybe consider getting one that makes a statement like the TaTa Top?

Felicity Jones Nude Bathing Is Better Than Bathing Suits Felicity’s Blog

This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated in 2018.

A History of Nudity in Paganism, Wicca and Witchcraft

Guest Blog by: Liam Cyfrin and Caroline Tully

A Fig Leaf of our Imagination

There are countless quirks about humans, but one of the real doozies is that most are confused, divided and downright ditsy when it comes to their own physical nature. To millions, the human body in its natural state is embarrassing, shameful, indecent or undignified. Its exposure provokes hostility, fear, nervous laughter or mockery. It threatens social standing, challenges order, infringes laws and is often punished with a severity bizarrely incommensurate with the offence.

The really odd thing about this is that it’s not generally considered odd at all. The necessity of concealing bits of the human body is taken for granted in precisely the same way that the need to provide animals with trousers isn’t. And they call Pagans irrational and superstitious.

Witches, Druids, and Pagans of many other species tend to be among the minority who don’t buy into humanity’s alienation from its unembellished form, recognizing this to be both symbolic and symptomatic of a desperately unhealthy estrangement from nature. Partly for that reason, as you’re reading this, several thousand Witches and Pagans around the world will be casting their Circles, wearing no more than they wore in the womb.

Not all Pagans regularly work skyclad – some do when alone but not in shared Circles, many alternate between skyclad and robed workings, and others always work in clothing of some sort – but most respect the practice and consider it a valid element of the modern Pagan tradition. If nothing else, this shows a spirit of determination, given that it is often cited by opponents of the Pagan path as evidence of chronic “up-to-no-goodness.” Acknowledging this, some groups (especially in the US) have chosen to downplay or totally abandon skyclad working. For many in the Old Religion, however, it remains as much a part of the path as such other “unpopular” elements as spell-casting, individual approaches to deity, and the troublesome words Pagan and Witch itself. Let’s consider the lineage of ideas that led to this conclusion.

Much Ado about Wearing Nothing

Those disapproving of ritual nudity often argue that the practice has no significant historical precedent in either religion or magick. Leaving aside the issue of whether this has any (for want of a better word) bearing on the effectiveness of skyclad Witchery, it is true that, although attitudes towards nakedness have varied enormously in different times and places, religions in which nudity is an essential part seem to have been thin on the ground. Paddy Slade, one well-respected Witch with a disparaging, slightly Granny Weatherwax-ish attitude towards nudity as a Wiccan dress option, maintains that “no tribe, primitive or otherwise, goes to meet its God unclothed” (Natural Magick [Hamlyn, 1990])

This would seem to be a wee bit of an exaggeration. The idea of ritual nudity is an old one, being found in the ancient cultures of places such as Pompeii, Greece, India, Rome, Persia and Britain. The Mother Goddess of Calcutta in India, Kali, is usually represented as nude and she is said to be Digamba, a Sanskrit word meaning “clothed in Space.” Pliny the Elder, in his Naturalis Historia, records that the women of ancient Britain performed their religious rites in the nude.

Such traditions notwithstanding, Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at the University of Bristol, was initially of an opinion similar to that of Ms. Slade. However, in his appealingly titled essay, “A Modest Look at Ritual Nudity” (included in his Witches, Druids and King Arthur, [Hambledon and London, 2003]), he modified his position in the light of continued research. In that piece, he lists a few historical precedents for Wiccan naked gatherings (generally among minor 14th and 15th century sects, such as the Turlupins of France, the Men of Intelligence of the Netherlands, and the Adamites of Bohemia), before concluding that the Craft “is not unique in this respect, although it is unusual.”

Ritual nudity does, Professor Hutton acknowledges, regularly feature in rites of passage, particularly initiations, which leads him to offer the tentative theory that one of its purposes in the Craft is “to sustain throughout all its workings the intensity and transformative power of initiatory experiences.” He finds it more significant though that, while nakedness in religion is about as common as integrity in politics, nudity in magickal lore and practice is widespread, both globally and historically. For example, there is an old English idea that a woman can be cured of infertility by walking about nude in her vegetable garden on Midsummer’s Eve.

The most casual research into traditional spellcraft and the representation of Witchcraft in art and literature confirms the point, and the often repeated line in Aradia (Charles G Leland, [1899]) exhorting Witches to be “naked in your rites, both men / And women also …” is simply one of the more obvious statements of the principle. In many cases, though, such folkloric mentions of nudity weren’t intended as sociological observations as much as evidence of the depravity of the Witches (or heretics, supposed savages or, a little later, hippies, “ferals,” trouserless animals, etc). Accordingly, they may be no more reliable than the occasionally attendant charges of cannibalism, shape-shifting and broomstick aviation.

Some corroboration, however, might be found in other, less accusative descriptions of sorcerous activities in which nakedness still plays a part. In these instances, the absence of clothing is often just one of several reversals of the normal social order used in the working. Fair is foul, foul is fair, and naked is perfectly normal.

The concept of social reversals remains a force within the Craft. When our sense of ownership of our bodies is challenged by laws or other imposed codes of behavior, reclaiming it can be a source of personal and magickal power. As Australian Witch, Priestess and suspected Elf, Amargi Wolf, puts it: “The breaking of taboo can help put you in a headspace where anything might be possible. Even for those of us who are inclined not to wear clothes whenever we can get away with it on a day-to-day basis, society’s conditioning regarding nudity is a strong force to be played with.”

This mightn’t be exactly how it would have been conceptualized by a 17th century farm girl performing a love spell (yes, the politically incorrect sort, most likely) naked beneath a waxing moon, but she’d still have been aware of being in a strange and invigorating situation in which mundane reality was kept at bay and the possibility of her spell’s bringing results seemed well within the bounds of expectation.

Gerald Gardner and the Bare Witch Project

Skyclad bodies abound in pre-20th century folkloric accounts of spellcraft and divination. They’re equally common in several other major influences on the Craft, such as faerie-lore and imagery and Classical art. It’s nevertheless not uncommon to read that today’s naked Witch exists solely because Gerald Gardner, one of the Craft’s most significant revitalizers, happened to be a card-carrying, sun-soaking, bottom-baring naturist. Likely? Let’s see.

We don’t yet (and may never) know precisely how modern Wicca got started, but we can be reasonably confident that two of the most widely published versions are as full of holes as a very large Swiss cheese sandwich after a drive-by shooting. Version One is the “Unbroken Line” theory, which maintains that Wicca is an ancient Pagan religion that went underground and survived the Burning Times, Spanish Inquisition, English Civil War, Punk Rock and Disco. Version Two is the “Guru Gerald” story, which claims that the late Mr. Gardner pieced together the whole shebang in a prolonged fit of post-retirement restlessness.

While little real evidence has come to light establishing that Gardner actually encountered an active form of the Craft in the 1930s, recent studies strongly suggest that: (a) the revitalizing of Witchcraft was a group effort; (b) several members of that group were already merging folklore, occultism and Paganism before Gardner’s involvement; and (c) another common interest in this subculture, before and after Gardner’s joining in, was naturism.

It now seems likely that it was through membership in naturist organizations that many key players in the magickal revival first met. Consequently, even if we choose to discount earlier Witch-lore and date the skyclad tradition to this era (as we can the Wiccan use of the word skyclad, borrowed from Jainism), we need to allow that it was the product not only of Gardner’s interests, but of those of a small but significant subsection of the magickal community of the time.

If we consider today’s nudist organizations, the more conservative of which still fall over themselves to project an image of utter normalcy (once the dress-code is overlooked), their significance to the Craft might seem strange. In the 1930’s, however, naturism was a new, rather radical and esoteric movement, possessed of a strong spiritual dimension. Its earliest forms in Germany typically embraced a reverence for nature, a longing for the pre-industrial past, and the promotion of physical fitness, often expressed through abstinence, vegetarianism, and exercise regimes that would make the average Tae-bo trainer run for cover. (Much of the movement’s spirituality seemed to slip away in the 60’s and 70’s, only to find a new home in various nude-friendly offshoots of hippiedom, from Australia’s Down to Earth Co-op and Osho communes to emerging Pagan organizations such as the Church of All Worlds.)

In Gardner’s time, naturism was becoming a little worldlier but still attracted many artists, poets, bohemians and occultists. Among his naturist contemporaries were: several of his original co-Coveners, including (probably) his initiatrix (probably) Edith Woodford-Grimes; Ross Nichols, founder of The Order of Bards Ovates and Druids; Harry Byngham, a major Pagan influence on the already Pagan-ish Order of Woodcraft Chivalry; poet and former Crowley associate, Victor Neuberg; and possibly even Dion Fortune, whose Fraternity of the Inner Light owned property at the Bricket Wood nudist club was frequented by Gardner and Nichols. (For more on this, see Philip Heselton’s Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration [Capall Bann, 2003].)

So linked were naturism and Paganism at this time that it became a standing joke in England to mix the metaphorical and literal senses of the expression “sun-worshippers” when talking about nudist venues. Even as late as 1984, the male lead in a naturist promotional film called Educating Julie facetiously warns his girlfriend about visiting a sun club, claiming “They worship these strange sun gods and have ritual dances in the woods” (a suggestion later labeled as “daft” by a club member).

Attempts to reunite the naked and the sacred weren’t pervasive in the magickal community of Gardner’s time, but they were an influential undercurrent. Gardner emphasized the idea’s importance within the Craft – as Byngham did in his area of Paganism, and Fortune and Nichols didn’t in theirs (although Nichols’s successor, Philip Carr-Gomm, champions skyclad Druidry on the Order’s website and is the author of the excellent A Brief History of Nakedness [Reaktion Books, 2010]). But to claim that old Gerald introduced the concept to his community is a little like suggesting that Norman Lindsay introduced the cheerful, nude-cluttered and defiantly Pagan imagery of his etchings to the world of art.

In the end, “Gerald made us do it” arguments against the use of skyclad ritual become unraveled when they take into account that universal quality of Witches: their fondness for making up their own minds. Most Wiccans have, for example, long since jettisoned the endless binding and scourging that swamped Gardner’s early rites. Ritual nudity, however, retains its currency. Robes, costumes and street clothes are more common at Craft gatherings than they once were, as the Craft takes on open Circles, rituals in public places and so on, but the naked Witch is far from being an endangered species.

That suggests the practice just might have its uses.

The Magick of Skyclad Ritual and Witchcraft

Guest Blog by: Liam Cyfrin and Caroline Tully

Releasing the Magick of the Body

To most Witches, precedent provides a comforting source of continuity, rather than a necessary validation of a custom. Validation, to the ever-pragmatic Witch, proceeds purely from utility. And since skyclad Witchcraft shows no sign of vanishing (despite being something of a PR nightmare at times), clearly many Witches find it a powerful technique for enhancing magick. Let’s try to see why.

One rationale for the practice is based on the idea that the physical body is the origin of much of the energy used in Wiccan ritual. Witches, therefore, work skyclad to maximize the area able to release this radiant energy.

The standard counterargument to this is that, if the energy raised can’t penetrate a layer of fabric, it probably lacks the magickal brio to do anything else. This sounds reasonable initially, but it wobbles a bit under pressure. Consider, for instance, a phenomenon often observed in skyclad Circles – tan lines. If a thin garment can block the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, might it not have a similar effect on energy released from the body?

“Well, then,” our sceptic ripostes, “by that logic, presumably indoor workings are useless, since the energy can’t radiate through the wall.” The skyclad apologist may then shift analogies, likening the magickal energy to sound rather than UV. You can quieten a noisy radio by muffling the speaker with a small cloth. If you attempt to deaden it from a distance of several yards, you haven’t a prayer. The energy has spread (and has probably woken up your flatmate in the bedroom next door).

The problem with both sides of this debate is that everyone gets vague on the nature and function of this energy. Does it directly affect distant physical reality in a vaguely telekinetic manner? Or does it simply charge up the Circle to enhance the subtler energies being manipulated?

In the absence of any hard evidence, personal experience is our only guide. California-based Priestess Valerie Voigt is an advocate of skyclad working but observes that: “a loose, well-fitting robe doesn’t interfere at all with my energy or magick. On the other hand, a tight-fitting cingulum (while robed or skyclad), or having my hair in a tight bun or clasp, definitely interferes with my energy and focus.”

Enhancing the Senses

While the nature of the out-going energy from the skyclad Witch remains a bit hazy, the input of the environment’s energy is obviously enhanced by bare skin. This is noticeable even in indoor rituals (where a term like air-conditioning-clad might at times be more accurate than skyclad). As for the great outdoors, Amargi Wolf’s experience is that: “When I’m naked I feel like I have stripped away the illusion of separateness between humankind and the rest of Nature. I’m closer to that raw energy of the natural forces around me. My body is no longer protected from the Elements, therefore I can more easily unite with them.”

Rowan, the originator of the Australia’s “Magick Happens” fairs, is on the same wavelength: “Both in my mundane and spiritual activities being skyclad is an instant connection with all that is around me. There are no barriers; there is nothing to hide. Being skyclad in nature brings a freedom of mind, body and spirit that is unequalled.”

The sense of release felt in skyclad working – or just plain living – often engenders a deep sense of relaxation and of distancing ourselves from the petty, confining aspects of mundane life, a sensation neatly and cheerfully put by 18th century writer Horace Walpole, who proclaimed: “When I cast off my clothes, I cast off my cares!”

A somewhat later commentator, Wiccan author Fiona Horne, sees this principle in the context of her rituals: “Because my meditative state during ritual is naturally enhanced by being skyclad, my magickal work is enhanced also. Working skyclad heightens my feeling of expressing the divine within me and merging with the divine around me. ‘Pure and perfect, clad by the sky’, I have a renewed appreciation for the infinitely valuable gift in every one of our lives that we take so much for granted – our extraordinary bodies.”

At other times, exposure to the elements can have an opposite but equally magickally empowering effect. Amargi observes that the tingling of the skin can set energy dancing through a skyclad body: “Being naked does make me more susceptible to arousal, even only in a subtle way, and there’s nothing like a bit of arousal to add to magickal oomph!”

Either eventuality provides a strong case for skyclad ritual. And for those unconvinced, here’s a simple test to try at home. First, shower naked. Then, shower robed. Any questions?

The Assumption of Innocence

Naturists frequently counter the question of why they spend so much time naked by asking why their questioners don’t. The usual response is a series of wuffling noises while the questioners search for an answer that had previously seemed obvious and commonsensical but is now either vague or discomfiting.

Most answers indicate: (a) an unquestioning acceptance of social convention (which raises the issue of how many more of their deep-seated beliefs are mere constructs of conditioning); (b) dissatisfaction with his or own body (as discussed below); or (c) good old-fashioned, Eden-after-the-apple shame – an insidious, irrational and puritanical mistrust of the body, the senses, sexuality, Nature, Life, the Universe and Everything.

The primary Wiccan alternative to skyclad working is (or was until fairly recently) the robed ritual. The tradition of the robe was inherited from Ceremonial Magick, which in turn assumed the costume from the ecclesiastical world. And this, some Witches consider, makes these often amorphous garments a peculiar choice for a spiritual path directly opposed to the world-denying theology of earlier eras.

The Wiccan community’s widespread use of both ritual and casual nudity, on the other hand, celebrates liberation from the oppressive shadows of history with all the innocent exuberance of a skyclad four-year-old playing under the sprinkler.

Wiccans in Uniform

Another reason sometimes offered for ritual nudity is that it symbolizes equality and prevents any sense of competition in costume. Much the same argument is often offered by advocates of school uniforms, but Witches don’t need to do so much ironing to stay egalitarian.

Again, there is precedent for this. A well-known 1497 engraving by Albrecht Dürer shows four women undressing for a Witchcraft ritual. By their headdresses, which they’ve not yet removed, we can see that the women all represent different classes of society. There is a noble woman with an elaborate coif of delicate material on her head, a courtesan with long, flowing hair bound in a garland of leaves, a respectable business woman with a rather plain headdress, and a peasant woman with a scarf or shawl over her head.

Dürer is saying here that these four women from different classes are sisters when it comes to the religious observances of their Craft and that Witches come from all classes of society. When we are naked, we meet as equals and social distinctions are forgotten. Today, a Circle can consist of such apparently incompatible people as a judge, a punk, a hillbilly grandmother, an airline pilot, an ice skating champion, a wildlife officer and an Indian prince. Once skyclad, it is difficult to tell who has what career out in the mundane world.

As to the idea that nakedness prevents costume-envy – well, it’s true that clothed Wiccan and Pagan gatherings do sometimes veer off towards alternative fashion parades, but it’s almost unheard of for this to engender any real rivalry for the title of Best-Dressed Witch. Furthermore, robes, costumes, masks and so on can certainly be used effectively in ritual to identify with and draw out specific aspects of the Witch’s personality.

Often though, dressing up in Middle-Earthish finery has the less desirable potential of overshadowing, rather than enhancing, a ritual’s purpose. While enjoying fancy-dress parties as much as the next person, many Witches find that working skyclad keeps things real. As Janet and Stewart Farrar put it: “Wicca aims at personal development through discovery and integration of one’s true Self, the shedding of comforting masks and images; and there is nothing so image-creating as clothes.” (The Life and Times of a Modern Witch [Piaktus, 1987]).

Perfect Trust

A potential weakness in the “school uniform” case for skyclad working is that anyone inclined to envy another Witch’s prettier robe is just as likely to be jealous of their (conventionally) prettier body. This, however, also seems rarely to occur.

Some Witches, though, shy away from skyclad working for a related reason. Conditioned by a culture that encourages us all to judge our physiques by the standards of those of professional actors, athletes, models and dancers, not all Witches are immune to the compulsion to hide their little (or large) bumps and wrinkles and bulges away in manner that would have felt familiar to the Elephant Man. Many judge their bodies infinitely more harshly than they would those of anyone with whom they shared a Circle, while fearing the same degree of faultfinding from those very people.

Over the years, numerous Wiccan and Pagan authors, artists and speakers have challenged this type of thinking not only through their words but through their willingness to appear skyclad in print, on film or online. Collectively, these spokespeople – among them, Alex and Maxine Sanders, Patricia Crowther, Rosaleen Norton, Janet and Stewart Farrar, Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, Vali Myers, Margot Adler and Fiona Horne – present a pretty representative sample of human body types, diverse in age and build, and clearly emphasize that if Pagans acknowledge the Body to be sacred, each body is sacred, whether or not it resembles that of the current media-approved permutation.
When working skyclad in a shared Circle, Witches are continually putting the Wiccan principle of Perfect Trust to the test. Australian Witch Aconite stresses that working with “no masks, no pretense, nothing physically or psychologically to hide behind” leads to “a bond of honesty, of trust, of acceptance … that is reaffirmed with every skyclad Circle.”

This is daunting to many people, he acknowledges, finding it “no coincidence that ritual nudity is one of the first elements dropped” by many groups. Furthermore, the genuine trust and commitment it demands may not be necessary in every sort of working. An uncomplicated Sabbat celebration by an open Circle, for example, may not need to challenge each individual’s trust and dedication. Heavier duty magick, however, frequently will, and unsurprisingly skyclad working is commonest among groups which delve most deeply into the mysteries of the Craft.

The Wiccan ideal of Perfect Trust can be undermined by numerous unhelpful attitudes. Witchcraft’s emphasis upon nudity can sometimes mistakenly encourage sight-seers – those who are more interested in “getting a gawk” than experiencing Mother Nature in a mystical sense. Witchcraft is emphatically pro-sex, but not at the cost of spirituality. Wiccans believe that Spirit and Matter are entwined and do not emphasize one over the other. Anyone hoping merely for eye-candy or a bit of “slap ’n’ tickle” is advised to look elsewhere. Wicca is a participatory religion. No one just stands by and watches. They join in – otherwise, there is no point in being present.

Taking the initial plunge can, of course, be a shock to the system. Sydney Witch Minxi recalls her first shared skyclad Circle:

“I felt terrified, even though everyone else would be naked as well. Body issues bubbled to the surface. ‘My thighs are going to wobble as I dance! My breasts will bounce all over the place!’ The Priestess assured me that if I didn’t want to continue with getting naked no one would mind, just to do what I felt comfortable with. In the end, I chose to do what I felt was uncomfortable and pushed through the boundary that was stopping me.

And I danced my heart out around that Circle! I felt proud of myself, glad I made the right choice, and liberated. I felt more mature for being able to do it and now really enjoy it as part of my practice. I’m more comfortable than ever to just be me, even when I pursue nakedness in a social situation, like skinny-dipping with friends. I’ve become more confident about my body – and it didn’t involve losing weight, which is what I previously thought it would take!”

The Verdict

All this suggests that the Craft would lose more than a glamorous all-over moon tan by allowing the skyclad tradition to fade away. Should you, then, toddle off and package your robes away in mothballs? Probably not. There are obviously many times when skyclad working is impractical. There’s this thing we call “cold,” for instance. There’s also this thing we call “the law,” and although there’s something morbidly Mediæval about laws that insist that those they govern are inherently indecent, they can cause problems when ignored.

It should also be remembered that there’s more than just everyday demureness preventing some people from feeling comfortable in skyclad Circles. While many Wiccans can adapt to skyclad working as easily as undressing for bath, those who bear the psychological scars of sexual abuse or even excessive childhood teasing will often find it an insurmountable challenge. It would be a dim bulb indeed who’d assume that they were somehow second-class Witches on that basis.

Ultimately, skyclad working is no more an essential ingredient in Witchcraft than are candles, incense, moonlight and a good Sabbat feast once in a while. But if you suggested abstaining from any of these to many a Witch, you’d doubtless hear the same bemused reply very, very often: “Why would you want to?” Witchcraft ritual is a mysterious, magickal technique for uniting mankind with the oldest Gods – the Gods of Nature. The freedom and exhilaration of reclaiming our physical selves, of honoring these stardust forms we inhabit, or of simply dancing nude under a full Moon inevitably draw us closer to those Gods.

Naturist Festivals and Naked Events Happening This Summer 2018

This is a 2018 guide to naturist, clothing-optional and naked events happening around the U.S. and Canada this summer! It’s split into two sections — Naked / Clothing Optional Events (more mainstream events that appeal to naturists) and Naturist Events (organized by and for naturists). The list is focused on big festivals, gatherings and unique events, excluding regular club socials like potlucks, BBQs or holiday parties. Check back here as I will update this list with more events!

All of these events are inclusive, meaning they are LGBT+ friendly and all are welcome regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation or marital status. There are some well-known clubs / events that are intentionally left out here, either because they don’t align with naturist values or because they try to use sexy naked female models to promote themselves (a personal pet peeve), or are not inclusive, or all of the above.

But this is not a complete list of everything, and as I’ve pointed out before, a lot of nudist clubs don’t post very much information about their own events, leaving me unable to figure out what they even are or if they’re worth sharing. If you have an event you feel should be included here, feel free to contact me or leave a comment!

Naked or Clothing-Optional Events 2018

The following is a list of more mainstream naked events that also appeal to nudists and naturists.

World Naked Bike Rides (WNBR)
For those not familiar with it, the World Naked Bike Ride is an international protest event that aims to draw attention to fossil fuel / environmental pollution and cycling safety. Participants bike nude (or semi-nude) to draw attention to the vulnerability of cyclists. Many wear fun costume accessories or get body painted before the ride. Two big rides coming up on June 23 are in Los Angeles, CA and Portland, OR. The Southern California Naturist Association (SCNA) helps organize the LA WNBR. Find info on more rides at the WNBR Wiki.

Celebrate PRIDE – Toronto, Canada and Seattle, WA
June 23 – 24th
March in the Toronto Pride Parade this Sunday June 24th with the Federation of Canadian Naturists! What’s special about this is you can actually march naked, and it’s legal. Learn more at https://fcn.ca/. And over in Seattle, WA, Tiger Mountain Family Nudist Park will have a booth at PrideFest this weekend, and they’re looking for help handing out brochures and chatting with people.

Also, I think naturists supporting or participating in Pride is a great way for us to celebrate and demonstrate acceptance! Even if you have to or want to wear clothes. (If you know of other opportunities for naturists to join in Pride celebrations before the month is out, please share in the comments!)

Sunburn
July 6 – 9, 2018
Penn Sylvan Health Society (PSHS) located at 5028 Camp Rd, Mohnton, PA
This is an annual all-ages event run by a local “burner” community and promises art, music, workshops and a lot of fire. It’s not an official regional burn, but it does abide by the 10 principles of Burning Man. Attendees are a mix of nudists and non-nudies (favoring the latter). The grounds are clothing-optional but nudity is still required in the pools, hot tub and sauna. Tickets are limited to 182 people, and kids 12 and under are free. Learn more: https://sunburn.ticketleap.com/sunburn2018/

Naked Tour of Howe Caverns
July 14
Howes Cave, NY 12092
This is perhaps the first ever naked tour of a prominent underground cave site in the U.S. (Europeans have probably tried this already). On International Nude Day, July 14th, you can join a group for “a leisurely naked stroll through the cave by lantern light” at Howe Caverns. Their website says they believe “natural is beautiful” and want to promote body positivity. In the caverns you can see limestone formations, stalactites and an underground lake (I will assume skinny dipping is not part of this. Ha!). The caves are 52 degrees year-round, but the staff assures people that they took a naked stroll to try it out and that it’s comfortable enough. However shoes are still required (no flip-flops). The tour will take place after hours, at 7:30pm. It costs $65 per person and includes a “souvenir robe and complimentary adult beverage.” The caverns are normally a family tourist destination but unfortunately this event is 21+. Reservations are required – see their website for details. http://howecaverns.com/

Naturist Events 2018

These are events organized by and for naturists / nudists. They all take place at nudist clubs / resorts or nude beaches.

Nude 5K Races
Nude 5k runs take place around the country every year at various nudist clubs and resorts. I don’t have a resource for all the race events and dates in one place (anybody got one?), but here are some upcoming races:
• June 23 Annual 5K Race at Turtle Lake Resort in Union City, MI
• June 23 Annual 5K Race at White Tail Resort in Ivor, VA
• June 30 Annual 5K Race at Coventry Club & Resort in Milton, VT
• July 7 State Line Streak at White Thorn Lodge in Darlington, PA
• July 8 Bare Buns Fun Run at Tiger Mountain Family Nudist Park in Issaquah, WA
• July 15 Bare Buns Run at Wreck Beach in Vancouver, BC, Canada
• July 22 5K Colour Fun Run at Bare Oaks in Ontario, Canada

Celebrate Legalization of Marijuana in Vermont + Water Wars Weekend at Abbott’s Glen
June 30 and July 27 – 29th
3542 VT Rt 112, West Halifax, VT
Just before their 4th of July festivities, Abbott’s Glen will celebrate Vermont’s new legalized marijuana law going into effect at midnight on July 30. (Starting July 1, adults 21+ in VT can legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana.) The bed and breakfast style inn will have a party with a reggae band called The Equalities. All overnight guests can attend the event, but if you want to visit just for an evening at the nightclub, you must be a couple. Abbott’ Glen has charming guest rooms and suites as well as camping. Amenities include a hot tub, wood fired sauna and nightclub, as well as a pond, river and hiking trails on their beautiful grounds.

Also of note at Abbott’s Glen is their “Water Wars” weekend (July 27 – 29). That Saturday will be a day to unleash your inner child and engage in a day-long water fight with super soakers, squirt guns and “any vessel that holds water.” There will also be a group bonfire on Friday, a Saturday night dinner and a nude yoga class. Visit AG’s website at abbottsglen.com for more info.

Young Nudist Weekend at Dyer Woods
July 6 – 8th
114 Johnson Rd, Foster, RI, 02825
Like our previous young naturist gatherings, Dyer Woods is once again organizing a weekend of fun activities for “the young and young at heart.” Join them for hiking their nature preserve, naked slip n slide, yoga classes, body painting, evening bonfires, volleyball and games, and more. The club also offers a swimming pond, wood-fired sauna, hot tub and clubhouse. Camp out at the group campsite or contact them to book an overnight rental. Visit dyerwoodscampgrounds.com for more info.

Solair Young Naturist Weekend / 3rd Annual Brew Fest
July 6 – 8th
65 Ide Perrin Rd, Woodstock, CT
Solair has been organizing “young naturist” weekends for a few years. This event offers fun games and competitions, a “brew fest / pizza party,” a live band called Heavy Rescue, and a carnival on Sunday. Solair is a large co-operative club with a few hundred members and modern facilities that include a swimming lake / beach, outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, tennis and volleyball courts, clubhouse and more. All are welcome to attend, and for those under 40, the fee is only $10 per person or couple. Learn more at www.solairrl.com.

4th Annual Blind Creek Beach Skinny Dip with Treasure Coast Naturists
July 15
Fort Pierce, Florida
This event is part of National Nude Weekend, and as TCN describes it, “Each year we attempt to break a new record for the number of nude humans in the surf on our stretch of shoreline. Be a part of the fun. Volunteer for activities including Beach Ambassadors, litter clean up, and more. Interested? Email: blindcreekbeach@yahoo.com if you are planning to participate.” More info on the Facebook event. Similar events will take place on July 14 at different clubs, as this is AANR’s International Skinny Dip Day.

Bodyfest Canada
July 27 – 29, 2018
Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park in Ontario, Canada
Bodyfest is a Naked Club event that originated at Lupin Lodge in California and launched a Canadian version last year at Bare Oaks. The Lupin event already passed this month, but Bodyfest Canada is happening again at the end of July. This is a lively weekend full of activities for adults and kids alike with nude Olympics, body and mud painting, water games, yoga, a standup comedy show and more. Bare Oaks is a thriving naturist park with a couple hundred members, beautiful grounds and facilities – outdoor pool, swimming pond, hot tub, two saunas, restaurant, lounge / game room, volleyball courts, campground and overnight rentals. More info here.

Northeast Naturist Festival at Empire Haven Nudist Resort
July 31 – August 5th
5947 Sun Lane, Moravia, NY
The Northeast Naturist Festival, now in its 27th year, is an annual gathering with 6 days of various workshops, live music, children’s activities, evening drum circles, a sweat lodge and more. All this takes place at Empire Haven Nudist Club in Moravia, NY, which also has its own facilities to offer like an outdoor pool, sauna, hot tubs and nature trails. Find more info and how to register at the Empire Haven website.

Naked Man at Laguna Del Sol
August 2 – 5th
8683 Rawhide Lane, Wilton, CA 95693
Since 2012, Laguna Del Sol has organized an annual event in honor of Burning Man, and they call it “Naked Man.” From what I’ve read online, it seems like they get a couple hundred people for this. I’m not sure if there’s any sort of event schedule, but you can expect many of the same things you’d find at any “burner” event – art, music, games, costumes, performances and a little fire with their own Naked Man effigy. The club itself has a 25 acre lake, multiple pools and hot tubs, full-service restaurant and lounge, guest rooms, sports amenities, children’s playgrounds and more. I found a brief review of last year’s event and visit their website for more info: www.lagunadelsol.com

Music Medley at Sunsport Gardens
August 10 – 12th
14125 North Road, Loxahatchee, FL 33470
Sunsport Gardens Naturist Resort organizes young adult festival weekends with a group called The Tribe, 3 times / year. The summer festival happens every August. These events usually feature a number of live bands, workshops, performances, yoga, body painting, fire and drum circles, and more. Naturists age 18-30 and under pay special rates and have a designated campsite. For those over 30, regular rates apply. Children under 18 are always free. More info: sunsportgardens.com.

Avalonfest Music Festival
August 10 – 12th
Avalon Resort at 223 Avalon Rd, Paw Paw, WV 25434
This is a 3-day outdoor festival with live music, arts and crafts. This is a big annual event with vendors, food, camping and an “eclectic” mix of music. Avalon is a well-developed resort and has many facilities including an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tub, a restaurant and bar, library, volleyball and tennis courts and 18 room lodge. See their Facebook event and website for more info: www.avalon-resort.com.

Superbowl XLVIII Nude Volleyball Tournament
September 6 – 10, 2018
White Thorn Lodge at 383 Stateline Road, Darlington, PA 16115
Happening annually since 1971, Superbowl is the largest nude volleyball tournament in the world. Hundreds of players compete in games that range in skill level from B to AA. There is always other entertainment scheduled as well, such as live music, body painting and dance parties. WTL is a great co-operative club that offers sports facilities, a heated swimming pool, in-ground “therapy pool,” hot tub, sauna, a lovely clubhouse space and more. The event remains affordable at $75 pp and $10 for camping for the main tournament days (4 nights). Learn more on the WTL website.

Family Naturist Events

Most of the events listed above are family-friendly, but there are also special events just for children and their families. Some nudist clubs organize family event days or full weekends that include all kinds of games, food and activities for kids and their parents. Examples: Family Fun Day at Rock Lodge Club (NJ, July 28), Family weekend at Bare Oaks (ON, Canada, 3rd wknd of July), and Family Day at Mountain Air Ranch (CO, July 7). Laguna Del Sol (Wilton, CA) has been offering educational programming for children every Saturday this summer, such as fishing lessons, fire safety, nature hikes, games, and arts and crafts. See their Facebook page events for more. Also, the Northeast Naturist Festival listed above is a great event to bring your kids to and has a schedule of kids’ workshops / activities for the duration of the festival.

Going on for 12 years now, Sunsport Gardens in Florida has hosted an annual week-long Naturist Family Youth Camp for kids, ages 4 – 17. Older campers are encouraged to help as counselors. It’s described as a fun week of growth, community, learning and creativity. Activities include a camp variety show, crafts, tie dye, nature exploration, canoeing and kayaking, non-competitive sports, games, body acceptance workshops, slip n slide and more. This year it takes place July 14 – 22, 2018. Get more info and registration forms at sunsportgardens.com.

Nudist / Naturist Organization Events

In addition to all of the above, the major nudist / naturist organizations like AANR regionals, TNS and FCN all have annual conventions and gatherings in the summer. These events are often a good opportunity to learn about politics and legal matters affecting naturists and what you can do, via different workshops and seminars. The Naturist Action Committee (NAC) always does seminars at the TNS gatherings. Of course there are also fun activities scheduled as well, like dances, talent shows, volleyball, games and workshops on other topics.

• The Naturist Society’s Eastern Naturist Gathering (ENG) will take place June 27 – July 1 at Camp Timber Trails (a new location!) in Tolland, MA.
• And its West coast version, the Western Gathering will take place July 19 – 22, at Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos, CA, which SCNA will also be attending and hosting workshops. (Info at the same link above.)
• FCN’s Canadian Naturist Festival is set to take place August 2 – 5 at Club Naturiste Loisirs Air Soleil. https://fcn.ca/

What’s your experience with these events? What festivals or events will you be heading to this summer? Share in the comments!

Felicity’s Blog

VIEWERS could soon see more erect penises on screen - if soft Brits don't take offence.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has been carrying out market research on the British public about a number of issues - including nudity.

Getty - Contributor

 

 

And if viewers don't find it too hard to watch, more erect penises could be seen on our screens from next year.

BBFC boss David Austin said Brits are becoming more desensitised over nudity in films and TV, with the censors planning to publish new guidelines in 2019.

He told Radio 4's Front Row: "These days if you have an erection on screen, the issue is is it a 15 level erection or an 18 level erection.

"We've been consulting with the public on this and in 2013, we liberalised slightly and we're now going back to the public as we speak and saying, 'have we got this right, have we done what you asked us to do in terms of how we classify erections'."

Wikipedia

 

Currently, if the nudity is non-sexual, it's fine to appear in a U or PG film, which is suitable to children.

But once it becomes sexual in nature, it rises to a 15 or 18 depending on the "strength" of the nudity.

Mr Austin said: "It's clear from the research we're doing at the moment and were doing four/five years ago and to an extent before that that the public are relaxed about nudity and don't equate it to sex.

An urban legend has been circulating for years that the BBFC use the "Mull of Kintyre" test to judge whether a penis can be used.

The censors have denied using the test, which claims a penis should not exceed the angle equal to that made by the Mull of Kintyre on maps of Scotlan

Guide To Naked Activities, Nudism & Nudist Groups in NYC

I get asked all the time about naturist activities in New York City or nearby, especially in the off-season months. Unfortunately there are no official nudist places within the 5 boroughs.

So how else can one get naked here and connect with other nudists? This is my guide to local NYC naturist groups, naked events, nude classes and more!

In part one, I list the closest outdoor places including nude beaches and nudist clubs. In Part 2, I cover all the indoor options.

Part I : Nude beaches, nudist clubs and getting naked outside.

NUDE BEACHES: Since Lighthouse Beach was closed to nude use, Gunnison Beach in New Jersey has become the main nude beach destination for New Yorkers. It’s located on Sandy Hook, which is accessible by car or a short ferry ride from Manhattan.

There are also two clothing-optional beach areas Fire Island: Cherry Grove and the Pines. These beaches are part of well-known gay communities, and (so far) the NY anti-nudity law is not being enforced here. To get there, you have to park on the mainland and take a ferry.

NUDIST CLUBS: There are three clubs in northern New Jersey – Rock Lodge, Goodland Country Club and Sky Farm. These clubs are all within a 1-2 hour drive from NYC and only accessible by car. Rock Lodge is a family-oriented, co-operative club and Goodland is privately owned. Both clubs are inclusive and welcome everyone. As for Sky Farm, please note that if you are a single male, you might not be able to visit or join (although they may have changed their visitor policies by now).

There’s also Juniper Woods in the town of Catskill, New York. It’s a 2.5 hour drive from NYC or you can take a train to Hudson, NY and arrange with the club to be picked up from there.

SKINNY DIPPING PLACES: In the area of New Paltz, NY there are two great skinny places. One is a legal, official area in the Mohonk Preserve. The other is an unofficial spot known as the “nudist pool” in Stony Kill Falls located in Minnewaska State Park.

Part II : Local nudist groups, indoor events and more in NYC.

SOCIAL NUDIST GROUPS

The Long Island Travasuns – The Travasuns are a longstanding, co-ed nudist group that hosts clothing-optional monthly swim parties and other events on Long Island and in Queens. The monthly parties take place at a spa / gym in Wantagh, Long Island. This venue has a pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, bar, dance floor and more. Other activities usually include naked yoga and volleyball games.

To get there: It’s about an hour’s drive from Manhattan, and you can also take a train via the Long Island Railroad if you arrange for pickup at the local station. For more info on this and other events they host, visit their website at http://travasuns.org.

“Nude” — This is a nudist group that started 2-3 years ago in NYC, and at first it was just for men. Now they organize different workshops and events, which can be for men only or co-ed. You can check them out at https://www.meetup.com/nudeevents/.

Go Naked – This is another new social group that caters to men, but has also organized all-gender gatherings. Events take place in NYC and Philadelphia, and include naked dance / bar socials. More info at https://www.gonaked.co.

Males au Naturel (MAN) – a social nudist group just for men that’s been around for many years and still regularly organizes events in NYC. Most of their members identify as gay or bi, but men of any sexual orientation are welcome. More info at http://man.shuttlepod.org/

Naked FITNESS CLASSES

Naked personal training sessions – A personal training business called Hanson Fitness started offering naked fitness classes at one of their gyms in NYC. Their last class was one hour long and described as a “total body workout.” The downside is they allow people to wear “nude underwear” if they want to, which negates the whole idea of it. But if you’re interested in attending a class like this, contact them at their website hansonfitness.com or see their Facebook page (events section) facebook.com/HansonFitnessNYC/.

Naked yoga – I have a guide just for naked yoga classes in NYC – coming soon!

NuDance – naked dance classes in NYC. Learn more at https://activenaturists.net/nudance/.

NAKED SPAS

There are a few nude spas in NYC, though ALL of them gender-segregated and not co-ed. One of the biggest is a Korean place called Spa Castle, and you can read my review of their Queens location (coming soon). They also have another location in Manhattan.

Other nude spas you might want to try:

– Russian & Turkish Baths (Manhattan / East Village) – old-school bathhouse that has all-male and all-female nude days. (Non-nude during co-ed hours.)

– Juvenex Spa (Manhattan / Koreatown) – clothing-optional for women during daytime hours.

– New York Spa & Sauna (Flushing, Queens) – Korean day spa with gender-segregated nude bathing areas.

(If anyone has been to these places or other nude spas in NYC, your feedback is welcome in the comments! Or you can contact me.)

NAKED EVENTS AND SHOWS

The Naked Show – This is a late-night event where naked comedians perform stand-up, and the audience is also invited to strip down after the show begins. It has previously taken place at The Creek & The Cave, a bar in Long Island City, on the occasional Friday night.

This show is currently on hiatus, but I am told it will be coming back! To stay up-to-date, “like” / subscribe to the Facebook page.

Naturist Education Foundation’s 2015 Poll Gets Americans’ Take On Nudism, Nudity and Nude Sunbathing

The Naturist Education Foundation (NEF) commissioned a U.S. opinion poll in 2015 to gauge Americans’ views on naturism and public nonsexual nudity and nude sunbathing. Bob Morton, executive director of NAC (Naturist Action Committee) has published a full report of the results on the NEF website.

These nationwide polls were started in 1983 by Lee Baxandall, founder of The Naturist Society. The first poll was conducted by Gallup and there were only 3 questions (the same questions as #1, #2 and #10 in the latest poll). Subsequent polls were expanded to include more questions and were conducted by Roper in 2000 and 2006. This year, NEF’s 10 question poll was conducted by Zogby Analytics as their professional pollsters.

You can read more on the history of the polls in the NEF report.

This 2015 poll was an online survey of 1,026 adults with a margin of error of about 3 percentage points and a “95% confidence level.”

So here are some key findings:

1. Most Americans approve of nude sunbathing in designated locations. The majority also approves of setting aside public land for nude use.

65% of Americans said they are fine with other people sunbathing naked in designated areas, such as on a beach (Question 1). Surprisingly this percentage has gone down from previous polls (it peaked at 80% in 2000). That said, the 2015 poll still shows that public nude sunbathing (in designated areas) still has the approval of nearly 2 / 3 of Americans.

Since 1983, the polls have been asking Americans if they agree with creating designated clothing-optional areas by setting aside public land for nude sunbathing / swimming.

In the 2015 poll, 57% agreed with setting aside these areas (Question 2). There has been a steady increase of approval to this question, which started at 39% approval in 1983.

The percentage of approval is even higher, however, when you look at the results from a subsequent question. Question 5 asked people where designated nudie areas should be located: “close to population centers, far away from population centers, both or neither.”

By combining the first 3 choices NEF concludes that the majority of Americans – 70% – approve of having areas set aside for clothing-optional use. While the majority of responders said nudie places should be “far away” from civilization, only 19% believe that no such places should exist at all.

2. Most Americans think people should be able to sunbathe nude in their own backyard, even if their neighbors may occasionally catch sight of them.

NEF Question 3: “Do you agree or disagree that people have the right to be nude in their homes or on their property, even if they may occasionally be visible to others?”

The majority – 59% – said they agree with this (39% said Disagree and 6% said Not Sure).

There have been many cases of people facing legal ramifications and public persecution for just being naked in their own home or backyard – even when they were clearly trying NOT to be seen by anyone! This poll result is an encouraging show of support for people’s freedom to be as naked as they wish on their own property.

From this question, Bob Morton / NEF conclude that most Americans “see nudity as a personal right.” They note its significance given the troubling increase in “morality laws” that have been pushing their way into people’s private lives.

3. “Most Americans are NOT offended by nudity”!

It seems to be a widely held assumption that the majority of Americans are offended by non-sexual nudity. This survey indicates that this is simply not true.

NEF’s question 4: “Do you agree or disagree that you are personally offended by the non-sexual nudity of others?”

Over half of respondents – 52% – said they disagree, while 40% said they agreed and 8% said “Not sure.”

4. There is increasing support for women’s topfree (topless) equality.

NEF Question 6: “Women in some jurisdictions are required to cover their chests, even where men are not. Do you agree or disagree that the government should compel women to dress differently from men in this manner?”

The answers — 39% said “Disagree,” while 52% said “Agree” and 9% were “Not sure.”

This was a new question for the 2015 poll, so there are no comparison stats with previous polls. (Though if there were, I personally would guess it’d show an increase of support.) The greatest percentage here did not support women’s topfreedom, but nearly 40% is no small group either.

Interestingly, the NEF poll notes that there was a significant difference in response from men and women. Over 50% of men agreed with topfree gender equality, versus 29% of women.

NEF also noted the difference in political parties – 61% of Republicans were in agreement with gender-based (sexist) dress codes, versus 47% of Democrats.

5. Over a third of Americans have tried skinny-dipping or nude sunbathing with others. And over a quarter of Americans would consider trying it in the future.

NEF’s Question 10: “Have you, personally, ever gone skinny-dipping or nude sunbathing with others?”

35% answered “Yes” and 63% said “No.”

This question has been included in each poll since 1983, when 15% of respondents said “Yes.” In 2000, it went up to 25% and remained at this percentage in 2006.

NEF presented some details about the ethnicity, ideology, religion, income and more, of those who’d responded “Yes” in 2015.

• Hispanics were the dominating ethnicity at 58%.
• Of those who identified as liberals, 50% said yes, and of conservatives, 28% said yes.
• The dominating religion was Catholic – 38%, followed by Protestant: 35%, Jewish: 28%, Other / none: 33%.

NEF question 8: “How likely is it that you would consider going nude at a clothing-optional beach if you knew it was safe and legal?”

28% said they would likely consider it. 68% said “Unlikely” and 4% were in the “Not sure” camp.

NEF notes that the younger age group of 18-29 showed the most interest in visiting a clothing-optional beach – 43% of them said “likely.” Among older adults, it was around 30% likely until age 65+ at which dropped to 10%.

6. You can run for public office AND support naturism.

NEF Question 9: If a candidate for public office supported the designation of clothing-optional areas on public land, would you be more or less likely to support the candidate, or would it make no difference?

24% said “More likely,” 38% said it would make no difference and 32% said “Less likely.”

Would Americans vote for a political candidate who’s also a naturist or who supports naturism? The NEF poll results indicate that’s a YES! Most Americans – 70% — said they’d be either inclined to support the candidate or would just be indifferent to it.

——-

There were lots of encouraging findings in this poll. While the U.S. is no Germany when it comes to nudity or getting naked, this country is also not as anti-nudie as one would think. Furthermore, the results from previous polls indicate a strong ongoing support for people’s right to be naked and have designated clothing-optional beaches or areas. They also indicate an increasing participation in nudism, as more and more people have said they’ve tried social skinny-dipping or nude sunbathing.

This is just an overview of the stats and findings from the recent NEF poll — visit the Naturist Education Foundation website to read more. And if you want to see more survey research like this, please donate to NEF. It’s is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies entirely on donations to stay up and running!

NEF 2015 Poll: Most Americans Approve of Nude Sunbathing was published by – Felicity’s Blog

This article was originally published October 8, 2015.

The Real Nude Beach Body Positive Photography Project: Interview with Laura

Meet Laura, the 7th participant of my series, The Real Nude Beach Photography Project, which took place at Gunnison Beach in 2017. Laura had her first social nude experience at the beach, which felt a little less intimidating for her after having already embraced topfreedom in NY. She was introduced to Gunnison through a bisexual / poly group and has never looked back. Learn more about Laura in our interview below!

Name: Laura
Age: 24 years old
Lives in Warren, NJ

What are your favorite hobbies?

I work at a day program for adults with autism and developmental disabilities. Hobbies include reading, writing, and arguing about politics.

How often do you visit Gunnison Beach?

Several times a season.

Why do you visit the nude beach?

It’s just more fun. Also, don’t need to buy bathing suits or worry about awkward tan lines.

What made you decide to visit the beach for the first time? How would you describe your first experience?

There was a bisexual / poly meetup and it sounded fun. I’m already someone who goes topless where I can, so it wasn’t a big stretch. That said, I was a bit anxious and it took me about 30 minutes before getting totally naked for the first time.

Do you feel that your sexual orientation affects your experience of the beach?

I’m bisexual, so it just means more potential partners in general. Mostly though, it provides a community of people with similar experiences and is a safe space.

What do you like about Gunnison?

Everyone you meet is super welcoming! I’ve met several friends there; it’s just an honest environment.

Do you identify as a nudist or naturist? Why or why not?

I’ve never really thought about it, but no.

Has visiting the nude beach changed the way you feel about yourself and / or your body?

It has definitely made me more comfortable with my body; particularly more accepting of pubic hair. I also used to hate having a small chest, until I started going topless in NY a few years ago, and visiting the nude beach has further boosted my confidence with myself.

Has visiting the nude beach changed the way you perceive and interact with others?

I’m generally very shy and reserved, but it’s always been easy to talk to people when you meet them while nude…like, there’s just no secrets. It has made me less judgmental as well.

Has visiting the nude beach had an impact on your life in any significant way?

It has expanded my social network and introduced me to new lifestyle perspectives (meeting poly people).

What would you say to people who claim that the only people who visit the nude beach are the ones you “don’t want to see naked”?

Tell them they’re flat out wrong. There is literally every body type and skin tone represented at Gunnison.

Do you ever feel unsafe or intimidated at the nude beach? Do you ever worry about gawkers or people being there for the wrong reasons?

Not at all.

Do your friends / family know you go to Gunnison? Who do you visit the beach with, if anyone?

Yes. My mom thinks it’s weird, but my friends are the ones I go with!

Why do you think nudity is so controversial in America?

We’ve never gotten over repressive puritan ethics. It’s really the issue of people feeling comfortable and claiming their own bodies, because sex is used to sell everything, but you can’t acknowledge it.

This interview for the Real Nude Beach Body-Positive Photography Project was published by Felicity’s Blog.

Naturism and Nudism Myths:

As naturists, there are certain false assumptions we hear over and over again, and myths that are perpetuated by the media. Here we debunk 10 popular myths about naturism and naturists.

Myth #1. Naturists / nudists are naked all the time.

Most of us can’t be naked all the time. Even if we live in a nudist club, it’s still necessary to venture outside, and that usually requires pants. How often one can be naked depends on climate, location, what nudist spots are nearby, etc.

Also, many nudists don’t want or don’t have a need to be naked all the time. Some people get home and immediately undress out of constricting, uncomfortable work clothes. Others switch into pajamas or take off only their top or bottom. (Of course there are also those who can’t be home nudists because of who they live with.) Many are happy to just partake in nudie time outdoors, when it’s hot out.

Myth #2. Naturists and nudists want to be naked everywhere.

I don’t know about you, but I have no interest in being naked on a NYC subway train. Naked is fun, but not everywhere. Most nudists are happy to have their own section of a beach. But it would be nice if it weren’t a serious crime to be seen naked, without any lewd behavior involved. We find it obscene and oppressive that it’s illegal to simply show body parts that most people have and that most people have seen.

Myth #3. Nudists are “this” and naturists are “that.” As in, there are set definitions of “nudist” and “naturist” within the community.

I asked 9 leaders in the nudist community what it means to be a nudist, and I got 9 different answers. I’ve also written up my own definitions before. But it just goes to show, there are no set definitions in the community at large. Most people can agree that as a basic definition, “nudist” and “naturist” refer to people who enjoy being nude in a non-sexual setting. I often use these terms interchangeably.

Myth #4. Nudists live in colonies.

There are no nudist colonies. Nudists don’t colonize. Nobody in the nudist world says “colony.” This is a term that the media keeps using, and it just won’t die. The proper terms are nudist resorts or clubs.

Myth #5. “Nudism is sexual” and “nudism is not sexual.”

Nudism is not about sex, but it can also be a bit disingenuous to say it’s “not sexual.” Given the strong association between nudity and sex in our culture, many nudists are quick to insist that nudism is not sexual, but almost to the point of rendering themselves asexual. Most humans are sexual beings. It’s not as if we enter a nudist setting, and our sexuality disappears (nor is it suddenly an uncontrollable force).

Nudists have sex, still experience sexual attraction and express affection in public, whether naked or not. The point is, nudist settings are no more sexual than public textile settings. Most people on nude beaches behave the same way they would on a textile beach. They socialize, swim, laugh, play in the sand, sunbathe nude. People can control their behavior whether naked or clothed. There’s a time and place for everything.

Myth # 6. Nudist couples’ sex lives must be diminished because they see each other naked all the time OR nudists have more sex because they see each other naked all the time.

Sexuality is in the mind, and your sexiest body part is actually…your brain. There are many things that trigger arousal and people don’t need nudity to get turned on. If the first part of this myth were true, we’d all be doomed to sexless marriages and relationships. But there are couples who have been married for 40+ years and still have healthy sex lives.

As for the second part, we’d say nudists probably have better sex because they tend to be more comfortable with their bodies. But do they have more sex than the average person? We’d have to do a study to find out.

As explained in myth #5, nudists don’t become super aroused and jump each other the minute their clothes come off. They have sex in private settings just like everyone else.

Myth #7. The nudist / naturist population is primarily made up of old, retired people.

Nudists can be found all over the world and range in age from newborns to centennials. Some nudist clubs or clothing-optional locations are filled with young naturists in their 20’s and 30’s.

Other clubs have predominantly older, retired empty-nesters.

Many would say the latter describes most clubs in the U.S., and we might agree with that. But the nudist demographic all depends on where you go. In the U.S., nude beaches and clothing-optional hot springs tend to have a lot more young people. In European countries such as France, there are large resorts and beaches that are very popular among young people. As a fact, there is no lack of young people in the nudie world.

Myth #8. Nudism is dying.

There have been quite a few articles in the last few years that report on how old nudists are trying to get more young people involved to keep nudism alive. But nudism is not some outdated, obscure lifestyle that’s about to vanish as all the elderly nudists head to their graves.

Certain nudist clubs and organizations may be losing members, but naturism is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. And that’s not about to change. Many young people are into naturism, but for many reasons, many of them aren’t joining clubs, resorts or organizations.

When clubs and resorts close down, I believe it’s because they failed at business and marketing. They likely failed to attract any new members for some time, let alone young ones. As for organizations, a diminishing membership means that some things aren’t working, and changes are needed. But none of this means that naturism itself is dying.

Myth #9. The people on the nude beach are always the people you “don’t want to see naked.”

No, man. You’re just being confronted with the reality of what bodies actually look like. What were you expecting, the scene of a Playboy photo shoot? This is real life. There is no Photoshop or airbrushing.

To get a dose of naked beach body reality, check out The Real Nude Beach Photography Project where I introduce different people who visit and enjoy Gunnison nude beach.

Oftentimes, when a person is “disgusted” by average bodies, it is just a reflection of their own discomfort with their appearance. As Bob Belcher once said, “Nude beaches are full of overweight, out of shape old bodies and I don’t wanna go there and realize I look exactly like that.” (In actuality there are people of all different body types and ages at a nude beach, but you get the point.)

So work on your body image and try to do a little less judging of others.

Also, if you’re going to the nude beach for the purpose of looking at others’ bodies for your own sexual gratification, that’s called a voyeur. Naturists don’t like voyeurs.

Myth #10. You have to have a slim and toned body to join a naturist club or place.

Naturism is not about showing off how fit, toned and tanned you are. It’s about acceptance of people just as they are, regardless of what they look like. On a nude beach, no body is perfect, and everyone has flaws.

There are all types of bodies, and no one should feel like they’re not good-looking enough to be there. A naturist setting is the one place where you can feel like you are good enough!

10 popular myths about naturism and nudism published by – Felicity’s Blog

This article was originally posted September 2014.

Is Nudism, and Family Nudity Good for Children? Aren’t Kids Nudists Anyway?

Is Nudism Good for Children and The Truth Behind Nudity in the Family:

Guest blog by: Melissa Starr

Benjamin Spock, Ann Landers, and Abigail van Buren, all popular authorities on child-rearing and other matters, have often warned of the dangers of exposing children to nudity. (It is questionable whether Landers and van Buren expressed this conclusion for there is evidence to the contrary.) Though their theories on the matter are well-known, are they truly valid? Is there solid research to prove it? Studies of how nudity affects kids are actually sparse, though they have slightly increased in number in recent years.

The findings and their interpretations are often influenced by researchers’ own preconceptions, including findings that may better explain the effects of parents’ attitudes toward nudity on kids rather than the actual effect of children being exposed to nudity.

However since the late 1970’s, more objective and controlled research has taken place in an effort to identify the truth of how exposure to nudity affects child development. All of this nudism research indicates not only a lack of negative effects, but a whole list of benefits to children.

One of the first truly objective studies was developed by Dr. Marilyn Story, a researcher who sought to examine the role of family social nudity classification on body self-concept development in preschool-aged children. Dr. Story interviewed 264 children aged three to five years as well as their parents. The children were classified in one of three categories: social naturists or simply put – nudist kids, at-home nudist, and non-nudist kids.

Each child was interviewed individually as they were asked about their body parts, namely whether they like each of the 16 body parts discussed. Within this study, a correlation was identified between gender and which body parts were most desirable.

The study also found that non-nudist kids most often identified their genitals as their least-liked body parts. Adversely, nudist kids (which basically means – children from nudist homes) identified their genitals as their most-liked body parts and identified no parts of their body that they liked the least. Within this study, naturism / nudism was found to be a more important variable than gender, race, and geographical area in terms of having a positive self-concept, body acceptance, and self-image.

Another important study was conducted by Ron and Juliette Goldman in 1981 to examine children’s perception of clothing and nakedness in regard to modesty in four different locations: North America, England, Australia, and Sweden. Within this study, children aged five to fifteen were studied, and research centered on children’s perceptions of the need for clothing in different circumstances as well as the reason given for the need for clothing.

Though the study was intended to determine which societies were most insistent on wearing clothes for the purpose of modesty, this study determined that children’s perceptions of nakedness was strongly tinged with guilt. As they aged they conformed more to their parents’ modesty training, thereby causing children’s guilt about nakedness to increase with age. Such guilt was found in children who did not understand, accept, or enjoy their body and its sex organs as natural and normal.

Robin Lewis and Louis Janda conducted a study in 1998 to examine the relationship between adult sexual adjustment and childhood exposure to nudity, sleeping in the parental bed, and parental attitudes toward sexuality. These components had mixed results in previous studies, which necessitated further research. Lewis and Janda used an extensive questionnaire to survey 210 undergraduate university students about their childhood experiences with nudity.

The results of the study were clear: there is a positive relationship between childhood exposure to nudity and adult sexual comfort. Further, the study found that children from birth to age five who were exposed to nudity felt less discomfort with affection and physical contact as they grew older. Children ages 6-11 who were exposed to nudity (i.e. nudist kids ) had greater self-esteem and knowledge about sex.

Margaret Mead is an anthropologist who has completed many studies on the effects of nudity on children and is one of the most well-known researchers on this topic. Dr. Mead studied cultures throughout the world and noted many negative effects that clothing had in the western culture’s clothing-dependent society.

These effects include a separation of “self” from the “body,” a lack of point of comparison for all body parts due to clothing covering them, a preoccupation with sex that is emphasized through clothing, and a lack of education about the human body related to lack of exposure to it. She further identified that the nudity or partial nudity common to more primitive cultures was not an indication of a lack of modesty, and the way nudity is handled within a culture is more important than the presence of nudity in determining whether it will have negative effects. One area that she emphasizes is that a child must see nudity among adults so that they know what their body will become; this is essential to the developing person.

One common theme throughout the research was the effect of the family’s and society’s attitude about nudity on children. The presence of a positive or negative attitude towards nudity was far more important than any other factor in nearly every situation when it came to how a child would react to nudity around them. These studies show that not only is nudity not harmful to children (sorry Dr. Spock), but that they can benefit in various ways from exposure to nudity in a body-positive, accepting environment.

Children can gain increased knowledge and understanding of the human body in all of its forms along with greater comfort with sexuality and physical contact as they grow older. They also learn to accept their own bodies and have greater self-esteem. Thus it is really up to us as parents, as educators, as individuals, as a society, to adopt a more open and accepting view of nudity for children to benefit.

Felicity’s Blog

This article was originally published on May 20, 2012.

I have a house full of sons and I'm ok with them seeing me naked

 

September 5 | Guest post by KrystalHow much do we love these Relax, Unwind, Get Naked signs from Etsy seller A Hal of a Girl?!

Not too long after the big gender reveal of our latest pregnancy, my husband came home and found me and our son, both naked, playing in the bathtub together. He very calmly said "Don't you think you should start covering up around him? He's getting a little old for that." I just brushed it off saying that our two-year-old didn't care or understand just yet. Husband let it go.

But now that our youngest son is about to turn one and our oldest son is just over three and well aware of the differences between my body and his and his brother's, the thought of my nudity at home around them has stirred up a sense of panic in my husband again.

He uses words like "appropriate" and "decent" to try to justify my need for covering up. I guess I still don't really get it — why I, as their mother, would need to cover up around my sons.

I mean, they both grew inside my body, made their way through my body, and used my body for nourishment and comfort. Neither one sees my body as something bad or as something to hide — it's just mommy's body.

Husband and I had a long talk about it one night because I honestly don't understand his problem with my being nude around our boys and he rebutted that he didn't understand why it was such a big deal to me.

That one stumped me.

I told him I'd think about it and get back to him.

Well, I've thought about it, and here's why it's a big deal: because my body isn't bad.

Why should I hide my very real body from my sons? They're going to be accosted by images of perfectly Photoshopped and smooth women their entire lives. Wouldn't it be a good idea to show them, starting from a young age, what one real woman's body looks like? A size 10, saggy belly, dimply, stretch-marked, real and very imperfect body.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to show them that bodies are nothing to be ashamed of? That just because you're not what our society deems as perfect doesn't mean you should be ashamed of your body.

I want my sons to grow up with a much healthier view of their bodies than I had growing up. I want them to see their bodies as instruments, not ornaments. Finely tuned machines that need to be treated well to run well with good clean fuel and plenty of exercise. To make them want to do all these things because they want to be healthy, not just skinny.

I want them to respect all shapes, sizes, and colors of people's bodies for more than just their aesthetic appeal. To realize that there is much more to a woman (or any person) than just her physical body.

I feel like not changing who I am, not hiding my body or being ashamed of my body will be a good foundation and example to point my sons into this direction.

Of course, I do realize there will probably come a time when being around naked mommy will embarrass one or both of my boys, and when the time comes that one of them asks me to cover up, I will.

But for now, while they still have innocent pliable minds, I think my nude booty will do them more good than harm.

Nude at home

In the Parade Magazine February 25, 2018 edition, Jimmy Kimmel  was asked, "You wear a tux onstage (while hosting the Oscars).  What do you wear when you watch the show at home?"

Jimmy answered, "If I have any clothes on at all, it's cause for celebration."

Skinny Dipping -- Do you enjoy it?  Others have and do.

Rep. Kevin Yoder

Yoder was on a fact-finding trip to Israel paid for by the American Israel Educational Foundation when he took off his clothes and jumped into the water in front of several colleagues and a few of their family members. Several other trip participants also went swimming, but none of them disrobed completely. The late-night dip reportedly took place after a long dinner with drinks being served. The incident angered Rep. Eric Cantor, the senior Republican on the junket, who scolded the lawmakers for being distracted.

Ben Franklin

Known for his skills as an inventor, diplomat, and author, Ben Franklin also was an avid swimmer who enjoyed a good dip, whether he was clothed or naked. Franklin, who is credited with inventing the swim fin, was an accomplished swimmer who could handle long distances in the water as a young man. Franklin also enjoyed what he called “air baths” where he would sit without any clothes on for about an hour in the morning before starting his work.

Theodore Roosevelt

In his autobiography, Theodore Roosevelt recounted how he tried to sneak in his exercise while living in the White House. Some days that meant playing tennis or going horseback riding. Other days that meant going swimming in Rock Creek or the Potomac. “If we swam the Potomac, we usually took off our clothes,” Roosevelt wrote.

Lyndon Baines Johnson

Not only did Lyndon Baines Johnson go skinny-dipping in the White House pool, he was at least at one point accompanied by famed evangelist Billy Graham. The preacher was visiting Johnson in the Oval Office when the president suggested that they take a dip. “That no one had brought a bathing suit was no deterrent,” Graham later wrote. “[I]n years to come the president would often interrupt meetings to suggest [a] swim and needle anyone who was reluctant to strip naked and dive in a baptism in intimacy.”

John F. Kennedy

Johnson wasn’t the only president to wade in the White House pool sans swim trunks. John F. Kennedy routinely took dips in the buff while a Secret Service stood guard, according to Seymour Hersh’s titillating exposé, The Dark Side of Camelot. Of course, Kennedy had company. According to one Secret Service agent, Kennedy’s two favorite assistants, nicknamed Fiddle and Faddle, joined him for nude swims. If Jackie were on her way to the pool, the trio would scramble for cover, the agent told Hersh. “You could see one big pair of footprints and two smaller pair of wet footprints leading to the Oval Office.” 

John Quincy Adams

Like many fit politicos, John Quincy Adams would wake up early every morning—around 5 a.m.—for his daily exercise. He’s in a smaller company, however, for doing it nude. Adams swam each day in the Potomac River, fully nude—a risky routine, as he learned after refusing an interview with reporter Ann Royall. She reportedly hiked to Adams’s preferred bathing locale, gathered his clothes, and held them hostage until he agreed to speak with her. When the naked commander in chief relented, he became the first president to grant a female journalist an interview.

Male Senators Circa 1980

Sen. Paula Hawkins, a Florida Republican who served one term in the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1987, was a trailblazer. She was one of the first women to be elected to the Senate without having been the wife or daughter of a politician. She pushed through the monumental Missing Children’s Act of 1982 and supported legislation aimed at helping women in the job market. She also forced senators to wear bathing suits while swimming in the Senate gym, so she could unashamedly work out at the formerly all-male—and often nude—fitness center during the daytime.

Joe Biden, Vice President

Joe Biden apparently likes to skinny-dip in his own pool, proving, once again, he's just a regular guy. (Insomuch as regular guys have their own pools.)

Missions to Mars

SpaceX's aspirational goal is to send our first cargo mission to Mars in 2022. The objectives for the first mission will be to confirm water resources and identify hazards along with putting in place initial power, mining, and life support infrastructure. A second mission, with both cargo and crew, is targeted for 2024, with primary objectives of building a propellant depot and preparing for future crew flights. The ships from these initial missions will also serve as the beginnings of our first Mars base, from which we can build a thriving city and eventually a self-sustaining civilization on Mars.

In my book, 2025 Five Days in Paradise, written in 2011, I have the first Manned Mars launch happening in August 2025.  Elon Musk plans to beat my prediction by launching in 2024.

SpaceX's Mars Colony Plan: How Elon Musk Plans to Build a Million-Person Martian City

SpaceX's billionaire founder and CEO just published the plan, which he unveiled at a conference in Mexico in September 2016, in the journal New Space. Musk's commentary, titled "Making Humanity a Multi-Planetary Species," is available for free on New Space's website through July 5.

"In my view, publishing this paper provides not only an opportunity for the spacefaring community to read the SpaceX vision in print with all the charts in context, but also serves as a valuable archival reference for future studies and planning," New Space editor-in-chief (and former NASA "Mars czar") Scott Hubbard wrote in a statement.

Musk's Mars vision centers on a reusable rocket-and-spaceship combo that he's dubbed the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS). Both the booster and the spaceship will be powered by SpaceX's Raptor engine, still in development, which Musk said will be about three times stronger than the Merlin engines that power the company's Falcon 9 rocket.

The booster, with its 42 Raptors, will be the most powerful rocket in history, by far. It will be capable of launching 300 metric tons (330 tons) to low Earth orbit (LEO), or 550 metric tons (600 tons) in an expendable variant, Musk said. For comparison, NASA's famous Saturn V moon rocket, the current record holder, could loft "just" 135 metric tons (150 tons).

ITS rockets will launch the spaceships to Earth orbit, then come back down for a pinpoint landing about 20 minutes later. And "pinpoint" is not hyperbole: "With the addition of maneuvering thrusters, we think we can actually put the booster right back on the launch stand," Musk wrote in his New Space paper, citing SpaceX's increasingly precise Falcon 9 first-stage landings.

The ITS boosters will launch many spaceships and fuel tankers (which will top up the spaceships' tanks) to orbit over the course of their operational lives; the rockets will be designed to fly about 1,000 times each, Musk wrote. The spaceships, meanwhile, will hang out in orbit, and then depart en masse when Earth and Mars align favorably. This happens once every 26 months. 

Eventually, Musk wrote, he envisions 1,000 or more ITS spaceships, each carrying 100 or more people, leaving Earth orbit during each of these Mars windows. The architecture could conceivably get 1 million people to Mars within the next 50 to 100 years, he has said.

The ships would also fly back from Mars, using their nine Raptor engines and methane-based propellant that was manufactured on the Red Planet. Each ITS ship would probably be able to make 12 to 15 deep-space journeys during its operational life, Musk wrote, and each fuel tanker could likely fly to Earth orbit 100 or so times.

The ITS' reusability is key to making Mars colonization affordable. This reusability — combined with other measures, such as fueling the spaceships in Earth orbit and making propellant on Mars — could bring the price of a Red Planet trip down to $200,000 or so per person, from an estimated $10 billion using conventional spaceflight systems, Musk said.ITS spaceships could begin flying to Mars about 10 years from now, if everything goes well, Musk added. But he acknowledged that success is far from guaranteed.

"There is a huge amount of risk. It is going to cost a lot," Musk wrote. "There is a good chance we will not succeed, but we are going to do our best and try to make as much progress as possible."

Falcon Heavy, in a Roar of Thunder, Carries SpaceX’s Ambition Into Orbit

SpaceX successfully launched its newest rocket, the Falcon Heavy, on Tuesday.

 

Although delayed by high-altitude winds, the countdown proceeded smoothly, without any of the glitches that have bedeviled other maiden launches of new rockets.The Heavy roared to life, a plume of smoke and steam shooting sideways from the launchpad. It rose from the pad, with an impossibly bright glare of 27 engines beneath it.About 15 seconds later, a thunderous roar, traveling at the speed of sound, rolled over the spectators. Just over three minutes after it blasted off, the most suspenseful part of the flight was over, as the boosters dropped off and the second stage continued into Earth orbit.Some eight minutes after launch, a pair of sonic booms rocked the area as the two side boosters set down in near synchrony on two landing pads at Cape Canaveral. In the past few years, SpaceX has figured out how to routinely bring a booster stage back in one piece to fly again on future flights.The one blemish on the mission was that the center booster, which was to set down on a floating platform in the Atlantic, slammed into the water instead, because some of the engines failed to ignite for the final landing burn.

  A screen grab from the SpaceX launch webcast, showing the red Tesla Roadster and its mannequin occupant after it was deployed into space. Credit SpaceX Once in orbit, the rocket sent back video of the spacesuit-wearing mannequin in the car, with a hand on the steering wheel. On the dashboard were the words “Don’t Panic,” a nod to Douglas Adams’s book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”The spacecraft journeyed through Earth’s Van Allen radiation belt. About seven hours after the rocket took off, Mr. Musk announced that a third and final burn had put his sports car on an elliptical orbit away from Earth and around the sun that extends beyond Mars’s orbit. Since 2010, the company has been sending the smaller Falcon 9 rocket into orbit, deploying satellites and carrying cargo to crews aboard the International Space Station. The company has disrupted the global launch business with its lower prices and reusable boosters.The Falcon Heavy is capable of lifting 140,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit, more than any other rocket today. Because all three boosters are to be recovered to fly again, a Falcon Heavy launch costs not much more than one by the company’s existing rocket, Mr. Musk said. SpaceX lists a price of $90 million for a Falcon Heavy flight, compared with $62 million for one by Falcon 9, a bargain in the context of spaceflight.Mr. Musk estimated that his company had spent more than half a billion dollars on Falcon Heavy and said that the program was almost canceled three times. SpaceX has booked coming Heavy flights for Arabsat, a Saudi Arabian communications company, and the United States Air Force.

Two of the Falcon Heavy’s boosters returning to Earth at Cape Canaveral eight minutes after launch. Credit SpaceX However, the market for the Heavy is smaller than what Mr. Musk envisioned when he announced development of the rocket in 2011. Back then, he expected that SpaceX’s launches would be evenly split between Falcon 9s and Heavies.But the development of the Heavy took years longer than anticipated — the central booster had to be redesigned to withstand the stresses of the powerful side boosters — and with advances in miniaturization, the trend is toward smaller satellites. SpaceX also boosted the capability of the Falcon 9, which now can launch many of the payloads that would have originally required a Heavy.In addition to its central booster, the Falcon Heavy was equipped with two additional side boosters that essentially tripled its power at liftoff. While the Heavy uses many of the same components as the Falcon 9, Mr. Musk had cautioned that failures during a test flight would not be surprising. In particular, he worried about complex buffeting of air flowing past the boosters, which is difficult to predict even with the most sophisticated computer simulations.The success of the Heavy could quell criticism that followed SpaceX’s first launch of the year — a Falcon 9 rocket that carried a highly classified payload code-named “Zuma,” on Jan. 7. A day after the launch, there were reports that Zuma had fallen back to Earth. SpaceX officials vociferously asserted that the Falcon 9 performed as expected, suggesting that blame for anything that went wrong should fall on Northrop Grumman, which built Zuma.

Last year, Mr. Musk also said two space tourists would be launched by a Falcon Heavy on an around-the-moon trip this year. On Monday, he said that for now the company had no immediate plans to make the improvements needed before putting people aboard.

Instead, SpaceX is focusing its efforts on the B.F.R. It would be a two-stage rocket: a powerful booster to provide lift out of Earth’s gravity and then a spaceship on top for interplanetary missions. The full vehicle would not be ready until the 2020s, but Mr. Musk said he had “aspirational” hopes to begin short hopper tests of the spaceship portion next year.

Meet the Millennial Nudist of Florida

Video on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=49&v=iCLjkCcE2hE

YNA Guide: How To Raise Naturist Kids and Introduce Naturism

When parents decide to raise naturist kids or introduce their children to naturism, there are some common questions and concerns that tend to arise.

Since we occasionally get emails from parents looking for answers and guidance, we decided the best way to address this is to ask naturist parents from our community! This will be a 3-part series addressing different questions. This article, part one, introduces the families I interviewed and also addresses the question of how to teach young kids about naturism and dress code rules.

YNA Guide To Raising Naturist Kids (Pictured: Felicity as a young child at Rock Lodge Club)

 

So let’s meet the amazing families who were gracious enough to take the time to answer most of my questions.

I will include their names (the * indicates their names have been changed to respect their request for privacy), kids’ genders, ages and their answers.

Interview with naturist parents about kids and naturism:

Question 1: At what age and where did you introduce your kid(s) to naturism? How did that go?

Karen and Robert*, three kids: girl age 7 ½, boy age 6 and girl age 4 ½

“We went to Sunny Rest four summers ago (they were 3 ½, 2 and 5 months) for the first experience. A few weeks later we found Rock Lodge in NJ and have never left. Since they were so young and enjoyed being naked anyway, they didn’t really seem to react at all. The oldest doesn’t even remember Sunny Rest.”

Michael and Laurie, two girls ages 8 and 6

“Both the girls have been raised in a nudist environment since birth, it’s all they’ve ever known. We are very active with nudism as a family. We are definitely nude at home most of the time. We visit clothing optional beaches like Gunnison in Sandy Hook, NJ regularly. We find the nudist / clothing optional beaches when we are away on vacations or in the Caribbean. We also visit resorts like PineTree Associates in Maryland on a regular basis.”

Tom and Soraya*, two girls age 12 and 7

“Mostly the family / house pool. But I am not sure you could call what we do ‘naturism.’ I have long believed that naturism is a non-thing — the absence of shame. My wife and I agreed that the best course of action was to simply never teach our kids to be ashamed of their bodies, and to see how things turn out.”

Aviva*, girl age 13 and boy age 9

“I discovered Rock Lodge when I was pregnant with my oldest. I felt that Rock Lodge is a great place for kids. It is safe, everyone is friendly, and the nature is just phenomenal. It seemed very natural to want to continue to go there with the kids, and my kids just love to go there.”

Naturist Kids Finger Painting During The Midwinter Naturist Festival At Sunsport Gardens Nude Family Resort in Florida

 

Question 2: How do you explain to your kids that they can only be naked in a naturist setting or certain situations (like at home when there are no guests)? Do they have any trouble understanding this?

Based on my research, this actually turns out to be a non-issue for most parents. People tend to think their kids will be confused, but then find that’s not the case. My own parents don’t recall it ever being a problem for my family and I.

I asked all the families if they ever had any trouble explaining the rules to their kids and if they had any problems or confusion. Here’s what they said.

Karen and Robert: “Inside the house is clothing optional as long as no one else is around (we have a part-time nanny and I also have employees that come to the house for my home-based business, so they cannot be naked when anyone else but the five of us are in the house). They have no problem following those rules and often don’t need reminders more than the occasional ‘so-and-so is coming, put some clothes on.’”

Any questions / confusion from the kids as to when / where they can be naked?

Karen and Robert: “Actually, no, they never really asked. Early on we established the ‘you can be naked in the house and only at the lake’ rule and they have never questioned it. I always thought it would lead to confusion, but it hasn’t!”

Aviva: “There is absolutely no confusion. They would NOT want to be naked in a non-nudist place, since they understand it is unacceptable. I had many conversations with my daughter about the topic. She feels very passionate about nudism and thinks this should be the norm at least at the beach / in nature. But, she is also very well aware that this is not the norm.

On one occasion when she was a bit younger (age 10) she said she wants to walk in the streets of New York shirtless. We had a discussion about that, and I explained to her that it is actually legal to do that in NY, but she can expect that she will attract attention. After some deliberation, she decided to not do it.”

Tom: “Oddly enough, they seem to instinctively understand that it is not ok to be nude elsewhere.”

Michael & Laurie: “We remember only one time when Lilly was about 4 years old she got upset and cried because she didn’t what to wear a wet bathing suit at a pool we were visiting. Other than that, they have not asked too many questions. They just tend to go with the flow. I think when the question comes up we will try to explain it to them in the simplest terms. There are different rules for different beaches / pools. The rules at this beach / pool are etc….”

I also came across a Q & A article on the Bare Platypus blog that further confirms this question as a non-issue. It’s titled, “We Raised 4 Kids As Nudists.” When these parents are asked if their kids “ever embarrass you by being naked at an inappropriate time?” They replied, “… Not once. From an early age our children grasped the concept of context easily. They understood that we put on dressier clothes to go to church, that we got dressed to go outside for shopping, etc. Appropriate nudity comes down to time and place. If you have kids who understand when they can go about in their underwear and when they shouldn’t, they will grasp when it’s okay to be au naturel.”

In discussing this topic with different people, I did hear one story of parents whose pre-school aged kid was undressing in school whenever nap time started. Apparently she would sleep naked at home, so it seemed like the proper thing to do at school, too. The parents got a call from the teacher, and that ends my knowledge of it but hopefully they sorted it all out!

What we can learn from this is that it’s best to explain to kids in simple terms where / when they can be naked and address any questions that might come up.

Family Nudism Questions Part 2: Can Kids Keep A Secret?

This part 2 of our series on family nudism and how to raise naturist kids. Part 1 introduces the families we’ve interviewed and discusses dress codes for kids. In this article, we’ll share what these parents have to say about two more common naturism questions.

Question 1: “Do I tell my kids NOT to tell peers / friends / teachers / family members / other adults etc about our family being naturists? What will happen if my kids tell others?”

When it comes to kids and naturism, this question will inevitably come up. Parents often want to avoid a misunderstanding or an awkward situation that may arise from their kids speaking to people who have no knowledge of family naturism. Especially with toddlers and little kids, there’s really no controlling what they may blurt out to others.

Attitudes on this have certainly shifted in the past few decades as nudism has become less stigmatized. In talking about my naked childhood, I’ve often said my parents had told me not to tell anyone about us being nudists. More specifically it was my dad who had imparted this mandate. He also grew up as a nudist at Rock Lodge, but in a different time when people had to be much more secretive. Back then (at least in the 1950’s / 60’s but probably onward as well) it was common for parents to tell their kids to keep it private, as my dad’s parents did with him.

Nudists of older generations were more secretive about nudism.

 

These days, people are more open. Though not with everyone in their lives. Many people cautiously choose who to tell and who to hide it from (which can include coworkers, friends, family or even their own parents). Though it seems more parents tend to leave it up to their kids to decide who to tell and who not to tell, at least among their own peers as they get older.

Some parents still worry about the repercussions from their kids inadvertently telling teachers or other students in school. One of the common fears is that a young child might talk about how their family goes naked and that an adult will misinterpret the situation and assume there is abuse or something “weird” going on. Or perhaps parents also have a general fear of being outed and, as a result, having an awkward conversation or being judged.

As a young kid (under 10), I can recall not really understanding why I needed to keep our naturism a secret. And my dad’s order didn’t stop me from blabbing about it to some girls in my Girl Scout troop. (Who knows who else I told and just don’t remember!) I guess this could’ve created issues for me / my family but I vaguely recall that the scout leader, who was present, was unfazed and just settled whatever reaction it got by saying something along the lines of, “Yeah some people like to do that.”

Plus my mother was featured in TV news reports about Rock Lodge in the 90’s, so we weren’t exactly keeping a low profile as a family.

As I got older, I definitely understood that what we did was not the norm and that I could be judged for it. By age 12 I actually feared what sort of reaction I’d get from close friends. (As it turns out, I did not get a single negative response when I did reveal it.)

For school settings (or extracurricular clubs), one of the solutions offered these days is for parents to be proactive about it and actually tell the teacher or administrator about what their family does on weekends in order to avoid any future misunderstanding. However, based on my conversations with nudist families, not many actually do this.

Karen and Robert (interviewed in part 1) said they had taken the step of talking to an administrator at the school their kids were attending. The person was surprised, but didn’t respond negatively. But they later left their position, so it didn’t affect them one way or the other. Other parents I spoke to said they hadn’t tried this, but thought it was a good idea.

Things can also get complicated when parents are trying to keep their lifestyle a secret from close family members, like their kids’ grandparents. It’s going to be more difficult to hide it from any family members that spend a lot of time with your kids. I would suggest that unless you truly believe that they’re going to disown you or really freak out, why not just tell them? That said, I do acknowledge it’s easy to say this as an outsider, and there’s no way of knowing about people’s families and / or relationships.

In discussing the general concern of whether kids should / shouldn’t tell others, here’s what the naturist parents had to say:

Aviva: “Although I was a bit worried, I was uncomfortable to tell my daughter to hide an important part of her life. I think it will send her the wrong message (like – nudism is wrong). I gave her the choice if to tell to her friends about Rock Lodge. I also explained to her that she may get some odd unexpected reactions if she chooses to tell. My daughter decided to tell two of her closest friends. Her reasoning was that this is a very important part of her life and if they reject her because of it then it means they are not true friends. … What my daughter chooses to tell is her choice, she has very good judgment, and very close friends that truly love her.”

Aviva also said that in regards to her kids talking to friends, she was more worried about reactions from the friends’ parents. She reported, “One mother actually now wants to visit the place after she found out from my daughter who is very close with the entire family. :)”

(Side note: In part 3, we share what Aviva’s 13 year old daughter had to say about her experiences telling other kids.)

Karen said: “Yes, I worry about them telling others. My husband originally started calling Rock Lodge the ‘naked lake’ four years ago. When we decided to rent a cabin the next year, we had to spend all winter actively renaming it ‘the lake’! That first September, we talked to the two oldest about not telling anyone. Since then, we mention it occasionally that they can call it the lake but not say they are naked. Again, they don’t seem to think anything is weird about this (I always thought they would!)”

Felicity as a child at Rock Lodge

 

Michael and Laurie: “We are very open about our nudism / naturism. Everyone knows, friends and family. We would never hide it. We think being open and matter of fact about it is the best way to make it normal and more mainstream. We do not worry about them telling others. …Our kids have very loudly yelled out the vehicle window to the neighbors ‘We are going to the naked beach!’ our neighbors just laugh and say have a great weekend.”

There was one other couple I talked to, Lauren and Kirk, who have two boys ages 12 and 19. They said: “When they were younger we did make this request of them, but also at the time we were newer to naturism and were more apprehensive to peoples’ reactions and judgments. Now that our youngest is 12 and our other son is 19, we have not made the request of them and left it up to them individually to make the decision to tell people. However, we have asked that they not tell their grandparents at this point because we know they would worry and assume things that are not true. No, we don’t worry about them telling others now. We just do not care about the reactions of others as we have grown as a family.

Our older son told the grandparents when he was much younger, and that led to assumptions being made, which took a while to straighten out. In the end nothing negative came of it and we think the grandparents just became blissfully ignorant about the whole thing. Other than that, we are not aware of them telling others.”

Question 2: What if your children’s friends want to participate in naturism or go naked at home with your kids?

So your kids are in the business of telling friends, and those little friends decide that naturism sounds like fun and they want to join! (Can you blame them?) Now what?

I’ve learned that a lot of naturist parents are cautious about this, especially about being naked around other people’s children. But if you’re just inviting your children’s friends to your home where they can all skinny dip in the pool or run naked through the backyard sprinkler, then it’s simple enough to just ask the parents for permission. Or invite the parents, too.

If the kids hanging out naked in your own home, and adults are staying clothed, the “nudist” label doesn’t even need to be discussed. It’s just kids doing what they’re naturally prone to do – run around naked.

But if you want to invite your kid’s friend to join the whole family (adults included) for a naked pool day, that’s definitely going to warrant more of a discussion. Talk to the kids’ parents first as you never know how people will react, especially when it comes to matters involving their kids.

And if your children want to invite their friends to the nudist club or nude beach, obviously that’s also going to require some discussion and good judgment. (Also, most nudist clubs require express permission from children’s parents / guardians in order to visit without them.)

On this subject, Aviva said, “Last weekend my daughter sent some pictures to her friend, who expressed interest in visiting, and my daughter told her she will need to feel comfortable to be in the presence of naked people. The friend probably won’t come and I definitely do not want to encourage this, since nudism + kids is so loaded in this country. I am a bit concerned to push it too much with the parents so I am very careful to actually never invite any kid, or even raise the subject with the kids or their parents.”

I also read the following Q & A on the Bare Platypus blog “We Raised 4 Kids As Nudists” mentioned in part 1:

“Q. What about when friends and relatives came to visit?

A. When it came to other people’s kids, we exercised an abundance of caution. We were always fully dressed in their presence. If friends or cousins came over with their parents and our kids wanted to swim in their birthday suits, we would ask said parents if that would be okay. We paid close attention to body language and non-verbal cues. If it was okay, our kids went bare. Sometimes our visitors would follow ‘suit.’ Always with their parents’ permission and direct supervision.”

Questions About Family Naturism Part 3: What If My Kids Get Bullied For Being Nudists?

Previously: How to Raise Naturist Kids Part 1 and Part 2: Telling Others

When parents worry about their kids telling the wrong people about naturism, they also worry about what could happen when kids tell their peers. Maybe their friends or classmates will think it’s cool…or maybe they will see a reason to bully or pick on the kid.

Parents may fear that their child will tell the wrong “friend” who will then blab to other kids or students. Gossip about a student being a “nudist” could spread around a school or community really fast, especially since a lot of bullying now happens on social media. It can result in the child being ostracized, verbally harassed, physically attacked etc.

A lot of bullying now happens online and on social media (known as cyberbullying)

 

But in most cases it doesn’t matter what characteristic a bully might be focusing on or what words they’re using to taunt someone else. A kid who wants to bully will find something to latch on and attack, whether it’s the victim’s weight, appearance, hobbies, sexual orientation or an identity like “naturist.”

The likelihood for bullying in regards to naturism seems greater just because naturism isn’t widely accepted or understood, especially in certain communities and especially when kids are involved. It can definitely make a kid stand out as “different.”

If a child is picked on for being a naturist, ultimately it needs to be addressed just like with any other harassment situation. Bullying is a widespread issue and affects all kind of families and communities. It can have serious negative effects on the victim’s mental health and emotional well-being. It can also be violent and in the most extreme cases has even lead to suicide or murder.

Bullying is a serious issue that can break down a kid’s self-esteem and self-worth

 

Though progress is too slow, bullying is definitely taken more seriously than it ever was before. Many schools have developed policies to address it along with programs for prevention. Parents can find plenty of online resources for how to deal with bullying and how to talk to their kids about it. This general advice can be helpful whether a child is being harassed about naturism or something else.

Have there been cases of kids being harassed for being naturists?

Growing up as a naturist, I have heard a story or two over the years about nudist kids of previous generations getting taunted at school. I can’t verify these stories, but I’m sure that it has happened to some poor souls out there. But I don’t think it’s been anywhere near commonplace, and kids have been much more likely to experience harassment that has nothing to do with naturism.

I personally was careful about which friends I told about naturism as a kid. As I mentioned before, I never got a negative reaction. Mainly friends responded that they thought it was cool or interesting and were curious about it. They may have even visited Rock Lodge with me if they’d been given the opportunity.

In high school I ran into a situation that other nudist teenagers had actually thought about and feared – a kid from my high school randomly showed up at Rock Lodge when I happened to be there. His father was on a construction job at the club so he tagged along. Admittedly I panicked when I first saw him, but nothing happened. He said hello, he got naked and enjoyed the beach like it was no big deal. And he didn’t go around talking about me at school or anything like that.

What do naturist parents today think about bullying?

Continuing our interviews with naturist parents as in the last two articles of this series, we asked these same parents if they worry about bullying and if they’d ever run into a harassment situation that involved naturism.

Michael and Laurie (two girls ages 8 and 6): “We have thought about bullying quite a bit. I think we have prepared ourselves the best we can by creating a good base of nudist family friends that we hang out with on a consistent basis. Those families have good well-balanced children. We think that will give us a good example to counter act and use as a defense against bullying. We have seen bulling at this young age already. When we hear negativity from other children we do step in to the girl’s defense. We explain to them that everyone doesn’t have the same views of the human body that we do but it’s ok, there is nothing wrong with our bodies. There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

It helps when nudist families can befriend other nudist families with kids

 

Tom and Soraya (two girls ages 7 and 12): “I have worried about this to some extent, mostly for their sake. I do not want them getting made fun of, or having people think they’re weird. But again, they seem to know instinctively not to tell others. I worry about bullying, but nothing has happened yet. For our family it is such a non-thing, I can only see them getting bullied maybe over what someone might find online about their dad.”

Aviva (girl age 13 and boy age 9): “I was a bit worried, but nothing ever happened. I am fortunate to be living in New York, guess that is part of this.”

Karen (girl age 7 ½, boy age 6 and girl age 4 ½): “I have been concerned but since it hasn’t come up yet, I haven’t had to deal with it. As they get older, we will need to discuss the issue. Probably in the next year or so with the oldest.”

Lauren and Kirk (two boys ages 12 and 19): “We have thought about this, but really have not had to experience it. We don’t know if our children have told anyone, but we are secure enough to trust their discretion and handling of a situation if it did occur. Our younger son routinely hangs out in his underwear around his friends in our home and his friends are perfectly comfortable with him doing that, so for them to either know or hear that he is a naturist would more than likely be no surprise to them.”

I also got to interview Aviva’s 13 year old daughter directly about her thoughts and experiences growing up as a naturist. When I asked about telling others and bullying, here’s what she said:

“When I was eight years old I told my best friend that I went to a nudist club. I don’t remember her exact reaction but it was somewhat along the lines of that’s kinda weird (which she didn’t say out loud, but implied) and her spoken reaction was okay. I told my mom that night not thinking much of it and she freaked out. She was worried that my best friend wouldn’t want to be friends anymore. Luckily she didn’t care that much and we are still best friends to this day. Since then I’ve told four more friends and although not all their reactions were great I didn’t lose any friendships over it. The worse thing that came out of telling them was that one of my friends at my birthday party out of the silence asked if I ‘still went to that naked people thing’ in front of 10 of my other friends. I was really embarrassed, but my other friends were all pretty tired, since it was late, and didn’t seem to think much of it.

The reason I carefully chose the few people I tell about Rock Lodge and not most people is because not everyone is open minded and I’m afraid that I’ll be judged, bullied, avoided, etc.”

From all these interviews, it seems like naturist parents and kids worry about bullying, but it doesn’t actually happen very often.

I think if there is any specific advice for nudist kids dealing with bullying, it’s “keep your cool.” Treat naturism like it’s no big deal. This goes along with general advice that kids should act confident and put on a brave face in front of a bully. Getting upset or angry is the kind of reaction a bully is looking for so they can feel more powerful.

As for parents, teach your kids to be kind, respect others and be accepting of their differences. Encourage and teach them how to stand up for others when they see another kid being picked on.

Parents: Teach your kids kindness and acceptance!

 

Aviva also had some advice that I think applies here: “You yourself must be 100% comfortable with [naturism]. If you are conflicted kids will sense it, and may think you are doing something wrong, or that the family is ‘different’ in a ‘weird’ way. Since I am absolutely 100% good with nudism, my kids, if anything, feel special and proud about our family culture.”

Parents should aim to be positive role models. If you have any fear or discomfort about identifying as a naturist, your kids will definitely pick up on that. You can talk to your children about the fact that most people don’t grow up with naturism and might think it’s weird or misunderstand it (but that it’s perfectly normal). You can explain that their peers may think nudity or human bodies are gross or shameful because that’s what they’ve been taught. But it’s best to trust your kids to decide who they should or shouldn’t tell.

If you have the opportunity to befriend other naturist families with children as Michael and Laurie have, I think that would definitely help to create a supportive environment for kids.

For more advice and resources about bullying:

• stopbullying.gov (government site with information about anti-bullying legislation in different states)
• www.thebullyproject.com – a documentary film and resources for parents and kids
• www.projectantibully.com – a nonprofit organization run by students with campaigns that kids can join and resources to start their own campaign.

Nude Summer Events, Activities and Other Awesome Naked Things To Do Before The Season Ends!

The outdoor naked season always goes by so fast, at least for us here in the northeast! It’s almost August, but we’d like to think we still have about two more months of pleasant weather. Before we blink and the season is over, here is a list of cool naked activities, festivals and events to try or check out around the U.S. (and Canada).

1. Hike naked

What many people say they love about naturism is getting naked in nature. It allows you to feel the sun and the air on your body and feel connected to the earth.

Nude hiking is a great way to fully experience this, and it’s a popular activity across the U.S., Europe and other countries.

The fact that it’s not legal in most places would seem like a hindrance, but even when anti-nudity laws work against you it’s still doable. All you need is some isolated wilderness and a towel or cover-up in case somebody who might get offended may see you or if you get lost!

Every year there’s “Hike Naked Day,” which occurs on the summer solstice. This is supposed to be the day to hike naked on the Appalachian Trail. Who knows how many participate, but really you can try this on the AT at any time, when there’s not a single soul for miles.

As for where you can hike naked legally? There’s the nude-friendly state of Vermont where naked hiking is legal almost anywhere (please don’t walk naked through an actual town center, though). In Oregon, nudity is legal in state forests, which have many hiking trails. And in California, it’s legal in certain counties and parks, such as San Bernardino National Forest where you can free hike to Deep Creek Hot Springs.

Nude hiking in the Mojave Desert in CA with SCNA

 

Plenty of private nudist clubs and resorts also have naked hiking trails on their property. These can vary from short, easy nature walks to a few miles of trails. One such place is Dyer Woods in Rhode Island, which has quite a few trails on their 200 acre nature preserve and adds to them every year. Another is Orient Land Trust in Colorado – a clothing optional, nonprofit land trust with 2,200 acres and numerous hiking trails. It also has beautiful hot springs.

Group hike on one of the trails at Dyer Woods Nudist Campground

 

For upcoming organized hikes:
• The Sequoians nudist club is organizing a “Full Moon Hike” on August 5 in Castro Valley, CA (SF Bay area).
• SCNA will host a nude hiking / camping weekend to Deep Creek Hot Springs September 9 – 10
• The Northeast Naturist Festival has their annual hike to Potter’s Falls on Wednesday, August 2

2. Skinny dip at a nude swimming hole

We may not have that many official nude beaches in the United States, but we do have some pretty cool clothing-optional and nude friendly swimming holes out in the forests, or even in the desert.

Swimming holes may be located on streams, rivers, hot springs or lakes. If not legal, the nudity is often traditional and tolerated by locals and the authorities. They’re usually free to visit and on public land.

Mohonk Preserve Clothing Optional Swimming Hole in Upstate NY

 

In New York, there’s places like the Mohonk Preserve, Stony Kill Falls, Potter’s Falls and Nine Corner Lake. The Punch Bowl and the Ledges are two well-known swimming areas in Vermont.

The website swimmingholes.org is a good resource for finding places to go throughout the U.S. They list both swimsuit-required and clothing-optional swimming holes, so you have to look for ones listed as c/o. (Please also note that information listed there may not be updated, so it’s possible to end up at places that are unfortunately no longer c/o.)

3. Practice naked yoga outdoors

If you’ve only practiced naked yoga indoors, you should know that it’s an entirely different experience outside! You can breathe in fresh air, listen to the sounds of nature as your soundtrack and be at one with Mother Nature as you get centered.

Outdoor naked yoga at the Northeast Naturist Festival

 

Some nudist clubs and resorts regularly host outdoor classes, and we hear you can even find naked yoga at Gunnison Beach early in the morning. Goodland Country Club and Rock Lodge Club are two nudist clubs in NJ that have outdoor naked yoga classes throughout the season.

4. Run a naked 5K

Naked 5K runs take place throughout the summer and at various clubs and resorts in the U.S. These events tend to be a lot of fun and a great opportunity to meet new people.

Naked 5K race at Le Betulle Villaggio Naturista in Italy

 

You can find a listing of all the 5K races happening in the U.S. and around the world here: http://www.asitiz.com/naked-running-races/

A few races coming up soon:

• July 30 Bare Buns Fun Run at Kaniksu Ranch in Loon Lake, WA
• July 30 Sun Run with the Heartland Naturists in Kansas City, KS
• Aug 5 Sunshower Bare Butts 5K at Sunshower Country Club in Centerville, IN
• Aug 5 SunFest Nude Run at Mountaindale Sun Resort in North Plains, OR
• Sept 9 Streak the Cove at Cypress Cove in Kissimmee, FL

5. Join a World Naked Bike Ride

The World Naked Bike Ride is an international protest event that aims to draw attention to environmental pollution and cycling safety. Participants bike nude (or semi-nude) to draw attention to the vulnerability of cyclists. Many wear fun costume accessories or get body painted before the ride.

The 2016 World Naked Bike Ride in Los Angeles

Naked Body Art at The Philly World Naked Bike Ride

 

They are public events that anyone can join, and it’s attended by naturists and non-naturists alike. Some cities get thousands of participants.

Find a list of rides here: http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/index.php?title=List_of_rides#United_States In the northeast, there’s the Philly Naked Bike Ride on September 9, 2017.

6. Attend a Nude or Clothing-Optional Festival

Summer is the season of festivals! There are naturist-organized festivals coming up, like the Northeast Naturist Festival in upstate NY (starting next week August 1 – 6) and Avalonfest Music Festival in WV (Aug 11-13).

Avalonfest Music Festival at Avalon Nudist Resort Aug 11 – 13, 2017

In Florida, Sunsport Gardens has the Summer Daze Music Medley on August 11 – 14. They’ll have live bands playing all weekend, plus workshops, drum circles, body painting, performances and more.

The Summer Daze Music Medley will feature live bands all weekend Aug 11 – 14, 2017 at Sunsport Gardens Nudist Campground

 

In Leesville, South Carolina, Cedar Creek Resort will be hosting Nudestock, a live music festival September 22 – 24.

Up in Canada, the first ever BodyFest Canada is taking place at Bare Oaks this weekend July 28 – 30. Then August 4 – 7, there’s the Freedom Festival hippie weekend at Freedom Fields Naturist Ranch (please note this club is adults-only). And August 10 – 13, the annual Canadian Naturist Festival is at Bare Oaks, which will have workshops, kids’ activities, belly dancing and nude golfing off-site.

Then there are more mainstream festivals that have a free-spirited and body-positive atmosphere and allow visitors to be naked if they so choose.

Burner events, which are regional Burning Man events or inspired by Burning Man, are known for being clothing-optional. In fact PSHS (a nudist club in PA) hosts events called Sunburn (every July) and Burning Leaves (Sept 29 – Oct 1, 2017). At Laguna Del Sol in California, there’s an annual Burning Man inspired event called “Naked Man” August 3 – 6. Other burner events can be found at…

Pagan and Wiccan festivals are also sometimes clothing-optional. Brushwood Folklore Center is a clothing-optional campground in Sherman, NY that hosts festivals. Its big festival Sirius Rising has already passed, but they do host other events, like the Women’s Weekend August 18 – 20.

7. Play in the biggest nude volleyball tournament in the world

Every year just after Labor Day, White Thorn Lodge hosts the Nude Volleyball Superbowl. This event has been happening annually since 1971 (nearly approaching 50 years!) and attracts hundreds of players from around the country. This year it’s happening September 2 – 11, 2017.

Nude Volleyball Superbowl will take place at White Thorn Lodge Sept 2 – 11, 2017

 

Whether you’re a level B newbie or a competitive AA player, you can find a team / game that’s right for you and practice your skills in this tournament.

The event remains very affordable — for 2017, it’s only $75 for entry and 4 days of camping during the main tournament weekend or $180 for all 10 days.

Even if you’re not into volleyball, you can still attend and enjoy WTL facilities and the other fun activities that go on – such as evening dances, live music and body painting.

Learn more at: http://whitethornlodge.org/public/superbowl.html

For Canadians, there’s also the annual Lee Baxandall volleyball tournament August 18 – 20, 2017 at Bare Oaks. Aside from the games, they have other fun entertainment lined up including a comedy show, Rock Horror party, drum circle, a body painting contest and more. Find info at http://www.bareoaks.ca/index.php/en/events.html.

8. Feel like a kid again with silly naked summer games

The Southern California Naturist Association (SCNA) organizes the annual Nude Summer Games event at Olive Dell Ranch in Colton, CA. This year it takes place on Saturday, August 5.

Water balloon toss during the SCNA Naked Summer Games at Olive Dell Ranch

SCNA describes it as “a day of hilarious ‘athletic’ competitions and games of skill.” Anyone can participate, and medals will be awarded at the end. Read a previous report on the event to see what it’s like and get more info at socalnaturist.org.

Also August 5, Mountaindale Sun Resort in North Plains, OR will have nude Olympic games as part of their SunFest weekend.

Water Wars Weekend at Abbott’s Glen in Vermont July 29, 2017

 

This Saturday July 29, Abbott’s Glen in Vermont hosts “Water Wars.” Be prepared to laugh and get soaked on this all day water fight with water guns, buckets and anything else that can hold water. You’ll need to “bring a device to arm yourself,” as the club writes on their website! The weekend also promises tasty dinners, nighttime karaoke and dance parties.

9. See the August 21st solar eclipse at a nudist club or nude beach!

Okay so obviously you can see the eclipse naked or clothed, but why not experience this once-in-a-lifetime event at a naked place!

It just so happens that a few clubs are on or near the Totality path of the eclipse and hosting special events for it.

Where to find a naked viewing of the August 21 2017 solar eclipse

 

In Hopkins, South Carolina, the Travelites Nudist Retreat is inviting people to come for the whole weekend to enjoy their facilities and see the eclipse. They have some sunglasses to protect your eyes (it’s never healthy to stare directly into the sun without eye protection, even during an eclipse).

In Leesville, SC, Cedar Creek Resort is having a Solar Eclipse Party and Space Dance Night on August 19. Bring your own UV sunglasses to see the event there on the 21st.

South of St. Louis, MO, a nudist bed & breakfast called Chateau Nu De Vin will be having an all-inclusive eclipse weekend and promises a spectacular view (glasses included). Space and accommodations are very limited, so act quickly and contact them for more information.

A few other places to see it are Rock Haven Lodge (TN), Forty Acre Club (MO), Bare Mountain Retreat (ID) and Squaw Mountain Ranch (OR) which also happens to have their annual music festival that weekend.

Oregon has nude beaches and hot springs that would be great for eclipse viewing as well. There’s Collins Beach on Sauvie Island, Rooster Rock State Park, Terwilliger Hot Springs and Deer Creek Hot Springs to name a few.

10. Visit a nude beach…and then join / organize an end-of-season beach cleanup!

So maybe this doesn’t sound as fun as all the other activities here, but beach cleanups are important! One of our principles at YNA is to leave a place (or person) better off than when you found it. We’re all about making naturism environmentally-friendly so we can keep enjoying our nude beaches and natural places for years to come.

Beach cleanups are also a great way for naturists to contribute to the local community and help ensure that we don’t lose the nude beaches we have.

Saturday, September 16 is International Coastal Cleanup Day when volunteers around the country get together to pick up plastic and trash along beaches and rivers.

Cleanup at Bates Beach, CA September 16, 2017 with SCNA and Friends of Bates Beach.

 

So here are 3 naturist beach cleanups happening Sept 16, 2017:

• Carpinteria, CA — Bates Beach cleanup with SCNA and Friends of Bates Beach.
• Dunedin, FL – Beach cleanup at Honeymoon Island State Park with Tampa Area Naturists
• North Palm Beach, FL – Beach cleanup at John D. MacArthur Beach with Palm Beach Naturists

You can also organize your own!

11. Experience the Joys of Topfree Equality

Even though Maryland decided to treat topfreedom like a dangerous emergency this summer, there are other states and places that aren’t trying to roll back women’s topfree equality!

The Outdoor Co-Ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society gets together for topfree meetups in NYC

 

In New York State, women can go topfree in public anywhere a man can do so. This includes public beaches and parks. In NYC, the Outdoor Co-Ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society still regularly organizes topfree outings in parks and other public areas.

Topfree Activist Chelsea Covington with her bike in a Philadelphia park

Other cities to try topfreedom are Austin, TX; Portland, OR and Washington, D.C. For more suggested places, follow the Breasts Are Healthy blog of activist Chelsea Covington who’s been establishing women’s topfreedom across the northeast.

12. Become a Naked Goddess in the Willamette River in Portland, August 5

The Naked Goddess Swim is a unique event just for women in Portland, Oregon. For $30, you can take a naked swim under moonlight in the Willamette River and receive a Naked Goddess cap and tote bag. You could also take part by kayaking instead (for free). This event is to benefit the Human Access Project whose mission is to “transform Portland’s relationship with the Willamette River” and make it more accessible to people.

Find more info and 2017 tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/naked-goddess-swim-tickets-35441914721?

Maryland Attorney General Supports Discriminatory Topless Laws But This Is Not Over

On June 14, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office (OAG) issued a “letter of advice” about women’s topfreedom in Maryland. It came out just a few days after the town of Ocean City, MD passed an “emergency” ordinance that outlawed women from going topfree in public.

This letter arrives 10 months after the OAG had received the request for an opinion on this subject. And still, they say this is not their “official opinion.”

As Chelsea Covington, the activist at the forefront of the battle for women’s topfreedom rights in MD, has pointed out, the letter seems to have been haphazardly written up. My guess is the OAG hadn’t spent any of those 10 months actually working on an opinion, but this widely-covered story about OC put some urgency and forced them to respond.

When the advice letter came out, Chelsea told the MC Dispatch: “Why accept the opinion request at all? Now we take the issue to court and see who wins and loses. We could have started this a year ago. The Attorney General stalled for a year, created unnecessary drama and contention between the parties, wrote a wildly incomplete analysis that clarifies nothing and will ultimately cost Ocean City a lot of money to defend an unconstitutional ordinance. Bravo.”

 

Chelsea captions this photo from last year on her blog: “Ocean City, Maryland, September 2016. I’ve gone bare-chested in Ocean City between 20 and 30 times in the last two years. By and large people ignored me, as they should.”

 

So what does the OAG’s letter say? First off it states the OAG’s opinion – that if topfree laws were challenged in Maryland courts, these laws would not be found unconstitutional on a state or federal level.

They back up their opinion by citing various case laws and try to make the same justifications as Ocean City did in its ordinance. They write:

“But equal protection principles do not require ‘things which are different in fact … to be treated in law as though they were the same.’ Michael M. v. Superior Court of Sonoma County, 450 U.S. 464, 469…”

That was quoting a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court ruling about statutory rape laws in California. At that time, the law only defined statutory rape as a crime committed against a female victim. So be default, only a male could be criminally charged. Michael M. tried to challenge the law on the basis that it was gender-discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional.

He lost after the justices voted 5-4. They basically said it was justified because sexual relations have greater consequences for women than they do for men. They also argued that it would help prevent teenage pregnancies. Their flawed logic was based on gender stereotypes and offered no proof of reducing teen pregnancies.

This case was supposed to be an example of how the law could “legitimately” treat genders differently and still be constitutional. At least as long as the court can justify it. But this was a terrible example. In fact, that CA law was overturned in 1993 and now the CA statutory rape law is gender-neutral.

The AOG letter goes on to say it’s been acceptable for other jurisdictions to discriminate with topfreedom because of the “’real physical differences’ between men and women in this regard.” Of course as I mentioned in the OC article, male and female breasts are almost identical. Many times people can’t even distinguish them if all other gender markers are removed from the picture so this argument is utter nonsense. Though I am sure we’re going to continue hearing it over and over again in the governments’ attempts to justify topfree discrimination.

Male Vs Female Breast and Nipple

 

Then we run into the “public / moral sensibilities” bullshit argument.

The AOG cited United States v. Biocic from 1991 which “held that a federal law prohibiting indecent exposure in national parks could be applied to topless women sunbathing and not men, without violating equal protection:

‘The important government interest is the widely recognized one of protecting the moral sensibilities of that substantial segment of society that still does not want to be exposed willy-nilly to public displays of various portions of their fellow citizens’ anatomies that traditionally in this society have been regarded as erogenous zones. These still include (whether justifiably or not in the eyes of all) the female, but not the male, breast.’”

This is basically an argument for outlawing something just because some people find it “offensive.” It is a disturbing idea to me, as I think it should be to anyone, that this type of reasoning is used as a valid basis for gender discrimination.

In the People v. Santorelli 1992 ruling that made topfreedom legal in NY, judge Vito J. Titone wrote in a concurring opinion:

“Indeed, the concept of ‘public sensibility’ itself, when used in these contexts may be nothing more than a reflection of commonly-held preconceptions and biases. One of the most important purposes to be served by the equal protection clause is to ensure that ‘public sensibilities’ grounded in prejudice and unexamined stereotypes do not become enshrined as part of the official policy of government.”

But we don’t have to go back to the 90’s to find a judge with this opinion. We have a 2017 opinion from a federal judge that beautifully argues in favor of topfree equality!

The opinion comes from a lawsuit in Fort Collins, Colorado. The city had passed a topless ordinance, and this past February, Judge R. Brooke Jackson issued a temporary injunction that blocks them from enforcing it (until the trial).

Judge Jackson’s opinion concludes that FC’s ordinance violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. He pretty much argues the complete opposite of the OAG’s letter.

Here is what he has to say about the issue of offending public / moral sensibilities:

“Throughout this case, Fort Collins has repeatedly pointed out that it is far from unique in enacting laws that criminalize females—and only females—who appear topless in public… and that striking down the law would upset many Fort Collins residents. Unfortunately, our history is littered with many forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women. As the barriers have come down, one by one, some people were made uncomfortable. In our system, however, the Constitution prevails over popular sentiment.”

And about how a topfree ordinance violates the Equal Protection Clause:

“The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment bars state governmental entities from discriminating between the sexes unless they have an ‘exceedingly persuasive justification’ for doing so. See United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515, 524 (1996); KT.& G Corp v. Attorney Gen. of State of Okla., 535 F.3d 1114, 1137 (10th Cir. 2008). Phrased somewhat differently, the government’s rationale for distinguishing between males and females must satisfy the intermediate scrutiny standard of being ‘substantially related’ to an ‘important governmental interest.’ Id.

This heightened standard bars governments from discriminating on the basis of supposed ‘differences’ between the sexes when doing so is a means of ‘creat[ing] or perpetuat[ing] the legal, social, and economic inferiority of women.’ Virginia, 518 U.S. at 534. Indeed, as the Supreme Court has made ‘abundantly clear in past cases[,] . . . gender classifications that rest on impermissible stereotypes violate the Equal Protection Clause, even when some statistical support can be conjured up for the generalization.’”

Judge Jackson is essentially explaining that thanks to the Equal Protection Clause, government cannot create laws based on gender stereotypes and then justify it by saying “But men and women are different”!

Obviously the sexes do have physical differences, and there are cases where there are valid reasons for differential treatment by the government. But as the judge notes, this is not one of those cases.

He explains that topfree ordinances are not based on physical differences, but on the “generalized notion that, regardless of a woman’s intent, the exposure of her breasts in public (or even in her private home if viewable by the public) is necessarily a sexualized act. Thus, it perpetuates a stereotype engrained in our society that female breasts are primarily objects of sexual desire whereas male breasts are not.”

Judge Jackson goes on to explain how this stereotype and sexual objectification are actually damaging and harmful to women and society. (Thank you, Judge!)

The fight for topfree equality in Fort Collins will continue, but this opinion from Judge Jackson is an important win that’s also going to help with topfreedom cases elsewhere.

At the end of their advice letter, the Maryland OAG equivocates by stating that public morals / sensibilities can change and “quickly.” They also advise law enforcement to consider “context” when enforcing the law and not to interpret it too broadly.

One could argue that popular opinion has already turned around in recent years, especially since the Free the Nipple campaign launched. But whether it changes and how fast it changes should be irrelevant. Topfree laws are discriminatory and unconstitutional, period. And the law should be leading social change, not falling back on stereotypes because it’s “the way we’ve always done it.”

Despite the OAG’s opinion and support of Ocean City, the battle is not over in Maryland…

Chelsea Covington has said she’s retained a national civil rights attorney named Devon M. Jacob. No doubt Chelsea will continue this fight for equality, and we stand with her!

aanr undressed press
When Should You Stop Being Naked In Front Of Your Kids?
By Megan Zandera
April 2017

In B.C. years (that's Before Children), you'd think nothing of walking naked from the shower to your closet or being topless for a few minutes while you hunt through the laundry pile for a bra. And when your baby was still a baby, you probably didn't change your naked ways all that much. But as your child gets older and refuses to let the bathroom door close unless they're on the other side with you, you might start to wonder if you need to to start covering up. Is there a point at which allowing your kids to see you naked isn't the best thing for their development, or is simply inappropriate? Or should you strut your stuff in the buff without caring if your kids see?

Of course, it's ultimately up to you whether you feel comfortable enough to be in your birthday suit around the house. But therapist Dr. Lynn Fraley told Romper that allowing your kids to see you naked won't harm them at all. In fact, it could even be good for them. "The few studies that have been done in this area have found that children who were exposed to parental nudity benefited from it," Fraley, a therapist based in Spokane, WA, explained. "Increased self-esteem and comfort with physical love and affection are present in households where children weren’t sheltered from the human body."

With that in mind, we asked some parents when they started to be more conscious of being naked around their kids. Turns out, age isn't a factor so much as how the child feels — and how you feel about it, too.
 

Some parents see no issue with it at all. "My girls are 6 and 5 .... and I roam around naked," said Betty*, 36. Meredith, 39, agreed: "My kids (boy/girl twins) are 9 and I still do. I figure they'll make it plenty clear when they're uncomfortable with it."

    "I recommend that families take cues from their children. They will let you know what makes them feel uneasy and it is your responsibility to be aware of their feelings."

Fraley said that this approach of waiting for your kids to tell you know when it's time to cover up is spot-on. "I recommend that families take cues from their children. They will let you know what makes them feel uneasy and it is your responsibility to be aware of their feelings."

Some parents think that it depends on the age of the child, as well as the gender. Wendy, a 39-year-old mom of two, told Romper that while she previously didn't have an issue with letting her sons see her naked, as her older child gets closer to puberty she's beginning to reconsider. "I'm just starting to feel sort of uncomfortable about it with my 10-year-old. I've started to hear him make sex jokes with his friends (nothing outrageous and most of it over their heads!)" she told Romper. Around her 4-year-old, however, she sees no issue with, say, being in the buff around the breakfast table.

Many moms feel that being nude in front of their kids can be a teaching moment for them. Thanks to the media's unrealistic representation of what real female bodies look like, some women deliberately decide not to cover up around their daughters to allow them to see what a female body looks like without Photoshop.

"I have 2 girls, ages 3.5 and 9.5. They see me naked all the time (mostly because they seem to love to talk to me when I am in the bathroom or getting dressed!)," Melody, 38, told Romper. "I never thought about not letting them see me naked. I guess I want them to feel comfortable with their bodies and not have to rely on the media for an unrealistic perception of how their bodies should look."

    "I think it's important she sees a 'normal' female body regularly so she knows not everyone is a model."  

Valerie, 35, also felt that allowing her daughter to see her nude teaches her an important lesson about body image. "My daughter is 9 and I am still naked in front of her sometimes, which I see as NBD since she sees naked strangers in the YMCA locker room whenever we go swimming," she told Romper. "I also think it's important she sees a 'normal' female body regularly so she knows not everyone is a model."  

This message of self-empowerment is crucial, according to Dr. Fraley, who warned that our kids can tell when we're not feeling comfortable in our own skin. "Hiding behind towels and generally feeling discomfort with your body will absolutely affect the way your children perceive themselves," she says. "If you are ashamed of your nakedness, how can you expect your children to feel good and embrace theirs?"

    "If you are ashamed of your nakedness, how can you expect your children to feel good and embrace theirs?"

Dr. Wyatt Fisher, a marriage counselor in Boulder, CO, agreed. He suggests being nude around your kids when you feel like it, with the caveat that you stop allowing children to see their parents naked once they start to take serious interest in what's between their legs. "You'll know you hit the age when your child moves from seeming oblivious to your sexual organs to constantly staring at them, making comments about them, and giggling about them," he says.

That's precisely what prompted Jennifer, a 34-year-old mother of 4, to stop being naked around her then-5-year-old son. "He started asking a lot of questions (which I answered in terms he could understand) and there was a lot of staring going on after that so I figured it was the right time for a little more discretion," she explains. "He'll still barge in on me in the bathroom though, if there is something he really needs." It's also different for men, she pointed out: her husband stopped being naked in front of their kids the second they "pointed a certain something out."

Worrying about at what point you may go from boosting your child's self-esteem to causing more harm than good seems stressful, but moms who've been there say the decision to cover up isn't something they had to debate. The transition will happen naturally when everyone's ready.

    "The human body is a beautiful thing and I think it’s very important for small children to know that it’s normal and natural to be naked."

It's also important to teach our children that nudity can be totally appropriate depending on the situation. "Something as incredible and nurturing as breastfeeding should not be hidden and acceptance of our bits and pieces should be celebrated." Dr. Farley reminds us. "The human body is a beautiful thing and I think it’s very important for small children to know that it’s normal and natural to be naked."

So follow your instincts and let your kids be your guide, instead of feeling like you have to stop being naked around them once they reach a certain age. As they develop a sense of modesty and approach puberty, they should show signs of wanting more privacy, which includes having you cover up. As long as they're cool with seeing you naked, you don't have to stress over whether you locked the bathroom door. But it's not a bad idea to have a pretty bathrobe on backup, just in case.

aanr undressed press
What’s it like to run a naked 5K? Fit City finds out at Star Ranch
Runners bare all at Bare Buns 5K in McDade.

By PAM LEBLANC   Pam LeBlanc writes about fitness and travel for the Austin American-Statesman.
Posted: 11:00 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 2017

Highlights:
+  Most runners wore running shoes and a hat, but nothing else.
+  Star Ranch in McDade, about an hour’s drive east of Austin, opened 60 years ago.
+  Most of the runners don’t live at the park; they signed up for the race because it’s unique.
+  Running naked feels pretty much like running with clothes on, but you get a cooling effect from the breeze.

Around me, dozens of naked people are applying sunscreen and stretching out their legs.

I’m still wearing street clothes, but in a few minutes, I know, I must join them. After all, I’ve come to Star Ranch, a nudist park about 10 miles east of Elgin in McDade, for the Bare Buns 5K.

It’s taken a lot of soul searching to get here, and for days I’ve contemplated how the race might unfold. Will I run into anybody I know? (Yes, three so far.) Will it be weird? (Sort of.) Will everybody have a perfect physique? (No, of course not.) Will my boobs get in the way? (No, too small.) Will my butt jiggle, horrifying runners behind me? (Who cares?) How will it feel to run without clothing? (I’m about to find out.)

To bolster my confidence — and frankly, I’m less worried about the nudity than my running pace, because I’ve been sidelined with plantar fasciitis for the past 14 months — I’ve enlisted a trio of friends. Two are running the race; the third is providing moral support for her husband while he runs. When I finally shuck off my shorts, she sprays a little glitter on my rump and gives me a fist bump.

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

I’ve written about the Bare Buns 5K in my Fit City blog several times in the past few years, and organizers always ask me to join in. Until now I’ve turned them down, but since I’ve declared 2017 my Year of Adventure, participating seems somehow fitting.

Besides, a quick scan of the website makes the place sound bucolic — “wholesome and safe! 110 wooded acres! Newly remodeled swimming pool!” The park opened in 1957, and about 50 people live here year-round. Others pay a day fee to use the tennis courts, nature trails, the Nekkid Lunch Cafe and campground. An activity calendar is packed with events like the upcoming Jimmy Buffet-themed Parrot Head weekend.

The park is part of the American Association for Nude Recreation. The Bare Buns 5K is one of four naked races in the organization’s southwest region. Although runners can wear whatever clothing they want (sports bras for women, for example), most are nude except for shoes.

My male friend is among them. “You want to see my new running outfit?” he asks with a wink. My female friend has covered her important parts with a tiny costume — a bird mask over her eyes, a pair of panda masks over her chest, and a black kitty mask at her groin. She’s practicing flicking her head like an eagle, and I can’t stop laughing.

Me? I’m suddenly down to a pair of running shoes and a straw cowboy hat. If I’m going to do this, I’m going all in.

As race time approaches, runners crowd toward the front to get a good start. I hang at the back. I’ll be happy just to finish.

This event, organizers tell me, typically draws between 100 and 120 people, most of whom don’t live at the park. But the residents get into it, handing out timing chips and directing athletes along the course. Afterward, there’s a pool party and burger cookoff.

“A lot are not nudists, but they’re willing to get naked and run and think it’s cool and different,” says park manager Rod McClanahan. “I think it has a lot to do with the uniqueness of it. We have lawyers, bankers, people that have been on TV — I think they just like the freedom aspect. Maybe it goes back to when we were little and we liked to run out of our diapers.”

At that, the race starts. Suddenly I’m running, in the buff, over pine-needle covered trails, sandy roads and a hay field. It’s hilly, and the course challenges. After a few minutes, I almost forget I’m naked. I’m just out there running.

Even better, I realize my heel doesn’t hurt. I start passing the other runners, and about two-thirds of the way in, one of the course attendants yells, “Females No. 1 and 2!” I’ve never won an overall race before, so that lights a fire under my (naked) butt. I pump my arms, speed my cadence and sweat. I catch my straw cowboy hat as it blows off my head.

And, in the end, I persevere, crossing the finish line first overall among the other females.

“This is the epitome of ‘I don’t care what people think,’” my guy friend tells me as we stand panting at the finish line. “I want to be able to sit on a porch and say, ‘Yep, I scuba dived, I sky dived, I did Ironman triathlons, and I ran a naked 5K.’ Everything’s an experience.”

I bump into another friend who hasn’t told anyone he’s here. He tells me later he signed up partly as a sort of test.

“I think it’s because I want to believe in myself, and in my self-confidence, that I’m comfortable enough with myself and that I love myself so much that I still want to experience and learn from new life adventures,” he says. “A part of it was a curiosity of running nude and what it would be like.”

He worried, though, that he might inadvertently stare at someone. That didn’t happen. He described the overall experience as freeing and exhilarating.

“I only experienced a short moment of being uncomfortable, and that is when I initially disrobed at my truck,” he said. “It was fleeting, and, once nude, I was amazingly comfortable with it.”

We agreed that once we began running it didn’t feel much different than any other race, other than a nice cooling effect from the breeze.

I will say this: I loved the naked run as a one-time, special event, but I’ll never become a nudist. My naked body is sacred territory, and I’m not going to share it with just anybody.

As for my friends? They loved the race, too.

“This was so fantastic,” one said. “What are we doing next?”

aanr undressed press
I spent a week at home in the nude, and this is what I learned about my body

CAT RODIE – last updated 09:51 April 3, 2017

After spending a week naked at home, the prospect of stripping off in public became less daunting.

I am not a total prude, but I've always possessed a degree of awkwardness about nudity. I can change into togs in a communal changing room, but I'll do it as fast as I can with my eyes fixed to the floor.

So when I read that naturists have higher self-esteem than those who keep their clothes on, I decided to spend a week in the nude in the privacy of my own home to see what I could learn. I hoped that my naked experiment would make me more comfortable with my body and its imperfections.

I worked, slept, cooked, cleaned, and got on with family life minus my clothes. Although I was a little apprehensive about my nudity project, on the whole I really enjoyed it.

There were low points. On one excruciatingly hot days, sweat pooled under my unsupported breasts and my thighs stuck to my synthetic office chair. I was extremely uncomfortable and desperate to cover up. On other days, though, my nudity was liberating and fun. There were even a few moments where I felt profoundly present in my body.

Then, one rainy afternoon, I ran into the backyard to rescue some laundry on the washing line. I'd forgotten I was nude, but the feeling of big bulbous raindrops on my skin was heavenly. It was something I hadn't experienced since childhood, and so joyful that I even sashayed around doing a bit of a dance before dashing back into the house with the laundry basket.

Apart from one accidental FaceTime incident (sorry, Jo!), the only people who saw me naked were my husband, who was amused but had no complaints, and my young daughters, who enjoyed poking my "squishy" tummy. By the end of the week, my nudity seemed to be business as usual.

Did it make me more comfortable with my body? Perhaps.

But what I absolutely gained was a sense of "knowing" about my body, as if I had rekindled a childhood friendship, or come home after a long and arduous journey.
 

There are legitimate reasons why nudity is good for you. As mentioned, University of London researchers discovered that naturists who took part in an online survey have higher self-esteem than their fully clothed peers. They also had better body image and were happier in general. Although the vast majority of survey participants were men, the positive body image effects extended for women, too.

After spending a week naked at home, the prospect of stripping off in public became less daunting. In fact, when I misunderstood an email about this article and thought that my editor was asking me to go to a nudist beach, I didn't completely baulk at the idea.

So, do naturists agree that being naked in public is an important part of the self-esteem equation?

Jenni Parry, 48, has been a naturist for five years. "People are judged by what they wear; the brand and labels of their clothes," she says. "And the fit: is it too tight, too baggy, hanging too low, showing arse crack, too much cleavage – the list goes on. Without clothes, you are accepted as you are."

Parry tells me that naturism has released her from "a vicelike grip" of society's expectations of how she should look.

"Once you are comfortable in your own skin, you own your spot in the world," she says. "And man, do I own that spot! Yes, I'm human, so I have moments [of self-critique]. But they are less often and easier to come out of."

Psychologist Dr Samantha Clarke says that many of us view ourselves though a very critical lens: "We don't look at our body as a whole, we focus on the bits we don't like."

Spending time nude can help us perceive our body as a whole, she explains. "Getting comfortable with your body, and being aware of all the amazing things it does, can really help you embrace its assets.

"Your body isn't who you are," says Clarke. "It's just a vehicle that allows you to move around the world."

aanr undressed press
Nude Versus Prude: What the Experts Say About What to Wear – & Not to Wear – to Bed

April 7, 2017
RESTONIC BLOG

It’s time to stop being clothes-minded when it comes to sleeping naked

The people have spoken. Their preference between sleeping nude and sleepwear is clear. Cover it up! Only an estimated 8% of the population prefers being naked between the sheets. But wait just a minute before you commit to pajamas for good.

There’s a significant body of research that suggests naked is the healthier way to go in bed. It may even be better for your love life. “When you and partner both sleep naked, the skin to skin contact will release oxytocin, the natural feel-good hormone, and it even reduces blood pressure,” explains Dr. Fran Walfish, a Beverly Hills family and relationship psychotherapist, author, The Self-Aware Parent.

And given the impact of body temperature on quality of sleep, going nude might help keep skin temperature from over-heating to a level where it causes disruption and an increase in early morning waking, according to a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

There’s also evidence that spending time au naturel could boost happiness and confidence levels, as research from Goldsmiths University of London attests. Could it make you wealthier, too? Some researchers have made that leap because there’s evidence that people with self-confidence tend to have higher incomes.

It’s not surprising that the American Association for Nude Recreation is all for it. Public relations/communications Alexandra Schuttauf says, “Go to sleep with nothing between you and the sheets. Multiple recent studies have linked weight gain and obesity to lack of sleep. And one of the most popular ways that people are getting a better night’s sleep is by shedding their pajamas and inhibitions and reaping the rewards of increased comfort.”

Despite what science says, shyness still rules. Just 31% of American men shed their clothes for bedtime versus 47% for British gents, according to one study.

Both American and British women feel the same away about sleeping naked with just 14% and 17% respectively participating. In another study published in Allure.com, there’s one possible explanation: 31% of female pajama wearers said that didn’t want their partners to see them in the nude.

Clothes versus nudity isn’t a black & white issue

Some people prefer a happy medium and opt for being partially clothed at bedtime. About 53% of Americans prefer this middle ground, as cited by Men’s Fitness magazine.

But you should be aware that wearing any type of clothing to bed does pose some challenges and even risks. Microbes from our skin cells can be transferred to fabric and could cause infections if they get into cuts. It’s important to exercise good jammies hygiene and wash whatever you don regularly – at least once a week.

One survey revealed that 38% of men said underwear was their garb of choice, while 37% of women opted for a two-piece pajama set. Washing frequency was another story though. Men waited an average of 13 nights before laundering their sleepwear, while women stuck to the same sleep outfit for 17.

What’s the bottom (pun intended) line in the nude versus prude sleep conundrum? According to Michael Larson, a member of the Sleep Research Society, a professor at the University of Colorado and founder and CEO of Sleep Shepherd, you should do what you like.

“While there are issues of body temperature and comfort that come into play, at the end of the day (literally), sleep is all about slowed brainwave activity,” he says. “Feeling uptight is a sure way to keep our brain humming and not sleeping; so people should sleep in, or out of, whatever makes them feel most relaxed.”

David Ezell, CEO and clinical director of Darien Wellness, a counseling and mental wellness group in Darien, Connecticut, has a slightly different view. “When I am evaluating clients who are in my office suffering from insomnia, what to wear, or not wear, is a frequent topic in my initial evaluation and treatment plan. I always suggest trying a change for a number of nights and seeing what the outcome is.”

He agrees with Larson that there is no “should” on the subject. “Throw that word out the window and let comfort be your guide.”

And that’s the naked truth…

LOOKING TO SHED SOME EXTRA
POUNDS? TRY SLEEPING NAKED

If you’re looking to shed some extra weight, weight loss experts suggest sleeping naked might be the secret.

Sleeping in the nip “offers significant health benefits” including maintaining your body temperature and keeping cooler, which usually results in a less disturbed sleep cycle.

When you aren’t sleeping through the night, your body produces more cortisol, a steroid hormone which can lead to an increase in your appetite.

Dr. Sarah Brewer explained the importance of body temperature and sleep, saying: “Sleeping naked means that your body remains cooler during the night, which is important as overheating is a common cause of disturbed sleep.

“Being too hot in bed by three to four degrees changes brain-wave patterns, reduces the amount of time you spend in REM sleep, increases the chances of waking up and reduces deep sleep.

“Many worry about sleeping naked in the winter, however if your bedroom is the recommended temperature of between 18-24 degrees all year round, there shouldn’t be a problem.” Other benefits to sleeping naked include increasing male fertility and can help “improve relationships with your significant other.”

Source: WWW.AANR.COM

Sunlight offers surprise benefit: It energizes infection fighting T cells

Date: December 20, 2016
Source:  Georgetown University Medical Center
Summary:  Sunlight, through a mechanism separate than vitamin D production, energizes T cells that play a central role in human immunity, researchers have found. The findings suggest how the skin, the body’s largest organ, stays alert to the many microbes that can nest there.

FULL STORY

A surprise research finding could reveal another powerful benefit of getting some sun.

Sunlight allows us to make vitamin D, credited with healthier living, but a surprise research finding could reveal another powerful benefit of getting some sun.

Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have found that sunlight, through a mechanism separate than vitamin D production, energizes T cells that play a central role in human immunity.

Their findings, published today in Scientific Reports, suggest how the skin, the body's largest organ, stays alert to the many microbes that can nest there.

"We all know sunlight provides vitamin D, which is suggested to have an impact on immunity, among other things. But what we found is a completely separate role of sunlight on immunity," says the study's senior investigator, Gerard Ahern, PhD, associate professor in the Georgetown's Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. "Some of the roles attributed to vitamin D on immunity may be due to this new mechanism."

They specifically found that low levels of blue light, found in sun rays, makes T cells move faster -- marking the first reported human cell responding to sunlight by speeding its pace.

"T cells, whether they are helper or killer, need to move to do their work, which is to get to the site of an infection and orchestrate a response," Ahern says. "This study shows that sunlight directly activates key immune cells by increasing their movement."

Ahern also added that while production of vitamin D required UV light, which can promote skin cancer and melanoma, blue light from the sun, as well as from special lamps, is safer.

And while the human and T cells they studied in the laboratory were not specifically skin T cells -- they were isolated from mouse cell culture and from human blood -- the skin has a large share of T cells in humans, he says, approximately twice the number circulating in the blood.

"We know that blue light can reach the dermis, the second layer of the skin, and that those T cells can move throughout the body," he says.

The researchers further decoded how blue light makes T cells move more by tracing the molecular pathway activated by the light.

What drove the motility response in T cells was synthesis of hydrogen peroxide, which then activated a signaling pathway that increases T cell movement. Hydrogen peroxide is a compound that white blood cells release when they sense an infection in order to kill bacteria and to "call" T cells and other immune cells to mount an immune response.

"We found that sunlight makes hydrogen peroxide in T cells, which makes the cells move. And we know that an immune response also uses hydrogen peroxide to make T cells move to the damage," Ahern says. "This all fits together."

Ahern says there is much work to do to understand the impact of these findings, but he suggests that if blue light T cell activation has only beneficial responses, it might make sense to offer patients blue light therapy to boost their immunity.

SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED THE SECRET TO
HAPPINESS - AND IT’S STRIPPING OFF AND GETTING
NAKED

JOHN VON RADOWITZ

As written in WWW.AANR.COM

Casting off clothes as well as cares may be the key to happiness and well-being,
research suggests.  Scientists revealed the naked truth after investigating the psychological effects of  nudism.  They found that people taking part in naturist activities felt better about themselves, their bodies and their lives overall.

The more time they spent naked, or partially disrobed, the happier they were.  Lead
researcher Dr Keon West, from Goldsmiths, University of London , said: “The naturists have been saying this for some time.

“However, despite a lot of positive claims, little to no empirical research has investigated whether naturist activity (rather than attitude or beliefs) actually makes us happier or, just as importantly, why it makes us happier.”

In the first of a series of studies, an online survey of 850 British citizens found higher levels of contentment and positive body image among those who spent significant amounts of time wholly or partially naked in public.

Two further studies took place at a “Bare all for Polar Bears” event at Yorkshire Wildlife Park and British Naturism’s Waterworld event in Stoke-on-Trent.  At both events, participants were psychologically assessed just before shedding their clothes and before getting dressed again.

In each case people experienced “immediate and significant improvements in body-image, self-esteem and life satisfaction” when free of their clothes.

Analysis of the data suggested that seeing other people naked was more important than being naked yourself. The findings appear in the Journal of Happiness Studies.

Dr. West pointed out that for a long time many people, including health experts, assumed that public nudity was a sign of psychological dysfunction.

He thought more research was needed involving a wider range of participants.

Most of of those taking part in the survey were white, heterosexual and middle-aged.
Naturism may offer a low-cost and simple solution to body dissatisfaction, Dr West
added.

“At the very least, this is worth investigating,” he said.

Daily Mail.com

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Personal trainer launches Britain's first nude-ercise class where keep fit fanatics work out completely NAKED 

• Helen Smith led circuits-style workout class for ten people in Southampton
• Class attended by those aged 33-70 included jumping-jacks and push-ups
• It is 'gentle boot-camp style exercise with partner games and teamwork'
• Class is nude but participants can wear trainers for exercises if they wish 

By Mark Duell for MailOnline

Published: 02:37 EST, 23 January 2017 | Updated: 06:53 EST, 23 January 2017

Ocala StarBanner 2-14-2017

 DEAR ABBY

Less is more than enough when mom walks in the nude

DEAR ABBY: I am 26 years old, and my mother still walks around naked in front of me with no warning. I’ve told her several times that it makes me uncomfortable, but she seems not to take me seriously. In her culture (she’s not from the U.S.), walking around naked is no problem. But I’m tired of seeing her breasts unexpectedly.

I’m all about positive body image, but it’s strange to me to see a 62-year-old woman’s breasts. Am I the one who has an issue? I’m open to any advice or recommendations. — ‘NUDIE’S’ DAUGHTER IN HOUSTON

DEAR DAUGHTER: It appears you are, indeed, the one who has the issue. If you’re seeing your mother walk around in a state of undress, I’m guessing that, although you are an adult, you are still living under her roof. In her house, she has the privilege of making the rules, not you. If she is comfortable walking around au naturel, you will either have to accept it or move out. The choice is yours.

Ford to pump $1B into AI for driverless cars

Ford plans to spend US$1 billion over the next five years on the development of an artificial intelligence system for driverless cars.

Ford will investment the money in Argo AI, a start-up founded by former leaders from Google and Uber's self-driving car research units, and they will work toward the goal of a system that's ready for deployment in 2021.

The research will be focused on a virtual driver system capable of operating at what's called "SAE level 4." It's one of five levels defined for self-driving cars and specifically describes an autonomous car that's capable of completely controlling the vehicle in almost any condition. After it has been engaged, drivers do not need to pay attention to the driving.

It's a step more advanced that many of today's demonstration systems, which still require driver control in many situations, and one step down from full automation.

Ford has already said that it's hoping to have a level-4 commercial vehicle ready for sale in 2021.

Argo AI is based in Pittsburgh and was recently founded by Bryan Salesky, who headed hardware development at Waymo, Google's self-driving car unit, and Peter Rander, who was an engineer at Uber's autonomous car research project.

Like other auto makers, Ford has already begun researching autonomous driving technology, but Friday's announcement, which also makes Ford majority shareholder in Argo AI, goes beyond the company's own cars.

Ford said the technology could be licensed to other companies looking at autonomous technology. That's a departure from much of the driverless car research to date, which has been focused on the company's own vehicles.

Argo AI will have about 200 employees working on the project once it gets up and going.

Year in Review 2016: Nudism in Movies and Naked TV Shows

Review of Nudism in Film and Naked TV Shows in 2016

So 2016 has just ended, and I think many of you would join me in saying, good riddance!!

But I thought it’d be fun to look back at nudism in the past year — specifically how nudism and nudity appeared in movies and TV. Did Disney really put nudism into one of its big movies? Did the naked TV show trend produce the worst naked reality show ever made? Read on to find out!

Nudism was part of a Disney movie!

In the hit Disney film Zootopia, all the animals wear clothing because they’re supposed to be like humans. That is, all except for the animals who go naked at the local “naturalist” club. This is established in one funny scene when the two main characters visit in search of a missing mammal.

Zootopia “naturalist club” pool. (Walt Disney Co)

 

The club, which is called “The Mystic Spring Oasis,” is like nudist club meets hippie commune. The nudists can be seen playing volleyball on land and in the pool, reveling in a mud bath (naked pigs) and practicing naked yoga. They show absolutely no shame when they bend over or spread their legs for a yoga pose (of course you don’t actually see any genitals or anuses), and that’s part of the humor.

Zootopia naturalist club volleyball

 

Naked yoga in Zootopia (Walt Disney Co)

 

Their host says, “Yeah some mammals say the naturalist life is weird. But you know what I say is weird? Clothes on animals!”

My main question after seeing this was, Did the writers / producers accidentally use the wrong word – naturalist? Confusing it with “naturist” like so many do? Or was it intentional? Maybe it was supposed to connect to the actual meaning of “naturalist” (one who studies plants and animals)? Or maybe they liked that it had the full word “natural” in it? We may never know.

Nudism was also on the Showtime drama Masters of Sex.

On the (now cancelled) Showtime series Masters of Sex, episode 6 of season 4 had a subplot involving a fictional nudist club. Masters’ ex-wife Libby accompanies her new lawyer boyfriend Bram to visit the club, of which the owners are his clients.

It should be noted this series takes place in the 60’s. The club is called Shangri-Lawn. (Perhaps they took inspiration from the real-life nudist club Shangri-La Ranch in AZ?) When they enter the club, we get some full-frontal male nudity for once! Yes! The club is buzzing with activity, and we see many nudists walking around and playing Frisbee and badminton.

Before the episode premiered, I learned about it from the SCNA newsletter. Turns out they were originally going to film it at the home of SCNA president Rolf and his wife. Their home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr and would be altered to look like a 60’s “nudist colony.” The producers wanted real nudists in the scenes, so members of SCNA were going to play the background extras.

But apparently they decided to hire extras from a casting company instead and film at a different location in the Santa Clarita Valley. Oh, well! To their credit, the hired extras were of different ages and body types, so at least they represented a somewhat real group of nudists.

Libby and Bram sit down with the nudist club owners to discuss the lawsuit in Masters of Sex Season 4, ep 6 (Showtime)

 

In the episode, Bram is there to discuss a neighbor’s lawsuit that says the club isn’t allowed to sell food and alcohol based on zoning laws.

The lawsuit seems to be a “crusade” against them, from people who find their lifestyle obscene. It’s a plausible storyline as nudists are all too familiar with real-life anti-nudity crusaders, as well as the difficulties of getting around laws that prohibit nudity with alcohol sales. Back then as well as now.

During their discussion, the nudist club owners bring up freedom of speech as their defense. But Libby is the smart one who’s like, “What are you ‘saying’ without clothes?” Some nudists have tried to legalize nudity or turn over anti-nudity legislation based on 1st amendment rights in the past, and it has failed. (It’s also a much harder case to argue.) Since it’d be impossible for them to get a liquor license, Libby proposes a much easier workaround – they can “sell” everything by donation and use vouchers instead of money.

Does this German film have the best nude scene of the year?

Vulture seems to think so. I haven’t seen the film in question, Toni Erdmann, which just came out in the US on Christmas day. I have low expectations for when nudity is used for humor (or anything really) in film, but after reading that article’s description of it, I want to see this movie. It sounds fresh and entertaining, and it’s received great reviews.

Watch A Short Documentary Film on Nudist Hikers in the Alps

Travelling Light is a delightful short film by Conxi Fornieles about a group of people who enjoy hiking naked in the Austrian Alps every year in July. It started premiering at film festivals in 2015, and about a month ago, Conxi posted it online to her Vimeo page for all to view! It runs about 18 minutes.

The TV Nudity Trend Continued in 2016…

Unfortunately VH1’s Dating Naked continued its descent into the dregs of reality TV. It’s never been as good as it was in its first season. I would now describe it as like The Real World but with more (censored) nudity and dating.

Naked Attraction

I didn’t think a naked dating show could get worse. But then along came UK Channel 4’s series – Naked Attraction.

Naked Attraction TV Show Channel 4

 

I recently suffered through most of an episode so you don’t have to. Before I even watched it, I was rather horrified by the premise… One contestant chooses from six different naked people, or six naked bodies rather. The naked bodies are gradually revealed – starting with their lower halves (from their genitals to their feet).

Naked Attraction show contestants (Channel 4)

 

I feel like the show is totally obsessed with genitalia. The camera repeatedly zooms in for crotch shot close-ups, and if the contestant doesn’t comment on the penis or vulva in front of them, the host will push them to give their opinion. It’s super awkward and quite weird.

Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson moves in for a penis close-up with main dating contestant (Channel 4)

 

Of course they do comment on other parts of the body as well (such as legs, feet, chest hair). The show tries to justify these superficial judgments with scientific tidbits on why one gender might find a certain trait to be attractive, such as tattoos or long hair. When a female contestant commented on testicle size, the host introduced one of these science bits by saying, “Turns out you really can judge a man by his balls.” What followed was a brief explanation about how testosterone connects to testicle size and mating and why women would prefer a “bigger daddy.”

Naked Attraction was immediately and widely met with disapproval. Many people were describing it as icky, repulsive, exploitative, objectifying, creepy, appalling and a “final harbinger of the apocalypse.” Maybe it’s not the apocalypse, but it is the rest of that. It’s really bad, you guys. Really!

Some have said the one good thing about it is the body diversity. The contestants are average people of different shapes and sizes, and being real people, their genitals are all unique in appearance. Unlike weird America with our anti nudity hang-ups, in the UK, they don’t censor anything. However all of this, in my opinion, is definitely not enough to redeem the show. There are much, much better ways to introduce people to body diversity.

AND YET, the viewership said otherwise as it’s being renewed for a 2nd season! The apocalypse will be filled with awkward genital close-ups once again.

Conan went to a nude beach in Berlin

Conan did another naked bit on his show (a previous naked segment involved a Korean nude spa) and this time he visited a nude beach in Berlin, Germany. He didn’t get naked himself, but had actor Flula Borg on as his German host. I almost didn’t watch it as I expected it to be just juvenile humor and maybe some casual body-shaming. But… I’m actually glad I did! There is some juvenile humor of course, but also a few funny moments.

How about this one – “Have you not seen a man’s anus before? (I’ve seen it, yes) There’s another one!”

And on that note, I shall end this review and wish you all a happy 2017! I hope we all get more great movies and better TV nudity.

Young Naturists & Nudists America

Swimming Naked And My Nude Mermaid Memories

Being A Nude Mermaid and Swimming Naked

(Swimming Naked And My Mermaid Memories is a guest blog)

Back in the 80’s it was really not too crazy for a pre-teen to be allowed to swim alone in a backyard pool. I think it’s changed a lot since then, with media relaying information on pool accidents to everyone’s home. But for me, swimming by myself was some of the very best times I had.

On exceptionally bright sunny days, I loved to look at the floor of the pool when I moved my hair back and forth and it seemed to move in slow motion. I loved the idea of being by myself because my friends would think it highly uncool to play pretend right before entering our teen years. Alone however, I could easily pretend our pool was an expansive ocean and I – a mermaid.

Mermaid statue by Jitr Buabus via wikimedia commons

 

It’s easy to remember the first time I decided to slip out of my swimsuit and swim naked as I was sure that’s what mermaids did. I made sure to keep my body under the water so that anyone who may be looking over from neighboring houses wouldn’t see that I was naked.

I remember thinking it felt warmer without my swimsuit on. The sun was really bright that day and I could feel the it on my back through the water. I went underwater to see my shadow on the floor of the pool and was amazed at the shape of my body. I thought in my suit, with the usual childlike thoughts of “I’m so fat“, that I now (in my birthday suit) looked much leaner.

Swimming naked was one of my favorite things to do. It was so freeing and made me feel so close to nature. I thought for sure that if my Mom ever caught me she would think I was crazy!

At night was the best, as I had no fears of anyone seeing me. It was then that my mermaid persona would do jumps from the water like a dolphin. The mermaid in me could swim for hours in that backyard pool, enjoying the warm air on my skin and the cool water against my body.

Admittedly, I didn’t like my body too much before that summer. It had started to change so dramatically and I would usually hide it under layers of large t-shirts and zip up sweatshirts.

That summer, however, I started to feel much more comfortable with my body. I started to appreciate the changes, as if the mermaid in me believed they were scales and fins growing so I could swim faster.

I never let go of that mermaid and today, when the sun goes down, the mermaid, though much older, still swims naked in the pool.

This guest blog about Swimming Naked was published by Young Naturists and Nudists America

Naked Spring Break – Yup I Was Nude In Florida

The Story Of My Florida Naked Spring Break

(This Naked Spring Break Post Was Submitted by a Guest blogger)

Naked Spring Break Vacation To Florida

My Naked Spring Break – My fist experience being nude in public took place during a spring break Florida adventure with friends in South Beach, Miami. My girlfriends and I had driven down from our college in Savannah, Georgia to party and have some fun in the sun. After a few cocktails at a local bar and checking into our hotel, we went shopping for swimsuits. The drinks must have gone to my head because I picked out the skimpiest little thong bikini that they had in the store. My friends chose more modest suits but I was feeling more daring than usual.

Back at our room, I had to shave so I could wear the suit without embarrassment (it was the first time I had ever shaved myself completely). On the beach I felt great about my body, but I could feel a lot of eyes staring at me and began to feel self conscious about the way I looked. To be perfectly honest, I’ve always had some body image issues… I felt ashamed of the size of my butt and I noticed that many of them men were staring at it as I walked by.

My Naked Spring Break

 

I decided I would head into the water to avoid the prying eyes. I swam down the beach for a long time and suddenly noticed that I had completely lost my friends! I decided to get out of the water and headed back to the shore. As I was walking back, I looked around and noticed that all the people were naked. I realized that I had stumbled upon a part of the beach that was naked friendly.

I was a little nervous at first, especially since I had shaved off all my pubic hair. But I decided I would take the plunge and get naked! I stripped out of that little thong and let the sun hit my bare skin (all of it) for the first time in my adult life. It felt so good and warm against the parts of my body that are normally covered up by clothes.

I found it funny that on this part of the beach, no one seemed to notice me. I felt so comfortable and confident walking along the beach with my naked body in full view. Feeling my ample buttocks swaying in the wind was kind of fun too. Soon I reached the end of the nude beach section. I put my thong bikini back on and jogged back to my friends who were further up the beach.

They asked where I had been. I thought about telling my friends about my naked experience but then I thought it better to keep it a secret – a little something just for me to take away from our, or I guess I should say my, nude spring break trip.

This post – naked spring break in florida and a first time social nude experience was published by Young Naturists and Nudists America YNA

Jewish Nudists And How Judaism Views Nudism and Nakedness

Jewish Nudists – Every Wonder What Judaism Thinks Of Nudism?

Jewish Nudists and the Jewish Nudist by YNA

Jewish Nudists – Jewish religion and nudism have both been around for centuries. But what is the Jewish religion’s view on nudism and being a Jewish nudist?

First, it should be noted that there are different forms of Judaism, all of which share some basic beliefs. These forms are mystic Judaism, traditional Judaism, Reform and Humanistic Judaism (to name but a few). One of the basic beliefs that all of these forms share is in the ancient festival rituals, as well as the belief regarding the nature of God and humankind and the relationship between them.

As well as sharing common beliefs, the different forms of Judaism have their separate beliefs as well. And so it is regarding naturism. The most basic belief is that nudity is only acceptable when absolutely necessary, such as when taking a shower, during certain religious rituals or during sexual intimacy.

Different Jewish cultures and traditions, as well as their interpretation of the Halakha, determines how much of one’s body must stay covered both in public and in private.

A Mikveh for Jewish Naked Women

 

Those who practice strict orthodox Judaism believe that the body should be covered and afford limited viewing by others, including one’s spouse. They follow the laws of Tznius, which means modesty. Women cover their bodies between elbows and knees, and married women cover their heads. Men must all cover upper arms, collarbones, legs and hair.

Some still follow the Code of Law in the Hulchan setting forth that when using the bathroom, one must expose as little of their body as possible, and that they change before and after bed under the covers. They also believe that although both husband and wife must be naked during sex, the act must be completed under the covers and in complete darkness.

Jewish Nudists

Seemingly contrary to the belief in covering one’s body, a ritual bath called “mikvaot” is practiced in some Jewish communities. All clothing, bandages and jewelry are removed before the person is submerged completely in water.

On the other hand, while not condoning naturism, more liberal Jews leave the decision up to each person.

However, there is a form of Judaism called Jewish Ascetic Nudism which embraces nude ascetic Jewish rituals. Those who practice this form of Judaism come from varied backgrounds and include those who are traditional to those who are liberal.

It is felt that Ascetic Nudism is a spiritual path that is rich and rewarding. It is believed that by removing clothing during observance of rituals that they are acknowledging their wholeness as a living being that has already been blessed by God and not needing anything else to survive on this earth.

Naked Jewish Nudist Man

 

Michael Satlow wrote an article in the “Journal of Biblical Literature” wherein he sets forth the reluctance of Jewish men to be naked.

He further discusses a Jewish law which states, “A woman who goes outside with even her head uncovered or garments ripped can be divorced… all the more so if she attends a bathhouse in which there are men.”

Although there are different forms of Judaism with varied beliefs regarding nudism, it is obvious that the majority still believe in modesty.

This article about Jewish Nudists was published by – Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

Nude Beach First Time Visitors Guide

Nude Beach Guide and Visiting Naked Beaches

(Post was updated on 5/9/2016)

Visiting a Nude Beach

The naked human form is beautiful. Your body is beautiful. Unfortunately, in most places, it is illegal to be completely nude outside of one’s own home. Such is not the case on an officially sanctioned Nude Beach.

Nude beaches, also known as Naturist, Nudist, Clothing Optional, Clothing Free and Free Beaches. They are public places where one can freely be in the nude without fear of legal repercussions. Many unofficial nude beaches are also tolerated by local residents and legal officials.

When did Nude Beaches Become Popular?

Nude beaches came into popularity and common public knowledge in the 1950’s when they started popping up along the French coast and other places in Europe such as Germany and Denmark. Since then, nude beaches, while still fairly rare, have shown up all over the world.

Why are Nude Beaches generally located in isolated or hard to get to areas?

Usually isolated, signs are put up to “warn” others who may be uncomfortable with nudity — and the isolation also helps to protect nudists from unwanted voyeurs.

How is a nude beach different from a regular textile beach?

Nude beaches are similar in nature to a “regular” beach, except, of course, the patrons are completely au naturel – naked.

Do religious people visit the nude beach?

Many people, when considering going to a nude beach, question not only the legal aspects, but the moral aspects as well. It may surprise you to learn that many Christian—and denominations thereof—are perfectly fine with social nudity.

Is there a lot of sex or open sexuality at a nude beach?

In America, the Christian nudist convocation believes in the beauty of “chaste” nudity. Nudity and sexuality are often linked, but they don’t necessarily have to be. In fact, most Christian naturists believe that it’s clothes that make a body sexual. To put it simply: if you see someone in the nude all the time, you begin not to notice it anymore. It becomes normal and you no longer feel “urges” toward that person.

However, if that person is normally clothed, due to the curiosity of the unknown and the “forbidden,” when they remove their clothing, it is more likely to become a sexualized experience. Most anti-nudity ordinance and views are politically based but the root of these laws is actually derived from misguided religious interpretations.

Visiting a Nude Beach

 

What are some of the reasons people visit a nude beach?

Those who choose to go to a nude beach not only enjoy the anonymity it provides (most nude beaches don’t require any sort of membership), but they also enjoy the acceptance they feel.

In a nudist environment, social barriers are shed and things such as race and social status no longer matter. Without clothes, everyone is forced to rid themselves of their pride, guilt, shame, insecurities, and ego. Culture and society are left behind and all that’s left is their true selves.

Can visiting a nude beach be good for body image?

Pornographers, and even many mainstream photographers and filmmakers, give unrealistic expectations for people and their body image. At a nude beach, one can experience naked bodies in all shapes, sizes, ages, races, and genders.

Some have even used going to a nude beach as a form of psychotherapy; saying that it’s changed their lives and the way they see themselves and others. If you’re looking for a place where you can be one with nature, and be accepted physically, emotionally, and intellectually; then a nude beach may just be the place for you!

Answers To Your Nudist Beach Questions By YNA

Your Nudist beach Guide By YNA

Nudist Beach – Before we actually go into the subject of the nude beach itself we would like to make it very clear what nudism is. Nudism is far different from porn or sex, as wine is from a cup of coffee and people must not confuse the rather seedy world of pornography or sex for titillation with the nudist philosophy.

Before we get to the Nudist Beach, let’s start with – What is nudism?

Well, the very use of the word is a bit of a but for bar room jokes. BUT many people who are part of this movement really prefer the word naturist because that sums up what they are about much more succinctly.

We all entered the world naked, and this was the way that men and women walked around during a large chunk of our history. Of course the weather played a part in why people ever wore clothing, as it still does today.

But as our natural selves, sans clothing, we are all on the same level. The doctor and the mechanic are indistinguishable without uniforms or anything to indicate their profession.

What is a nudist beach?

This should not be mistaken for a topless / topfree beach where the genitals are covered up. A nudist beach is a place where complete freedom of our bodies is the norm and where clothing is an option that is rarely taken advantage of.

These types of beaches, for the most part, started in Europe but now can be found all over the world. Some are private whilst others are parts or allocated sections of “normal” textile beaches.

There are lots of reasons for visiting a nudist beach, not the least of which is the feeling of complete freedom, being one with nature and the joy of walking around in our natural form as we were intended to be.

Nudist Beach Warning Sign

 

A lot of nudist beaches have been such for many years and are not managed by any type of formal agreement. With that said, others have fought and won for their right to exist. The nudie friendly areas are usually “segregated” or are in more isolated parts of the coastline. Sometimes there are signs posted to stop people who don’t feel at ease with naturism to let them know about any possible encounters with naked people.

So what is so wrong with going nude on a beach? For most people who have not experienced it, there are certain fears and misconceptions. Mean think that by exposing their genitals and being among lots of nude people people may find it difficult not to get aroused (they are afraid of getting an erection in public)

Felicity with YNA flag at Gaash Nudist Beach

 

In reality this type of beach environment is no more sexually charged than a textile beach is, and the experience is far less intimidating than the thoughts that you might embarrass yourself.

For the most part, people on nudist beaches carry on with the same types of activities as a textile beach. Volleyball, water skiing and Frisbee; they just do it without the clothes.

The attractions of going to a nude beach are obvious, as skinny dipping or scuba diving in the nude makes for a totally different experience. If you can get over your initial reservations and give it a try, you may get hooked.

Thinking about visiting Nude Beaches

What to expect when visiting nude beaches:

Nude Beaches – Have you ever been to nude beaches that have a section allocated especially for nudists / naturists? If so, then you probably already know that the clothing optional sections of the beach seems to always have so much more people than the textile or clothed sections. So What is so appealing about nude beaches?

What types of people visit nude beaches?

Being at a nudist resort may be an uncomfortable experience for a first time nudie, especially if you’re insecure about your body. That said, the majority of visitors at nude beaches will mostly have “average bodies” that come in all shapes and sizes.

Having the perfect body is not the reason why many people frequent nude beaches – far from it. The reasons people enjoy are that it’s fun, it’s natural, it’s simple, and it makes people feel accepted. Believe it or not, social nudity is fun and comfortable for many. It brings out your inner child and helps you cut loose. Sometimes clothing may feel uncomfortable and unsanitary. Feeling the freedom of being naked is one of the reasons why many people enjoy being nude.

Why even visit nude beaches?

Nudity is all about relaxation, especially when you’re on vacation. When people go to a resort or take a week off, they don’t want to deal with stress. There’s nothing more relaxing than nude sunbathing at nude beaches. The best part is that at a nude beach most people are naked, and any insecurities fade away as you succumb to total relaxation.

Nude beaches can be a very natural experience. If you can just picture a gentle breeze, the warm sun, the spray from the ocean, and going into the warm water, then you’ll see how it can make you feel connected to nature. No matter how much clothing we wear, we are still human beings who were born without clothing.

Textile / Clothing-Optional Sign at Playa Sonrisa beach

 

Nudity in a group setting is appealing because everyone feels accepted and care-free just like nature intended us to be.

Everything You Need To Know Before Visiting Nude Beaches and other Nude Beach blogs and posts were published by Young Naturists and Young Nudists America YNA

A Teenage Nudist Experience at Eureka Nudist Club

A Guest Teenage Nudist Personal Story

(Guest Nudist Blog About Being A Teenager and Nudism)

A Teenage Nudist Is Born:

My Teenage Nudist Story – I grew up in Scotland in the 1960s and moved to London when I was 16 in 1973. Shortly after arriving in London, I saw an advertisement in Time Out magazine asking for people to join a nudist club in Kent. I arrived at Eureka nudist resort near Long-field early one evening.

Having never been naked in a public place before, I was a little bit embarrassed at first and was frightened to take off my clothes for about the first 10 minutes. Then, being determined to take the plunge and get naked, I took off all my clothes suddenly and very quickly and was never embarrassed about it again after that. It had been something that I had always wanted to do since I went through puberty at the age of 11 or 12 and entered my teenage years.

When undressing at night, I would have this ecstatic feeling and would walk around naked in my room for about fifteen to twenty minutes each night looking at myself in the mirror. I also started to get sexually aroused around that time, although I didn’t really understand much about that at the time as, while it might seem hard to believe now, in the small town in Scotland where I grew up, at that time, many kids didn’t learn the facts of life until they were about 12 years old. No-one had explained to me what erections were although I probably had them most nights and would sit there, feeling sexually excited, listening to music like the early Pink Floyd in the dark, feeling as if I was floating in space.

I was generally considered to have grown up “too quickly”, but what my parents and other people at the time didn’t understand was that, probably due to my early puberty, I was in some sort of spiritual ecstasy much of the time, which came to me from a variety of sources such as listening to imaginative music, looking up at a starry sky at night, going for long walks in the country and becoming aroused by the changes in my own body.

It was also about this time that I saw pictures of a naked primitive tribe sitting around a fire in a magazine and I decided that, when I was older, or, as soon as I ever got the chance, I would travel somewhere where it was possible to be naked all the time. My mother saw me naked regularly at that time in the home and later, when I was a teenager around the age of 15, some girls at school had stripped all the clothes off me, while they were having a prank (which I enjoyed), but my visit to Eureka was the first time that I was naked in public and among total strangers. However, it didn’t take me long to get used to it. Fortunately, I was good-looking and had a good body and loved women looking at me naked and there wasn’t the emphasis in the media at that time like there is nowadays about sizes of genitals and of breasts etc.

Teenage Nudist At Eureka Nudist Club

There is also a lot of paranoia nowadays about pictures of naked teenagers. Personally, I loved having my photograph taken for Health & Efficiency magazine, which happened several times when I was at Eureka. However, I did find that there were several undesirable types hanging around Eureka amongst the older men, which is why I decided the next year, instead of going back to Eureka, to join Fiveacres Country Club in St. Albans, just north of London, which purported to be a more serious naturist club, and I also went to nude swimming sessions at Watford one night each week.

John Newman who was, at that time, was the secretary of Fiveacres, also took a photo of me naked with my arms round a young girl, who was also a member of the club, and told me that he might also send it to Health & Efficiency magazine. Unfortunately, I never saw the photograph, which I would have loved to have seen, and never discovered whether it was ever published.

Earlier that year, I had also stayed for a brief period in a hippie commune which was started up by Bill Dwyer, organizer of the ill-fated Windsor Free Festival, which took place later the same year at Windsor Great Park, and ended up with the police beating everyone out of the park with truncheons. For some reason, although that was all over the news at the time, it became quickly forgotten about. In Bill Dwyer’s commune, which was supposed to be practicing free love, we all slept naked in a room at the back and there were two very sexy-looking young teenage girls there, both aged 17, one of whom I managed to have a brief fling with.

In 1977, at the age of 20, I started travelling in Europe. I first went to Yugoslavia on holiday, mainly because I had heard that there were lots of naturist beaches there. As well as that, I found the people there to be very friendly and particularly found the young people to be very lively. I had a brief love affair with a girl in Zagreb, who was a music student, which still stands out in my memory as being one of the most beautiful moments of my life, although our relationship didn’t last very long, due to us living in different parts of Europe.

I must admit that I found the Croatian women to be very beautiful and many of them were interested in me at that time, being a foreigner. I later returned to (what was then) Yugoslavia many times during the 1980s and my favourite place was the island of Mljet on the Croatian coast, where many young Yugoslavs went at that time as a cheap place to go where they could skinny-dip. I also visited, among other places, the town of Ulcinj in Montenegro, where there was a very long stretch of unspoiled beach leading down to the Albanian border where it was possible to go nude.

I spent the next three years living and working in Holland, where the nudist movement was just starting up at that time and where there were some nudist beaches on the coast which were popular with the young people. In 1980, I moved to what was at that time West Berlin at the time of the squatting movement. I found that many young Germans at that time were heavily into nudism and accepted nudity naturally, although sometimes it seemed to me to be contrived.

In Denmark, which was the first country in Europe to make nudity legal on all public beaches and which I visited several times between 1976 and 1980, it was also very popular among the young people at that time. During the 1980’s and 90’s, I also visited nudist beaches in the Greek islands, Portugal and Fuerteventura, which is one of my favourite places and which I would strongly recommend to anyone who wants to get away from the crowd. Unfortunately, attitudes have changed since I was younger and I have found that the young British people today, instead of accepting nudity as being natural, tend to associate it with pornography, which they are watching all the time on their computers.

I think that this is a very bad trend, but what I would advise young people and teenagers today who want to go nude is to ignore everything in the media and just do it anyway. Don’t listen to all the nonsense about sizes of breasts and genitals and, if you’re unhappy with your body, remember that, if you go to a nudist club or beach, the chances are that there will be people of all sorts of shapes and sizes there and that it is unlikely that you will stand out. A teenage nudist is no different than any other teenager except for the fact that he or she might grow up to be a more accepting person. Getting young nudists involved is vital for the vitality of nudism and naturism in general and if more teenagers get involved then this movement will grow.

This Teenage Nudist Experience at Eureka Nudist Club Article was published by – Young Naturists and Young Nudists America YNA

Urban Nudists TV Segment on Tracks Arte With English Translation

It’s 2017, and we’re starting the year off right with a TV segment about nudism that just aired in France over the weekend! Watch it here: http://tracks.arte.tv/fr/naked-brunch

(NOTE: The French do not censure nudity -- full nudity is depicted.  The program is in French but do not worry.  They have provided an English translation near the end of this article.  If you speak French you will enjoy listening to the program in their native language.)

In the fall of 2015, we were contacted about taking part in a short documentary about nudism for Tracks, a program that’s part of European TV Arte. It was described to us as a show that covers “the latest trends, new lifestyles and avant-garde movements from all over the world.” They explore music, art, cinema, communities, activism, new technology and more.

So last winter we set up to film with one of the journalists who works for this network / program. She interviewed Jordan and I (Felicity), and we arranged a little movie party at our apartment that she attended.

Screenshot from Tracks Arte

 

We use a projector at home instead of a TV screen, and of course the night of the party, it decided to break down for the first time! So we couldn’t do what we had planned (to watch a movie, specifically The Goonies.) So in the video, this is why you see someone on a ladder looking at the projector and then you hear our friend briefly explaining the technical issue at hand.

I found it funny how it came out in the segment, though, and the party went well anyway.

The 10 minute documentary also features the organizer of a NYC naked comedy show (The Naked Show) Alison Klemp and other participating comedians, plus artist Andy Golub and a few of his models. And there’s some history and commentary thrown in by the narrator.

It’s pretty simplistic in how it covers everything, but it is limited by its length. Overall we thought it was a good piece and was broadcasted on a well-regarded and widely viewed platform. It’s uncensored, too!

The video is all in French (or you can watch it in German), and most of the English is dubbed over. So we have an English translation below, thanks to our friend Stéphane Deschênes, owner of Bare Oaks Naturist Park who translated it for us! (And the text has some small edits made by me.)

As a side note, I’m not really sure why the subtitle is “Naked Brunch.” If someone else has figured that out, let me know.

Translated English Text for “Urban Nudists” on Tracks Arte (Aired December 31st 2016)

[UP] = Unknown person

Off-Camera Reporter: Don’t hold it against me. I’m asking purely for journalistic reasons.

Alison Klemp: OK

Off-Camera Reporter: Do you think you could undress for this interview?

AK: Uhhh I guess I could…

Off-Camera Reporter: You can have me undress too.

AK: [laughs] Uh yeah sure that’s fine, that’s fine.

Narrator: To have some or not to have some is a question as old as the world. For the activist nudist clothing is hell on earth and getting dressed is cheating. Ask them to drop their pants and they will. Object of a debate stressed out like a string bikini on a beach in Nice, nudity on canvas makes the censors crazy and on the shores, the birkini is replacing topless. Cautious, the nudist activists express themselves in private places. But ultimately, those who want to get rid of ironing, want the right to be nude on the subway, at work and to sleep. [This may seem odd but the three words rhymes in French — métro, boulot, dodo — so it sounds cute.]

[UP]: People think that nudism is shocking. But that’s what we all are. We are all nude but we cover up.

[UP]: Religion has made nudity something bad. But it should not make you afraid. It is neither hurtful nor shameful. It’s just nudity.

[UP]: If you have shoes, you can put your things there. Or in your hair. You have to be creative.

[UP]: If I don’t need pockets, I get naked.

Narrator: For nudist activist, everything has gone wrong since Adam bit into the apple. By coincidence, the big apple is, with its 8 million inhabitants, the epicenter of this movement that wants to get rid of dry cleaners. This November evening, about 20 nude people have gathered in this overheated loft for a movie evening.

[UP]: The problem is that we are not managing to send the projector’s signal to the DVD player. So we can’t see The Goonies.

Narrator: Founded in 2010, the Young Naturists America association has more than 500 members that get together once per month. Unlike traditional naturists that rhyme nudity with nature, these activists fight to live nude in urban environments.

[UP – off camera]: Don’t put your breasts in the hummus.

Nick Gilronan: In 2013, I participated in the contest for the smallest penis in Brooklyn. And I won. The next day it was everywhere in the newspapers. I got a whole bunch of messages. One man said I was an inspiration for him. He was really worried about the size of his penis and he thanked me for what I did. He felt better about himself. I had a few messages like that. I’m very happy to know that I’m helping people.

Felicity: We believe that it goes against the naturist philosophy to discriminate against people based on gender or sexual orientation. Or anything makes them who they are. And there are clubs that discriminate that way.

Narrator: At 27 years old, Felicity Jones is the founder of the association. Born in the New Jersey countryside to naturist parents, she spent her childhood and weekends nude with her family but was not allowed to talk about it at school.

Narrator: Having moved to New York, she quits her job, 4 years ago, as a receptionist to devote her heart and soul to the nudist cause.

Felicity: People make jokes about cooking bacon nude because of the hot oil splashing onto the body.

Narrator: Among her fights, is the right to show herself topless in New York. An act that is allowed since 92 but which resulted in her arrest in 2011. Felicity also fights to be able to post female breasts on Facebook which prohibited breastfeeding images until recently.

Felicity: I’ve been completely naked in Times Square in New York City and people are like shocked and freaked out about that. But when you look up, there’s a billboard with this woman who is barely covered or wearing anything, and a camera zooms in on her butt cheeks. It’s totally sexualizing the image of this young woman but nobody blinks an eye at that. If you use nudity to sell something, if a woman’s body is used to sell, that’s allowed. It does not cause any problems. But when a woman decides to take off her clothes because she’s comfortable like that, everyone jumps on her. You’re a slut, it’s bad, it’s shameful. That’s how our warped culture deals with nudity.

Narrator: Adam and Eve can go and get dressed. Being nude is no longer a symbol of innocence but is now an ideological choice. At the end of the 19th century, the Germans of Freikörperkultur, the culture of the free body, make a return to nature and nude physical exercise as an antidote to the industrial revolution. But in the 1930’s, the movement is taken up by Nazi propaganda. Forbidden in the United States in the context of prohibition, presenting yourself nude comes out of the closet in the 1960’s thanks to hippies and becomes a symbol of protest. Since the arrival of photoshopped bodies, nudity has become common except when it is not retouched. For former Disney singer Miley Cyrus, it is an easy way to shock; she dreams of organizing a concert where the public will be nude.

Narrator: For Andy Golub, there’s no need to make a big deal of nudity. In these bags the New York artist does not carry dismembered bodies but his working tools – pillows to protect the rear end of his models.

Andy Golub: The only way for you to get closer is to turn your body in this direction and to bend your knees.

Narrator: Andy first paints canvases, furniture and then cars. In 2007 while he was exhibiting in a contemporary art gallery, a model next to him proposes that he paint her. It was a revelation. Since then, Andy is the Rembrandt of body painting.

AG: Believe it or not, I have no trouble finding models who not only accept to be painted nude but to do it in public. And that says a lot about the times, people are tired of being rushed everywhere. They don’t feel they can express who they are in their daily routine. And suddenly, they find this, which is a little extreme in itself, but it is a reflection of the extreme environment in which we live.

AG: Fantastic pose you guys, you can get up.

Narrator: Once per year, Andy and his models exhibits the work outside for Body Painting Day. Created in 2014 in New York, this event allows urban nudity in the context of an art project. Due of its success this year that brought 100 models and 70 artists together, Andy has decided to also organize it at Amsterdam, Brussels, and San Francisco.

Anthony Illiano: To walk around nude and to feel liberated without thinking ‘oh my god I am naked, I am naked’. But to live your body fully. It is something that helps people connect authentically with others. Because they don’t see you sexually but just as an individual.

Narrator: In New York, professional stand-up comics are participating this evening in the Naked Show, the only comedy show in Adam’s costume. Alison Klemp, the organizer, is the only one to have already performed completely nude. For the other 6 comics, it’s the big jump. No chance to change their mind.

Alison Klemp: On three, we are all nude.

AK: The first time I did it, I was terrified. The whole time leading up to it I was working out a lot, starving myself. I was under pressure to look really good. Plus I went up first on the show which was even more terrifying. But once on stage, it was just this really powerful surge of adrenaline. The same kind of feeling you get when you’re rock climbing or do other extreme sports.

Mike Lewis: What could go wrong? Nothing. I’m going to be fine. This is the most calm I’ve ever been before a show. It’s really weird.

Sarah Hartshorne: I’ve always told myself, if I was a guy, I would be so afraid to have an erection. And to lose it.

Ajai Raj: I have at least one joke about dicks. Who has dick tonight? Or possibly lots of dick.

[Alison Klemp and Mike Lewis speak on stage in English with French subtitles]

Ajai Raj: It reminds us that we are animals. In the end, we are just animals who tell each other jokes. That’s really what it comes down to.

Young Naturists & Nudists America

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Naked travel: seven nude experiences everyone should try once
17th August 2016  World

Online searches for “nudist holidays” have increased 52 per cent since January. Ben Brown reports on the burgeoning trend for naked travel.

For some, walking around the house in their birthday suit is about as adventurous as it gets. For others, being naked is a way of life. Far from being gratuitous, titillating or sexual, “naturism” celebrates the freedom of letting it all hang out, as nature intended. And naked travel is the next logical step.

On European beaches, it’s not uncommon to see the naked form in all its glory. Here in the UK, however, we’re somewhat more prudish (or perhaps it’s just the cold weather). But that may slowly be changing. From the “Free the Nipple” campaign to collective nudist art, body acceptance is growing in strength, leading many to dip their toes in the water of naturism.

Andrew Welch, British Naturism, the UK’s organisation for Naturists says: “We know that people are far more willing to try social nudity and so it’s great to have confirmation that more and more of us are letting go of any hang-ups and are feeling comfortable in the skin we’re in.

“For those visiting a naturist/nudist beach for the first time, the best advice is to relax, enjoy the sensation of the sun, breeze and sea on your whole body and realise that no one is worried about how you look.”

So let’s strip off, throw caution – and our clothes – to the wind, and find out what naturist activities are out there this summer for the naked traveller.

1. Book a naturist holiday

A recent survey by lastminute.com revealed that web searched for “nudist holidays” have increased 52 per cent since January. Meanwhile, 35 per cent of men would bare it all on a beach, along with 17 per cent of women.

Last year, only 8 per cent of British people have tried naked travel this figure has more than doubled now. Lastminute.com says that “getting an all-over tan is the most popular reason to bare all on the beach, with 42 per cent of the vote, while 21 per cent do it to ‘reconnect with nature’ and one in five (20 per cent) want to ‘step out of their comfort zone’”.  Naked travelSummer holidays are the ultimate way to relax, so why not do it as sans bikini? Globetrender spoke to two leading UK naturist tour operators and both confirmed our hunch: business is booming.

“The problem we now face is availability,” Natural Holidays told us, “as some of our smaller destinations become fully booked up to a year in advance”.

As for the top destinations, Away with Dune said: “Our bestselling destinations are the Greek Islands (Zante, Corfu and Rhodes), Spain (mainland and Majorca) and the Caribbean.”

For Natural Holidays, it’s Fuerteventura: “Virtually the entire island’s beaches are naturist friendly so it makes a great destination for people who want to experience naturism in and around their apartment complex as well as when out and about exploring new beaches.”

According to both tour operators, the future all depends on new destinations opening up. Interest in naked holidays is growing rapidly, but more naturist resorts are needed to satisfy the demand.

2. Find a quiet naturist beach

For first timers to naked travel, a naturist beach is perhaps the best place to start. There are only a handful of naturist beaches in the UK, but Brighton Beach is the best known. It’s a 200-yard stretch of beach away from the main seafront, but it’s still one of the busiest naturist spots in the country.Nudist beach - naked travelIf you’re looking for somewhere a little quieter, try Cleat’s Shore on the Isle of Arran or the incredibly private St. Osyth beach in Essex.

3. Dine at the Bunyadi restaurant

The Bunyadi is London’s first and only “naked restaurant”. Embracing the au naturel ethos with every detail, the Bunyadi operates without electricity, serves only vegan organic food (on clay plates), and bans the use of mobile phones. Even the wait staff are in the buff, surrounded by intimate candle lighting and natural bamboo interiors.

Before you declare the concept ridiculous, the waiting list for the Bunyadi has already racked up 44,000 names, suggesting that Londoners can’t wait to bare all over dinner and polite conversation.

4. Bathe on London’s naked rooftop

Under the watchful eye of Big Ben, a rooftop space has opened up this summer dedicated to naturist sun worshippers. It’s all part of a promotion for NOW TV, and the rooftop boasts a sunbathing area, a bar, and trampolines (admittedly, bouncing around may be a step too far for some people).

5. Try naked yoga

Yoga has been practiced in the nude since its ancient inception; it even has a sanskrit name, nagna yoga or vivastra yoga. It’s yoga as the puranas intended.

The practice of yoga is one of the most centering, liberating activities; you wonder why we ever did it in clothes. Far from being gratuitous or sexual, naked yoga tends to promote body positivity, mental wellness and a return to nature.

Nowadays, you’ll find a naked yoga class in just about every major city, including London, with most offering female-only, male-only, and coed classes.

6. Join a topless book-club

In New York, a small group of bookworms get together to share their love of pulp fiction and celebrate that female toplessness is every bit as legal as the male variety in the city.

They are called the Outdoor Co-ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society, and meet at clothing-optional rooftops or Central Park. There are also similar groups in Chicago, London, LA, and Melbourne.

7. Take a naturist cruise

2,000 people floating off the coast of Florida, all as naked as the day they were born. What’s not to love about this form of naked travel? There are now more than a few dedicated naturist cruise operators (check out cruisenude.com), and more and more traditional cruise companies are opening the gangway to bare bums and other bits.Naked travel sunbathing

While naked yoga and topless bookclubs are mostly regularly frequented by the younger generation, one reporter confirmed our suspicions about naturist cruises: they are dominated by the over 60s.

Embracing naturism no longer has the “hippie” connotation of old. Nor is it pervy. As the team at Natural Holidays puts it: “The two words that sum up naturist holidays are ‘freedom’ and ‘relaxation’. Freedom from clothes and being able to fully relax in an environment where no one is making judgements about your body or your clothing”.

Naked travel is still a niche and fledgling trend, but we expect to see more hotels, restaurants, and resorts offering “clothing optional” alternatives as intrigue steadily increases.

And if you’re still cautious, think of it like this: if everyone’s naked, no one’s naked.

Nudist Book Review of Nakedness and The Bible

Novel by: Paul M Bowman. Ferndale: Amnity 2001.

Nakedness And the Bible by Paul M. Bowman

Nakedness and The Bible –  The book “Nakedness and the Bible” does not claim to be a defense of naturism; it just claims to be an explanation of what the Bible says on both sides of this issue. For some time, people have used the Bible in an attempt to say that naturism is outside God’s law and should not be practiced by Christians. Various people within the nudist movement have praised the book including im-ok-naked.com.  Like them, I add my approval to this work.

The author, Paul M. Bowman, mentions the account of what is termed the fall of man, when Adam and Eve decided to willfully disobey God and sin. The one problem that I have with this book is that is doesn’t treat Adam and Eve as though they were real people.

Since the Bible and its relationship to nudity are being discussed here, we are going to assume that the Bible is a true document. The veracity of the Bible is a different topic completely, but he goes on to state how God deals with the Adam and Eve after they sinned.

He deals with how the nudity has been dealt with throughout the history of the church, yet the author writes that the anti-nudity message that the church has now been due to a result of the 400 years of an anti-sexual message.

When the Bible is examined for what it has to say about the body a clear message is sent about it being pro-nudity, if it must be termed that, because nakedness wasn’t an issue for them as it is for us today. They took baths in the river and ripped their clothing as a sign of grief; that was what they did. The conclusion that this author reaches is that whenever nakedness is shown as sinful, another sin is present (that explains Noah, Lot, David etc.).

In fact, the author even says that public nudity or nakedness is ok by God, due to the fact that God commanded Isaiah to go naked. (Isa 20:2) That completely destroys the shame argument. God only mandated clothing for the priests while in the act of worship. (Exo 28:40-3).

What one can learn by reading the book is that there are very few direct references to nakedness in the New Testament; Matthew 25 is one of them. Jesus is talking about having enough clothing to make that choice whether or not to wear clothing. In Romans 8, verses 38-9, nakedness is found among other states of existence and the context is dealing with things that can separate us from the love of God.

The most interesting portion of this book was where the author dealt with verses that Christians attempt to apply to nakedness like 1Thes 5:22, causing another to stumble and 1 Timothy 2:9.

One thing that amazed me was when the author mentioned how clothing has been associated with shame just as nudity has been commonly portrayed while giving numerous Bible verses to support his assertion. In the end, I find this book to be a fascinating read that allows naturists to be able to support their beliefs and rest in the fact that we can give an answer for the hope that we have.

Public Nudity Laws What You Should Know

Where can you be naked in public and what you should know

Public Nudity Laws –  The public nudity laws vary from place to place. In most states it is not considered obscene to be nude unless your intent is to cause arousal or an intent to alarm others. When in doubt it is best to check with the local statues or authorities.

Of course (but with a few “catches”) nudity is allowed on your own private property, other private businesses such as nudist resorts, some bathhouses, private clubs, and some beaches.

The general idea is that the human body in itself is not indecent. Good common sense prevails in regards to your surroundings and those around you. If you are on 96% of the beaches in California, it is quite acceptable to be topless or nude. There are a few exceptions to this depending on the city or municipality.

There is a large movement going on around the country by people who support rights for women who want to be as free as men when it comes to being topless. This movement has had great successes including a court challenge won in New York in support of topless freedom and equality.

In the U.S. it is acceptable to be topless in California, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Ohio, and Texas. These states have tried and true court cases supporting equal rights to be topless in public. There are also a number of cities within the U.S. where you wont be challenged by going topless in public as long as you are acting like everyone else and not acting out. These cities include Boulder, Eugene, Portland, Key West, New Orleans, Washington DC, and Columbus.

Public nudity is also acceptable in most places in the context of photography or art showings. People such as Spencer Tunick, a photographer who takes pictures of up to 18,000 nudes at a time for the sake of art do so in many cities and places around the country.

The key to this is not acting indecent or showing signs of arousal or inciting others to be aroused. One thing to remember is that simple toplessness or public nudity is generally not charged as indecent exposure even in places where a person is cited for public nudity.

Are You Wondering “Why Nudism” is beneficial?

We keep on getting this question, “why nudism?” For those of you who are wondering why a person – specifically, you – should become a nudist, this one is for you!

Are there any benefits to nudism?

Actually, there are a lot of benefits to being a nudist and practicing nudism. Some might be obvious while others might not occur to some people. By the end of this list, you may just want to escape the confines of clothing and run as free as the rest of us!

1. Less money spent on laundry detergent and less clothes to wash! Face it, people are lazy and would rather be doing other things. If you become a nudist, you can have dinner naked and not have to worry about scrubbing out food stains from clothes.
2. Nudists don’t care if you aren’t wearing the hottest clothes of the season. You may have previously spent hours at the local mall, picking out the perfect dress, wondering if it’s the right shade of blue; but a nudist lifestyle requires only the color of your skin.
3. Bathing suits get wet. And after they get wet, you still have to walk around in them, waiting for them to dry out. As anyone who has ever been to a “regular” / textile pool can attest, it’s uncomfortable and sloshy. Nudity and skinny dipping take out the useless textile barrier. All you have to do is jump in the water and then jump out. No fuss required, and a quick dab of the towel and you are dry.
4. You will never have to wear your grandmother’s ugly handmade sweater. You know, the kind that makes you cringe just by looking at it, what with all the bows and buttons. She can’t make you wear it, because you’re a nudist.
5. People who participate in social nudism will almost always report that it gave them a healthier outlook on the way they feel about their bodies.
6. Less sexual tension. Yes LESS sexual tension! It is a great misconception that nudity and sexuality are one and the same. A girl wearing a sexy dress will always look more alluring, inciting and sexual than a nudist who just goes about her daily routine while nude.
7. It has been proven by many studies that exposing your whole body to the warm rays of the sun can help with all kinds of skin disorders.
8. Equality. Naturism is known as “the great equalizer.” Clothing is a big indicator of socioeconomic status, and without it, no one knows how wealthy you are or what your job is. Moreover, it eliminates the power dynamic between the sexes, where women are naked objects to be admired by clothed men. In naturism, people are all just human beings enjoying the elements.
9. Being naked has an overall calming effect on a person’s psyche. Some might even argue that if more people would be nudists, there would be less wars in this world of ours.
10. Acceptance. When people are completely nude, they feel more vulnerable. This vulnerability increases people’s sensitivity towards others. Not to mention the fact that nudists tend to be more open minded and accepting of others.
11. You can make jokes about nudity to your heart’s content any time you want. Want to celebrate your birthday in your birthday suit? You can. Exchanging puns and clever quips with other nudists is bound to be fun. Your creative mind can reel at the possibilities.
12. People listen more. Because most nudists will go to lengths to not seem creepy, they will maintain more eye contact. This in-turn forces them to listen more and look less.

Consider this a partial list and feel free to add your own thoughts and feelings about why nudism is positive and healthy lifestyle.

This post was published by Young Naturists and Nudists America – YAN

How Skinny Dipping With Friends Brought Freedom and Body Positivity to My Life

(Guest Body Positivity Blog)

Skinny dipping with friends was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. When I first thought about skinny dipping, the idea kind of scared me. This is mostly because people don’t tend to be completely nude around people they are not romantically intimate with?

In the movies, skinny dipping always looks like so much fun. You see a group of friends tear off their clothes and jump into a beautiful secluded lake or hot spring. A lot of the fun in skinny dipping is centered around the spontaneity of the experience.

Social media and the internet cant truly convey the feeling of freedom and joy of randomly deciding to swim nude with a group of friends. It is still something that just needs to be experienced.

This whole skinny dipping situation began when I was hanging out with friends. At one point, someone randomly mentioned wanting to go swimming. The idea sounded fun, but it was around 3 in the morning so the regular pools weren’t open. But we did know of a public pool nearby that would be easy for us to sneak in and out of.

The pool was tucked inside of a little community and was a good private setting for my first ever skinny-dipping experience.. There were only four of us which made this whole adventure a lot easier –  there wouldn’t to be too many witnesses!

Once we snuck into the pool area, we all quickly got naked and jumped in. From that point on, it was no different from any other swimming experience I’ve had. Lots of fun, splashing around, laughing and horseplay ensued. We started getting worried that someone would may check in so we only stayed for about an hour.

For me, the whole experience brought a wealth of body positivity to my life. It was relieving to see other people in the nude since it made me realize that my body was not much different from theirs. While obviously our naked bodies did differ from each other, those differences did not make any of us feel ashamed or have any other negative feelings.

Initially I was concerned that being nude around my friends would create some kind of sexual tension between us. I think we tend to associate nudity with sex because we live in such a repressed society. But that was not something that resulted from this liberating experience. This experience taught me to not fear being nude around people I am comfortable with. Being nude with my friends whom I trust felt natural, noninvasive, accepting of me and my body and non judgmental.

Skinny dipping is definitely an experience that helped me grow. It is also something that I would gladly do again if the opportunity arose.

How Lena Dunham Gets Naked On TV and Why We Love Her For It

Lena Dunham Naked On TV – Now love  Her!

Lena Dunham Naked  – If you don’t know her, Lena Dunham is the star and writer of an HBO television series called Girls. The show is only in its 2nd season, but went from zero to fame in about thirty seconds.

The premise of the show has been compared to Sex and the City, only this time the girls are 20-somethings and dealing with a much more tumultuous period of their lives as they try to transition into the “real world.” Yes, it looks like just another series about young, white, privileged women, but you should still give it attention. Why?

Because Lena Dunham has an average-looking body and isn’t afraid to expose it, affirming to girls everywhere that it’s okay to be average and also NOT be ashamed of your body!

And I don’t mean average in a negative way. Average as in normal. Typical. Expected. Outside of the tiny percentage of women who are tall, wafer thin, cellulite-free, big-breasted and have no curves (otherwise known as the scantily clad women who dominate the media, advertising, film, TV, etc).

Lena Dunham hasn’t been hiding her body as other “flawed” women do on TV. As her character Hannah, she’s been getting naked. The sex scenes provide plenty of opportunity for nudity, but in the latest episode we also see her wearing a see-through mesh top in public. (And Hannah is not the only one getting naked.

In a season one episode, “The Crackcident,” there’s some shocking nudity when Shoshanna, another of the girls, ends up on a sidewalk in Brooklyn with no pants. Her nudity is never discussed then, or later in the show. I guess the writers are saying, “hey nakedness is part of life.” Since we all have naked bodies, it is.)

But Lena Dunham’s nude scenes and naked body has elicited some strong and disturbing reactions from critics. A female critic writes about her in a NY Post review, “It’s not every day in the TV world of anorexic actresses with fake boobs that a woman with giant thighs, a sloppy backside and small breasts is compelled to show it all.” Um, and somebody hates her for it? Dunham is a threat to the normal order of things, just by being her real self.

Dunham’s response was: If Olivia Wilde had gone to a party in … little shorts, she might have been on a ‘weird dressed list’ or been told her outfit was cute. I don’t think a girl with tiny thighs would have received such no-pants attention. I think what it really was … ‘Why did you all make us look at your thighs?’ My response is, get used to it because I am going to live to be 100, and I am going to show my thighs every day till I die.”

Just by exposing her thighs, she’s challenging the same response to nudity that naturists deal with: “Ewww! I don’t wanna see that!”  Naturism also opens people’s eyes to body diversity, ie reality. A salon.com article about  Girls’  casual nudity  even quoted Nicky Hoffman of The Naturist Society about how naturism empowers women.

It always seemed to me like a paradox that it’s not difficult to walk the streets among average Americans and realize that most people are not hiding the super skinny idealized body type under their clothes. And yet to be confronted with this fact is to cause shock, controversy, and disgust. Perhaps I simply underestimate the brainwashing done by the media and advertising industry.

But what’s great is the way Lena responds to these attacks on her body. She doesn’t give a crap! She’s not dieting, not covering up and not apologizing for the way she looks.

Her body has generated not just criticism, but also some really great discussion around important questions – why does nudity make people feel disgust? What’s wrong with showing a different body type on TV? Why is it a big deal? Why does it have to mean anything?

Here are two quotes from articles that attempt to address these questions. In the first, Helen Charman suggests that people’s negative reaction to nudity comes from the “intimacy” of seeing all the imperfections, but we need to start seeing bodies as something other than objects of beauty or sexual desire].

“…in this case the problem is more that the ‘perfect’ body is one stripped of the peculiar intimacy that, by rights, comes naturally with nudity. We are unfamiliar with seeing a ‘real’ body represented on screen, and the intimacy that it creates is startling, and challenging, and the challenge makes us uncomfortable, and discomfort leads us all too often to the kneejerk reaction of criticism and of disgust.

…The naked body is humanity at its most vulnerable and its most truthful, and it should be celebrated not only for its potential to be beautiful but also its potential to be funny, and awkward, and sad, and old, because this in turn is all that we are, and can be.”

“Naked as We Came: What Lena Dunham’s Nudity Says About Us” by Helen Charman, Huffington Post

And a 2nd quote from “The Audacity of Lena Dunham, and Her Admirable Commitment to Making Us Look At Her Naked” by Lesley on xoJane

“The aghast controversy evoked by Dunham’s nudity shows us just how much of this “real women” talk is lip service, and how very far we have to go before we can socially deal with the fact that different bodies exist. Truth is, we’d all probably be a lot less neurotic about our own bodies if we could get used to seeing and accepting the natural variety in other people’s — without shame, and giving no fucks.”

We need more of Lena Dunham naked  on TV! I hope she will keep getting naked and keep challenging the status quo. (We also obviously need more people to try naturism, but we all know it’s easier to put a greater variety of naked girls on TV than to get the viewers themselves to try social nudity.)

This post titled – Lena Dunham Naked – is part of our  Sex Positive  And  Body Image  Blogs  By  Felicity Jones  For –  Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

Is Nudism, and Family Nudity Good for Children? Aren’t Kids Nudists Anyway?

Is Nudism is Good for Children and TheTruth Behind Nudity in the Family:

Benjamin Spock, Ann Landers, and Abigail van Buren, all popular authorities on child-rearing and other matters, have often warned of the dangers of exposing children to nudity. Though their theories on the matter are well-known, are they truly valid? Is there solid research to prove it? Studies of how nudity affects kids are actually sparse, though they have slightly increased in number in recent years.

The findings and their interpretations are often influenced by researchers’ own preconceptions, including findings that may better explain the effects of parents’ attitudes toward nudity on kids rather than the actual effect of children being exposed to nudity.

However since the late 1970’s, more objective and controlled research has taken place in an effort to identify the truth of how exposure to nudity affects child development. All of this research indicates not only a lack of negative effects, but a whole list of benefits to children.

One of the first truly objective studies was developed by Dr. Marilyn Story, a researcher who sought to examine the role of family social nudity classification on body self-concept development in preschool-aged children. Dr. Story interviewed 264 children aged three to five years as well as their parents. The children were classified in one of three categories: social naturists or simply put – nudist kids, at-home nudist, and non- nudist kids.

Each child was interviewed individually as they were asked about their body parts, namely whether they like each of the 16 body parts discussed. Within this study, a correlation was identified between gender and which body parts were most desirable.

The study also found that non- nudist kids most often identified their genitals as their least-liked body parts. Adversely, nudist kids ( which basically means – children from nudist homes ) identified their genitals as their most-liked body parts and identified no parts of their body that they liked the least. Within this study, naturism / nudism was found to be a more important variable than gender, race, and geographical area in terms of having a positive self-concept, body acceptance, and self-image.

Another important study was conducted by Ron and Juliette Goldman in 1981 to examine children’s perception of clothing and nakedness in regard to modesty in four different locations: North America, England, Australia, and Sweden. Within this study, children aged five to fifteen were studied, and research centered on children’s perceptions of the need for clothing in different circumstances as well as the reason given for the need for clothing.

Though the study was intended to determine which societies were most insistent on wearing clothes for the purpose of modesty, this study determined that children’s perceptions of nakedness was strongly tinged with guilt. As they aged they conformed more to their parents’ modesty training, thereby causing children’s guilt about nakedness to increase with age. Such guilt was found in children who did not understand, accept, or enjoy their body and its sex organs as natural and normal.

Robin Lewis and Louis Janda conducted a study in 1998 to examine the relationship between adult sexual adjustment and childhood exposure to nudity, sleeping in the parental bed, and parental attitudes toward sexuality. These components had mixed results in previous studies, which necessitated further research. Lewis and Janda used an extensive questionnaire to survey 210 undergraduate university students about their childhood experiences with nudity.

The results of the study were clear: there is a positive relationship between childhood exposure to nudity and adult sexual comfort. Further, the study found that children from birth to age five who were exposed to nudity felt less discomfort with affection and physical contact as they grew older. Children ages 6-11 who were exposed to nudity (i.e. nudist kids ) had greater self-esteem and knowledge about sex.

Margaret Mead is an anthropologist who has completed many studies on the effects of nudity on children and is one of the most well-known researchers on this topic. Dr. Mead studied cultures throughout the world and noted many negative effects that clothing had in the western culture’s clothing-dependent society.

These effects include a separation of “self” from the “body,” a lack of point of comparison for all body parts due to clothing covering them, a preoccupation with sex that is emphasized through clothing, and a lack of education about the human body related to lack of exposure to it. She further identified that the nudity or partial nudity common to more primitive cultures was not an indication of a lack of modesty, and the way nudity is handled within a culture is more important than the presence of nudity in determining whether it will have negative effects. One area that she emphasizes is that a child must see nudity among adults so that they know what their body will become; this is essential to the developing person.

One common theme throughout the research was the effect of the family’s and society’s attitude about nudity on children. The presence of a positive or negative attitude towards nudity was far more important than any other factor in nearly every situation when it came to how a child would react to nudity around them. These studies show that not only is nudity not harmful to children (sorry Dr. Spock), but that they can benefit in various ways from exposure to nudity in a body-positive, accepting environment.

Children can gain increased knowledge and understanding of the human body in all of its forms along with greater comfort with sexuality and physical contact as they grow older. They also learn to accept their own bodies and have greater self-esteem. Thus it is really up to us as parents, as educators, as individuals, as a society, to adopt a more open and accepting view of nudity for children to benefit.

On a continuing note:

Nudity, Family Nudism and Raising Nudist Kids

Guest nudist Blog

Family Nudism and Raising Nudist Kids

Nudism is a way of life, a philosophy for some. It’s not about stripping off one’s clothes to be an exhibitionist. It is about personal freedom and acceptance of the human body in all its forms and beauty.

I grew up in a nude home that supported nudism and family nudity.

It was only natural that my husband and I also practice family nudism. When in private, we and our children refrain from wearing clothing in our house and secluded garden. We’ve chosen a home that is away from others, allowing us to express ourselves in our own way.

Family Nudism is one form of expression for us. Just as others choose certain clothing to wear, we, in our family, simply choose to wear none.

Our young kids, ages four and six, have complete acceptance of their bodies. They know the proper names for their anatomy and use them accordingly.

There is no fear or embarrassment about seeing a person naked. My husband and I often speak about how beautiful our children are. Nudity, in many ways, has brought us all closer together.

As a family, we respect the rights and wishes of others as well as most social norms. If company comes to call, such as other children from from our kids school, or when we go out in public, everyone is dressed. However, as soon as privacy is restored, we are all quick to shed any covering and poof – back to being the naked family again

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There’s nothing like the sensation of the fresh air and warmth of the sun on the naked body. None of us are uncomfortable while nude in the least. There is nothing sexual about being a naturist and there is nothing sexual or obscene about simple family nudity as well.

We simply enjoy being nude and believe that there is nothing wrong with being in our natural state as we go about our daily lives.

From day one, both my husband and I grew up with in nudist families. We used to gather for special nudist functions so from a young age, we became accustomed to seeing each other’s naked bodies.

Denial of the human body will not be a problem in our family. There was no sense of taboo with regards to being nude, nor was there a feeling that something should have been hidden.

As we grew older, my husband and I grew closer and as time went on, we became a couple. As such, we were ready to explore each other in a other responsible ways too.

One day, they will grow up and find partners of their own. As our children mature, we wish to teach them the same values and hope they will learn to be responsible and caring adults.

We can only hope that they will find others who will accept their bodies and will live in complete acceptance of their natural state if that is what they wish.

Family Nudism and Growing Up As a Nudist Was Published by – Young Naturists and Nudists America YNA

Naked Video – A Company In The UK Uses Naked Advertising Video

Naked Video in the UK bares all:

Naked Video – I recently found this video of a UK commercial for skincare, and it would be a totally regular commercial except for the fact that the actors are all fully nude!  I researched and verified that this is a real skincare company.    This nude video breaks the boundaries of nudity in the media in showing full-frontal nude women and men.  However it is a European company, so maybe it isn’t all that surprising.  It would’ve been much better if the actors weren’t so airbrushed, good-looking and fit, but that is the norm for nude advertising.

The nudity here is clearly meant to grab attention and make the consumer think they will look like the actors by using their products, ie. thin, tall and tanned.  However it is still breaking a big taboo in showing taboo parts! Now, I must wonder, how long do you think it will take the people here in the United States of America to be able to post an uncensored video with naked people like this? At least in prime time!

The above naturist blog was written and published as part of seriese of  Sex Positive  And  Body Image  Blogs  By our very own naturist blogger –  Felicity Jones  for –  Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

Self-Driving Taxi Fleet Deploys in Singapore

All hail the robot cab overlords. An autonomous taxi program was already being tested, but now Delphi Automotive says it’ll dispatch a few self-driving vehicles to ferry people to hard-to-access Singaporean mass transit hubs. With a program already under way in Silicon Valley, the British vehicle electronics supplier is expected to roll out new American and European pilots this year. Initially, Singapore’s six robot jitneys will follow three preset routes — and have a human driver as a safety measure. If that works, by 2019 they’ll branch out on their own.

Charleston City Paper

A History of Public Nudity Through the Ages

From bare ankles to bare chests.

Summer is fast approaching, which means that, inevitably, we will all be barraged with bare limbs, exposed midriffs, and ample cleavage for the next four months. The Outdoor Co-Ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society, a band of women who read completely topless in public, is already camped out in Central Park and accepting new members. To commemorate the coming of copious warm-weather nudity, let's take a look back on the complicated, and sometimes, hypocritical history of bare skin through the ages.

The following contains images that might be NSFW.

Leading up to the 15th century, going topless was not that rare for women. Leg show, on the other hand, was much more devious. Breasts, in this time period and up to the Renaissance, were mainly portrayed as a source for food for children, and sometimes were a sign of wealth and social status. Paintings of breastfeeding mothers and madonnas, inspired by classical Greek styles, were all the rage. Agnès Sorel, mistress of Charles VII of France, was known for her gowns which exposed one or both breasts. 

Many indigenous people and Native American tribes do not consider toplessness to be sexualized. Women were free to go bare-breasted in public. In this photograph from 1870, two Wichita Native Americans are dressed for summer. Toplessness only became inappropriate in a large majority of regions — North America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and the Pacific Islands — with both the Muslim and Christian expansion and the influence of missionaries. In a survey of over 190 societies, researchers found very few cultures associate exposed breasts with indecency. For centuries across the globe, boobs were no big deal.

A woman's bathing suit in 1900 left little to be suntanned. The get-up included a long knitted dress, with tights, and sandals. In 1907, the above pictured Australian underwater ballerina, Annette Kellerman, was arrested for donning this racy swimsuit that exposed her legs, arms, and neck. At the time, her contemporaries were wearing swimsuits that had belts, cuffs, and collars. It wasn't until the 1930s that Kellerman's beach style became fully acceptable.

Men didn't miss out on some of the puritanical nudity standards, either. At the turn of the century, men were not allowed to bare their chests while swimming. 

In 1910, the knee — once thought to be a risque joint — became acceptable enough to be shown in public. Skirts rose, and of course, bathing suit designers acted accordingly.

In the 1920s, "decency" measurements took place on beaches to ensure women were not exposing too much upper leg in their bathing suits (it's only 90 degrees in Florida!). The ruling was that suits not be six inches over the knee.

In 1934, four men in Coney Island were arrested and fined one dollar each for baring their chests. 1934 also saw the first male chest ever exposed in mainstream film. Clark Gable's torso caused a stir when it was revealed in It Happened One Night. Legend has it that the sale of undershirts suffered due to the sheer beauty of Gable's bare chest. We doubt this. Men finally won their right to go topless in the United States in 1937 in New York. The reason was mainly economical, because if parks departments had to provide swimsuits, which they sometimes did, it was cheaper to provide just the trunks.

Bikinis were born on July 5, 1956 when mechanical engineer Louis Réard noticed women rolling up their swimsuits on the beaches of San Tropez to tan. He decided to make a bikini out of merely four triangles of fabric, complete with a newspaper pattern. The only woman he could find to model it was a nude dancer from the Casino de Paris. When the bikini premiered, it was the navel heard round the world.

The first topless bikini was introduced in 1964 by NYC designer Rudi Geinrich, originally published in Go See magazine. Geinrich was an avant-garde swimwear designer who earned his fame with his unique '"monokini." Though French fashions of the era may have permitted the topless bikini, they were banned on U.S. beaches.

In 1986, the Rochester Topfree Seven made history by exposing their aerolas in a New York park and were promptly arrested. In 1992, the charges were appealed and dropped.

The Rochester Seven paved the way for the rest of bare chests in NY. It was then that toplessness became legal for women in New York state. It might have taken five centuries, but bare chests were no longer indecent, as long as they're not being used for advertising or commercial purposes.

In 2008, a Ukrainian feminist protest group, FEMEN, gained notoriety when it staged topless protests of sex tourism and other social injustices. "Bare breasts are our weapons," says FEMEN, noting that their protests get more media attention when tops come off. Protestors in Egypt and Iran have followed suit, taking to toplessness to speak out about issues that face women internationally.

Only 14 states in the United States have it on the books that female toplessness is explicitly illegal. These no-boobs-allowed states are: Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Mississippi, Michigan, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Nope, not even Utah.

Source: http://www.nerve.com/love-sex/a-visual-history-of-bare-skin-laws-through-the-ages

Topless Men and the History of Male Topfree Rights

Topless Men – How Men Won Topfree Rights in the U.S.

Men’s freedom to go topless is often taken for granted and is perceived as a normal part of American society. Thus many people do not realize that bare-chested males running around in public is a relatively recent thing in American Society.

For decades, public display of male nipples was considered taboo, too sexual and and completely inappropriate. Part of the reasoning behind this was that women would not be able to contain their sexual impulses when confronted with the sight of a shirtless man. This archaic reasoning is exactly what women are facing today – just for women, the battle is so much more difficult (even though women’s breasts serve a vital part in child rearing).

However, for men, this all changed quickly during the first part of the 20th century.

The history of male toplessness can most closely be associated with the various laws about what clothing was appropriate for swimming.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, most men would not dare remove their jacket in the presence of a lady. Therefore, there was no need to legislate that men keep their shirts on at all times. That said people were surprisingly liberal when it came to swimwear, and it was common for men to swim nude or in their underwear.

One of the first examples of a law against men being shirtless does not appear until 1737. It was then that the city of Bath declared that men who wanted to swim in the town’s hot water springs had to wear “a Pair of Drawers and a Waistcoat on their bodies” if they were over the age of 10. Despite these laws, swimmers continued to go nude until the mid 1800’s when Victorian social values became increasingly and extremely rigid. Men were legally required to wear swimsuits that covered their chest and legs. In some places, men were forced to wear a short skirt over their swimsuit. This was in an effort to hide the slightest hint of inappropriate skin exposure or god forbid, a “penis bulge.”

Regulations by the American Association of Park Superintendents required that “nothing below the armpits could be shown on the chest.”

Public attitudes towards male toplessness started to change after World War I. During the wild times of the roaring 20’s, men started to wear two-piece swimsuits that consisted of tightly fitting bottoms and a small tank top. This replaced the baggy one-piece swimwear of the time.

Though men still could not go topless in public, male film stars of the 1920’s and 1930’s regularly appeared shirtless.

Hollywood’s Influence on Men’s Topless Rights

Hollywood icons like Rudolph Valentino and Clark Gable appeared in memorable film scenes that revealed their nipples. Countless tabloid magazines started publishing pictures of topless male actors at private beaches.

Just like in modern times, the public quickly started to copy their favorite movie stars. However, almost every public pool and major city had laws against men being barechested.

In 1934, the same year the Clark Gable took off his shirt in a film called It Happened One Night, four men were arrested at Coney Island for revealing their chests. They were charged with disorderly conduct and fined $1 each. This arrest kicked off a string of protests and subsequent arrests over male shirtlessness.

Another group of lifeguards removed one shoulder strap so that people could see one of their nipples

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Around the country, more and more men were starting to arrange protests that typically involved them going to a beach while wearing only swimming trunks.

Ultimately, New York City was the first to give in to public pressure.

In 1936, they repealed their laws against male toplessness. After this act, other cities quickly followed NYC’s lead. When it became apparent that almost no one was offended by male breasts, it was easier for cities to repeal outdated laws instead of wasting law enforcement officers’ time on swimwear enforcement.

According to this article at Nerve, it was the finances of buying swimsuits that ultimately led to the laws being overturned. Sometimes parks departments had to purchase swimwear (to provide or rent out), and simple trunks were cheaper than full-body suits.

We actually found evidence of this in newspaper archives. In July of 1936 in Westchester County, it was announced in the NY Times that the county park commission would continue to prohibit topless bathing suits for men. This was after the State Park Commission had changed its rules to start allowing them.

The superintendent of the commission, Hermann Merkel, was quoted as saying, “I still believe that a few things had better be left to the imagination and that appearance of many un-beautiful ‘manly’ figures would be ameliorated by even the slight covering that a bathing suit top gives.”

Then in November of 1936, the Westchester Park Commission changed its tune about male “decency.” During their budget meeting, they were shown that trunks were cheaper than full suits. Thus they decided to overturn the ban and allow topless male swimwear like many other parts of the state.

By the 1940’s, almost no male swimsuits included shirts, and it was common for men to remove their shirts during sports or outdoors activities.

In closing, we would just like to point out that many of the arguments that were posed to justify not allowing men to be topfree in public, are the same arguments used against women’s topfree rights today. Perhaps, one day soon, both women and men will be able to free the nipple without anyone giving it a second thought. But for that to happen, we need more social change to happen. It’s not just a matter of more women going topfree, but of ending slut-shaming, rape culture, sexual objectification and other issues that predominantly affect women today. We need a society in which women are free to do what they want with their own bodies and not pay a price for it.

This articles about topless men and how men won their right to be topfree was published by Young Naturists and Nudists America.

References Used for Topless Men Articles:
http://www.gallimauphry.com/beefcake.htm
http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com/2010/08/nude-or-prude-victorian-attitudes-to.html
https://hexskin.com/bathing-suits/

Why Did Huntington Beach Ban Naturists From a Public Pool They Had Used for Years?

John Gilhooley

 

And you drive. Out of Huntington Beach, out of OC, out to where stands the original In-N-Out and its company store, which sells In-N-Out-related T-shirts and hoodies, and maybe you smile to yourself because where you're headed, you're not gonna need any of that. Then again, maybe you don't smile because, you know, Baldwin Park.

And you drive. Out past Ontario Airport, out to Palm Springs' porch, out to Colton, which asks the question, "Is there ever any reason to go to Colton?" And you know the answer is "Yeah" when folks back where you're from call you dirty, when government officials ban you from public places because they say you're a danger to "public safety," though they're not very specific at all about which public and what safety, and when anyone asks them to get specific, they say, "Trust me." And the same people question your rights to be who you are around your own children, calling you, at best, irresponsible and, at worst, well . . . they never say it, but everyone knows what they're saying, you know, when the city attorney who facilitated kicking you out says you and your kind have "admitted they bring children to these 'closed environment' events."

Yeah, you know.

And you drive. Into Colton until housing gets thinner and street signs announcing mule crossings become more plentiful, and you drive until you see the sign for Olive Dell Ranch—"A Family Nudist Resort"—and you hang a left, drive to the security gate, talk to the guard, wait for the large iron gate to swing open and park among the dusty trailers, lovely scenery and palpable libertarian vibe personified bumper sticker-wise by "I believe in my constitutional right to bare arms . . . and chests and legs and . . ." And finally you're done driving, and after all that, when you've parked your car, you can finally, so far from home, do what you do every day inside of it and take off your clothes.

Because there are getting to be so few places where you can do that outdoors. The people who have come to Olive Dell on this Sunday come from all over Southern California—from San Diego to the San Fernando Valley—to a group called Naturists In the OC (NITOC). Though everyone attending today's event, the 5K Bare Burro Run, knows what it's like to see the stunned looks of judgment, to hear the coded tee-hees that say you're a freak for preferring to live this way. It was the folks of NITOC who made headlines earlier this year when they were banned from reserving and using Huntington Beach's city gym and indoor pool; the story was quickly picked up and run with by local TV and newspapers along with international news outlets and news websites such as Yahoo, VICE and Huffington Post.

Unfortunately, headlines were pretty much all that many of those news organizations were interested in regarding the story, the opportunity to write such titillating gems as "Gloves Come Off in 'Bare' Knuckles Battle Between Huntington Beach, Group of Naturists" (KCBS-TV Channel 2 news website) and "California Nudist Told to Cover Up" (Daily Mail) without digging very deeply into things. For example, while most mentioned that NITOC had been holding events at the gym multiple times per year for eight years, they also reported as fact what city attorney Michael Gates had said when explaining the ban, that there had been "incidents" on top of "complaints" from city employees who worked the events.

John Gilhooley

 

There was virtually no mention of the fact that more than six months after the ban was put in place, Gates still has not said what the incidents or complaints were and which city employees complained. In fact, the only city employees who seemed to want to talk were folks who said they really enjoyed working the events, that the naturists were responsible and well-behaved and so much fun that at least one HB employee, after working an event, actually attended a subsequent one as a participant.

That something like this would happen in a city that not only celebrates, but also markets itself on beach culture—Surf City—a culture that celebrates the body, seems odd, especially when you consider that virtually every day—certainly every day in spring and summer—Orange County's most popular beach, crowned by a statue of a naked surfer, is home to flesh-and-blood ones who regularly use PCH as a changing room, their own naked bodies hidden, sometimes barely and sometimes not at all, by hoisted towels, where women and girls in bikinis somehow present themselves more provocatively than their naked counterparts at Olive Dell.

What is disturbing is that HB's war against these naturists has been carried out with a kind of Star Chamber efficiency unburdened by actual facts, names, times or events. The accused, NITOC, has never been told what they are actually accused of or who is making the accusations. The reason for the ban has been given at some times as personal preference of employees, at others because of the Kafka-esque unnamed "incidents," and therefore the naturists are to be excluded in the interest of the Orwellian catch-all that is "public safety"—the language of coups and dystopian teen lit.

What the hell is going on here?

Gates was asked as much on the city's Facebook page. He couldn't actually say what was going on, he said; there were issues of public safety and possible litigation and a lot of stuff that didn't involve facts. But one thing was important, he said: "You have to trust me."

*     *     *     *     *

Allen Baylis in a suit . . . John Gilhooley

 

When it comes to the NITOC events at the Huntington Beach pool, the public was apparently unaware of the precarious nature of its safety and well-being. That was clear as one speaker after another supporting NITOC came to the microphone at a Jan. 19 City Council meeting to protest the group's exclusion from the pool back in October. The speakers not only spoke about the benefits of the naturists lifestyle—the absence of body shaming, healthy body image, the fact that it just feels right (you know what they're talking about)—but also how they had been using the pool for eight years and had never heard a single complaint. They had covered any windows around the pool with paper to make it impossible to look in from outside. They had set up a table at the entrance, checked people in to make sure that no one just wandered in.

Rather than complain about the events, city lifeguards thought of them as a pleasant and easy-paying gig. Indeed, in a 2008 Orange County Register story about how the NITOC had to use the pool because there were so few places they could be naked outside the confines of their homes, then-20-year-old lifeguard Paul Armstrong said the events were so void of problems that he had in fact become bored and decided to join in as a naturist. He got in trouble for that, so the next time one of the events came around, he decided to go as a participant, saying, "Everyone's just cool." Whether it was the food the naturists always remembered to bring for the staff or that they cleaned up after themselves and made sure they were out of the pool at or before the designated deadline, apparently a lot of people felt that way.

No one spoke up against them at that January meeting, least of all the council members themselves, who seemed somewhat stunned that this was being discussed at all. The council had no part in banning NITOC; that had come about through the actions of the triumvirate of Gates, city manager Fred Wilson and community-services director Janeen Laudenback, who sent NITOC a letter telling them they would no longer be allowed in the pool because of the city's public nudity ordinance of 2007.

Allen Baylis knew all about that ordinance. In 2007, the founder and president of NITOC defended Mike Ferreira, a man who "liked to stand around naked and smoke cigarettes and drink beer" at his home at the corner of Second Street and Walnut Avenue. Complaints came, and Ferreira was charged with public indecency. The charges were eventually lessened, but it caused the city to write its own public nudity ordinance. With that, Baylis and other members of NITOC thought it best—and safest—to rent the local gym and pool and take the public out of the equation.

. . . and in his birthday suit John Gilhooley

 

"When you rent the facility, and you stop people at the door and say, 'You're not getting in unless you're a member of our organization or a guest of a member,' that's private," Baylis says.

Though the ponytail down his back may play into some sort of hippie expectation by outsiders, Baylis describes himself as a Goldwater Republican who believes his right to swing his fist ends at the tip of another person's nose, the kind of man who put himself through law school while working as an airplane mechanic, the kind of lawyer with a healthy distrust of the government whose email signature is a quote from Lavrenti Beria, Stalin's secret police chief: "Show me the man, and I'll find you the crime."

But things with the city had proceeded well, and NITOC was scheduling multiple events each year, usually in the fall and winter. When the Register reporter asked how the swims were being allowed when there was a ban on public nudity, city spokesperson Laurie Payne pretty much echoed Baylis' own words, saying, "It is not illegal to be nude in a private setting."

Nevertheless, Gates has said that pressure was building during the time NITOC was using the pool. "The change [in policy] was not sudden—I know some of the naturists think it was," he says. "This had been evolving over eight years."

However, Jennifer McGrath, Huntington Beach city attorney from 2002 to 2014, says that there was no such evolution when she held office. "To my knowledge, I didn't hear about any incidents," says McGrath, now the city attorney of Merced. "For instance, in my 12 years [as city attorney], I missed only five City Council meetings. During all those meetings, I never had anyone in the neighborhood or anyone in that building come to the podium and complain about that use."

Gates has said that the change in policy may have come as a shock because his office enforces all laws and doesn't play "favorites." But Baylis can't recall ever meeting McGrath, let alone being a favorite, since there never was any reasons to talk about their use of the pool. McGrath says the reason for that is simple: No laws were being broken.

"This is a situation where a group was renting exclusive use of a public facility, so there's no laws being broken," McGrath says. "The law says you can't be nude on the beach, can't be nude in a visible place from the public right of way. Nothing like that was going on."

Though he says he is simply fulfilling his elected duty to enforce the law, Gates is also quick to acknowledge that his action and the letter did not originate with him. "None of this was driven by me," he says. "It's been a concern of the community services department for years."

Those with NITOC knew as much. They say that they've been told by those inside Huntington Beach city government—"We have a lot of friends around, you never know who's a nudist," Baylis says—that it was Laudenback who pushed for the ban. One could say that Laudenback, whose department oversees staffing of the gym and pool, was simply looking out for her staff, who, she and Gates would claim, complained about having to work the naturist events.

But according to numerous people who worked the event as lifeguards, it was never a problem to get people to work it. Sean Makam worked the event several times. "They were a polite and very friendly group of people from all walks of life," he says. "Teachers, city officials, university students, just a nice group of people. It was just like any other party. People mostly talked. It was very easy to work. Maybe you have to throw a beach ball back in the pool every now and then—that was about it."

Their friends inside city government told members of NITOC that Laudenback simply had never liked the event and was looking for someone sympathetic to help her end it, and she found that person in Gates. We, of course, wanted to ask Laudenback about that, so we called her and said we, you know, wanted to ask her about that. She said she'd have to call Gates first and ask what she was allowed to say and what she wasn't. We don't know what he told her because she never called us back.

We're gonna assume she would echo the sentiments of Gates and say this was a question of getting employees to work the event, even though, Makam says, it only required three people to work such an event—"one administrator, two lifeguards"—and that there was never any problem doing that.

Former HB lifeguard Keri Boyd emphasized on the city's Facebook page that no one was ever forced to work the event. "They don't schedule you to work these events," she wrote. "It's a private event, so it is posted in the office as an extra shift to pick up to earn more mula $$$ . . . It never bothered me when I was working. I never felt like it was a distraction from my job to have people swimming naked. 'Oh, no, not a boob!' 'Oh, no, not a penis!' 'Oh, no, not a hairy muff!' We've all seen genitalia before. Just a bunch of nudists doin' their nudist thang and livin' their life!"

*     *     *     *     *

John Gilhooley

 

Now, let's be clear about something. When you hear that someone has a problem with nudists, there's a tendency to say they have a problem with the human body. That's not true, of course. No one gets freaked out or bans someone from a public pool for showing too much clavicle or displaying a brazen amount of scapula. As Boyd's post says, this is about penises and vaginas. That's it. And it's not just the appearance of them, but what they suggest: sex. Somehow, some people can't get their mind around the fact that a penis and a vagina can just exist; they assume, if exposed, they will be used.

Never mind the fact that the atmosphere at Olive Dell, while not asexual, does seem to be a good deal more wholesome and fun than one finds on the beach in Huntington. People smile and meet one another's gaze. They seem happy, and they say it's a direct effect of being naked, that one is literally more comfortable in their own skin, and that exposing one's body actually inhibits body shaming, discourages anyone trying to put on airs. As the group motto says, "Body acceptance is the idea. Nude recreation is the way."

And yet, group members are well aware they will constantly have to explain they are not swingers or molesters. People seem to conveniently forget that the overwhelming number of sexual predators not only come fully dressed, but also usually in some pretty officious duds, i.e., clergy, coaches and teachers. But it's the mention or suggestion of penises and vaginas that get people worked up and delivered to a dark place where things such as conservative values of personal freedom and responsibility go to die.

And then there's just stupid things. On the same Facebook thread in which Boyd had urged people to get past their junior-high attitudes, her post was joined by those who were concerned that naked people in a pool were less hygienic than those wearing swimsuits, as if a $20 pair of trunks from Target were some kind of magical block between body and water. Then there were those who, upon learning of the event, said they were concerned that it took place just blocks from a public school; never mind that the events took place in the evening and on the weekend, when no kids are supposed to be at the school. Logic and calendars aside, the concern was that the naturists, their boldness and base urges activated Gremlins-style by water hitting their genitals—you know, like what happens to everyone who takes a shower or bath—would run uncontrollably next door to do their heinous acts.

As silly as it sounds, it's something Gates has played upon, intimating on that same Facebook thread that something truly diabolical was going on, writing that "the naturists have admitted (even at the last City Council meeting) they bring their children to these 'closed environment' events . . ."

John Gilhooley

 

Now, we're gonna give Mr. Gates the benefit of the doubt and assume he's not stupid [Editor's note: No, actually, Gates is a pendejo; Steve's just too nice to say that]. Therefore, that comment can only be seen as a cynical attempt to get folks who don't just want to "trust him" to somehow come to his side by first attempting to make it seem that the children are in some kind of danger by being at these events. If he truly believed that it would be not only his right, but also his duty as city attorney to end the events while they were happening and see that anyone committing a crime was prosecuted.

None of that happened.

Next, when he says that naturists "admitted" bringing their children to the event, it intimates they are acknowledging some wrongdoing. A naturist "admitting" they raise their children in a naturist lifestyle is akin to someone "admitting" they homeschool their child or someone "admitting" they raise their son or daughter a Christian.

It's this kind of intimation that makes naturists angriest. They tend to take things in stride when dealing with other slights and discrimination, but they find the use of their children against them as gross, as would anyone vaguely or otherwise accused of pimping out their kids.

When asked if he felt the children were in danger, Gates said, "Well, I certainly won't jump to any conclusions. I don't want to make any inferences."

He then went about making some inferences. "I think people need to understand what's going on there," he says. "The naturists have come to City Council meetings and made their own statements about what they do there, and my point is saying that and similar things about this situation is that what the naturists say goes on at these events speaks for itself. They're admitting that. The public and reporters who are trying to understand need to understand the scope of it."

The scope of it today is that the naturists are out. Their options include suing the city to get back in the pool, though they just might settle for getting a straight answer from someone, anyone at the city.

"They said it was against the law, but it's not," Baylis says. "The city attorney told me as much when I met with him. Then they told us it was because they were unable to get volunteers, but that just wasn't true. So then they said it was 'incidents' and 'complaints,' but they've yet to present us with so much as one of those. They won't tell us what this is really all about. We have an idea, but we really need to hear from them. We really would like to talk about it and work with them on this."

Gates, for his part, says the city is interested in working with NITOC also. Pretty much in the way they've handled things the past six months. Asked if he could foresee a compromise that would get the NITOC back in the pool, Gates says certainly.

"They're welcomed to come any time," he says. "As long as they're clothed.

2009 Flaming Lips - Watching The Planets

Musical Video featuring nude participants filmed in Portland, Oregon in September 2009, with an all-volunteer local cast.

https://vimeo.com/7117985

Miley Cyrus planning naked concert, including crowd

Miley Cyrus and the Flaming Lips want to get naked with you.

On Tuesday, Cyrus' Instagram best friend and frequent collaborator, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, announced that the singer is planning a special nude event to promote her fifth album, "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz."

According to Coyne, the concert would also double as a music video for Cyrus' song "The Milky Milky Milk," in which the former Disney star sings: "The milky, milky milk / Your lips get me so wet / While I'm singing all the verses from the Tibetan Book of the dead."

Cyrus has yet to confirm the concert, but she will be touring with the Flaming Lips this fall. So if you've ever wanted to go to a concert featuring an experimental young pop star and an aging '80s band while being completely naked and surrounded by strangers, we're betting this is your lucky day. Plus, John Mayer will probably be there.

Wed, December 16, 2015 8:21am EDT by Alyssa Norwin

She’s done it again! Miley Cyrus winded down her Milky Milky Milk tour the way only Miley Cyrus can — smoking and totally topless. The singer’s concert in Vancouver seemed to be her wildest yet based on these racy pics.

Oh, Miley Cyrus, what are we going to do with you?! Although the venue of her Vancouver concert didn’t allow smoking, the ban didn’t stop her from lighting up on stage — and she did it while wearing nothing but underwear and nipple pasties.

Okay, so racy looks are nothing new from Miley at this point, but it was a pretty bold move to smoke so openly like that where she wasn’t supposed to be! She lit up the joint while wearing a pink pink wig, pasties that just barely covered her nipples, and a pair of pink, high-waisted undies. Not much in the form of coverage, that’s for sure!

The 23-year-old has been shocking us with her tour looks for the last several weeks, and while she changes things up a little bit from show to show, one thing’s stayed the same: There’s a lot of crazy get-ups that reveal a whole lot of skin. In one look, she even wears a silver, bondage-style body suit with absolutely nothing underneath. Yup, that means her entire breasts are on full display! And we can’t forget about that prosthetic penis, right?!

Miley will wrap her tour in Los Angeles on Dec. 19, and then her schedule looks pretty free as 2016 begins! She’s made it clear that she’s constantly working on new music, so perhaps we’ll get another new album and full tour in the New Year?!

Naturist Christians? - Wondering what we are all about or maybe even how someone could be a Christian and a naturist? Here is some information that will help answer your questions.

Naturist Photos - When seeking to educate and promote our values, we have found that sometimes seeing examples means more than anything else. Here we present photos of people living their lives naturally, without clothes, without shame, and as God created it.

http://www.naturist-christians.org/

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA
The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.
Question: Does the New York Statute pertaining to public nudity prohibit women from being topless?
Answer: No, State of New York case law has established that women may be topless in public.
Question: Does the case law apply to Fire Island National Seashore as well?
Answer: Yes, the case law applies to the assimilation of the New York statute pertaining to public nudity.  This means that women may be topless at the Seashore and still be in compliance with the law.

BAY TO BREAKERS - MAY 15, 2016 - SAN FRANCISCO

Excerptfrom http://www.baretobreakers.com/Main3.html
     So, is demonstrating in the nude safe?   The answer is that you can always be cited or arrested by an overzealous officer.  But as stated, the only arrests that have been made, were over two decades ago, and they were recognized as being illegal by a court and the charges were dismissed.  Furthermore, the public sooo overwhelmingly enjoys the nude demonstrators of this athletic event, and looks forward to them every year, that the authorities in good spirit with the public's sentiment... tolerates them.  Consequently, a strong legal precedent has been established over the years to support the expressive Free Speech nude demonstrators.  The race promoters, now sometimes, even include the BARE-2-B'ers in their official promotional materials.  Sometimes in error.  Participating in the nekkid demonstration has been totally safe provided the participants follow our important guidelines given below ("23.  RULES").

     Our Free Speech demonstrations are a symbol and an exercise of "serious artistic expression" of our artful nude figures interacting and artfully performing freely and acceptably within a major urban environment.  Our demonstrations are also of significant political interest and value as our performances have clearly demonstrated the public's overwhelming support and acceptance of our nude expression for over a decade; thereby debunking any outdated notion that the public presentation of the mere nude body infringes upon any moral sense of today's societal standard.  BARE-2-B'ers have substantiated that the public is ready to accept nude people for who they are.

     Our demonstrations are of yet further political importance and merit as the authorities have come to recognize that our nude demonstrations are safe and that they do not create any harm or any undesired secondary effects; and that our short annual demonstrations fall within the expressive conduct perimeters of the First Amendment as strongly supported by legal research.

It’s still swimsuit season, there’s still time to lace up those sneakers and get moving. Which is exactly what some folks are doing as they seek out classic jogging sensations: the steady bounce, the adrenaline build, the burning quads, the wind against their … genitals?

These days, a certain group of people are running around, only they’re doing it buck naked, sporting just sneakers for flair. Here in the industrial town of Porto Alegre, Brazil, the trend has been happening so often that it’s being called febre de pelados, or naked fever. Over the past several months, around the city’s streets and parks, folks have spotted — and often snapped with cellphone cameras ­— naked joggers. Some call it silly, others outrageous, but the police call it something between criminal and insane.

The Porto Alegre joggers aren’t alone. Across the globe, from Colorado and Ohio to the U.K. and New Zealand, people are heading out for naked sprints. Some recently cycled nude in cities around the world to raise awareness for different causes, while others have poured buckets of red wine over their bare bosoms to protest bloodshed in Ukraine. Of course, public nudity isn’t particularly new. But watch the global headlines and you might notice that naked running seems to be having a prolonged revival, sometimes for familiar reasons: out of political protest, to support feminism or animal rights, or simply for the sheer enjoyment of jogging cru. In Brazil and some other countries, people appear to be doing it on a lark. Which makes the whole trend seem even more “ridiculous,” to 34-year-old Porto Alegre professor Rafael Pereira, “because this is one of the coldest places in Brazil.”

In a time of X-rated selfies and sexting, nude jogging can seem almost quaint, even pure.

Not surprisingly, the naked jogging trend has sparked another trend: the banning of naked jogging, or public nudity in general. In 2012, San Francisco passed a public nudity ban, shutting down the thrills of those like nude protester George Davis, who griped to the San Francisco Chronicle that his hometown would soon lose its reputation as “the kinkiest city.” Just last week, Topeka, Kansas, followed (anti-birthday) suit, and Sacramento is considering doing the same. Go to New York, and you’ll find a city entrenched in a battle over the desnudas of Times Square, who cover their breasts only with paint and pose for pictures in exchange for tips. Recently, a controversy kicked up in Cambodia over tourists posing for photos near Angkor Wat with brilliantly white smiles and a lot of brilliantly white skin. Barcelona, the place where the party doesn’t start until dawn, went even further and banned “partial nudity” — such as wearing a bikini around town. As it turns out, at least in the realm of the European Court of Human Rights, public nudity is not a basic human right.

 

    

  

A naked demonstrator runs in Athens during a protest against the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Source: Aris Messinis/Getty

 

It’s been a long, uphill jog for nudity lovers over the years. Throughout history, so-called nonsexual social nudity has been linked to cultural touchstones, from naked competitors in the Olympics of ancient Greece to the development of the sport of surfing in 1800s Polynesia. Around the turn of the 20th century, the first naturist club was founded in India, and the first naturist resort founded in Germany. But 1974 may have been the high-water mark for public nudity, with a rash of streaking events across American college campuses. The fad even slipped onto the stage at the Oscars that year. Topless movements sparked across the U.S. in the ’90s, but today — to the chagrin of frequently topless comedian Chelsea Handler and others — toplessness is still not legal in about a third of the states.

And yet we might be seeing a revival of the time-honored practice of public buck-nakedness. In 2010, Felicity Jones co-founded the Young Naturists America to promote the cause to millennials via events like topless Meetups, naked hikes and that perennial favorite, skinny-dipping. Its second-annual NYC Bodypainting Day attracted 70 artists and 100 models this year, twice as many as last year, but it could have been even bigger: “We’re trying to not grow it too quickly,” says 27-year-old Jones. The American Association for Nude Recreation says the naked rec market — think nude beaches, resorts, cruises — is already worth almost half a billion dollars. Even the TV networks are taking a crack at showing crack: Seemingly endless nude reality shows have crept up on us, from Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid to VH1’s Dating Naked. Turns out that while all the participants strip down, executives line their pockets.

Though it may sound surprising given the bronzed-butt-and-thong situation, toplessness is still illegal on the beaches of Brazil. That, of course, has led to repeated protests, which often look like small groups of bare-breasted women encircled by the erect zoom lenses of hordes of “photographers.” Repeating an argument often made elsewhere, Ana Paula Nogueira, leader of the 1,000-strong Topless in Rio movement, says it’s just not fair that men can go to restaurants and even church without shirts, but women can’t go topless on the beach. “Brazil is a bit schizophrenic,” Nogueira says: Underlying the country’s hypersexualized image, there’s a deep strain of sexual conservatism. Those topless protests? Maybe they’re a spectacle now, but she insists they’re really about gender equality, and meant to normalize public nudity in the long run.

Indeed, when it comes to public nudity, our cyberlicious modern world turns up one constant around the globe: the share factor. For every topless protest, there are a thousand InstaPics; for every nude trot, a grainy cellphone vid. Ask folks like Nogueira and the media attention is part of the deal. But in a time of X-rated selfies and indiscriminate sexting, naked jogging on your own can seem almost quaint, even pure.

So why should you slip on your birthday suit alfresco? “When you shed your clothes, you shed your stress,” proclaims Carolyn Hawkins, spokeswoman for the AANR. In her view, meeting someone at a nudist resort takes on an equalizing dimension. “You find out who they are from inside, from the heart,” she says. Similar logic drives the latest (nude) trend in yoga. Practitioners liken their naked asanas to a philosophical stance, driven by deep moral beliefs about authenticity, transparency and the like. Such lofty claims aside, being naked among other naked people in quasi public settings can be just, well, fun. “A lot of people just enjoy it,” says Jones, of the Young Naturists.

But the impact of seeing a bouncing jogger in the nude has been taken quite seriously in some places. In Colorado a few years ago, a priest was found guilty of “indecent exposure” for dashing nude around a high school track. And down in Porto Alegre, the reaction to bare-skinned runners has been to send at least one of them to a mental hospital for being “imbalanced.” Mixed martial artist Betina Baino was one of those who recently strolled naked there on a rainy afternoon; she told Globo TV she did so for “personal reasons,” but her former trainer said he was worried she might have a psychological problem. Neither Baino nor her ex-trainer could be reached for comment, but Antonio Barbaresco, a spokesman for the city of Porto Alegre, says no one seems to know why more nude joggers have been out and about. “It’s something spontaneous that no one understands,” he says.

There is some hope for public-nudity advocates. Munich recently created six “Urban Naked Zones” for sunbathing in the buff, while Barcelona dropped its “partial nudity” (aka bikini) ban in April. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, an appeals court overturned a ruling against a naked runner for “offensive behavior.” “If it was offensive,” the man told the local paper, “then God wouldn’t have given us genitals.”

Shannon Sims

Ozy Author

Based in Brazil, Shannon is OZY’s Latin American correspondent and legal voice. In her many lives, she’s taught elementary school in Harlem, managed a hotel in Italy and researched forests in Brazil. A University of Texas law grad raised in Louisiana, she prefers cowboy boots over heels, and hot sauce over everything.

Educational Piece about Topfreedom

By Paul Rapoport, Co-ordinator of the Topfree Equal Rights Association

Topfreedom and Top-Free Equality:

Topfreedom And Top-Free Equality– So what’s this topfree equality for women thing? What’s its connection to naturism?

Many naturists aren’t down for it, clearly. It’s an out-there public issue rather than a private campground one. Then there’s “It ain’t nude, so it ain’t naturist.”

But women’s topfreedom is in thick with naturism. It too aims to free the body from priggish prudery. It too wants to demolish the unholy notion that skin = sin. It too attacks the rampant body phobia so beloved of politicians.

Topfree Equality

 

Still, we shouldn’t stand for people screaming “Nude!” at topfree women. Of course, the media love to pin that word on them. What do you expect, when they use “nude” for nearly anything less than a winter coat, including the asinine label “nude evening gown”?

The Topfree Equal Rights Association (TERA) was formed in 1997. Yep, we’re going on 15. Our founding aim was to help women hassled for being topfree. Ideally, we’d like to help them before they get into trouble, to avoid it!

Over the years we’ve managed to meet every major North American topfree activist (note – topfree not topless). All five of ’em.

Topfreedom and Topfree Equality

 

Just kidding. There are more, like the Rochester 7, from 1986. But the women who’ve taken a long-term stand against patriarchal control of breasts are still few and literally far between. Progress is slow.

In recent years, another organization, GoTopless, has organized protests in August in favor of topfreedom. Good for them. Those happenings get the media salivating, and we need all that yakking. But GoTopless doesn’t understand legal situations. It also comes with certain baggage that the media don’t take seriously.

Our main colleague in topfreedom is the Naturist Action Committee, whose Executive Director, not an attorney, can write a legal brief better than many attorneys.

The co-ordinator of TERA is a male. Oops, another credibility problem, although we don’t encounter it much any more. We give out information, help in legal matters, and encourage women: not to be topfree (’cause that’s their decision) but to take steps to allow that choice if they want it, including supporting other women who do.

In the early days, we heard lots of gripes against women’s topfree equality that naturists may easily imagine. Here are a few, with comebacks we’ve never used (’cause we’re polite and all):

1. Breasts are sex organs!

They’re glands, ma’am, just modified sweat glands. How sexy is that?

2. Women prancing around showing their tits make men assault them!

See that cow prancing over there? It’s gonna force me to eat it.

3. Still, it’s not safe!

Psst, I’ll tell you a secret. Women have brains. Let them use them.

4. What about the children!

Yes, what about forcing your ignorant bigotry on children?

5. Only women who’re hawt should let ’em out!

See no. 6 below, you sexist pig. (Note to self: dump the ’60s talk.)

6. Only women who’re ugly should go topless!

See no. 5 above, you sexist pig. (Note to self: you failed.)

7. Women are different!

Got that right. That means they mustn’t vote, go to school, get a job, or have money. Keep ’em barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen!

Despite all that crap, we’ve noticed the topfree movement being taken much more seriously even in the last five years. More women (and men) see what it’s about and what it’s not. Some of that is due to GoTopless. It’s due more fundamentally to the many women who want control over their own breasts.

We know that breastfeeding is still a problem in this country, because every time a woman feeds her child that way in public, some nut case is likely to hiss “Obscene!” But kids love breast milk. Everyone needs to see them feeding that way, because it’s normal, natural, and necessary. Pictures of breastfeeding aren’t porn. (Someone tell Facebook.) If women’s topfreeedom were possible, we’d have no issue with public breastfeeding.

So yes, what about the children! Topfree equality is for them too, so that they grow up healthy and free of breast obsession and women’s suppression.

Here’s to all those women who get it and want to do something about it!

Topfreedom and Top-Free Equality Issues as well as Nudists and Naturists Top Free Blogs by – Young Nudists and Naturists America YNA

A Naked Poem – Naked and Divine

( By Anon )

Naked Boys Running Into Lake

 

I am the body,

the body is me,

created by the Divine.

My spirit and body are woven together

making it all one, inseparable.

Out in the wilderness I commune,

stripped from raiment I bathe in nature’s embrace.

The trees are the pillars of the temple,

the sky of blue the ceiling, the clouds tapestries,

the sun the lantern.

Run naked with me,

innocent like little children,

we say goodbye to the working world, goodbye to false pretenses

as we embrace reality without a façade,

if only for a little while.

We’ll swim like dolphins in the water,

all the while enjoying its gentle massage.

We’ll dance all day under the sun

into the night

when the cool glow of the pale moonlight shine its magic upon us.

The wind will sing to the tune of a gentle breeze,

a melody so sweet and soothing,

and we’ll sing with it.

Let’s all laugh together

and run through the trees and into the fields,

cherishing bonds of friendship

as we wash our feet in the running water of brooks and streams.

Brothers and sisters we all are.

In God’s image we are created,

male and female, naked and unashamed.

Of all body shapes, of all sizes,

of every age, from the child to the teen to the young adult to the old and wrinkled,

each one a work of beauty

lovingly created by heavenly hands.

Naked we are all innocent again

Young Nudists And Naturists America

Miss Barely Hidden, Our Young Teenage Naturist Talks About Trying Naturism For The First Time

Our Teenage Naturist “Getting My Barings on Naturism for the First Time”

Back by popular demand, Miss Barely Hidden, our very own teenage naturist writer! After reading all your comments on her teenage body image post, our naturist teen has decided to answer the top question posted by people who commented. They wanted to know how a young teenage girl feels about trying naturism for the first time.

Miss Barely Hidden talk’s about her experience with trying naturism for the first time:

Trying Naturism for the first time: I started naturism at the age of 12. It was really my dad that first had an interest in naturism. He started by going to naked beaches. After a few trips he really wanted to share the experience with me and the rest of my family.

Unfortunately, that naked beach wasn’t exactly the best place to bring kids. There would be no way to prevent anyone from taking pictures or videos of us, and our parents wanted to protect our privacy. So the next logical step was to look for a more private naturist club.

We found one that was fairly close by and decided to go on a Saturday. When we pulled up to the main house of the club, we still hadn’t really seen anyone. Someone met us there, as they had known we were coming. To begin with, they took us on a short tour of the premises. Every once in a while we passed someone naked along the path. The first time I was a little uncomfortable, but after a couple times I decided it didn’t really bother me.

Admittedly, it was mostly older people, so I didn’t really see anyone my age which definitely added to my ease.

At the end of the tour we arrived at the pool. There, we got settled in and then it was time to get naked. It was almost like jumping into cold water. You didn’t want to at first because you knew it would be uncomfortable, but once you did it was easy and even fun. I just took off my clothes as quickly as possible. Once in the pool the self-consciousness definitely faded. The next couple times I went naked in front of other naturists, I was still self-conscious. I was somewhat conscious of my changing body, which was just beginning to really start puberty.

 

Teenage Naturist Miss Barely Hidden Tells Her Story of Trying Naturism for the First TIme

 

Actually the timing was probably perfect, I was still so early in puberty that I wasn’t too conscious of myself and it allowed me to be more open and accepting of the changes that did occur to me later on. It also helped that the first few times that we went to the club, it wasn’t very crowded and everyone simply minded their own business. A few people came over to talk, but for the most part they left us to our own devices.

I didn’t feel like anyone was staring at me, or that anyone had bad intentions. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and that really helped me. I’m sure that if there had been more kids, even people in general, I would have been far more self-conscious and reluctant to get undressed. Overall, I was lucky enough to have a very relaxing, welcoming, and low-stress introduction into naturism. I’m glad now for it, as naturism has really helped me to become a more confident and happy teenager.

This blog by our teenage naturist, “Miss Barely” about her experiences when trying naturism for the first time was published By – Young Naturists and Young nudists America YNA

Family Naturism – Angie and the Cannibal Tribe – Growing Up Nudist

(Guest blog)

Family Naturism and Growing Up Nudist

Teenage naturists are a new experience for me. As a semi-active naturist, it’s a subject matter I read about, and hear constant misinformation about in the mass media, and have been hearing the same misinformation and paranoia for over twenty years. It feels as though no one learns from history and treats family naturism as though it had only started yesterday.

But we know better, as full time nudists.

Or do we?

Do we really take the time to talk to our children about being raised nudist? Or do we just take for granted our lifestyle choice and just leave them to make their own decisions? How much do we really know about what they have gone through?

As a former member of the Hawaii Skinny dippers, we had no teenage members. I created a tradition that the first teen member to sign up for membership through their parents, or turned 13 as a child member, would get a free comic book on their birthday. To this day, I have never personally awarded any free comic books.

Family Naturism

 

So I took it upon myself to talk to college students in the nudist world about how they grew up and how they felt about being raised nudist. I was prepared to hear everything warts and all. At the risk of sounding negative, I assure my readers any negative statement is meant to point out genuine concerns in the world of family naturism

.

My first interviewee was a girl named Angie, aged 19, one of two college girls working at the Olive Dell Naturist Resort in Southern California. Restaurant guidelines state that all employees must be fully clothed, and it must work well since their diner has an A rating by the Board of Health.

Upon my three visits, I never saw Angie or her friend participate in any activities in the nude. Her friend did on my fourth visit, but I reiterate, it was my fourth visit. Angie isn’t opposed to it, she told me. She’s more than willing to drop trough if the situation calls for it. However, neither she nor any of her closest friends at the club call themselves nudists. She feels the label simply isn’t necessary.

Angie had been raised at Olive Dell since infancy and was a very active nudist as a child. She would visit other clubs where there would be about 50 other nudist kids her age during the big events, holidays, gatherings, but some time when she hit puberty, the number of children her age dwindled to five or less.

During this “awkward” phase, she felt pressured to go nude, so she and her friends rebelled, participating fully clothed during nudist events. You don’t see this trend reflected in nudist videos or magazines much, but from my experience it was all too common.

The resort guidelines mandate that one must be fully nude in the swimming pool, Jacuzzi and the deck around it. The patio just above the pool, the teens felt, can be considered a gray area. Though it’s highly recommended that everyone go nude, it was often difficult to enforce. So the outside patio and the adjacent clubhouse becomes the hangout spot for the teenagers.

“My boyfriend was very much against nudism when I met him,” she says with a laugh. “His family was very apprehensive. They told him that we were a tribe that danced around a campfire in the mountains and practiced cannibalism. When I told my dad, he greeted my boyfriend with a knife and fork.”

Angie’s current boyfriend often hangs out with her and it’s very common to see the four of them (Angie, her best friend and their two boyfriends) walking about fully clothed or in towels around the pool. What struck me most was that, despite the propaganda of the Naturist Society and the AANR, Angie wasn’t aware of any “movements” to promote nudism among young folks.

“When I go to these resorts,” she says. “All I see are older adults.” So it’s too easy for young people to assume that in order to stay in business, nudism had to be marketed for an older demographic, no matter what philosophy they preached. But unlike other young nudists, Angie and her friend are actively involved in the nudist business. Working full time in the café gives her a steady paycheck and much insight to how the club runs. It wouldn’t surprise me if she started running the resort in ten years.

Curiously, she didn’t seem to be aware of websites that promote nudism strictly to teens, since most sites can’t post photos of teenagers unless they want to attract COGs (Creepy Old Guys). Being used to meeting teens dragged along by their nudist parents, she seemed surprised when I told her I’d wanted to be a nudist since I was 13. She didn’t think it would be legal for me to have pursued it back then.

Olive Dell Ranch

 

Unlike other resorts, Olive Dell has the largest amount of young adults I’d ever seen, so the feelings of loneliness and isolation doesn’t seem to affect the young people there as it did in my teenage years. The youth program is very strong and very active, though I had noticed they’re not mentioned in CFI newscasts (Clothes Free International).

When I brought up all the paranoia surrounding the AANR youth camps in Virginia and other states, Angie and I both had to laugh. There were too many real issues that young naturists have to deal with before tackling imaginary issues which have already been solved by the camp’s rules and regulations.

But the one real issue still remains. Though I do not fault Angie or her friends for remaining clothed until they get some alone time, I do have to wonder if the environment encourages her to “drop trou” as she says.

If there was a constant influx of college students, not just the post college workforce crowd of Vita Nuda West, would Angie be a more active naturist?

I would assume so, but it’s only a guess. From my observation, the young people go nude when they are with their own community. There is still a sense of intimacy associated with nudism. And it would be nice to have us middle aged nudists to show them that you can be nude without being intimate. It’s simply a whole lot of fun.

Family Naturism and Growing Up Nudist as wel as other Blogs and posts about Social Nudity by Young Naturists and Young Nudists America YNA

What It’s Like To Race in the Bare Burro 5K Nude Run

The 7th annual Bare Burro 5K Nude Run will take place on April 10, 2016 at Olive Dell Nudist Ranch in Colton, California. From the event press release: “The Bare Burro run was started in 2010 and is now established as the premier nude running event in Southern California. More than 200 runners competed in 2015, running a challenging 5K course though the hills and hiking trails of the rustic Olive Dell Ranch, where the wild burros usually visible from the course inspired the punning name of the race.”

Below is a guest blog about what it’s like to run in the Bare Burro. Whether you’re an experienced nudie runner or new to naturism, this should be a fun spring event for those in SoCal! There is a discounted registration fee until April 1 and participation is limited to 300 people, so learn more and register now at www.olivedellranch.com.

Guest Blog by: Carlo Panno

It’s always easy to spot the newbies.

It’s too chilly for nudity when the gates open for the Bare Burro 5K Run, the annual spring-kickoff nude 5K race at Olive Dell Nudist Ranch in Southern California, so everyone — from veteran nudists to first-time newbies — is braced against the early morning coolness in sweatsuits and running pants. People mill around, nervously making small talk with the friends they came with, pointedly making eye contact and furtively looking around to see if anybody has broken the clothing barrier.

By about 9, the sun has broken through the morning fog, the chill in the air has dissipated, and the clothes begin to disappear. Not that people strip down in public: They slip away, go to their cars, ditch their clothes, and come back nude expect for running shoes. Now outnumbered, the clothed holdouts feel conspicuous and do the same, returning with a towel self-consciously draped over their shoulders or casually held just so at waist level. Before long, the acceptance sinks in: I’m naked, and so is everybody else, and it’s okay. I’m gonna use this towel to sit on.

The Bare Burro 5K takes place on a challenging course up and down the hills of Olive Dell Nudist Ranch on the gravel fire roads, dirt paths — and the occasional paved roadway — of the rustic nudist resort. The challenge of the run is compounded by the fact that nudity is required for the runners, placing them in a social-nudity situation they may have never encountered before. Runners’ numbers are painted on their arms, leading to odd numerical tan lines later.

A system is in place at the poolside clubhouse to check in the participants: Line up here, get your name checked off the list, get your number painted over there, the map of the route is on the wall, any questions? Put your clothes in your car, we have a car key check on the patio by the pool. Volunteers answer questions (“This is the exit, enter the building around the corner.”) and caution people not to photograph strangers in their pre-race selfies.

At about 10:00, the volunteers head to their stations along the course. The route loops back on itself and crosses itself, so water stations correspond with tricky turns so volunteers can yell “Follow the red arrow!” between passing out cups of water. A first aid volunteer is ready with a cell phone to go to any runner’s aid. The communal pump-topped gallon bottle of sunscreen (provided by race sponsor Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen) is a focal point for the runners on the patio, who trade advice (“Take it easy up the hill to the water tower”) and encourage each other.

Sponsored sunscreen station at Bare Burro 5K Nude Run at Olive Dell Nudist Ranch

At 10:15, the runners head to the starting line, led by the head timer, compressed airhorn in hand. The narrow roadway fills with naked runners, stretching, running in place, mentally recalibrating how much personal space is required when nobody is wearing any clothing. The earlier awkwardness is replaced with a defiant camaraderie: We’re naked and we’re gonna run a 5K! You got a problem with that?

The starter gives a quick pep talk: This course is tough, with uphill sections. Watch your footing on the gravel. Keep your eye out for people who have stumbled. If you need help ask at a water station, we have cell phones and can get first aid to you. Stay hydrated. Follow the red arrows on the first half, then the blue arrows. Have a good race.

The serious runners casually drift to the front of the pack. The fun-runners stay put, this is a casual thing for them, let the competitors take the edge, good for them. Let them find the red arrows first.

As the time counts down to 10:30, the chatter stops. The air becomes quiet, expectant. The runners are ready. We’re going to Do This. The head timer has mounted a small stepladder, giving him added visibility to the pack. With eyes locked on his wristwatch, he raises the airhorn high and…

SQUAWWWWWK! They’re off.

Runners on the trail during the Bare Burro 5K Nude Run

The intense quiet of 250 runners all holding their breath is replaced by the organic quiet of the placid country lane with six race volunteers preparing the finish line. Orange traffic cones and bright pink tape are arranged to define three finishing lanes. The first runners cross the finish line in 20 minutes, running hard and fast, having saved their energy for a sprint to the finish, raising their arms in victory. The serious runners (“What’s my time?”) are joined by the casual runners at the 40-minute mark: sweaty, dragging, exhausted, but exhilarated at finishing. A volunteer gets stationed at the last turn to encourage the runners: “The race ends at the orange cones!” Bottles of water are handed out to the runners as their friends congratulate them with high fives and smiles.

Bare Burro nude run finish line

 

After the race, runners and their friends collect at the pool, telling their stories about the run, their numbers fading after reapplication of sunscreen, waiting for the announcement of the winners. The ice long since broken, naked strangers chat while waiting in line at the refreshment station and snack bar, trading race times and vowing to do better next time.

The winners are announced at a casual ceremony, with Olive Dell owner Becki announcing the first, second and third place winners for the entire race and individual winners in the age brackets. After thanking everybody for coming and inviting them to enjoy the pool, hot tub, sun deck and the rest of the Olive Dell facilities for the rest of the day, she announces the date for next year’s run.

And the countdown begins again.

——-

About the Author: Carlo Panno has been an active naturist since his college days with au Naturèl, one of the first college-sanctioned naturist groups, centered at Cal State Northridge. He spent five years on the research staff of “Jeopardy!” and is now a freelance writer for news and information websites.

Young Naturists & Nudists America

Is Family Nudity and Nudism really Good for Children?

Is Nudism, and Family Nudity Good for Children? Aren’t Kids Nudists Anyway?

Is Nudism is Good for Children and TheTruth Behind Nudity in the Family:

Benjamin Spock, Ann Landers, and Abigail van Buren, all popular authorities on child-rearing and other matters, have often warned of the dangers of exposing children to nudity. Though their theories on the matter are well-known, are they truly valid? Is there solid research to prove it? Studies of how nudity affects kids are actually sparse, though they have slightly increased in number in recent years.

The findings and their interpretations are often influenced by researchers’ own preconceptions, including findings that may better explain the effects of parents’ attitudes toward nudity on kids rather than the actual effect of children being exposed to nudity.

However since the late 1970’s, more objective and controlled research has taken place in an effort to identify the truth of how exposure to nudity affects child development. All of this research indicates not only a lack of negative effects, but a whole list of benefits to children.

Nudist Kids and Finding Out If Nudism is Good For Children

One of the first truly objective studies was developed by Dr. Marilyn Story, a researcher who sought to examine the role of family social nudity classification on body self-concept development in preschool-aged children. Dr. Story interviewed 264 children aged three to five years as well as their parents. The children were classified in one of three categories: social naturists or simply put – nudist kids, at-home nudist, and non- nudist kids.

Each child was interviewed individually as they were asked about their body parts, namely whether they like each of the 16 body parts discussed. Within this study, a correlation was identified between gender and which body parts were most desirable.

The study also found that non- nudist kids most often identified their genitals as their least-liked body parts. Adversely, nudist kids ( which basically means – children from nudist homes ) identified their genitals as their most-liked body parts and identified no parts of their body that they liked the least. Within this study, naturism / nudism was found to be a more important variable than gender, race, and geographical area in terms of having a positive self-concept, body acceptance, and self-image.

my body

 

Another important study was conducted by Ron and Juliette Goldman in 1981 to examine children’s perception of clothing and nakedness in regard to modesty in four different locations: North America, England, Australia, and Sweden. Within this study, children aged five to fifteen were studied, and research centered on children’s perceptions of the need for clothing in different circumstances as well as the reason given for the need for clothing.

Though the study was intended to determine which societies were most insistent on wearing clothes for the purpose of modesty, this study determined that children’s perceptions of nakedness was strongly tinged with guilt. As they aged they conformed more to their parents’ modesty training, thereby causing children’s guilt about nakedness to increase with age. Such guilt was found in children who did not understand, accept, or enjoy their body and its sex organs as natural and normal.

Robin Lewis and Louis Janda conducted a study in 1998 to examine the relationship between adult sexual adjustment and childhood exposure to nudity, sleeping in the parental bed, and parental attitudes toward sexuality. These components had mixed results in previous studies, which necessitated further research. Lewis and Janda used an extensive questionnaire to survey 210 undergraduate university students about their childhood experiences with nudity.

The results of the study were clear: there is a positive relationship between childhood exposure to nudity and adult sexual comfort. Further, the study found that children from birth to age five who were exposed to nudity felt less discomfort with affection and physical contact as they grew older. Children ages 6-11 who were exposed to nudity (i.e. nudist kids ) had greater self-esteem and knowledge about sex.

Margaret Mead is an anthropologist who has completed many studies on the effects of nudity on children and is one of the most well-known researchers on this topic. Dr. Mead studied cultures throughout the world and noted many negative effects that clothing had in the western culture’s clothing-dependent society.

These effects include a separation of “self” from the “body,” a lack of point of comparison for all body parts due to clothing covering them, a preoccupation with sex that is emphasized through clothing, and a lack of education about the human body related to lack of exposure to it. She further identified that the nudity or partial nudity common to more primitive cultures was not an indication of a lack of modesty, and the way nudity is handled within a culture is more important than the presence of nudity in determining whether it will have negative effects. One area that she emphasizes is that a child must see nudity among adults so that they know what their body will become; this is essential to the developing person.

One common theme throughout the research was the effect of the family’s and society’s attitude about nudity on children. The presence of a positive or negative attitude towards nudity was far more important than any other factor in nearly every situation when it came to how a child would react to nudity around them. These studies show that not only is nudity not harmful to children (sorry Dr. Spock), but that they can benefit in various ways from exposure to nudity in a body-positive, accepting environment.

Children can gain increased knowledge and understanding of the human body in all of its forms along with greater comfort with sexuality and physical contact as they grow older. They also learn to accept their own bodies and have greater self-esteem. Thus it is really up to us as parents, as educators, as individuals, as a society, to adopt a more open and accepting view of nudity for children to benefit.

On a continuing note:

Nudity, Family Nudism and Raising Nudist Kids

Guest nudist Blog

Family Nudism and Raising Nudist Kids

Nudism is a way of life, a philosophy for some. It’s not about stripping off one’s clothes to be an exhibitionist. It is about personal freedom and acceptance of the human body in all its forms and beauty.

I grew up in a nude home that supported nudism and family nudity.

It was only natural that my husband and I also practice family nudism. When in private, we and our children refrain from wearing clothing in our house and secluded garden. We’ve chosen a home that is away from others, allowing us to express ourselves in our own way.

Family Nudism is one form of expression for us. Just as others choose certain clothing to wear, we, in our family, simply choose to wear none.

Family nudism, nudity in the family and raising nudist kids

 

Our young kids, ages four and six, have complete acceptance of their bodies. They know the proper names for their anatomy and use them accordingly.

There is no fear or embarrassment about seeing a person naked. My husband and I often speak about how beautiful our children are. Nudity, in many ways, has brought us all closer together.

As a family, we respect the rights and wishes of others as well as most social norms. If company comes to call, such as other children from from our kids school, or when we go out in public, everyone is dressed. However, as soon as privacy is restored, we are all quick to shed any covering and poof – back to being the naked family again.

There’s nothing like the sensation of the fresh air and warmth of the sun on the naked body. None of us are uncomfortable while nude in the least. There is nothing sexual about being a naturist and there is nothing sexual or obscene about simple family nudity as well.

We simply enjoy being nude and believe that there is nothing wrong with being in our natural state as we go about our daily lives.

From day one, both my husband and I grew up with in nudist families. We used to gather for special nudist functions so from a young age, we became accustomed to seeing each other’s naked bodies.

Denial of the human body will not be a problem in our family. There was no sense of taboo with regards to being nude, nor was there a feeling that something should have been hidden.

As we grew older, my husband and I grew closer and as time went on, we became a couple. As such, we were ready to explore each other in a other responsible ways too.

One day, they will grow up and find partners of their own. As our children mature, we wish to teach them the same values and hope they will learn to be responsible and caring adults.

We can only hope that they will find others who will accept their bodies and will live in complete acceptance of their natural state if that is what they wish.

Family Nudism and Growing Up As a Nudist Was Published by – Young Naturists and Nudists America YNA

Nudism and Sexuality Fully Explained and Discussed

Nudism and Sexuality Issues Today

The Issues of Nudism and Sexuality Openly Discussed:

Nudism and Sexuality  seems to be a hot topic these days. We at Young Naturists America get a ton of of emails and questions every single day about this very topic.

This week we got one such email, from a young person, who wanted to know how do we separate nudism and sexuality?

His email read as follows:

“How does one separate sexuality from nudity? Don’t get me wrong; I’m not attacking nudists, I want to be one. I guess my question is: When does it become too sexualized? I think that’s what gets textile people’s textiles in a bunch. Where is the context?”

Rather than give  a straight answer to those questions, Jordan Blum decided to break them down a bit in a conversation with Paul Rapoport, the former, longtime editor of Going Natural.

Below is the Q & A Between Jordan and Paul about nudism and sexuality:

What do you think of the questions?

They’re basic and important. Although most naturists may know the main answer to their own satisfaction, I’d like to start with a bit of context, as the questioner asks. Let’s consider the sex issue from a cultural perspective, and the problems it poses for naturists.

American culture, fed if not led by its media—movies and pop music as well as communications and advertising—has turned sex into big business and a big obsession. To use that obsession for commercial and political ends on a large scale, sex needs to be oversimplified and narrow.

Going Natural Magazine

What’s the result?

Because public expressions of “explicit” sexuality are generally banned, in traditional mass-market visual representation a few square (or round!) inches of body parts easily become the oversimplified, narrow focus for that ban. You know, “You can’t show that!”

But nudity is everywhere in the media, we’re told.

In basic mass media, only coy versions of nudity: a censored, false nudity, with “no showing this or that” always operating, and an overwhelming emphasis on young women of a certain type. All that should really annoy naturists.

But does it benefit naturism any?

Maybe, but it comes from a different place, the manipulation of the obsession with sex. That’s aimed at the main decision makers: middle-aged, middle-class, heterosexual men.

Naturism’s real nudity of a variety of real people doing anything but hanging around in passive poses would wreck the game by making the manipulation much more difficult.

What’s the simplest way to attack that?

We could try logic! To most people, if there’s an image of sex, it must involve nudity. Therefore, if there’s an image of nudity, it must involve sex. Is that logical?

Naturists know the answer to that.

I’d put this to non-naturists, then: If there’s an image of a man, it must be a human. Therefore, if there’s an image of a human, it must be a man.

That illogicality is the same as the one involving nudity. Unfortunately, logic is an enemy of forces of mass manipulation.

Why don’t we just say that nudism isn’t sexual and leave it at that?

Because it’s complicated, and on a simple level I don’t think it’s true. If it were, there would be no quotas on single men at private naturist locations, no gay naturists as separate groups, etc. The issue may well be: life is sexual.

How do nudists deal with all that in practice, rather than theory?

The simplest way to separate nudity from sexuality is to keep to the practice of nonsexualized nudity. The -ed is important, making nonsexualized mean not overtly sexual. In other words, naturist activities have no additional sexual component beyond what bodies usually have when clothed.

But even that’s a tough sale. To non-naturists,  eating, swimming, or playing volleyball without clothes is either ridiculous or sexually provocative. They’ve bought into the wrong two-way automatic association between nudity and sexual expression

.

Don’t naturists have an even harder time understanding? They’re often critical of behavior that would be acceptable in a non-nude event.

Nudism and Sexuality – What Is Too Sexual For Nudists?

Politically in the USA, especially during its more repressive phases, naturists have had to disavow any connection with sex. To fight the impression that they are sexual deviants or threats, they try to act less sexual than everyone else

.

Part of that is a reasonable defense, especially for women in the presence of men: when clothes come off, more boundaries are on. Interpersonal boundaries are strengthened. But it may certainly be overdone.

How may it be overdone?

In the 1940s, naturists in most places could not hold hands or, in some, touch each other even on a shoulder. That seems odd now. These days, there are other naturist taboos. There must always be some. Different naturists may have different views on them.

Such as?

Some say that genital jewelry is a sexualized display, or that putting sunscreen on the usually forbidden body bits in the presence of others is too much. Some say that men shouldn’t be allowed erections, or that women shouldn’t sit with their legs apart.

Some naturist locations avoid lingerie or other attire considered sexy, or body painting, or body contests. Some frown on naked hugs or dances.

Could trying so much to be less sexual than non-naturists be counter-productive? If people are not guilty of something, why must they battle to prove they are innocent?

Welcome to the USA, where on a large political scale, perception is nine-tenths of truth.

In practical terms, though, overdoing the defensiveness about sex might separate naturist groups from each other as well as alienate a large segment of the population that just wants to act the same with or without clothing.

Those seem notable concerns especially for young people. But if things don’t go to extremes, there’s room for various kinds of naturism: outdoor, party, sports, religious, etc.; and let’s not forget children of very different ages. As for acting the same with or without clothing, that’s the basic idea, which young children understand better than anyone!

What would you suggest to new naturists? They won’t go into a lot of philosophy just to try the experience.

Fair enough. They might find out what’s okay or not in the naturist environment they plan to be in and act accordingly. Or the converse: find out if there’s a place or group that does things they want and avoids things they don’t.

It doesn’t hurt to ask in a general way, or to read up a little about the issues, and those seeking assurances should be welcomed.

How do you see naturism changing over the next few years with respect to these issues?

That’s too hard for me to answer. But one thing seems clear: because naturism is still small stuff in the larger picture, it gains most from major events that aren’t set up as naturist or by naturists. Examples: the World Naked Bike Ride and large-scale or well-publicized performances by artists like Spencer Tunick and Sarah Small.

Favorable legal decisions help, of course. Ironically they include cases in the sexual realm, such as repealing anti-sodomy laws (Texas) or allowing swinger parties (Québec), because of the larger world’s confusion of sexual expression with nudity. Also beneficial is acceptance or acquittal of women for being topfree, which involves an equality issue even if courts haven’t much recognized that.

It’s all about body acceptance, which shows up in many ways.

What about traditional naturist activities?

All the good news about naturist campgrounds, resorts, beaches, organizations, and activities are slowly showing the American public that naturism is not a sexualized practice and moreover has longstanding, important ties to many positive ideas and movements in health, psychology, the natural environment, and art. Continuing to emphasize those positive connections should diminish the need for naturism to demonstrate what it is not and free it to become what it aspires to.

Perhaps naturist concerns about sexuality in their practice will decrease. Wouldn’t it be nice if they disappeared?

This discussion about nudism and sexuality was published by –  Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

Streaking In High School And Being Naked in Public

Streaking Was  My First Experience With Social Nudity

(Guest Nudist Blog By Anon)

My High School Streaking Story

Streaking in High School – I have never been very much of a daredevil. But there has always been something so seductively enticing about the experience of streaking down the street.

I had heard stories of others doing it as a dare, or even when they were intoxicated.  Naturally I wanted to try my hand at it.

The only things that have been standing in my way were the lack of appropriate opportunities (cop-out  I know), and the confidence to actually do it. That all changed one night during high school.

I was at a party with my girlfriends when someone mentioned that no one had gotten naked yet. Most of us simply brushed off the comment and continued to hold our conversations

.

However, as the night progressed, and people became more relaxed, the idea suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

A few people joked about the idea of heading to the store and disrobing in the middle of the aisle, but that idea was way too risky.

Instead, a handful of us decided that we were going to streak down the middle of the street.

After about the first five minutes, the initial excitement that was in my mind was replaced with anxiety. I had never been really all that comfortable with my body image, so the idea of actually showing all of it to anyone and everyone was mind-boggling.

I began to think of ways in which I could back out without looking like a coward. But I could find none! The only option I felt I had, if I did not want to look like a chicken, was to go through with it and suffer the inevitable consequences later.

Streaking Stories: A Naked Streaking Streaker Guru Running Fast and Hard At Work

 

One by one, people began getting naked. They Were dropping their clothes on the porch and took their turns running up and down the block. As my turn got closer and closer, I began to feel more and more anxious.

But as I stood there, in my t-shirt and panties, I began to realize just how fast the experience really was. In addition, it seemed as though most people were feeling the same sense of nervousness as I was.

And then it was my turn. Once I was at the head of the line, I decided to pump myself up so much that I could actually go through with it.

However, instead of undressing in front of everyone, I walked far enough away from them to where I could take them off alone.

And just like that, I was naked in public! But once I was naked and began running down that street, I was  amazed –  it felt so exhilarating!

At the time, I was only really proud of myself for actually going through with it. But looking back, I see how significant that experience was because it was the first time I just felt free.

I totally understand the appeal of nudism and why so many people chose to embrace a nudist lifestyle – it was of the most freeing experiences of my life!

This guest blog titled –  Streaking In High School, was published by-  Young Nudists and Naturists America YNA

Project Runway All Stars Naturist Episode: Where Naturism, Body Image and Fashion Intersect

The Story Behind the Naturist Episode of Project Runway All Stars

One would think that naturism and fashion generally don’t mix but…

Of all the production company and TV network pitches we’ve gotten over the years (and there have been a ton of them), the invitation to be part of a fashion reality TV show was most unexpected and unusual.

Last June, Project Runway All Stars contacted us to be part of a special naturist episode. As previously described (and if you didn’t see it), the basic premise was that their group of designers would be challenged with making winter wear for naturists.

As with any TV casting call we get, we approached this opportunity with a fair amount of caution. We wanted to be sure it wasn’t going to be just another bad gimmick with lots of cheap jokes made at our expense.

At first we did not think this would be a project for YNA, but after speaking at length with the executive producer about the episode and casting, we were on board. The producer reassured us that it would be positive and respectful and a big reason for our agreement to do it was that Alyssa Milano hosts the show.

For those who may not be aware, Alyssa Milano is a known advocate for positive body image as well as public breastfeeding. Since she herself is a fellow activist, we agreed to put our trust in her and the executive producer’s hands.

Naturists standing next to Alyssa Milano (wearing a vintage Pierre Cardin dress) on the runway in PR All Stars, season 5 ep 5. Image: Lifetime

You can read the complete article at:

http://youngnaturistsamerica.com/naturist-episode-review-project-runway-all-stars-season-5/

The Most Promising Cancer Therapy in Decades Is About to Get Better

Tumors contain the seeds of their own destruction. We just need to work out how to activate them.

The Amazing Relationship Between Your Mind and Body

By: eddeb
January 16, 2016

 

      “A basic emotion such as fear can be described as an abstract feeling or as a tangible molecule of the hormone adrenaline,” writes Deepak Chopra in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. “Without the feeling there is no hormone; without the hormone there is no feeling . . . The revolution we call mind-body medicine was based on this simple discovery: wherever thought goes, a chemical goes with it.”

     Not just fear but all our thoughts and feelings get translated into chemicals that fire off throughout the body, affecting the chemical composition and behavior of our cells. Hence a sad feeling influences our tear ducts so they produce tears when we feel sadness, while a scary feeling gives us goose bumps or makes our hair stand on end.

     Is there actually any real difference between one part of our being and another or is the only difference the means of expression? H₂O exists as water, steam, rain, sea, cloud or ice, yet is still H₂O.

     “The skin is not separate from the emotions, or the emotions separate from the back, or the back separate from the kidneys, or the kidneys separate from will and ambition, or will and ambition separate from the spleen, or the spleen separate from sexual confidence,” writes Dianne Connelly in Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements.

     When we can’t or don’t express emotions or psychological states then that energy gets expressed through the physical body. The emotions most often repressed are rage, as it can be the most inappropriate or difficult to articulate, and grief. The two are often connected through a loss of control.

     For instance, when Deb was eight years old she was sent to boarding school, an experience she was not too thrilled about. “A few weeks after I got there I had tonsillitis. In those days having your tonsils out meant staying in hospital for a week followed by another week at home eating nothing but mashed potatoes and ice cream—good comfort foods! What those two weeks really did was reconnect me with security and a sense of belonging. I can see that the nature of the illness—inflamed and sore throat—indicated that I was having a very hard time swallowing my reality. Boarding school was not where I wanted to be! Yet I had no choice. The time at home was the healing I needed to accept what was happening.”

     To apply this to yourself, try looking back over times of illness and see if the sickness followed a time of crisis, stress, or emotional difficulty. If it did, then see if there are any issues, such as anger or grief, that need to be known and released. Take some time to be quiet and reflective, acknowledge what is happening at the time and gently heal.

What Ancient Celtic Women Can Teach Us About Equality Today

 

• By: Zoe Blarowski
• February 3, 2016

Women were warriors

     How often have you heard someone comment that a woman is “too aggressive” or “a real ball buster”? In contrast, how often have you heard a man be accused of the same things?

This stereotype of how different genders are expected to behave can affect everyone. Women may not openly express themselves in fear of seeming inappropriate. But this also robs men of honest communication with women.

     The actress Jennifer Lawrence discussed this in a post she wrote about inequality on Lenny Letter. She said:

“Could there still be a lingering habit of trying to express our [women’s] opinions in a certain way that doesn’t ‘offend’ or ‘scare’ men?…All I hear and see all day are men speaking their opinions, and I give mine in the same exact manner, and you would have    thought I had said something offensive.”

     In ancient Celtic times, women didn’t have to tone down their strength to fit in. They were trained alongside men to use weapons and fight battles. And like Boudicca, many female warriors led armies into war.

     Celtic women were part of the final battle against a Roman attack on the island of Mona (now Anglesey in Wales). The warrior women were reported to have also used psychological tactics during battle, such as screeching, dancing wildly and pulling at their faces. This frightened the Romans enough to hold them off temporarily.

     The Roman soldier and historian Ammianus Marcellinus was reported as saying: “A whole troop of foreigners would not be able to withstand a single Celt if he called his wife to his assistance!”

     This may be an exaggeration, but it certainly shows the potential of a woman who is truly able to express her inner power.

Women were intellectual

     Women are still greatly underrepresented in areas like scientific research in many countries today. In 2013, the global percentage of women employed in research and development was 33 percent.

     Similar to politics, there are many social and economic reasons for this inequality. In some cultures, intelligence in women is simply not valued or downright discouraged. Lingering beliefs like these need to be challenged in our world.

     In ancient Celtic society, druids were respected as an intellectual elite. And both men and women could become druids. They were trained for over twenty years, including memorization of literature, poetry, history, Celtic law and astronomy.

     The druids mediated for their people, performed sacrifices, interpreted omens and presided over religious ceremonies. They were advisors to Celtic kings and queens and held great influence in politics.

     There is no reason why women today can’t hold similar positions in equal proportion to men.

Women were sexually open

     Needless to say, sexual inequalities remain a serious issue for woman around the world today. The sexual freedoms accepted for men are not always the same for women.

Ancient Celtic society was polygamous, where men could have many wives. But it was also polyandrous, meaning women could also have many husbands. In fact, Caesar reported that some women shared husbands among each other.

     When accused of loose morals by the Roman Empress Julia Augusta, the wife of the Celtic prince Argentocoxus apparently replied: “We fulfill the necessity of nature much better than Roman women do, for we have intercourse openly with the best, whereas you are abused secretly by the worst!”

     Celtic marriage was viewed as more of a partnership between husband and wife. It was a social arrangement that was not tied to religion. Women were allowed to choose their husbands and also divorce freely. Divorced women remained respected members of society and were able to remarry.

     Ancient Celtic society wasn’t perfect, but their views towards women have relevant meaning today. Can you imagine a world where all women have equal opportunity to participate as leaders and freely express our strength, intelligence and sexuality? That’s a world worth working towards.

     Opponents of this bill explain that teachers could be vulnerable to prosecution simply for presenting certain works of art and literature, which might be deemed “harmful.” Representative John Carmichael posed an interesting question when he asked whether a teacher could be prosecuted for showing an image of Michelangelo’s sculpture David, since it depicts male genitalia. He questioned whether teaching Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” might also be considered a criminal offense.

     In response, Pilcher-Cook pointed to a section of the bill that says harmful material is defined as material “a reasonable person would find … lacks serious literary, scientific, educational, artistic or political value.” Hmm, that seems a bit subjective.

     As Carmichael continued to press the issue,  Pilcher-Cook was forced to admit that it would be up to individual prosecutors and juries to make that determination. Well, we know where that could lead.

Is Sexual Education The Responsibility Of Teachers Or Parents?

     Some Kansas Republicans are obviously in strong denial about the reality of the sexual activity of pre-teens and teens, but beyond their ignorance lies the question of where young people should get their sexual education. Psychologist Sharon Maxwell believes strongly that parents should be the primary adults teaching their kids about character, including sexual values.

     “We have to give our children a structure with which to view the world,” she says. “Our overriding theme as parents should be to teach our children that becoming a full human being means having the ability to control and direct our desires, and that includes sexuality.”

     Parents and schools both have a part to play, according to Maxwell. Since the sex ed offered in many schools today deals mostly with reproductive biology, Maxwell believes that parents need to supplement this by talking to their teens about morality and sexual ethics.

Schools And Parents Working Together

     Kids can get some pretty wacky ideas about sex if they just listen to their peers, so it’s good for them to learn from other adults, including their parents. On the other hand, some children may take advice from their school more easily than from their mom and dad. Conversely, some parents may feel more comfortable having someone else raise these issues with their children.

     In reality, both parents and schools should address sexual health topics. As long as kids get the right information, it doesn’t matter where it comes from.

What does matter is if elected officials punish teachers for telling the truth to their students, which is what seems to be afoot in Kansas.

Image credit: averain via Flickr

Wearing no swimsuit at home in Florida
(January 19 2016)

DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend has no issue with nudity. She worked herself through her master’s degree in finance as an exotic dancer. She has a phenomenal figure, eats healthy and works out often.

Last year we bought a home in a small residential community, complete with a pool. We installed a fence and spent a lot of money on landscaping to give us privacy from our neighbors.

We live in Florida and spend a lot of time in our pool, especially on weekends. My girlfriend doesn’t like to wear a swimsuit, and I have no issues with it.

At a neighborhood event recently, one of our neighbors politely asked her if she wouldn’t mind covering up when in the pool. She said her kids, and her hubby, can see into our yard from their upper floor. My girlfriend apologized for their inconvenience, but told them she wouldn’t be changing her habits in her home.

I see both sides of this. I agree she shouldn’t feel compelled to wear a suit to swim in our own pool (or lounge by it). But I can also see the neighbor’s side. The preteen boys and husband can get an eyeful just about every weekend, and I don’t think a few tan lines are worth a
feud with the neighbors. Any suggestions for my dilemma? — SWIMSUIT ETIQUETTE

DEAR S.E.: I, too, can see both sides of this. However, you and your girlfriend have done as much as you can to protect her privacy. You can’t be responsible for your neighbor’s husband’s and children’s voyeurism. I don’t think your girlfriend should feel compelled to change her lifestyle because they act like Peeping Toms.

I do think it would be healthier for all concerned if your neighbor had a talk with her “boys” regarding their family’s standards when it comes to naturism and respecting the privacy of others.
JEANNE PHILLIPS

Feds are ready to fuel
rise of driverless cars

By Ashley Halsey III
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON
- The Obama administration said Thursday that it will work with automakers and state governments on a national policy to speed up the  arrival of driverless cars on U.S. highways.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx promised a series of initiatives that will help untangle the myriad legal and technical issues that  could gum up the process.  “We are bullish on automated vehicles,” Foxx said. “Today’s actions and those we will pursue in the coming months will provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state officials and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full safety potential.”

The plan laid out by Foxx in a speech at the Detroit Auto Show foresees an active federal role in promoting high-tech innovations in an  evolution toward self-driving cars that will take several decades to complete.  Foxx said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  will work with automakers and state governments to develop prototype laws and regulations for state lawmakers to consider. Automakers seeking to road test their driverless cars now must deal with a patchwork of state regulations.

Foxx said NHTSA also would work with automakers during the next six months to refine the performance characteristics and testing methods for autonomous cars.  He said the department would consider seeking any new authority necessary to get driverless cars on the road “in large numbers when demonstrated to provide an equivalent or higher level of safety than is now available.”

The federal push comes on the heels of data from driverless-car developers that suggests that their vehicles perform admirably under ideal
conditions but run into more problems on unfamiliar routes or when the weather gets rough.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles required seven companies to disclose how frequently drivers had to take control away from the computer running the vehicle.

One of the developers, Google, said that in driving 424,000 miles, its drivers had to take the wheel of the test vehicles 341 times to prevent a collision or when software failed.  Five other companies said that they recorded 2,400 driver takeovers  while logging 36,000 miles.

But as the federal government continues to fuel momentum for driverless cars, developing the technology is the least of the challenges.

The software of autonomous vehicles needs plenty of tweaking and refinement to be city-street ready, but the basic ability of  the cars to get around on their own has been proven by test vehicles all over the nation.

All Electric Chevy Bolt Due Out in 2016

The true significance of the Chevy Bolt: An old-school company with immense manufacturing capacity has gotten to the 200-mile, $30K electric vehicle first.

http://www.wired.com/2016/01/gm-electric-car-chevy-bolt-mary-barra/

TIME INC. NETWORK: Health Aging

How to Live to 100: Researchers Find New Genetic Clues

Alice Park @aliceparkny

Dec. 17, 2015
 

In a new analysis, researchers explore whether people live longer because they avoid disease or because they possess some anti-aging secret

If you live to be 100, you’re in a special group, one that longevity scientists are eagerly studying for clues to battling aging. But are these centenarians long-lived because they don’t get the diseases that fell the rest of us—heart problems, diabetes, dementia, arthritis and more—or because they are protected somehow against the effects of aging? Based on the data so far, most experts have concluded that centenarians get to where they are because they have some anti-aging secret that shields them against the effects of aging. That’s because studies found that centenarians had just as many genes that contribute to disease as those with more average life spans.

But in a paper published in PLOS Genetics, researchers led by Stuart Kim, professor of developmental biology and genetics at Stanford University, questions that dogma. He found that on the contrary, centenarians may have fewer of the genes that contribute to major chronic diseases. That doesn’t mean that people who live to their 100s also don’t possess some protective anti-aging genes as well, but Kim’s study shows that they don’t experience as much disease as people who are shorter-lived.

Kim’s team came to that conclusion after conducting a novel type of genetic analysis. Most attempts to look for genes related to aging compare the genomes of centenarians and people with average life spans and pick out the regions where the maps differ. Those are potential targets for aging, but, as Kim notes, they could also be red herrings. “Because you search through hundreds of thousands, and now millions of variants, there is a lot of noise. So it makes it difficult to see the signal amidst all the noise.”

To purify the signal, Kim layered another piece of information on this comparison. He made the assumption that disease genes can reduce the chances of someone reaching their 100s, and focused just on known disease-causing genes in his analysis. “With that, we can make better guesses about what is really bad for becoming a centenarian,” he says.

The filtered analysis pumped out five major regions of interest for longevity. Four are familiar; they involve the gene connected to Alzheimer’s, an area involved with heart disease, the genes responsible for the A-B-O blood type and the immune system’s HLA region that needs to be matched for organ transplants to avoid rejection. These four have known connections to longevity. The Alzheimer’s gene, ApoE, for example, is linked to shorter life span, while the heart disease variants are involved in directing a cell’s life span and the O blood type is known to be connected to better health outcomes and survival.

The fifth region was one that had never been linked to longevity before, and Kim admits that not much is known about how it might contribute to longer life, except that mutations in the gene region can contribute to neurological diseases such as ALS and that in fruit flies, other mutations help the insects to live longer.

“It seems intuitively obvious, that avoiding disease is part of the strategy of becoming a centenarian,” says Kim. “But there is a really, really strong dogma in the field that there was no depletion of disease genes in centenarians, and that all of their survival benefit was coming from protection from anti-aging genes. I think they were wrong.”

Those previous studies that pointed to this anti-aging effect over the effect of fewer disease-causing genes were generally smaller, and might not have isolated the signal from the noise.

Kim’s team shows that the way centenarians reach their second century may involve more than just being blessed with anti-aging genes. “We found that, at least in part, they live longer because they don’t get sick,” he says. He also readily admits that they may also benefit from some anti-aging factor that researchers haven’t uncovered—yet.

6 Reasons You Should Sleep Naked

• By: Jordyn Cormier
• December 20, 2015

Improve relationships. Skin on skin contact with your significant other increases the amount of oxytocin your body produces. Oxytocin is a powerful hormone that increases bonding and feelings of attachment. Plus, you’re more likely to get frisky if there are no clothes standing in your way, which is also great for relationships!

Your sex organs will be happier. Exposing vaginas, naturally damp and warm places, to unobstructed air flow every night can help to reduce the growth of yeast and unwelcome bacteria. On the other hand, testes are meant to be cooler than the rest of the body. Testicles that are kept cooler by sleeping in the nude are apt to produce healthier sperm.

Improve self-esteem. We have a tendency to hide our bodies from ourselves. But, the more you acknowledge and inhabit your beautiful body, the more likely you will be to accept it for what it truly is. In this way, sleeping in the nude can actually improve your self-esteem over time. Embrace yourself, and slide your bare skin in between those crisp sheets. It will feel so good!

Sleeping naked allows you to be undeniably you. Let your body cool down, improve your health and embrace your physique. Give naked sleeping a try tonight!

Why We Love Kids -- They are so innocent.

 Shared via the internet:

I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"

   
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"
  
A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages.    
"Mama, look what I found," the boy called out.    
 "What have you got there, dear?"
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam 's underwear!"
 

What is the Healthiest Underwear for Working Out?

• By: Katie Medlock
• December 5, 2015

Regardless of the comfort level and freedom from panty line worry, thongs may put you at risk for more frequent infections. David Bank, M.D., of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic and Laser Surgery, told Shape that the snugness of thongs is deceiving, as the fabric can slide back and forth, leading to urinary or vaginal bacterial infections. Due to the location of thongs’ material, its wicking properties may do more harm than good.

Cotton Panties

Whichever style you prefer, selecting a cotton panty may be a healthier option. Cotton’s natural fibers wick moisture away from the skin, where other synthetic fibers (such as lycra or nylon) can trap it and breed bacteria and yeast. Even choosing a panty with a cotton liner is a better bet, yet experts recommend changing out of your cotton drawers as soon as you can: wearing sweaty garments that dry slowly so close to sensitive parts can be risky if you wait too long. Packing an extra pair in your gym bag can make sure you change them right after your workout.

Moisture-Wicking Material

Many athletic companies offer moisture-wicking undies that keep you drier than cotton, and some of them are even anti-bacterial. Organic bamboo skivvies are lauded as one of the better, more natural wicking materials. With several different cuts, you can choose whether a bikini or boy shorts are more comfortable for your preferred method of kicking butt and taking names. As with these, changing out of them as soon as possible is still recommended.

Going Commando

Many ladies swear by working out commando—it takes all the guess work out of undies selection and means less laundry and pricey panty purchases (and panty lines and wedgies!). Exercising without underwear means more air circulation, as well, which could help to prevent the accumulation of moisture and heat, which lead to infection. Many exercise bottoms include cotton or other wicking pantyliners sewn right in, also.

Whatever your personal preference, make sure you consider these points for your health. Being an active ass-kicker means we’re already all about staying healthy—let’s extend that mindset to all of our body parts.

Feds revising wary stance on self-driving cars
Ocala StarBanner - November 25, 2015

LOS ANGELES — Federal transportation officials are rethinking their position on self-driving cars with an eye toward getting the emerging technology into the public’s hands.

Just two years ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation said cars should be limited to testing and not “authorized for use by members of the public for general driving purposes.” But with technology’s rapid development, federal policy will be updated. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has ordered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to revise the policy “to reflect today’s technology and his sense of urgency to bring innovation to our roads that will make them safer.”

Meet the first Toyota Mirai and the big, expensive plan to keep this hydrogen car alive

Melissa Riofrio | @MRiofrioPCW

Executive Editor, PCWorld

• Nov 11, 2015 12:50 PM

The first Toyota Mirai to be sold in Northern California might as well be the first car on Mars. It lands on a planet that can’t easily support hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. It’s kept alive only by elaborate and expensive means. The car and its creator face huge odds yet remain determined to, as the hero of the recent movie The Martian put it, “science the shit out of this.”

 

Toyota and its partners might as well be making a space station. A lot of science—and money—is going toward the fueling infrastructure for the Mirai. They’re starting from zero, and it’s all costly, complicated stuff: hydrogen production, ideally by cleaner means. Better distribution. Many more hydrogen stations.  

Melissa Riofrio

The enormity of the mission hung over the small group that gathered Monday at Roseville Toyota, north of Sacramento, to watch the first Mirai's excited owner get his key fob. Unlike hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles from Honda and Hyundai, which exist within tightly controlled lease programs, the Toyota Mirai can be purchased outright ($58,325 not counting federal and state incentives or other savings programs), or leased. It will eventually have to survive on its own, on whatever infrastructure it can find.  

 

After the first Mirai drove away, I got to drive a second one, on a long loop through suburban streets and a bit of Highway 80. I hadn’t seen the Mirai since I drove a prototype a year ago. With its dramatic swoops and creases, and its jowly front grille, it actually looks more space-agey than it did before.

Melissa Riofrio

Toyota might take a hint from the 2016 Chevy Volt and make future designs less quirky. On the other hand, there’s no mistaking that you’re driving a different kind of car.

The Mirai’s mission: clean exhaust

The hydrogen fuel cell payoff—the reason the Mirai just might be worth your investment—is clean energy, at least at the tailpipe end.

 

The Mirai is basically an electric vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel-cell technology to charge its battery. Hydrogen reacts within the fuel cell to produce electricity. This electricity charges the battery, which powers a motor that drives the car. Leftover hydrogen ions combine with oxygen to produce water, and that’s the Mirai’s only exhaust. (Toyota noted that the exhaust is distilled water and safe to drink, though flat-tasting.) 

 

There are two main advantages of hydrogen fuel-cell over purely electric vehicles. For one, it takes just a few minutes to fill a hydrogen tank, while it takes much longer to charge even at a supercharging electric station. Also, electricity's sources can often be heavily polluting power plants, while hydrogen production has the potential to be produced by cleaner means (right now it's mostly made with natural gas).

Melissa Riofrio

 

Not surprisingly, the first Toyota Mirai will be driven by a hydrogen engineer. Glenn Rambach, who just turned 70, actually worked on the space program, and remembers when General Electric started developing fuel cell technology to power long-duration space flights. Now Rambach’s working to develop hydrogen fueling stations.

 

Rambach immediately experienced the need for more fuel resources. As he prepared to drive away in his new Mirai, he realized he had only a half-tank of hydrogen. Roseville Toyota will have a mobile fueling station at its site starting next week, but for now, the saleperson could only shrug helplessly.

Melissa Riofrio

 

The Mirai's lifeline—the only active retail station in Northern California as of this writing—is over 20 miles away from Roseville Toyota, at 1515 S. River Road in West Sacramento. I’m writing out the address because it’s hard to find: tucked into a corner of a petroleum storage facility in an industrial part of town. This isn't somewhere Rambach will stop on the way to the grocery store; this will be a planned and essential trip. 

 

Rambach described how the fueling technology, which uses valve ports that plug into each other, is “smart.” The car can tell the station how much fuel it has and how much more it needs, so it can’t be overfilled.

 

The Mirai’s range is about 300 miles on its 5kg fuel capacity (divided between two tanks). Therefore, Rambach can't drive more than 150 miles from this station until more of them come online. The station map posted by the California Fuel Cell Partnership shows an ambitious plan to string outposts from Sacramento to Los Angeles. It's ambitious because it's a huge investment: Each station costs $1 million to $3 million to build, compared to $10,000 or so to build a Level 2 charging station for an electric vehicle.

Melissa Riofrio

On top of the station cost, the science of hydrogen production needs to evolve. According to Rambach, currently 95 percent of hydrogen fuel is made from natural gas, which is combined with steam to produce methane. Efforts to produce it using methane captured from cows or waste management facilities are still in the experimental phase. The fuel will also need to be trucked in, just like regular gasoline.

 

According to Rambach, hydrogen stations are being built with future advances already in mind. “The big picture,” Rambach said, “is for hydrogen stations to be self-contained—to make their own hydrogen onsite.” For example, a station he's helping to develop in Rohnert Park, California, is designed so it'll someday be able to use solar or geyser power to make hydrogen fuel.

The cars need fuel stations, and vice versa

Right now, Rambach and everyone else are laser-focused on getting stations online. Station availability will encourage car sales, and car sales will create new customers for the stations. “The cost of the station is the cost of sales,” Rambach said. “The enabler for those sales is the station.”

Currently the fuel is expensive—$13.59 per kilogram at the West Sacramento station, which equates to almost $70 for filling the Mirai’s 5kg capacity. While it’s likely the cost of fuel will drop as production ramps up, Toyota is giving Mirai owners three years’ worth of free fuel, up to $15,000. That’s just one of many perks designed to offset the challenges of being a Mirai early adopter.

Melissa Riofrio

 

Keeping Mirai customers happy is job one for Judy Cunningham, the manager leading Mirai sales for Roseville Toyota. For her, it’s all about the fueling stations. “The car is a given,” she said, “but the main component is infrastructure.”

 

The dealership’s getting a mobile fueling station, subsidized by Toyota, which will be free and available at least through the summer of 2016. Roseville Toyota isn’t stopping there, though: Cunningham noted that the dealership owner is hoping to develop a gas and hydrogen station on land he owns in Rockland, California.

Melissa Riofrio

 

Cunningham acknowledged that her first 10 “VIP” Mirai customers are enthusiasts like Rambach. They’re willing to put up with some inconvenience to have one of the first of these cars—and will talk it up to everyone they know. The 700 Mirais allotted to California are already sold out, but Cunningham’s building a waiting list for the next shipment, which is expected by the summer of 2016. Cunningham said all the current Mirais are hand-built in Japan at the agonizing rate of just three a day, but Toyota is opening an automated plant for them in the near future.

 

As we prepared to take out the display model Mirai, it reminded us yet again why it's different: We started the car inside the dealership. Inside. A few hairstyles may frizz from the humidity, but there’s no risk of asphyxiation from the water exhaust.

Melissa Riofrio

 

Driving the Mirai was similar to driving the Prius, but even quieter, because there’s no gas motor of any kind. The car is very heavy—its curb weight is 4,078 pounds—but at street speeds, the car runs smoothly and feels peppy. The Mirai emits a slightly annoying whine that unfortunately gets a little louder when you accelerate. Its 0-60 time is a modest nine seconds, but I felt reasonably capable when merging and changing lanes on the freeway. The regenerative brakes feel a little doughy when you press them, but not in an alarming way. I’d call this car pleasant, rather than powerful, but power is obviously not the Mirai’s priority.

 

Now that the first Mirai is on the road, it's a race to see whether additional stations can go up fast enough to give the second, third, and further Mirais room to spread out. Glenn Rambach's looking

forward to December, when a new hydrogen station scheduled to open in Truckee will let him take the Mirai to the ski slopes. You can evangelize this car only as far as you can drive it—literally—and everyone involved knows that. All they can do is take it one station at a time.

 

Editor's note: Toyota gave out a Mirai in Southern California earlier on Monday, November 9th, and was the first to be sold in the United States. The Mirai given out at Roseville Toyota was the first in Northern California.

A Few Questions Answered by the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR)

Why do people choose nude recreation?

Will I feel self-conscious?

Do I have to be naked all the time?

How will I feel if I'm not in the greatest physical shape?

Do men get visibly excited?

What about nudism and religion?
Nudists find nothing inconsistent between nude recreation and their convictions. You’ll find all faiths---and people of no faith---represented at nudist resorts. Some clubs hold non-denominational services on Sundays. Most nudists of faith find that enjoying the great outdoors in their natural state draws them closer to their Creator.

Plus-Size Model Ashley Graham Shares Her Top Tip for Body Confidence: Walk Around "Butt Naked"

Ashley Graham gives body confidence tips in a new interview with Stylist magazine. Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

Get naked! That's plus-size model and activist Ashley Graham's body confidence tip to anyone who is learning to love their curves. 

 

PHOTOS: Supermodels, then and now

The model and face of the Lane Bryant campaign #PlusIsEqual, 27, revealed that in order to love the skin you're in, you have to see it sans a spec of clothing. "Walking around your house butt naked builds your confidence," she told Stylist magazine. "You have to see the things that you were told were imperfect your whole life. You actually see it and deal with it. Don't hide it away." 

Ashley Graham walks the runway as Addition Elle presents Fall/Holiday 2015 RTW and Ashley Graham Lingerie Collection At KIA STYLE360 on September 15, 2015 in New York City.
Credit: Thomas Concordia/WireImage.com for STYLE360

 

PHOTOS: Celebs show off their curves on social media

But strutting around in the buff is only part of Graham's message. "Speak to yourself kindly in the mirror. If you're constantly telling yourself you're ugly, you're going to believe it," she said. "Once you actually look and talk to yourself, you'll get a connection."

PHOTOS: Stars without underwear

The outspoken model urged that once you've learned to accept yourself, you should spread the love to others. Graham, who also has her own plus-size lingerie line, Addition Elle, noted that it's important for women to compliment each other. "Not enough of us do it," she said.

PHOTOS: Supermodel moms

What do you think of Ashley's message? Tweet with @UsWeekly using the hashtag #stylebyUs!

Walgreens TV Commercial

Two elderly women are at Walgreen's running errands. One of them picks up her medicine prescriptions while the other loads up on sunblock and sun tan lotion. "Carpe Med Diem" might be Latin for, "Seize the day to get more out of life and Medicare Part D" according to comedian Tina Fey. The two women reach their destination, a nude beach, and take off their clothes and towels to enjoy the rest of their day.

Here is the link: http://ispot.tv/a/A7LR

Ireland has leprechauns, green hills, cold rains, dark ocean waters and even darker beers. But here’s something worth adding to the list of Irish attractions: nudism.

Though nudism is technically illegal and, in Ireland, climatically challenging, the country hosts a thriving naturist, i.e., nudist, community and even attracts skinny-dippers from other countries.

The island nation recently hosted the International Naturist Congress, a gathering of delegations from 30 countries to discuss how to organize and promote naturist activities.

Dublin and Tipperary have a few indoor facilities in the south like swimming pools and saunas, though most Irish nudists prefer to go buff in the wild. There are some 23 unofficial naturist beaches along Ireland’s rocky coastline, according to the Irish Naturist Association (INA).

 

The bravest still choose to face the elements and dip in the Irish Sea’s notoriously frigid and murky waters.

Never mind gale-force winds, icy waters and 95 percent chance of rain. The island’s stunning scenery is attraction enough for many.

“The weather is really not so bad. We get nice temperatures in spring, summer and often even September,” says Pat Gallagher, president of the INA, adding, “You can easily go to France or Spain and have it lash rain for your holiday too.”

Of course in wintertime, most naturists gather indoors, though the bravest still choose to face the elements and dip in the Irish Sea’s notoriously frigid and murky waters to boost circulation and the immune system, so the theory goes.

But weather’s not the only thing that makes Ireland an unlikely nudist destination.

While the practice is tolerated and rarely prosecuted, strictly speaking, public nudity is still illegal in Ireland due to some — let’s get real — quite outdated laws. According to the Town Improvement (Ireland) Act of 1854, the Irish are prohibited from indecently exposing themselves. And the amended Criminal Law Act of 1935 criminalizes nudity in some places if the person intends to offend or cause scandal.

Standing buck naked for everyone to see falls pretty far outside the Irish cultural comfort zone.

What’s more, contrary to more established nudist destinations like France or Croatia, in Ireland, local councils lack the authority to designate nudist-friendly spots. This could change as the INA continues to lobby for passage of such a law.

Local culture is also unfriendly to naturist activities. Ireland is a heavily Catholic country with traditionally strict views on what constitutes public decency. Really, standing buck naked for everyone to see falls pretty far outside the Irish cultural comfort zone.

But that’s evolving fast, naturists maintain. “People’s attitudes to naturism in Ireland have really changed in the past 20 years,” says Gallagher. “It’s much more accepted now.”

In fact, the main advocate for bringing the International Naturist Congress to Ireland was not the INA, but the country’s board of tourism — Failte Ireland.

“They were the ones who approached us with the idea and encouraged us to bid to bring the convention here,” explains Gallagher. “They obviously see that there is potential for tourism, and I think more naturists will come to Ireland to do things like play golf, go cycling or sightseeing if we provide more facilities.”

For now, neither cold nor rain nor laws nor social opprobrium stays the Irish from doffing their duds.

But the impact of seeing a bouncing jogger in the nude has been taken quite seriously in some places. In Colorado a few years ago, a priest was found guilty of “indecent exposure” for dashing nude around a high school track. And down in Porto Alegre, the reaction to bare-skinned runners has been to send at least one of them to a mental hospital for being “imbalanced.” Mixed martial artist Betina Baino was one of those who recently strolled naked there on a rainy afternoon; she told Globo TV she did so for “personal reasons,” but her former trainer said he was worried she might have a psychological problem. Neither Baino nor her ex-trainer could be reached for comment, but Antonio Barbaresco, a spokesman for the city of Porto Alegre, says no one seems to know why more nude joggers have been out and about. “It’s something spontaneous that no one understands,” he says.

There is some hope for public-nudity advocates. Munich recently created six “Urban Naked Zones” for sunbathing in the buff, while Barcelona dropped its “partial nudity” (aka bikini) ban in April. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, an appeals court overturned a ruling against a naked runner for “offensive behavior.” “If it was offensive,” the man told the local paper, “then God wouldn’t have given us genitals.”

Women only skinny dipping event to boost body confidence

We've called it "This Is Me" and it celebrates who you are.

We need a response to adverts Like Beach Body Ready, because you don't need to be beach body ready, you just take your body to the beach and enjoy yourselves whatever you body look like.

– Hazel Anderson

Last time we ended up staying in the water for over an hour.

All sorts of women came along, friends of friends, nurses, teachers, someone aged 65, some scarred by breast cancer.

– Hazel Anderson

We are creating a transformative event that celebrates and puts the focus on who we are not what we look like.

We are building a collection of beautiful, empowering images of women being confident, happy and feeling free.

– Happy in My Skin

This Labor Day Weekend, Beware of Naked Toddlers Menacing a Hotel Near You

 

S G / Shutterstock

 

One of the great joys of summer in childhood is the freedom to strip off your clothes and frolic shame-free-naked on the beach. On a recent family vacation to North Truro, Massachusetts, without thinking twice, I let my 3-year son disrobe to his natural state and enjoy this pleasure, knowing that one day soon social norms will challenge his sense of modesty.

 

In these parts, however, these norms seem to be creeping in early. After two days of beach frolicking, the manager of our hotel pulled Grand Ma aside and told her that guests had been complaining about my son’s public display. Apparently, one guest had grumbled that my son’s nudity was “in the face” of her 8-year-old daughter—that it was not appropriate for her to see a naked little boy.

 

A little background: We live in Sausalito, California, a place known for loose social norms, and where it’s common to see kids much older than 3 running naked around our local beach. But I think this encounter hits upon a deeper rift than just New England Puritanism versus Californian communitarianism—after all, we were just a stone’s throw from Provincetown, Massachusetts, and scarcely an hour before we were shamed for public toddler-nudity, I saw a group of scantily clad drag queens shaking it down Commercial Street.

 

On Facebook, a friend invoked Thomas Mann's 1929 novella Mario and the Magician, in which a family’s Italian beach vacation is marred when their 8-year-old daughter strips off her sandy bathing suit to rinse it in the sea. Italian locals protest the offense against decency and Italian hospitality, and the family is subsequently fined 50 lire. “It's a frightening depiction of nascent European fascism,” my friend wrote. “Perhaps our puritanical citizens are ready for a Trumpian version?”

 

Comparing helicopter parenting to pre–World War II European fascism may be extreme, but I would definitely say it’s a sign that the outer Cape is losing its status as a laid-back bohemian enclave. Another friend suggested that this type of helicopter parenting is “a toxic function of the over-sexualization of children.” It’s only logical that if a child is made to feel embarrassed of his or her naked body, or awkward around another child’s naked body, then their bodies have been sexualized, which in turn elicits shame and discomfort.  

 

“I know of no studies about beach trauma,” my friend Joseph Youngerman, a New York City child psychiatrist, told me. “Freud said that it’s not sexual curiosity but repression that hurts us. It’s healthy to be able to witness the bodies of animals, including our own, in situations not fraught with tension, despair, conflict, all the intense emotions, passed through the family and societal warp, which distort our perspectives into shame, guilt, and bad feelings.”

 

This event with my son really has little to do with what children should or shouldn’t see or do. It’s more about the projection of adult shame. My son’s nudity wasn’t dangerous to anyone; it only looked dangerous in the funhouse mirror of one woman’s internal shame. She missed the opportunity to empower her daughter, and instead sowed the seeds of female sexism and body shame. I’m all for teaching children about their private parts and protecting them from the real dangers of sexual predators. But I think this mother was teaching her daughter that the normal naked body is shameful and that the male body is something threatening and harmful.

 

For the rest of our vacation, every time my son tried to strip down, I had to tell him that he couldn’t. “Why?” he kept asking. I never told him. If he can’t experience all the freedoms of summer, at least he can remain innocent of the tiresome answer to his question.

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt is the author of In Her Own Sweet Time: Unexpected Adventure in Finding Love, Commitment, and Motherhood. Follow her on Twitter.

The health benefits of being naked: How stripping down is good for you

Sep. 25, 2015 at 12:52 PM

Jordi Lippe

TODAY

How many times during this year's super hot and humid summer did you just wish you could strip all of your clothes off to cool down?

Well, it turns out being naked may not only be more comfortable but healthier as well. Some experts say that donning your birthday suit more often can help with myriad physical and psychological problems.

So how do you reap the benefits?

Rob Donnelly / TODAY

Ease into enjoying the health benefits of being naked by starting somewhere you're comfortable: The bedroom.

First, start in a place you're a bit more used to being naked: the bedroom. Of course, being in the buff can help bring you closer in your relationship, but it can also aid you in getting a better night's sleep.

According to the D.C.-based nonprofit the National Sleep Foundation, in order to have a normal sleep schedule and sleep comfortably, your body needs to reach an optimal temperature of around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Losing the pajamas is an easy way to lower your body temp — which may in turn lead to other benefits: a 2014 study in the journal Diabetes found that sleeping in lower temperatures can help increase your levels of metabolism-boosting brown fat.

Rob Donnelly / TODAY

Ditching tight clothes could be another route to getting smoother skin.

Now that you've got an easy way to get a better night's sleep and lose some body fat, how about smoothing out your skin? Restrictive clothing and undergarments often leave indentations and marks all over our bodies, leading to drying and wrinkling of the skin.

"Going naked is great for healthy skin," plastic surgeon and skincare expert Dr. Michael Fiorillo tells us. "It helps the elimination of sweat toxins that clothing can reintroduce to the body and better overall blood circulation."

Dr. Lance Brown, a dermatologist in New York City, agrees, adding, "Wearing restrictive clothing can cause excessive sweating which may lead to inflammation of the skin follicles, rashes and breakouts. Going bare gives your skin a chance to breathe."

Rob Donnelly / TODAY

While you want to be careful with sun exposure, getting a daily dose of the outdoors can boost your Vitamin D levels.

While this is all well and good in the bedroom, taking your nudity outdoors can help as well. "Being naked in the sun not only boosts your vitamin D intake and your mood," says Shaun Galanos, a sex educator and host of The Love Drive who works with famous nudist resort Hedonism II. "But, also it can help improve your circulation, and detoxify the skin." (Shailene Woodley might be on to something!)

Researchers say that our bodies are better at absorbing Vitamin D from sunlight than supplements, and while exposing your skin to the sun for too long can have serious consequences, the dose of sunshine you get if you sneak outside for 10-15 minutes will be the best natural mood booster.

Rob Donnelly / TODAY

Being nude may also be a good way to boost self confidence.

With your sleep, skin and supplements taken care of, there's of course the mental component to embracing your nude body. "Spending time in the nude is a great way to get in touch with your body," Dr. Jenn Mann, relationship expert and creator of the "No More Diets" app, told us. "Most people in today's society are so disconnected from bodily sensations and this could help."

Dr. Mann believes more time in the buff can help women battle body image issues. "Being in the nude reduces shame," she adds. "You can work on self acceptance and that can be very healing."

So take this as permission to let loose and ditch those clothes — after all, it's good for your health!

2015 AANR Nude Games

Let the Games Begin!

The 2015 AANR Nude Games will be held the weekend of September 26-27 at AANR-affiliated clubs, resorts, campgrounds and other locations throughout North America. In the spirit of the ancient Greeks’ nude Olympics, the Nude Games will provide fun and excitement for all who attend.  Nude athletes will enjoy competing in tennis or volleyball tournaments or participating in 5K runs.  Others will enjoy less strenuous activities such as checkers, darts or bridge tournaments. Nudist chefs will compete in barbecue or chili cook-offs.  The AANR Nude Games will provide fun competition in a wide variety of activities for members and guests alike.

Each participating club will determine the sports, games or activities they wish to promote. They will also determine how the competitions will be judged and what prizes, certificates or trophies are awarded.

The middle-aged German was enjoying cooling down in the waters of a rural lake when he was approached by a woman who had a request: Would he please put on a bathing suit?