[ Übersetzen (Translation)]

205 Arguments and Observations In Support of Naturism

Extensively documented with quotes, references,

supporting research, and resources for further study

Compiled by K. Bacher

Preface

THE UNITED STATES LAGS FAR BEHIND most of the rest of Western Civilization in its negative attitude toward the human body. While most of Europe is comfortable with the concept of nude recreation on beaches and in vacation resorts, here in the U.S., conservative political action groups seek to criminalize even the most innocent exposure of the human body. Often these groups gain support by purporting to defend "family values" or "Christian morality."

Although these groups are growing in political power, they represent only a small portion of the American population. And participation in nude recreation is also growing. More and more Americans are discovering the pleasures of skinny-dipping with their families in the local reservoir, or sunbathing in the buff at the local beach. Membership in nudist organizations is growing by leaps and bounds.

More than ever, Naturists need powerful arguments to defend their chosen lifestyle against those who cannot see beyond their own misconceptions and preconceived notions. We need evidence and testimony to encourage others to give Naturism a try. For several years, I found myself making claims like these:

"Actually, Mom, taking the kids to a nudist park is good for them."

"The ideals of Naturism are consistent with the goals of women's rights."

"A lot of famous people don't think skinnydipping's such a bad thing."

"There's nothing in the Bible that says it's wrong to go nude."

"Naturism has some real psychological benefits."

"Not everyone in the world thinks nudity is so bad, you know."

I knew that these statements were true, but when pressed, I could not back them up with concrete references. And so, this project was born. Here are all the arguments in support of Naturism, backed up by up-to-date scientific research and supported by the writings of leading thinkers in psychology, sociology, history, law, and philosophy. Here also you will find related musings on subjects including modesty, nudity in art, the history of fashion, women's rights, the benefits of breast-feeding, and the psychology of clothing.

This compilation draws on sources including nudist and mainstream publications, scholarly research, and my own thought. Some arguments are stronger than others. Taken as a whole, I think they make a compelling case in favor of Naturism. They support a perspective that sees the human body as complete and good in and of itself, regardless of how--or whether--it is adorned. They support an honest, open, and accepting attitude toward the human body, a perspective that is physically, mentally, and spiritually healing, socially constructive, and thoroughly freeing.

This compilation is by no means complete or comprehensive. All ideas, suggestions, comments, corrections, additions, references, and insights are welcome! Many of these quotes and ideas are taken from other sources or excerpted from larger works. An extensive bibliography and endnotes are included at the end of the document, and I strongly encourage anyone who is interested to refer to the original sources for more information.

These ideas should be shared freely. Every mother concerned about "family values" should know about the extensive scientific research demonstrating the positive benefits of nudism for children. Every woman concerned about pornography should know how strongly the philosophy and practice of Naturism repudiates the objectification of women's bodies. Every lawmaker concerned about honoring the original intent of our nation's founders should know that many of them were unabashed skinnydippers. Christians concerned about upholding sexual morality should know that the earliest Church leaders accepted nudity as a natural part of life, and not in the least inconsistent with the teachings of Christ. The world-weary businessman in his urban office and three-piece suit should know how relaxing and therapeutic a weekend at a nudist park can be. The mother on the beach with sand in her swimming suit should know that there are places in the world where she may enjoy the feeling of sun and water on her body without attracting unwanted attention.

It is my hope that this document may help you to share this good news, and to speak articulately about the native goodness of the human body in its natural state.

Nudity is often more comfortable and practical than clothing.

1. There are times when clothing is physically uncomfortable. Nudity, on the other hand, is often much more comfortable.

2. For many activities, nudity is often far more practical than clothing.

Bernard Rudofsky writes: "The custom of wearing a bathing suit, a desperate attempt to recapture some of our lost innocence, represents a graphic expression of white man's hypocrisy. For, obviously, the bathing suit is irrelevant to any activity in and under water. It neither keeps us dry or warm, nor is it an aid to swimming. If the purpose of bathing is to get wet, the bathing suit does not make us wetter. At best, it is a social dress, like the dinner jacket."  Yet Americans spend $900,000,000 each year on bathing costumes.

3. Clothing also restricts movement, and encumbers the athlete. Studies done by the West German Olympic swim team showed that even swimsuits slow down a swimmer.

Naturism promotes mental health.

4. A nudist is not a body lacking something (that is, clothing). Rather, a clothed person is a whole and complete naked body, plus clothes.

5. Many psychologists say that clothing is an extension of ourselves. The clothes we wear are an expression of who we are. The Naturist's comfort with casual nudity, therefore, represents an attitude which is comfortable with the self as it is in its most basic state, without modification or deceit.

6. Clothes-compulsiveness creates insecurity about one's body. Studies show that nudism, on the other hand, promotes a positive body self-concept.

These effects are especially significant for women. Studies by Daniel DeGoede in 1984 confirmed research done 16 years earlier, which established that "of all the groups measured (nudist males, non-nudist males, nudist females, and non-nudist females), the nudist females scored highest on body concept, and the non-nudist females scored lowest."

7. Nudism promotes wholeness of body, rather than setting aside parts of the body as unwholesome and shameful.

8. Clothes-compulsiveness locks us into a constant battle between individuality and conformity of dress. Nudity frees us from this anxiety, by fostering a climate of comfortable individuality without pretense.

9. The practice of nudism is, for nudists, an immensely freeing experience. In freeing oneself to be nude in the presence of others, including members of the other sex, the nudist also gives up all the social baggage that goes along with the nudity taboo.

The North American Guide to Nude Recreation notes that "one reason why a nude lifestyle is so refreshing is that it delivers us temporarily from the game of clothes. It's hard to imagine how much clothing contributes to the grip of daily tensions until we see what it's like to socialize without them. Clothing locks us into a collective unreality that prescribes complex responses to social status, roles and expected behaviors. In shedding our daily 'uniforms,' we also shed a weighty burden of anxieties. For a while, at least, we don't have to play the endless charade of projected images we call 'daily life.' . . . For once in your life you are part of a situation where age, occupation and social status don't really count for much. You'll find yourself relating more on the basis of who you really are instead of who your clothes say you are."  This analysis is borne out by experience.

10. The sense of "freedom" that comes from the nudist experience is consistently rated by nudists as one of the main reasons they stay in it.

11. Nudism, by freeing the body, helps free the mind and spirit. An irrational clothes-compulsiveness may inhibit psychological growth and health.

Dr. Robert Henley Woody writes, "fear of revealing one's body is a defense. To keep clothing on at all times when it is unnecessary for social protocol or physical comfort is to armour oneself in a manner that will block new behaviors that could introduce more healthful and rewarding alternatives; and promote psychological growth."

12. The nudist, literally, has nothing to hide. He or she therefore has less stress, a fact supported by research.

In the words of Paul Ableman: "Removing your clothes symbolizes 'taking off' civilization and its cares. The nudist is stripped not only of garments but of the need to 'dress a part,' of form and display, of ceremony and all the constraints of a complex etiquette. . . . Further than this, the nudist symbolically takes off a great burden of responsibility. By taking off his clothes, he takes off the pressing issues of his day. For the time being, he is no longer committed to causes, opposed to this or that trend, in short a citizen. He becomes . . . a free being once more."

13. Clothing hides the natural diversity of human body shapes and sizes. When people are never exposed to nudity, they grow up with misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations about the body based on biased or misinformed sources--for instance, from advertising or mass media.

As a result, breast augmentation has long been the leading form of cosmetic surgery in the U.S. In the 1980s, American women had more than 100,000 operations per year to alter their breasts. Helen Gurley Brown, past editor of Cosmopolitan, says, "I don't think 80 percent of the women in this country have any idea what other women's bosoms look like. They have this idealized idea of how other people's bosoms are. . . . My God, isn't it ridiculous to be an emancipated woman and not really know what a woman's body looks like except your own?"  Paul Fussell notes, by contrast, that "a little time spent on Naturist beaches will persuade most women that their breasts and hips are not, as they may think when alone, appalled by their mirrors, 'abnormal,' but quite natural, 'abnormal' ones belonging entirely to the nonexistent creatures depicted in ideal painting and sculpture. The same with men: if you think nature has been unfair to you in the sexual anatomy sweepstakes, spend some time among the Naturists. You will learn that every man looks roughly the same--quite small, that is, and that heroic fixtures are not just extremely rare, they are deformities."

14. Clothing hides and therefore creates mystery and ignorance about natural body processes, such as pregnancy, adolescence, and aging. Children (and even adults) who grow up in a nudist environment have far less anxiety about these natural processes than those who are never exposed to them.

Margaret Mead writes, "clothes separate us from our own bodies as well as from the bodies of others. The more society . . . muffles the human body in clothes . . . camouflages pregnancy . . . and hides breastfeeding, the more individual and bizarre will be the child's attempts to understand, to piece together a very imperfect knowledge of the life-cycle of the two sexes and an understanding of the particular state of maturity of his or her body."

Some observations on the nature of modesty.

15. Children are not born with any shame about nudity. They learn to be ashamed of their own nudity.

16. Shame, with respect to nudity, is relative to individual situations and customs, not absolute.

For example, an Arab woman, encountered in a state of undress, will cover her face, not her body; she bares her breasts without embarrassment, but believes the sight of the back of her head to be still more indecent than exposure of her face. (James Laver notes that "an Arab peasant woman caught in the fields without her veil will throw her skirt over her head, thereby exposing what, to the Western mind, is a much more embarrassing part of her anatomy.") In early Palestine, women were obliged to keep their heads covered; for a woman, to be surprised outside the house without a head-covering was a sufficient reason for divorce. In pre-revolutionary China it was shameful for a woman to show her foot, and in Japan, the back of her neck. In 18th-century France, while deep décolletage was common, it was improper to expose the point of the shoulder. Herr Surén, writing in 1924, noted that Turkish women veiled their faces, Chinese women hid their feet, Arab women covered the backs of their heads, and Filipino women considered only the navel indecent.

The relative nature of shame is acknowledged by Pope John Paul II. "There is a certain relativism in the definition of what is shameless," he writes. "This relativism may be due to differences in the makeup of particular persons . . . or to different 'world views.' It may equally be due to differences in external conditions--in climate for instance . . . and also in prevailing customs, social habits, etc. . . . In this matter there is no exact similarity in the behavior of particular people, even if they live in the same age and the same society. . . . Dress is always a social question."

17. The dominant idea that clothing is necessary for reasons of modesty is a cultural assumption. It is an assumption that is not shared by all cultures, nor by all members of our own culture.

18. There is evidence that modesty is not related to nakedness at all, but is rather a response to appearing different from the rest of the social group--for instance, outside the accepted habits of clothing or adornment.

For example, indigenous tribes naked except for ear and lip plugs feel immodest when the plugs are removed, not when their bodies are exposed. Likewise, a woman feels immodest if seen in her slip, even though it's far less revealing than her bikini. This also explains why clothed visitors to nudist parks feel uncomfortable in their state of dress. Psychologist Emery S. Bogardus writes: "Nakedness is never shameful when it is unconscious, that is, when there is no consciousness of a difference between fact and the rule set by the mores." In other words, for first-time visitors to a nudist park, there is no hint of embarrassment after an initial reticence, because it is not contrary to the moral norms.

19. Shame comes from being outside mores, not from specific actions or conditions. Because nudity is unremarkable in a nudist setting, nudists may even forget that they are nude--and often do.

20. Psychological studies have shown that modesty need not be related to one's state of dress at all. For the nudist, modesty is not shed with one's clothes; it merely takes a different form.

Psychological studies by Martin Weinberg concluded that the basic difference between nudists and non-nudists lies in their differently-constructed definitions of the situation. It isn't that nudists are immodest, for, like non-nudists, they have norms to regulate and control immorality, sexuality, and embarrassment. Nudists merely accept the human body as natural, rather than as a source of embarrassment.

21. Many indigenous tribes go completely naked without shame, even today. It is only through extended contact with the "modern" world that they learn to be "modest."

Paul Ableman writes: "The missionaries were usually disconcerted to find that the biblically recommended act of 'clothing the naked', far from producing an improvement in native morals, almost always resulted in a deterioration. What the missionaries were inadvertently doing was recreating the Garden of Eden situation. Naked, the primitive cultures had shown no prurient concern with the body. . . . the morality was normally geared to the naked state of the culture. The missionaries, with their cotton shorts and dresses, disrupted this. Naked people actually feel shame when they are first dressed. They develop an exaggerated awareness of the body. It is as if Adam and Eve's 'aprons' generated the 'knowledge of good and evil' rather than being its consequence."

Many Amazon rainforest people still live clothing-optional by choice, even given an alternative. The same is true of the aborigines of central Australia.

22. Even in North America, nudity was commonplace among many indigenous tribes prior to the arrival of Europeans.

Lewis and Clark reported nearly-naked natives along the northern Pacific coast, for example, as did visitors to California. Father Louis Hennepin in 1698 reported of Milwaukee-area Illinois Indians, "They go stark naked in Summer-time, wearing only a kind of Shoes made of the Skins of [buffalo] Bulls." He described several other North American tribes as also generally living without clothes. The natives of Florida wore only breechclouts and sashes of Spanish moss, which they removed while hunting or gardening. Columbus wrote of the Indians he encountered in the Caribbean in 1492, "They all go around as naked as their mothers bore them; and also the women."  The Polynesian natives of Hawaii wore little clothing, and none at all at the shore or in the water, until the arrival of Christian missionaries with Captain Cook in 1776.

23. For some indigenous tribes, nudity or near-nudity is an essential part of their culture.

Paul Ableman explains, "very few primitives are totally naked. They almost always have ornamentation or body-modification of some kind, which plays a central role in their culture. . . . Into this simple but successful culture comes the missionary, and obliterates the key signs beneath his cheap Western clothing. Among many primitives, tattooing, scarification and ornamentation convey highly elaborate information which may, in fact, be the central regulatory force in the society. The missionary thus, at one blow, annihilates a culture. It was probably no less traumatic for a primitive society to be suddenly clothed than it would be for ours to be suddenly stripped naked."

24. Yet missionaries have consistently sought to impose their own concepts of "decency" on other cultures, ignoring the elaborate cultural traditions regarding dress already in place.

Bernard Rudofsky writes: "People [in other cultures] who traditionally do not have much use for clothes are not amused by the missionary zeal that prompts us to press our notions of decency upon them while being insensitive or opposed to theirs."  Julian Robinson adds: "Eighteenth and nineteenth century missionaries and colonial administrators were blissfully blind to their own religious, cultural and sexual prejudices, and to the symbolism of their own tribal adornments--their tight-laced corsets, powdered wigs, constricting shoes and styles of outer garments totally unsuited to colonial life. These missionaries and administrators nevertheless took it upon themselves to expunge all those 'pagan, barbaric and savage forms of body packaging' which did not conform to their body covering standards. . . . Thus the social and symbolic significance of these traditional forms of body decoration which had evolved over countless generations were, in many cases, destroyed forever."

Russell Nansen records that "Henry Morton Stanley, the rescuer of David Livingstone in the Belgian Congo. . . . from 1847 to 1877 . . . wandered across Africa suffering every hardship but when he went back to England he made a notable speech to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. He explained to the audience how many natives there were in the Congo, and the fact that they lived naked. He told the audience that their duty as Christians was to convert these misguided naked savages to Christianity and to the wearing of clothes. And when this missionary work had progressed sufficiently to convince the natives of the need for wearing clothes on Sunday, that would mean three hundred and twenty million yards of Manchester cotton cloth yearly. Instantly the audience rose to its feet and cheered him."

25. Most anthropologists consider modesty an unlikely reason for the development of clothes.

J.C. Flügel writes: "The great majority of scholars . . . have unhesitatingly regarded decoration as the motive that led, in the first place, to the adoption of clothing, and consider that the warmth- and modesty-preserving functions of dress, however important they might later on become, were only discovered once the wearing of clothes had become habitual for other reasons. . . . The anthropological evidence consists chiefly in the fact that among the most primitive races there exist unclothed but not undecorated peoples."  Anthropologists agree nearly unanimously on this point.

26. Many psychologists and anthropologists believe that modesty about exposure of the body may well be a result of wearing clothes, rather than its cause.

27. It is interesting to note that it is only possible to be immodest once an accepted form of modesty has been established.

28. Modesty with respect to nudity is a social phenomenon, not biologically instinctive. This is evidenced by the fact that nudity is venerated in art.

Naturism promotes sexual health.

29. Nudity is not, by itself, erotic, and nudity in mixed groups is not inherently sexual. These are myths propagated by a clothes-obsessed society. Sexuality is a matter of intent rather than state of dress.

In our culture, a person who exposes their sexual parts for any reason is considered to be an exhibitionist. It is assumed that they stripped to attract attention and cause a sexual reaction in others. This is seen as a perversion. Hypocritically, if someone dresses specifically to arouse sexual interest, they are considered to have pride in their appearance. Even if they get great sexual gratification out of the attention others give, there is no suggestion of perversion or sexual fixation.

30. Nudists, as a group, are healthier sexually than the general population.

Nudists are, as a rule, far more comfortable with their bodies than the general public, and this contributes to a more relaxed and comfortable attitude toward sexuality in general.

31. Sexual satisfaction in married couples shows a correlation to their degree of comfort with nudity.

32. Studies show significantly less incidence of casual premarital and extramarital sex, group sex, incest, and rape among nudists than among non-nudists.

33. Studies have demonstrated that countries with fewer hangups about nudity have lower teen pregnancy and abortion rates.

34. Clothes enhance sexual mystery and the potential for unhealthy sexual fantasies.

Photographer Jock Sturges says, "our arbitrary demarcations [between clothing and nudity, sexual and asexual] serve more to confound our collective sexual identity than to further our social progress. America sells everything with sex and then recoils when presented with the realities of natural process."  C. Willet Cunnington writes: "We have to thank the Early Fathers for having, albeit unwillingly, established a mode of thinking from which men and women have developed an art which has supplied . . . so many novel means of exciting the sexual appetite. Prudery, it seems, provides mankind with endless aphrodisiacs, hence, no doubt, the reluctance to abandon it."

35. Clothing focuses attention on sexuality, not away from it; and in fact often enhances immature forms of sexuality, rather than promoting healthy body acceptance.

36. Complete nudity is antithetic to the elaborate semi-pornography of the fashion industry.

Julian Robinson observes, "modesty is so intertwined with sexual desire and the need for sexual display--fighting but at the same time re-kindling this desire--that a self-perpetuating process is inevitably set in motion. In fact modesty can never really attain its ultimate end except through its disappearance. Hiding under the cloak of modesty there are to be found many essential components of the sexual urge itself."

37. Clothing often focuses attention on the genitals and sexual arousal, rather than away from them.

At various times in Western history different parts of female anatomy have been eroticized: bellies and thighs in the Renaissance; buttocks, breasts, and thighs by the late 1800s (and relatively diminutive waists and bellies). Underwear design has historically emphasized these erogenous body parts: corsets in the 1800s de-emphasized the midriff and emphasized the breasts--using materials including whalebone and steel; the crinoline in the mid 1800s emphasized the waist; and the bustle, appearing in 1868, emphasized the buttocks. Bathing suit design today focuses attention on the breasts and pubic region.

E.B. Hurlock writes: "When primitive peoples are unaccustomed to wearing clothing, putting it on for the first time does not decrease their immorality, as the ladies of missionary societies think it will. It has just the opposite effect. It draws attention to the body, especially for those parts of it which are covered for the first time."  Rob Boyte notes wryly that "textile people, when they do strip in front of others, usually do it for passion, and find the bikini pattern tan-lines attractive. This is reminiscent of the scarification practiced by primitive societies, and shows how clothing patterns become a fetish of the body."  Havelock Ellis writes: "If the conquest of sexual desire were the first and last consideration of life it would be more reasonable to prohibit clothing than to prohibit nakedness."

38. The fashion industry depends on the sex appeal of clothing.

Peter Fryer writes: "The changes in women's fashions are basically determined by the need to maintain men's sexual interest, and therefore to transfer the primary zone of erotic display once a given part of the body has been saturated with attractive power to the point of satiation. . . . Each new fashion seeks to arouse interest in a new erogenous zone to replace the zone which, for the time being, is played out."

39. Differences of clothing between the sexes focus attention on sex differences.

Psychologist J.C. Flügel writes: "There seems to be (especially in modern life) no essential factor in the nature, habits, or functions of the two sexes that would necessitate a striking difference of costume--other than the desire to accentuate sex differences themselves; an accentuation that chiefly serves the end of more easily and frequently arousing sexual passion."

40. Many psychologists believe that clothing may originally have developed, in part, as a means of focusing sexual attention.

41. Partial clothing is more sexually stimulating (in often unhealthy ways) than full nudity.

Anne Hollander writes: "The more significant clothing is, the more meaning attaches to its absence and the more awareness is generated about any relation between the two states."  Elizabeth B. Hurlock notes that "it is unquestionably a well-known fact that familiar things arouse no curiosity, while concealment lends enchantment and stimulates curiosity . . . a draped figure with just enough covering to suggest the outline, is far more alluring than a totally naked body."  And Lee Baxandall observes, "the 'almost'-nude beaches, where bikinis and thongs are paraded, are more sexually titillating than a clothes-optional resort or beach. What is natural is more fulfilling, though it may not fit the tantalize-and-deliver titillation of our consumer culture."

42. Modesty--especially enforced modesty--only adds to sexual interest and desire.

Reena Glazer writes: "Women's breasts are sexually stimulating to (heterosexual) men, at least in part because they are publicly inaccessible; society further eroticizes the female breast by tagging it shameful to expose. . . . This element of the forbidden merely perpetuates the intense male reaction female exposure allegedly inspires."

43. Topfree inequality (requiring women, but not men, to wear tops) produces an unhealthy obsession with breasts as sexual objects.

44. The identification of breasts as sexual objects in our culture has led to the discouragement of breast-feeding, the encouragement of unnecessary cosmetic surgery for breast augmentation, and avoidance of necessary breast examinations by women.

Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer write: "When a woman learns to treat her breasts as objects that enhance appearance, they belong not to the woman, but to her viewers. Thus, a woman becomes alienated from her own body."

45. Naturism is the antithesis of pornography.

Nudity is often confused with pornography in our society because the pornography industry has so successfully exploited it. In other words, nudity is often damned as exploitative precisely because its repression causes many to exploit it.

46. Pornography has been defined as an attempt to exert power over nature. In most cases in our culture, it manifests itself as an expression of sexual power by men over women. Naturism, by contrast, seeks to coexist with nature and with each other, and to accept each other and the natural world in our most natural states.

47. Non-acceptance and repression of nudity fuels pornography by teaching that any form and degree of nudity is inherently sexual and pornographic.

In the words of activist Melissa Farley, "pornography is the antithesis of freedom for women. . . . to treat the human body as anything less than normal and beautiful is to promote puritanism and pornography. If the human body is accepted by society as normal, the pornographers won't be able to market it."

48. Naturism is innocent, casual, non-exploitative, and non-commercial (and yet is often suppressed); as opposed to pornography, which is commercialized and sensationalized (and generally tolerated).

In some American communities it is illegal for a woman to publicly bare her breasts in order to feed an infant, but it is legal to display Penthouse on drug-store magazine racks.

49. Many psychologists believe that repression of a healthy sexuality leads to a greater capacity for, and tendency toward, violence.

Paul Ableman writes: "We have divorced ourselves from our instincts so conclusively that we are now menaced by their perverted expression. The blocked erotic instinct turns into destructiveness and, in our age, many thinkers have perceived that some of the most ghastly manifestations of human culture are fueled by recycled eroticism. Channelled into pure cerebration, the sexual instinct may generate nightmares impossible in the animal world. Animals are casually cruel and are usually, not always, indifferent to the pain of other animals. Animals kills for food or, rarely, for sport but they do not torture, gloat over pain or exterminate. We do. What's more, we can tolerate our own ferocity. What we cannot tolerate is our own sexuality."

Thus extreme violence is tolerated even on television, while the merest glimpse of sexual anatomy, however innocent, is enough to cause movie ratings to jump.

Naturism promotes physical health.

50. Clothing limits or defeats many of the natural purposes of skin: for example, repelling moisture, drying quickly, breathing, protecting without impeding performance, and especially sensing one's environment.

C. W. Saleeby writes: "This admirable organ, the natural clothing of the body, which grows continually throughout life, which has at least four absolutely distinct sets of sensory nerves distributed to it, which is essential in the regulation of the temperature, which is waterproof from without inwards, but allows the excretory sweat to escape freely, which, when unbroken, is microbe-proof, and which can readily absorb sunlight--this most beautiful, versatile, and wonderful organ is, for the most part, smothered, blanched, and blinded in clothes and can only gradually be restored to the air and light which are its natural surroundings. Then, and only then, we learn what it is capable of."

51. Exposure to the sun, without going overboard, promotes general health.

Research suggests that solar exposure triggers the body's synthesis of Vitamin D, vital for (among other things) calcium absorption and a strong immune system. Exposure to the sun is especially essential for the growth of strong bones in young children.

52. Recent research has suggested an inverse relationship between solar exposure and osteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer, and even the most deadly form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.

53. An obsessive sense of modesty about the body often correlates with a reluctance to share healthy forms of touch with others.

Research has increasingly linked touch-deprivation, especially during childhood and adolescence, to depression, violence, sexual inhibition, and other antisocial behaviors. Research has also shown that people who are physically cold toward adolescents produce hostile, aggressive, and often violent offspring. On the other hand, children brought up in families where the members touch each other are healthier, better able to withstand pain and infection, more sociable, and generally happier than families that don't share touch.

54. Tight clothing may cause health problems by restricting the natural flow of blood and lymphatic fluid.

Recent research by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer demonstrated that women who wear bras more than twelve hours per day, but not to bed, are 21 times more likely to get breast cancer than those who wear bras less than twelve hours per day. Those who wear bras even to bed are 125 times more likely to get breast cancer than those who don't wear bras at all. Testicular cancer, similarly, has been linked to tight briefs. The theory is that tight clothing impedes the lymph system, which removes cancer-causing toxins from the body.

55. Clothing can harbor disease-causing bacteria and yeast (especially underclothing and athletic clothing).

56. Medical research has linked clothing to an increased susceptibility to bites and stings by animals such as ticks and sea lice, which hide in or get trapped in clothing.

57. Clothing fashions throughout history, especially for women, have often been damaging to physical and psychological health.

For instance, the wearing of corsets led to numerous physical ailments in women in the late 19th century. Men and women both suffered through many ages of history under hot, burdensome layers of clothing in the name of fashion. Footwear has been especially notorious for resisting reason and comfort in the name of fashion.

58. The idea that clothing is necessary for support of the genitals or breasts is often unwarranted.

For example, research shows that the choice of wearing a bra or not has no bearing on the tendency of a woman's breasts to "droop" as she ages. Deborah Franklin writes: "Still, the myth that daily, lifelong bra wearing is crucial to preserving curves persists, along with other misguided notions about that fetching bit of binding left over from the days when a wasp waist defined the contours of a woman's power." Christine Haycock, of the New Jersey Medical School, says that while exercising without a bra may be uncomfortable for large-breasted women, "it's not doing any lasting damage to chest muscles or breast tissue." In fact, given the tendency of sports bras to squash breasts against the rib cage, her research concluded that "those who wore an A cup were frequently most comfortable with no bra at all."  Complete nudity presents no difficulties for conditioned male athletes, either; and thus the athletes of ancient Athens had no trouble performing entirely in the nude.

59. Clothing hides the natural beauty of the human body, as created by God.

In the words of Michelangelo: "What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot grasp the fact that the human foot is more noble than the shoe and human skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed?"

60. Clothing makes people look older, and emphasizes rather than hides unflattering body characteristics.

Paul Fussell writes: "Nude, older people look younger, especially when very tan, and younger people look even younger. . . . In addition fat people look far less offensive naked than clothed. Clothes, you realize, have the effect of sausage casings, severely defining and advertising the shape of what they contain, pulling it all into an unnatural form which couldn't fool anyone. . . . The beginning Naturist doesn't take long to master the paradox that it is stockings that make varicose veins noticeable, belts that call attention to forty-eight-inch waists, brassieres that emphasize sagging breasts."

61. Clothing harbors and encourages the growth of odor-causing bacteria.

Naturism is socially constructive.

62. Naturism is a socially constructive philosophy.

As defined by the International Naturist Federation, "Naturism is a way of life in harmony with nature characterized by the practice of communal nudity, with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and for the environment."

63. Naturism, by philosophy, is tolerant of others and their differences. It expects only the same in return.

Naturism rejects obstreperous, provocative nudity--but because it is anti-social effrontery and disorderly conduct, not because it is nudity.

64. Nudity promotes social equality, feelings of unity with others, and more relaxed social interaction in general. As mentioned earlier, clothing locks us into a collective unreality that prescribes complex responses to social status, roles and expected behaviors. As the artificial barrier of clothing is done away with, social class and status disappear. People begin to relate to each other as they are, and not as they seem to be.

This is a phenomenon that is intimately familiar to the Finnish people. L.M. Edelsward writes: "People can relax in the sauna in a way that is difficult to do in other contexts and with others than one's family, for here the tensions associated with maintaining one's social mask disappear. . . . Without their social masks, sauna bathers are able to meet others not in terms of their social personas, but in terms of their inner personalities. . . . Sweating together in the sauna, removed from the impinging demands of ordinary life, Finns can be the people they 'really' are, and can recreate their relationships with others as they ideally should be--open, equal, and trusting. . . . Sweating together in the sauna, stripped of all symbols of rank, wealth or prestige, all are equal; distance and respect become openness and sincerity."

65. Naturists tend to be especially accepting of other people, just as they are. This is an attitude that is undoubtedly related to the fact that Naturists are generally more accepting of their own bodies, just as they are, than the general public.

66. Socially and demographically, nudists are almost exactly like the rest of the population, except that they are tolerant of nudity. There are few other trends, social or psychological, positive or negative, that correlate to a statistically significant degree with nudists as a demographic group.

67. Naturism rejects blind conformity to cultural mores and assumptions about the body, which see clothing as a constant necessity, in favor of a more reasoned, rational approach which recognizes the need for clothing to be dependent on context.

68. For Americans, non-acceptance and sexualization of their own nudity encourages a biased or racist attitude contrasting "clothed civilization" against the "naked savage."

Rob Boyte asks, "Why is it permissible [in National Geographic] to show the penis and scrotum of an African Surma (Feb. 91) or a Brazilian Urueu-Wau Wau (Dec. 88) but not a Yugoslav Naturist in his natural setting? Why are photographs of breasts on Nuba (Feb. 51, Nov. 66), Zulu (Aug. 53), Dyak (May 56), Masai (Feb. 65), Yap Island (May 67, Oct. 86), Turkana (Feb. 69), Adama Islands (July 75), New Guinea (Aug. 82), Woodabe (Oct. 83), Ndebele (Feb. 69), and Surma (Feb. 91) women shown, yet not one white Canadian can be found to face the camera at Wreck Beach? Why are the breasts shown of Josephine Baker (July 89), a black native of East St. Louis, but the breasts of white native women of Miami Beach are not shown? The unanswered question implies but one conclusion: that the National Geographic has in fact a Eurocentric bias (racist) in portraying nudity."

Jeremy Seabrook writes: "The absence of self-consciousness is not some natural 'primitive' impulse to acknowledge the universal truth that sex is the centre of their world. . . . The nakedness of tradition speaks of a social order in which sex, although not denied, has its place in the totality of living and growing things; it speaks of another ordering of the world, one that is a reproach to, and denial of, those nude westerners [vacationing on nude beaches far from home], although at the same time, is dismissed, marginalised, not taken seriously by them."

Naturism is healthy for the family.

69. True nudists emphasize a decent, family atmosphere and morality.

70. Research shows that children who grow up in a nudist setting tend to be more self-confident, more self-accepting, and more sexually well-adjusted. They feel better about their bodies, and more comfortable with their sexuality.

Research conducted at the University of Northern Iowa found that nudist children had body self-concepts that were significantly more positive than those of non-nudist children--and that the "nudity classification" of a family was one of the most significant factors associated with positive body self-concept. Furthermore, nudist children showed a significantly higher acceptance of their bodies as a whole, rather than feeling ashamed of certain parts. A study by psychologists Robin Lewis and Louis Janda at Old Damien University reported that "increased exposure to nudity in the family fosters an atmosphere of acceptance of sexuality and one's body." They concluded that children who had seen their parents nude were more comfortable with physical contact and affection, had higher self-esteem, and showed increased acceptance of and comfort with their bodies and their sexuality. Research by Marie-Louise Booth at the California School of Professional Psychology found that "individuals with less childhood exposure to parental nudity experienced significantly higher levels of adult sexual anxiety than did the group with more childhood exposure to parental nudity."  Separate research by Diane Lee Wilson at The Wright Institute reached the same conclusion. Research by Lou Lieberman of the State University of New York at Albany, in the late 1960s, found that "those young people who had casually seen both of their parents nude in the home were far more likely to feel comfortable with their bodies and to also feel more satisfied with the size and shape of their genitalia and breasts."

71. In general, "experts" such as Joyce Brothers and Dr. Spock speak out against family nudity without empirical evidence to back them up. When research is actually done, it contradicts their dire warnings.

In several years of research at major national research libraries, I have yet to come across a scientific study which contradicts the premise that openness about nudity is healthy for children.

72. Most commentators say that it's the context in which family nudity takes place, not the nudity itself, that determines whether it's problematic. Children respond far more to parents' attitudes toward nudity than to the nudity itself, and nudity is only a problem when it is treated as one.

73. Many psychologists argue that the implicit message conveyed by a lack of nudity in the home is that the body is basically unacceptable or shameful--an attitude which may carry over into discomfort about nudity in the context of adult sexual relationships.

74. Children of "primitive" tribes, surrounded by nudity of all forms, suffer no ill effects. Neither do children who grow up in other societies which are more open about nudity than our own. Presumptions that exposure to nudity will lead to problems for children grow out of the preconceptions of our culture.

Paul Ableman writes: "It is interesting to speculate as to what kind of model of the human mind Sigmund Freud would have constructed if he had based it not on clothed Europeans but on, say, a study of the naked Nuer of the Sudan. Almost all the processes which he discerns as formative for the adult mind would have been lacking. Freud assumes that children will not normally see each other naked and that, if they do happen to, the result will be traumatic. This is not true of naked cultures. . . . Thus great provinces of Freud's mind-empire would simply be missing. There would be no Oedipus complex (or not much, anyway), no penis envy or castration complex, probably no clear-cut phases of sexual development. We are emerging rapidly from the era of Freudian gospel . . . and can now perceive the extent to which he himself was the victim of prevailing ideas and prejudices."

75. Children who grow up in a nudist environment witness the natural body changes brought on by adolescence, pregnancy, and aging. They have far less anxiety about these natural processes than children who are never exposed to them except through layers of clothing.

76. Research has demonstrated that countries with fewer reservations about nudity (and sexuality in general) also have lower teen pregnancy and abortion rates.

A 1985 study by the Guttmacher Institute found rates of pregnancy and abortion among teenage girls in America to be more than twice those of Canada, France, Sweden, England, and The Netherlands. The disparity couldn't be explained by differences in sexual activity, race, welfare policies, or the availability of abortion, but only in cultural attitudes toward nudity and sexuality. The study found American youth to be particularly ignorant of biology and sexuality, partly due to a climate of moral disapproval for seeking such knowledge. It found that lower levels of unwanted pregnancy correlated with factors such as the amount of female nudity presented by public media and the extent of nudity on public beaches.

77. Clothes-compulsion intimidates millions of mothers from breast-feeding their children, even though breast-feeding is healthier and often more convenient for both the child and the mother.

In the U.S., barely half of all mothers breast-feed; only 20% do so for a full 6 months, and only 6% for the Surgeon General's recommended 12 months. Breast-feeding is also declining in developing countries.

Gabrielle Palmer writes: "In Victorian England, famous for its prudery, a respectable woman could feed openly in church, yet in contemporary industrialized society where women's bodies and particularly breasts are used to sell newspapers, cars and peanuts, public breast-feeding provokes cries of protest from both men and women."  Lisa Demauro notes that "our society is far more at home with the idea of sexy breasts than functional ones."  "Millions of boys and girls have grown up never having seen a mother breast-feeding her baby," adds Marsha Pearlman, the Florida Health Department coordinator for breast-feeding. "This is a sad commentary on our culture."

Naturism is especially consistent with feminism and the struggle for women's freedom.

78. The repression of healthy nudity, especially for females, has been one of the chief means of mind and destiny control by the patriarchy. Breaking this pattern shatters the invisible bonds of an inherited sex role.

79. Limitations on women's nudity, an acceptance of pornography, and demanding fashion requirements may, individually, seem like minor issues. Taken as a whole, however, they form a pattern of repressive male-oriented expectations.

Marilyn Frye explains: "Consider a birdcage. If you look very closely at just one wire in the cage, you cannot see the other wires. If your conception of what is before you is determined by this myopic focus, you could look at that one wire, up and down the length of it, and be unable to see why a bird would not just fly around the wire any time it wanted to go somewhere. . . . There is no physical property of any one wire, nothing that the closest scrutiny could rediscover, that will reveal how a bird could be inhibited or harmed by it except in the most accidental way. It is only when you step back, stop looking at the wires one by one, microscopically, and take a macroscopic view of the whole cage, that you can see why the bird does not go anywhere; and then you will see it in a moment. It will require no great subtlety of mental powers. It is perfectly obvious that the bird is surrounded by a network of systematically related barriers, no one of which would be the least hindrance to its flight, but which, by their relations to each other, are as confining as the solid walls of a dungeon."

80. Topfree inequality (requiring women, but not men, to wear tops) is demeaning and discriminatory toward women, and reinforces patterns of male domination over women.

In our culture, breasts may be exposed to sell drinks to men in bars, but women may not be topfree on a beach for their own comfort and pleasure. Reena Glazer writes: "The criminalization of women baring their breasts, therefore, indicates that society views women's bodies as immoral and something to hide. There is something potentially criminal about every woman just by virtue of being female."

Herald Price Fahringer writes, "men have the right to cover or expose their chests as they see fit--women do not. Men have the right to enjoy the sun, water, and wind without a top; women do not. Few men would be willing to give up this right. Then why shouldn't women enjoy the same advantage? . . . Requiring women to cover their breasts in public is a highly visible expression of inequality between men and women that promotes an attitude that demeans women and damages their sense of equality. . . . For centuries, men have held the power to generate these misconceptions. The male view on the exposure of a woman's breasts is crucially influenced by the need of men to define women. . . . This reaction stems from a masculine ideology that has . . . doomed generations of women to a secondary status."

Raymond Grueneich writes: "So what is really at stake is whether women will be free to bare their own breasts in appropriate public places for their own personal purposes on these occasions in which they feel free to do so, or whether they will only be allowed to bare their breasts in public on an occasion that can be exploited commercially and that reinforces the idea that the sole function of the female breast is for the satisfaction of male fantasy. It is as though it is a crime for a woman to be undressed in public, unless she was undressed in the service of a corporation or a commercial entrepreneur."

81. Laws banning exposure of female breasts do so in part because of the reaction such exposure would supposedly cause in men. Such laws are written entirely from the male point of view, and ignore the point of view of women, who may want to go topfree for their own comfort.

82. By refusing to accept the need to "protect" themselves from men by covering their bodies, women gain power, and shift the burden of responsible behavior to men, where it rightfully belongs.

Reena Glazer notes that "male power is perpetuated by regarding women as objects that men act and react to rather than as actors themselves. . . . their entire worth is derived from the reaction they can induce from men. In order to maintain the patriarchal system, men must determine when and where this arousal is allowed to take place. In this way, the (heterosexual) male myth of a woman's breasts has been codified into law. Because women are the sexual objects and property of men, it follows that what might arouse men can only be displayed when men want to be aroused." This emphasis on women as temptresses "shifts the burden of responsibility from men to women; because women provoke uncontrollable urges in males, society excuses male behavior and blames the victim for whatever happens. . . . To sanction the concept that men have uncontrollable urges implies that violence against women is inevitable."

83. Patriarchal laws strip women of the right to control their own bodies, but there have always been "exceptions" to obscenity laws which permit the use of women's bodies in consumer seduction. Thus female nudity is considered inappropriate on the beach, but is ubiquitous in advertising and pornography.

84. By enforcing arbitrary clothing requirements for women (requiring them to cover their tops), the government acts in loco parentis, in the role of a parent. This is demeaning to women. Like children, they aren't conceded the ability or right to decide how to dress, much as they formerly weren't allowed to vote, own property, or exercise other rights.

85. The repression of healthy female nudity fuels pornography.

Herbert Muschamp observes: "To object to the nude figure in a general interest magazine while allowing it to remain in men's skin magazines is one way of keeping women in their place."

86. Pornography, in turn, limits women's ability to participate in healthy nude recreation, and to be casually nude in other ways. Naturism breaks the power of pornography over women.

As mentioned earlier, in many places it is legal to display Penthouse on drug-store magazine racks, yet it is illegal for a woman to publicly bare her breasts to feed an infant.

Pornography seeks "freedom," particularly "freedom of expression." But an acceptance of pornography restricts women's capacity to go topfree or nude for their own enjoyment. It limits the freedom to control their own bodies, and silences their own freedom of self-expression. Our pornographic culture has contributed to attitudes which often discourage women from even trying clothing-optional recreation, even though Naturism is in many ways the antithesis of pornography.

87. The fight for freedom should mean civil rights for women--not license for pornographers.

88. Clothing fashions and legal requirements have historically contributed to the repression of women.

For example, in the mid-nineteenth century, a tiny waist was considered a sign of beauty, and, in order to achieve this standard, women bound themselves into corsets designed to constrict the stomach (and other internal organs) inward and upward, creating the appearance of a tiny middle. In addition, women wore up to fifteen layers of petticoats and crinolines under their floor-length skirts. In the latter half of the century the wire hoop and spring-like bustle were also added for the appearance of fullness. The weight of this assemblage came close to 20 pounds. We now know that many of the physical characteristics associated with the "frail sex" resulted from such restrictive clothing, including "bird-like" appetites, a tendency to fainting spells, and reduced physical activity. Thorstein Veblen has observed that "the corset is in economic theory substantially [an instrument of] mutilation for the purpose of lowering the subject's vitality and rendering her personally and obviously unfit for work." A variety of respiratory and reproductive ailments (including frequent miscarriages) from which women once suffered have been directly linked to the unhealthy dictates of the "hourglass" fashion. Many of the associations of female frailty which have their roots in the nineteenth century remain with us today, though they are now unsubstantiated.

Corsets and, in modern times, cosmetic breast surgery also damage the internal physiology of the breasts, often eliminating the capacity to breast-feed.

89. Naturism defies relationships based on a balance of power, and is thus consistent with contemporary feminism, which seeks to break down power hierarchies.

Naturism is more natural than clothes-compulsiveness.

90. Naturism, as a celebration of the natural human body free of the artificiality of fashion, is highly compatible with the ideals of a natural, simple, and environmentally friendly lifestyle.

91. As we work for the good of nature, we must also work for the good and the freedom of our bodies, especially as they may be integrated with the rest of nature.

As the Quebec Naturist Federation has observed, "Nature is not just the trees; it is also our bodies."

92. The goals of Naturism and environmentalism are often parallel. Like environmentalism, Naturism usually seeks to preserve the natural character of landscapes, and opposes development and commercial exploitation. The greatest risk to most beaches is not nudity, but development--the takeover of pristine public areas by private resorts or hotels.

93. One feels much more a part of a natural setting in the nude than clothed.

94. The nudist is far more sensually aware, because nudity enhances responsiveness and sensory experience.

95. Clothing cuts us off from the natural world, by inhibiting the skin's ability to sense the environment. It in fact distracts from our ability to sense the natural environment, by artificially irritating the skin.

Paul Ableman writes, "if primitives lost their culture [through being clothed by missionaries], they also lost their environment. They lost the sun, the rain, the grass underfoot, the foliage which brushed their skin as they moved through forest or jungle, the water of lake, river or sea slipping past their bodies, above all the ceaseless communion with the wind. Anyone who has ever spent any time naked outdoors knows that the play of the elements over the body produces an ever-changing response that may reach almost erotic intensity. The skin becomes alive and responsive and a whole new spectrum of sensation is generated. Clothe the body and this rich communion is replaced by mere fortuitous, and often irritating, contact with inert fabric. It is a huge impoverishment and its measure can perhaps best be judged by the reluctance of the Indians of Tierra del Fuego, who live in a climate so harsh that Darwin observed snow melting on the naked breasts of women, to adopt protective clothing. They preferred dermal contact with the environment, hostile though it was, to the loss of sensation implied by wearing clothes."

96. Clothes-compulsiveness is incompatible with the natural patterns of nature, as expressed by every other member of the animal kingdom. Humans are the only species to clothe themselves.

97. Some psychologists theorize that humans developed clothing, in part, to set themselves apart from animals.

Fred Ilfeld and Roger Lauer write: "Man's major goal is superiority . . . and one way that he strives for it is through clothing. Not only do clothes protect and decorate, but they also give status to the wearer, not just with respect to peers but, more importantly, in relation to man's place in nature. Clothes make a human being appear less like an animal and more like a god by concealing his sexual organs."  Lawrence Langner adds: "Modern man is a puritan and not a pagan, and by his clothing has been able to overcome his feeling of shame in relation to his sex organs in public, in mixed company. He has done this by transforming his basic inferiority into a feeling of superiority, by relating himself to God in whose sexless image he claims to be made. But take all his clothes off, and it is plain to see that he is half-god, half-animal. He is playing two opposing roles which contradict one another, and the result is confusion."

98. The physical barrier of clothing reinforces psychological barriers separating us from the natural world.

In our clothing-obsessed society, we have distanced ourselves so much from nature that the sight of our own natural state is often startling. Allen Ginsberg writes: "Truth may always surprise a little, because we are creatures of habit, especially in our hypermechanized, hyperindustrialized, hypermilitarized society. Any presentation of nature tends to appear shocking."

99. Lifestyles which are incompatible with the natural patterns of nature (including clothes-obsessiveness) may be psychological damaging.

Robert Bahr writes: "Nakedness is the natural state of humankind; clothing imposes a barrier between us and God, nature, the universe, which serves to dehumanize us all."  "Paradoxically," muses Jeremy Seabrook, "the very presence of the westerners [on nude beaches] in the south is an expression of some absence in their everyday lives. After all, whole industries are now devoted to enabling people 'to get away from it all.' What is it, precisely, they want to get away from, when the iconography of their culture is promoted globally as the provider of everything? Many will admit they are looking for something not available at home (apart from sunshine), something to do with authenticity, a state of being 'unspoilt'. . . . They have been stripped of their cultural heritage; and this is why they have to buy back what ought to be the birthright of all human beings: secure anchorage in celebrations and rituals that attend the significant moments of our human lives."

100. A Naturist lifestyle is more environmentally responsible. For example, the option of going nude during hot, humid weather greatly reduces the need for air conditioning. Most air conditioners use tremendous amounts of energy, and many use coolants which are damaging to the stratospheric ozone layer.

101. Clothing is produced by environmentally irresponsible processes from environmentally irresponsible sources.

For instance, synthetics are developed from oil; and cotton is grown with intensive pesticide-loaded agricultural techniques. Cotton constitutes half of the world's textile consumption, and is one of the most pesticide-sprayed crops in the world. Clothing manufacture may also include chlorine bleaching, chemical dyeing, sealing with metallic compounds, finishing with resins and formaldehyde, and electroplating to rust-proof zippers, creating toxic residues in waste water.

Accepted clothing requirements are arbitrary and inconsistent.

102. Clothing standards are inconsistent.

For instance, a bikini covering is accepted and even lauded on the beach, but is restricted elsewhere--in a department store, for example. Even on the beach, an expensive bikini is considered acceptable, whereas underwear--though it covers the same amount--is not.

103. Clothing requirements are arbitrarily and irrationally based on gender.

Until the 1920s, for example, female ankles and shins were considered erotic in Western cultures, though men wore knickers. The Japanese considered the back of a woman's neck erotic, and contemporary Middle Eastern cultures hide the woman's face. During the 1991 Gulf War, female U.S. army personnel were forbidden from wearing t-shirts that bared their arms, since it would offend the Saudi Arabian allies. Women (but not men) were forced to wear full army dress in stifling heat.

104. Today in America, women's breasts are seen as erotic and unexposable, even though they are anatomically identical to those of men except for lactation capacity, and no more or less a sexual organ.

Medical experts note that men's breasts have the same erotic capacities as women's. In addition, studies suggest that women are as sexually attracted by men's unclothed chests as men are by women's.

105. The arbitrary nature of clothing requirements is reflected by different standards in different cultures.

For example, a review of 190 world societies in 1951 found that, contrary to the standards of our own culture, relatively few considered exposure of a women's breasts to be immodest. Julian Robinson observes, "few cultural groups agree as to which parts of our bodies should be covered and which parts should be openly displayed. . . . Indeed, many people find it difficult to comprehend the logic behind any other mode of clothing and adornment than what they are currently wearing, finding them all unnatural or even uncivilized. The thought of exposing or viewing those parts of the body which they generally keep covered so frightens or disgusts them that they call upon their lawmakers to protect them from such a possibility."

106. The arbitrary nature of clothing requirements is reflected by history. Even in the same culture, taboos about what parts of the body could or could not be revealed have changed radically over time.

For example, until statutes were amended in the 1930s, men were arrested in the United States for swimming without a shirt. Many of the paintings and sculptures today considered "classic"--for example, Michelangelo's Last Judgment--were considered obscene in their day. The body taboo reached its height in mid 19th-century England and America, when it was considered improper to mention almost any detail of the human body in mixed company. Howard Warren writes: "A woman was allowed to have head and feet, but between the neck and ankles only the heart and stomach were permitted mention in polite society. To expose the ankle (even though properly stockinged) was considered immodest."  On the other hand, in the early part of the 19th century, women's clothing fashions in France were so scant that an entire costume, including shoes, may not have weighed more than eight ounces. Lois M. Gurel writes: "One must remember that clothing itself is neither moral nor immoral. It is the breaking of traditions which makes it so."

The degree to which women's breasts may be exposed has varied especially in Western cultures. At various times in history, women's necklines have plunged so deeply that the breasts have been more exposed than covered. Historian Aileen Ribeiro notes that in the early 15th century, "women's gowns became increasingly tight-fitted over the bust, some gowns with front openings even revealing the nipples." Breasts came back on display throughout the early 17th century, and again in the 18th century, especially in the Court of King Charles II of England. Ironically, in this latter period, a respectable woman would never be found in public with the point of her shoulders revealed.

Naturism is growing in acceptance.

107. Most world societies are much more open about nudity than the United States. For example, many cultures, especially in Europe, are more open to nudity on beaches and in other recreational settings.

A 1995 poll conducted by a French fashion magazine found that only 7% of the population was shocked by the sight of naked breasts on the beach, and that 40% of women had tried going topfree. A 1983 poll found that 27% of French women went topfree on the beach on a regular basis, while another 6% went nude. A 1982 Harris poll found that 86% of French citizens favor nudity on public beaches. In Munich and Zurich, topfree and nude sunbathing are permitted in many parks. A Zurich municipal ordinance in 1989 officially accepted nudity in municipal pools after a public opinion poll found only 18% opposition. Two separate polls conducted in the mid-1980s found that 68% of Germans did not object to nude bathing. A 1983 public opinion survey in Greece found that 65% of the population favored legislative establishment of four official nudist facilities. A 1984 poll found that 82% of a cross section of Lisbon residents approved of nude beaches reserved for that purpose. In Denmark, judicious nudity is legal on the seashore except on a few specifically clothed beaches! Sweden's coastline is nearly as tolerant as Denmark's. Beach nudity has also become the norm in inflation-stricken Romania, where the average monthly wage is about $65 and a swimsuit costs from $4 to $20. Saunas are ubiquitous in Finland, with a sauna for every 3.5 inhabitants, and are always used nude, commonly in mixed company.

108. Participation in nudist organizations is high in other parts of the world.

In Holland, 1 in 422 members of the population is a dues-paying nudist. In Switzerland, the number is 1 in 519; in France, 1 in 630; in Belgium, 1 in 890; in New Zealand, 1 in 1250; in the U.K., 1 in 2784; in English-speaking Canada, 1 in 5200; and in the U.S., 1 in 6856. According to a French survey, one in ten members of the nation's population have tried nudism at least once, and an equal number are ready to give it a try.

109. Naturist vacations are a significant part of the tourist trade in many countries.

As of 1983, about 2 million people vacationed at French Naturist clubs and resorts each year. Before its devastating fragmentation and civil war, more than one hundred thousand tourists visited Yugoslavian nudist camps and resorts every summer. According to the president of the Naturism and Camping Department of Yugoslav Tourism, Naturist vacations in 1984 accounted for 25% of the foreign tourism income. And while American travel brochures make almost no mention at all of nude or topfree beaches in other countries--essentially lying to vacationers--foreign travel agencies offer opulent, uncensored brochures, and openly advertise and promote Naturist resorts.

110. Nudity is much more common in foreign media.

For example, one of Brazil's most popular T.V. shows, "Pantanal," has featured frequent nudity; a survey conducted by the local newspaper found that 83% of viewers were "comfortable" with the nude scenes. A University of Sao Paulo survey in June 1990 counted 1,145 displays of nudity in one week of television.

111. Public nudity, including clothing-optional recreation, enjoys growing acceptance in North America.

A 1983 Gallup poll revealed that 72% of Americans don't think designated clothing-optional beaches should be against the law, and 39% agreed that such areas should be set aside by the government. One third said they might try going to one. Fourteen percent said they'd already tried coed nude recreation. A 1985 Roper Poll agreed, reporting that 18% of all Americans--including 27% of those age 18-28, and 24% of college-educated Americans--had already gone swimming in the nude with a group that included members of the other sex; other studies suggest these numbers are on the increase. A Psychology Today study found that 28% of couples under the age of 35 swim in the nude together, 24% of couples age 35-49, and 9% of couples 50 or older, and that such activities tended to correspond to a higher level of satisfaction in the marriage. A 1990 Martini and Rossi poll reported that 35% of Americans would "bare it all" on a nude beach. A 1986 poll conducted by People Weekly asked people how guilty they would feel if they engaged in any of 51 activities, rating their probable guilt on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 represented the greatest feeling of guilt. Nude sunbathing came in second to last with a rating of 2.76, behind not voting (3.07), swearing (3.34), smoking (3.38), and overeating (4.43).

In 1991, visitation at Wreck Beach, British Columbia on a nice day was estimated at 15,000, and 90,000 beach users were recorded in one month on a single access trail. A survey conducted by West Area Park Staff revealed that half of those visitors go nude. When that option was threatened in 1991, more than 10,000 people sent letters or signed petitions to protect the beach's clothing-optional status.

Given the opportunity and license to do so, women do take advantage of the option of going topfree. During the 1984 Olympics in L.A., Police decided not to arrest European women who went topfree on local beaches. American women, noting the double standard, took their tops off too, and feigned inability to understand English when told to cover up. Police called it "taking advantage of the relaxed rule,"  though it should more accurately be considered "taking advantage of a more civilized custom."

112. Membership in nudist organizations is growing rapidly.

Membership in the American Association for Nude Recreation, for example, topped 40,000 in 1992, up 15,000 in just five years! By 1995, the number had climbed past 46,000. According to a study commissioned by the Trade Association for Nude Recreation, participation in nudism is currently growing by about 20% per year.

113. The tourism industry is discovering that it is in their economic best interests to accept clothing-optional recreation.

When it became a favorite vacation spot for Europeans in the mid-1980s, Miami Beach began permitting G-string swimsuits on its beaches, and ceased enforcing its ordinance against topfree swimming and sunning. Dade County is the only county in Florida that experienced an increase of tourism in 1991, a year of deep recession. All other counties, and Disney World, had significant losses in tourism. Nikki Grossman, director of the Ft. Lauderdale Convention and Visitors' Bureau, acknowledges that "requests for nude or top-free beaches rank among the top five priorities of international conventioneers,"  and Fodor's Travel Guide has observed that "nudism" is "tourism's fastest growing sector."  Nudism, in the United States, brings in about $120 million per year in direct revenues alone.

Constitutional support for Naturism.

114. In a free society such as the United States, one's lifestyle should not be dictated by anyone else (majority or otherwise), especially if that lifestyle does not infringe on anyone else's rights.

In the words of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: "Our Constitution is designed to maximize individual freedom within a framework of ordered liberty."

115. The Constitution was, in fact, written to protect the rights of minority points of view. This principle alone should justify the right to recreate peacefully in the nude without government interference.

Justice William O. Douglas, for a unanimous court in 1972, wrote: "These amenities have dignified the right of dissent and have honored the right to be nonconformists and the right to defy submissiveness. They have encouraged lives of high spirits rather than hushed, suffocating silence."

116. The Constitution has been interpreted to protect individual freedoms except where they are overridden by a "compelling state interest." It is never the responsibility of individuals to justify their freedoms. It is rather the responsibility of government to justify any restriction of freedom.

Justice Douglas enumerated three levels of rights: "First is the autonomous control over the development and expression of one's intellect, interests, tastes, and personality. Second is freedom of choice in the basic decisions of one's life respecting marriage, divorce, procreation, contraception, and the education and upbringing of children. Third is the freedom to care for one's health and person, freedom from bodily restraint or compulsion, freedom to walk, stroll, or loaf."  Douglas would permit no state restriction of the first level of freedom; only narrow restrictions on the second; and in the third, "regulation on a showing of 'compelling state interest.'"

117. Naturism has always claimed that nudity offers "freedom from bodily restraints." Such freedoms may only be restricted in the case of "compelling state interest;" if none can be shown, the restriction is invalid.

Unfortunately, though the courts have "recognized as a protectible, if minor interest . . . an individual right concerning one's own appearance and lifestyle," especially where supported by tradition and custom, in the case of public nudity such protection is not "fundamental" or directly "constitutional"  and thus can be overruled or limited by other considerations, such as environmental concerns or "community standards."  Often the reference is to moral principles. These can usually be shown to be "overbroad" by constitutional standards, because they prohibit innocent behavior (such as skinnydipping) along with behavior of legitimate government concern (such as lewd conduct).

118. The Constitution has repeatedly been interpreted to protect the right of individuals to associate with others of similar philosophy, and also to raise their children in the context of a particular philosophy. This principle protects the right of nudist families to associate and recreate in the nude.

119. The First Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of expression. This protects every other form of clothing, and should protect the right not to wear clothing as well.

120. Recent court decisions in Florida, New York, and elsewhere have upheld nudity as part of the expression of free speech.

Unfortunately, the courts have consistently concluded that mere nudity per se (for example, nude sunbathing on a public beach), without being combined with some other protected form of expression, is not protected as free speech under the first amendment. The courts have distinguished between protected First Amendment beliefs and actual conduct based on those beliefs, arguing that going nude on a beach is "conduct" rather than merely the natural state of a human being.

121. The "body language" of the nude human form has extraordinary symbolic and communicative power which should be protected by the First Amendment.

Examples may be seen in painting, photography, sculpture, drama, cinema, and other visual forms of communication throughout history.

122. The Supreme Court has ruled that people can't be forced to communicate ideas they oppose (for example, saying the Pledge of Allegiance). It has also ruled that clothes can be a protected form of free speech (for instance, students and public employees had the right to wear black armbands to protest the Vietnam War). It is unconstitutional to force Naturists to express conformity to ideas of modesty and body shame that they disagree with, by forcing them to wear swimsuits at the beach.

As attorney Eleanor Fink says, "If people are allowed to wear the clothes of [Nazis], should they not also be allowed to wear the clothing of the Creator?"

123. The courts have thus far permitted the publishers of pornography to express attitudes which are exploitative of women, on the grounds that this is protected free speech; but it has been unsuitably reluctant to grant the same protection to the natural expression of body freedom through casual, non-exploitative nudity on the beach.

124. Clothing is both publicly expressive and privately symbolic, connoting identity in a particular cultural group. Restricting the state of dress of nudists is no less restrictive than prohibiting any other cultural group from wearing the clothing particular to their group. Preventing nudists from going nude is equivalent to preventing a person of Scottish descent from wearing the family colors, or preventing a priest from wearing his robes.

125. With the emergence of national organizations promoting nudism as a doctrine, nude recreation may eventually come to be seen as a protected medium of speech expressing that doctrine, and as an example of protected free association.

126. The Ninth Amendment makes it clear that no freedoms shall be denied that are not specifically prohibited. Thus, mere nudity is not illegal except where there are specific laws that prohibit it.

Most laws prohibit only lewd conduct, not nudity per se; and there is in fact no universal legal prohibition against nudity on public land.

127. Many prohibitions against nudity stem, historically, from the political climate of the early Christian church. Even today, much of the objection to nudism is based on religious principles. The constitutional separation of church and state should make this an invalid argument.

128. Extensive legal precedent suggests that laws requiring women, but not men, to conceal their breasts are sexist, discriminatory, and unconstitutional.

For example, in 1992, the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, unanimously overturned the conviction of two women found guilty of exposing their breasts in public. The ruling held that the state's anti-nudity law was intended to apply only to lewd and lascivious behavior, not to "non-commercial, perhaps accidental, and certainly not lewd, exposure." Herald Price Fahringer, the women's lawyer, said that the ruling meant that women in New York State could sunbathe topfree or even walk down the street without a top, as long as this was not done in a lewd manner, or for such purposes as prostitution. Judge Vito Titone pointed out that women sunbathe topfree in many European countries, adding: "To the extent that many in our society may regard the uncovered female breast with a prurient interest that is not similarly aroused by the male equivalent, that perception cannot serve as a justification for different treatment because it is itself a suspect cultural artifact rooted in centuries of prejudice and bias toward women."  This ruling, however, is just one of many statutes and legal precedents nationwide that uphold the position that breast exposure is not inherently indecent behavior.

Additional legal support for Naturism.

129. Case history demonstrates that laws requiring women to cover their breasts are not justified by cultural prejudices and preconceptions.

130. Laws requiring women, but not men, to cover their breasts are written entirely from a male perspective, assuming that men's bodies are natural and normal, and that women's bodies must be covered because they are different.

Reena Glazer observes that "under sameness theory, women can get equal treatment only to the extent that they are the same as men." Physical differences among the races do not justify discrimination, and neither should physical differences between the sexes.

131. Laws requiring women to cover their breasts are not justified by claims that women's bodies are significantly different from men's; nor by inaccurate claims that breasts are sex organs; nor by the fact that breasts may play a role in sex or sex play; nor by the fact that breasts are prominent secondary sex characteristics.

It can't be argued that women have breasts and men don't, because both do; nor can it be argued that women have larger, often protruding breasts, because many women are flat-chested while many men have large breasts. Breasts are not sex organs, for they are not essential to reproduction, and in fact have nothing to do with it. A woman with no breasts can have a baby. Breasts serve the physiological function of nourishing a baby--but this is a maternal function, not a sexual one. Breasts may play a role in sex play, but other body parts do too, and are not censured--particularly the hands, and the mouth (which, incidentally, is veiled by Shi'ite Moslems, partly for that very reason, though only on women). And while breasts are secondary sex characteristics, so are beards, which are not restricted on men.

132. Mere nudity is not in itself lewd or "indecent exposure," a distinction upheld by extensive legal precedent nationwide.

133. Mere nudity cannot be offensive or immoral "conduct"--for it is not conduct at all, but merely the natural state of a human being.

It should be no less legitimate to be in this natural human state than to be clothed. One's ethnicity is also a natural state of being, and discrimination on this basis is illegal. It should be equally illegal to discriminate on the basis of appearing in the natural state common to all humanity.

134. Given the challenge of defining modesty standards, which are by nature ambiguous, legislators have often found it to be more complicated to prohibit nudity than to sanction it.

For example, in the local anti-nudity legislation of St. John's County, Florida, we find this painstakingly elaborate definition of "buttocks:" "The area at the rear of the human body (sometimes referred to as the gluteus maximus) which lies between two imaginary straight lines running parallel to the ground when a person is standing, the first or top such line being a half-inch below the top of the vertical cleavage of the nates (i.e., the prominence formed by the muscles running from the back of the hip to the back of the leg) and the second or bottom such line being a half-inch above the lowest point of the curvature of the fleshy protuberance (sometimes referred to as the gluteal fold), and between two imaginary straight lines, one on each side of the body (the 'outside lines'), which outside lines are perpendicular to the ground and to the horizontal lines described above, and which perpendicular outside lines pass through the outermost point(s) at which each nate meets the outer side of each leg. Notwithstanding the above, buttocks shall not include the leg, the hamstring muscle below the gluteal fold, the tensor fasciae latae muscles, or any of the above described portion of the human body that is between either (i) the left inside perpendicular line and the left outside perpendicular line or (ii) the right inside perpendicular line and the right outside perpendicular line. For the purpose of the previous sentence, the left inside perpendicular line shall be an imaginary straight line on the left side of the anus (i) that is perpendicular to the ground and to the horizontal lines described above and (ii) that is one third of the distance from the anus to the left outside line. (The above description can generally be described as covering one third of the buttocks centered over the cleavage for the length of the cleavage.)"

135. A large portion of state and local government anti-nudity regulations have been legislated by individual high officials or small groups, without public review. This is undemocratic and contrary to the principle of due process.

Florida, for example, closed most of its nude beaches in 1983 without public review.

136. By extensive legal precedent, it is unquestionably legal to be nude in private, on private property.

137. Many state or local governments have also explicitly legislated the right to be nude in designated public areas, such as legally-sanctioned nude beaches.

Legal nude beaches are rare but not non-existent in North America. British Columbia, for example, currently has one legally sanctioned nude beach, and Oregon has two.

138. There is no universal federal prohibition against nudity on public land. In general, public land agencies view nude recreation--conducted with discretion and sensitivity to the varying values of others--as "legitimate activity."

Many state and local governments (notably Oregon, Vermont, and the California Department of Recreation and Parks) have followed the federal policy as well, without conflict.

William Penn Mott, a former Director of the National Park Service, wrote: "NPS must consciously seek to respect and accommodate wide ranging differences among visitors and professional colleagues in lifestyles and values with sympathy, dignity, and tolerance. I believe that parks are a place where the human spirit is more free, more capable of permitting people to be themselves, closer to a oneness with universal truths about humankind and about our relationship to nature and the sacred truths by which we live. . . . I believe it is too easy for government employees--all of us--to think there is only one way to enjoy and use the parks and that when the visitor enters 'our parks' they must 'do it our way.'"

139. The nude use of most federal lands is, in fact, constitutional because there is no universal federal law prohibiting it. The Ninth Amendment specifically says that no freedoms shall be denied which are not specifically prohibited.

140. The mandate of public land agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service provide for diversity of recreation. Historically, provisions have been made even for extreme minority forms of recreation. Recreational diversity ought to also include provisions for nude recreation.

A 1983 Gallup poll found that 14% of Americans occasionally enjoyed nude recreation. How many activities does 14% of the American public participate in, of any kind? Surely not hunting, snowmobiling, mountain biking, or the use of off-road vehicles, all of which have designated areas set aside for their use!

141. Clothing-optional recreation is less offensive to most people than many other forms of recreation which are openly tolerated and even promoted on public land.

A study by Dr. Steven D. Moore of the University of Arizona demonstrated that encountering nude bathers on public land is five times more acceptable to the public than encountering hunters.

142. Naturists certainly deserve at least as much consideration by land management agencies as resource-damaging activities such as off-road vehicle use.

As Pat O'Brien points out, "avoiding nude people in places where they're expected to be is easy. That isn't true when it comes to other sanctioned uses of our public lands and waterways. The roar and stink of a snowmobile or other off-road vehicles can't be ignored, and you'd best not overlook a jetskier in the water near you. Why then is it so objectionable for us to ask to use a small amount of space on a non-exclusive basis, in ways that do not pollute and do not drive others away?"

143. The Wilderness Act of 1963 defined wilderness areas as "lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition." They are to be managed in a manner that maintains them in as natural a state as possible. It follows that human should be able to enjoy wilderness areas in their own most natural state, free from the artificial constraints of clothing.

144. Public wilderness areas ought to be places where human freedoms, including nude recreation, are observed more freely than anywhere else. Wilderness should be our measure of carefully controlled anarchy, our refuge free of any but the most necessary intrusions by government rules and regulations. Do we not go to wilderness for these very reasons, and would it not be compromised by undue outside interference, such as unnecessary clothing regulations?

145. Recreation managers unfortunately often "solve" the issue of nude recreation, not by managing it, but by ignoring it.

Thus managers "permit" nudity on remote beaches without facilities or lifeguards, then point to litter, drug use, and other problems as a consequence of the nudity rather than the lack of active management.

146. If public nude recreation can be widely accepted in societies considered repressive by Americans (for example, formerly-socialist Yugoslavia, once-communist East Germany, Orthodox Greece, or Catholic France), it ought to be tolerated in democratic Europe and in America, "the land of the free."

Lee Baxandall has reported that "almost every town [on East Germany's coast] has an FKK [nude] beach, some 90 sites serving 200,000 campers/lodgers annually; more FKK than textile beaches. A GDR poll found 57% of the population approving of nude recreation, 30% had no opinion, and only 13% opposed."  Unfortunately, with the reunification of Germany, the West has exported to the East both pornography and beach restrictions: now that East Germany is "free," many of its beaches aren't. A June 1992 UPI dispatch from Ahlbeck noted that "the controversy stems from the introduction of western German-style regulations on traditionally nude eastern German beaches."  Ironically, authority for the new prohibitions of nudity stems from a Nazi-era regulation carrying the signature of Heinrich Himmler.

147. Anti-nudity laws are demeaning because they replace individual responsibility with state control.

148. It is inappropriate to use police resources to crack down on peaceful bathers at a beach simply because they are nude, while taking valuable resources away from other more urgent needs.

149. It is a cruel reversal of justice when the law frowns on innocent skinnydippers, while gawkers on the fringe of the nude beach, who pervert and fetishize the body, are accepted as "normal."

Historical support for Naturism.

150. Social nudity is part of a long historical tradition. Recent Western civilization stands almost alone, in the entire known history of humanity, in its repressive code against nudity.

151. Nudity was commonplace in the ancient Greek civilization, especially for men.

By the Classical Period of ancient Greece, nude exercise and athletic competition had become part of the way of life for Greek men, and a practice which separated "modern" Greeks both from other, "barbarian" cultures and from their own past. The original Olympic games were conducted in the nude. Plato described nudity in exercise as a practical, useful, and rational innovation; Thucydides promoted it as simpler, freer, and more democratic, a cultural distinction between the Greek soldier who must be in shape, lean and muscular, not portly and prosperous, and the "barbarians" who announced their status and wealth by wearing expensive garments that gave a false impression of elegance and authority.

152. Old Testament ceremonial washings, including baptism, were performed in the nude. Christ, too, was probably baptized naked--as depicted in numerous early works of art.

153. Roman citizens, including early Christians, bathed communally in the nude at the public baths throughout most of the second through the fourth centuries. Nudity was also common during this period in other parts of ancient Roman society.

154. The writings of early Christians such as Irenaeus and Tertullian make it clear that they had no ethical reservations about communal nudity.

Christian historian Roy Bowen Ward notes that "Christian Morality did not originally preclude nudity. . . . There is a tendency to read history backward and assume that early Christians thought the same way mainstream Christians do today. We attribute the present to the past."

155. For the first several centuries of Christianity, it was the custom to baptize men, women, and children together nude. This ritual played a very significant role in the early church. The accounts are numerous and detailed.

Margaret Miles notes that "naked baptism was observed as one of the two essential elements in Christian initiation, along with the invocation of the Trinity. . . . In the fourth century instructions for baptism throughout the Roman Empire stipulated naked baptism without any suggestion of innovation or change from earlier practices."  A typical historical account comes from Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop of Jerusalem from A.D. 387 to 417: "Immediately, then, upon entering, you remove your tunics. . . . You are now stripped and naked, in this also imitating Christ despoiled of His garments on His Cross, He Who by His nakedness despoiled the principalities and powers, and fearlessly triumphed over them on the Cross." After baptism, and clothed in white albs, St. Cyril would say: "How wonderful! You were naked before the eyes of all and were not ashamed! Truly you bore the image of the first-formed Adam, who was naked in the garden and was not ashamed."  J.C. Cunningham notes that "there is nothing in the present rubrics of the Roman rite against doing this today. In fact, in the Eastern rites the rubrics even state the option of nude adult baptism."

156. Nudity was common and accepted in pre-medieval (circa 6th century) society, especially in places like Great Britain, which had been "barbarian" lands only a few hundred years before.

E.T. Renbourn notes that nudity was widespread throughout Ancient Britain and northern Europe, in spite of the climate. Even as late as the 17th century, travellers such as Coryat and Fynes Moryson found the Irish people living nude or semi-nude indoors. He writes that Moryson, in his Itinery (circa early 17th century), found Irish gentlewomen "prepared to receive visitors and even strangers indoors when completely unencumbered by clothing."

157. Nudity was fairly common in medieval and renaissance society, especially in the public baths and within the family setting.

Havelock Ellis records that "in daily life . . . a considerable degree of nakedness was tolerated during medieval times. This was notably so in the public baths, frequented by men and women together."  Lawrence Wright observes that nudity was common in the home, too: "The communal tub had . . . one good reason; the good reason was the physical difficulty of providing hot water. No modern householder who . . . has bailed out and carried away some 30 gallons of water, weighing 300 lb., will underrate the labour involved. The whole family and their guests would bathe together while the water was hot. . . . Ideas of propriety were different from ours, the whole household and the guests shared the one and only sleeping apartment, and wore no night-clothes until the sixteenth century. It was not necessarily rude to be nude."

The high-ranking nobles of Edward IV's court were permitted by law to display their naked genitals below a short tunic, and contemporary reports indicate that they did so. Chaucer commented on the use of this fashion in The Parson's Tale, written about 1400. Many men's garments, he wrote, were so short they "covere nat the shameful membres of man."  Between the 14th and mid-17th centuries, and especially during the reign of Louis XIV, women would often leave their bodices loose and open or even entirely undone, exposing the nipple or even the whole of the breasts, a practice confirmed by numerous historical accounts. The Venetian ambassador, writing in 1617, described Queen Anne of Denmark as wearing a dress which displayed her bosom "bare down to the pit of the stomach." Aileen Ribeiro writes that in the early 15th century, "women's gowns became increasingly tight-fitting over the bust, some gowns with front openings even revealing the nipples. . . . In 1445 Guillaume Jouvenal des Ursins became Chancellor of France and his brother, an ecclesiastic, wrote to him urging him to tell the king that he should not allow the ladies of his household to wear gowns with front openings that revealed their breasts and nipples."

158. Even in the Victorian era, before the invention of bathing suits, swimming nude in the ocean was commonplace; and music halls often featured nude models as living "sculpture."

159. Few people realize that swimsuits, as we know them today, are a relatively recent concept. The idea of wearing special clothing to swim in is barely a century old.

160. Skinnydipping, in the local river or farm pond, is well-documented as an important historical part of our national heritage.

Skinnydipping and outdoor nudity appear in the writings of Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, William Allen White, Lincoln Steffens, William Styron, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Herman Melville, James Michener, and Henry Miller, among many others, and in the depictions of Norman Rockwell, Rockwell Kent, Andrew Wyeth, Thomas Eakins, John Sloane, and Grant Wood.

161. Many YMCA, college, and high school male-only pools or swimming classes were historically "swimsuit-optional" or nude-only until federally-mandated "equal access" athletic programs (for the sake of women) were instituted in the mid 1970s.

162. Today, there are still public locations where nudity is, by local tradition or custom, the accepted practice.

Nudity is the norm, for instance, in natural primitive hot springs and on nude beaches; and, almost universally, for models in art classes.

163. The few officially sanctioned nude beaches in the U.S. (for example, Rooster Rock State Park, Oregon) and Canada (Wreck Beach, British Columbia)--and most of the unofficial beaches as well--have existed for decades without significant problems.

164. Many highly respected people, historical and contemporary, have espoused and/or participated in Naturism to some degree.

Benjamin Franklin took daily naked "air baths."  So did Henry David Thoreau, who was also a frequent skinnydipper. Alexander Graham Bell was a skinnydipper and nude sunbather. George Bernard Shaw, Walt Whitman, Eugene O'Neill, and painter Thomas Eakins argued in favor of social nudity.

President John Quincy Adams was a regular skinnydipper. According to reports, "each morning he got up before dawn, walked across the White House lawn to the Potomac River, took off his clothes and swam in the nude. Then he returned to the White House to have breakfast, read the Bible and run the country."  President Theodore Roosevelt frequently swam nude in Rock Creek Park in Washington, once skinny-dipping with the French diplomat, Jules Jusserand. President Lyndon Johnson occasionally swam nude with guests in the white house pool, including evangelist Billy Graham. Senator Edward Kennedy has been photographed skinnydipping at public beaches in Florida. At the White House of his brother, John F. Kennedy, nudity had been common around the White House pool. Many U.S. congressmen enjoy nude recreation, albeit segregated: U.S. Senate members may use the Russell Senate Office Building Pool in the nude (the few female Senators make appointments to assure there won't be males on hand), and Representatives may use a clothing-optional steam room, where President Bush was said by Newsweek to hang out sans towel with his buddies. Congressmen also sunbathed nude on the Speaker's Porch until one day in 1973 when Rep. Patricia Schroeder wandered into the gathering inadvertently.

Billionaire insurance man John D. MacArthur frequently went skinnydipping, and left a beach to the state of Florida, intending that a portion be designated clothing-optional (a wish that has been spurned); word has it that MacArthur went skinnydipping with Walt Disney at this beach in the late 1960s. World Bank president and former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, and American Civil Liberties Union founder Roger Baldwin, both have been regular skinnydippers. Charles F. Richter, the co-inventor of the earthquake measuring system, was a life-long nudist and Naturist. Actress Lynn Redgrave and her family practice social nudism. Actresses Bridget Fonda and Brigitte Bardot enjoy social nudity. The late actor Gary Merrill advocated nudism. Christy Brinkley openly admits to frequenting nude beaches, and Christian singer Amy Grant goes topfree on foreign beaches while on tour overseas. Even the late Dr. Seuss published approval of a nudist philosophy, in one of his first books.

165. Historically, a great many writers and artists have regarded Naturism, or something close to it, to be part of the utopian ideal.

R. Martin writes: "Anthropologically, nakedness would seem to be the best and worst of conditions. Involuntary stripping to nakedness is defeat or poverty, but willed nakedness may be a perfect form."  Nudity is also consistent with the Christian utopian concept of heaven, in which, according to biblical accounts, clothing is not necessary.

166. Nudity has often been used, historically, as a symbol of protest or rebellion against oppression.

For example, the early Quakers, in mid-17th century England, often used nudity as an element of protest. Historian Elbert Russell notes that "A number of men and women were arrested and punished for public indecency because they appeared in public naked 'as a sign.' George Fox and other leaders defended the practice, when the doer felt it a religious duty to do so. . . . The suggestion of such a sign came apparently from Isaiah's walking 'naked and barefoot three years' (Isaiah 20:2,3)."  The Doukhobors, a radical Christian sect, used nudity as a social protest in Canada in the early 1900s. Paul Ableman records that "In May, 1979, Emperor Bokassa . . . a minor Central African tyrant, arrested a large number of children on charges of sedition and massacred some of them. According to The Guardian (London) of 18 May, 'Hundreds of women demonstrated naked outside the prison until the survivors were released.'"

In the 1920s, as part of a widening rebellion against genteel society, the size of bathing suits began to diminish. Nude beaches, reaching their height of popularity in the 1970s, are the ultimate result of this process of social emancipation. The free body movement in general in the 1970s fit this social and historical pattern. Examples include casual nudity at Woodstock; "nude-in" demonstrations; and a record-setting demonstration by Athens, Georgia university students on March 7, 1974, when more than 1500 went naked on their college campus. It took tear gas to make the students dress.

Historical origins of the repression of nudity.

167. Repressive morality was developed by the state and the Church as a tool to maintain control over otherwise free individuals.

Paul Ableman writes: "A complex civilization has an enormous investment in differentiated apparel. It is no accident that one of the first matters that a revolutionary regime turns its attention to is clothing. The French Revolution decreed classical grace and simplicity. The Chinese homogenized clothing. The Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran returned women to the black chador and so on. . . . Sexual energy is needed by the authorities of the world to maintain order. . . . It immediately becomes obvious why the true obscenity of killing and violence has always been of less concern to those in power than the pseudo-obscenity of erotic acts. Death provides no scope for a network of regulations by which society can be manipulated. . . . But sex is a permanent fountain of dynamic energy, which can be tapped for social purposes by regulations concerning marriage, divorce, adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, chastity, promiscuity, decency and so on. All those who wield power intuitively perceive that in the last resort their authority derives from the repression, and regulation, of sexuality, and that free-flowing sexuality is the biological equivalent of anarchy. All transferrals of power, all revolutions, are invariably accompanied by transformations of the regulations governing sexuality."  Seymour Fisher writes: "The implications of nudity as a way of declaring one's complete freedom have often elicited strong countermeasures from those in authority. Nudity is punishable by death in some cultures. The Roman Catholic church has taught in convent schools that it is sinful to expose your body even to your own eyes. The wearing of clothes represents a form of submission to prevailing mores. It is like putting on a 'citizen's uniform' and agreeing to play the game."

168. Repressive morality has often sought to control not only nudity, but sexuality in general.

Margaret Miles observes that "the regulation of sexuality was a major power issue in the fourth-century Christian churches. Regulation of sexual practices was a way to inject the authority of church laws and leaders into the intimate and daily relationships of Christians. Analyzing the canons of the Council of Gangra in AD 309, [Samuel] Laeuchli found that 46 percent of the eighty-one canons were concerned with sexual relationships and practices."  Philip Yancey notes that "between the third and tenth centuries, church authorities issued edicts forbidding sex on Saturdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and also during the 40-day fast periods before Easter, Christmas, and Whitsuntide--all for religious reasons. They kept adding feast days and days of the apostles to the proscription, as well as the days of female impurity, until it reached the point that, as Yale historian John Boswell has estimated, only 44 days a year remained available for marital sex. Human nature being what it is, the church's proscriptions were enthusiastically ignored."  Don Mackenzie notes that Christ and the very earliest church, in contrast, emphasized a message of freedom--"from demonic powers, from tyrannical governments, from fate. . . . [and] a prevailing commitment to the separation of secular and ecclesiastical power. . . . [The Church] adopted asceticism, not in obedience to its founder's teachings but as a bid for support in the face of competition, offering spiritual solace to people whose material world (the Roman Empire) was collapsing. Once the Church was officially recognized, it promptly discarded Christ's dedication to poverty, but it clung tightly to sexual asceticism as a disciplinary tool in a disintegrating society."

169. Repression of nudity is still used today as a means to further a repressive political agenda.

Regarding nude beaches, Patrick Buchanan, on PBS's "McLaughlin Report," said, "I think we ought to let the liberals do it, if they want to do it. Then take photographs and use them in attack ads."  The right-wing Christian Coalition uses blanket attacks on mere nudity and other matters of "morality" to rally support for their cause. Their method, as described by ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser, is "to prey upon the fears of millions of people who are all too willing to believe that sacrificing personal liberty will help solve our nation's problems."  A Missouri legislator, in 1993, introduced a bill that would have made virtually all public nudity--and even some nudity in the home--a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison! This bill was fortunately defeated, though by a narrow margin. Similar bills have been proposed all over the country in recent years.

170. Much of the origin of repressive attitudes toward nudity may be traced to the political setting of the early church and church-state, though not the teachings of Christ Himself.

The earliest writings of the Christian church show no evidence of the negative attitude toward sexuality and nudity which so characterize later years. This negative attitude grew slowly among some segments of the faith, but was by no means universal. For some, asceticism represented a means of remaining pure for the impending return of Christ. For others, it was a reaction against the hedonism and homosexuality common in Greek culture, or against the sexual excesses of the dying Roman Empire. For some, it grew out of a mixture of Christianity with the legalism of traditional Judaism; and for many, it grew out of preexisting personal and cultural prejudices. Clement of Alexandria, in the late 2nd century, and Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus, in the mid 3rd century, both condemned the nudity common in Roman public baths primarily because it offended their personal ideas of female modesty. (In the same era, Tertullian was condemning women as the "gateway of the Devil.") Jerome, in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, also condemned nude bathing, especially for women. He considered pregnant women revolting, and felt that virgins should blush at the very idea of seeing themselves naked. On the other hand, in the same period, Jovinianus, a Christian monk, campaigned actively in favor of the public baths. In the end, the decisive actor in the controversy was Augustine. He was a firm believer in the doctrine, introduced long after Christ, that the body and sexuality are inherently sinful. (He applied this doctrine to women's bodies and sexuality especially aggressively.) Augustine was a shrewd politician. By aligning himself closely with the imperial court at the beginning of the 5th century, he effectively ensured that his version of Christianity became the dominant one. By the Dark Ages, with the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Church became the last remnant of Western civilization, with a monopoly on education, and tremendous control over ideas. Thus Augustine's heritage of anti-sexuality became the predominant force in Christianity, even though such ideas are impossible to find in the teachings of Christ Himself.

171. The aversion of early Christian church leaders to casual nudity was due in part to an association of nudity with paganism and homosexuality in the surrounding cultures.

In many pre-Christian pagan religions, such as those practiced in western Europe and Great Britain, nudity--especially female nudity--was a powerful force, and played an important role in pagan worship and rituals.

172. The Church's aversion to nudity derived, in part, from its roots in the cultures of the ancient Near East, where nakedness had signified poverty, shame, slavery, humiliation, and defeat. Naked, bound prisoners were paraded in the king's victory celebration, and slain enemies were stripped of clothing and armor.

173. Before Western civilization, nakedness was a normal element of life and considered acceptable in many circumstances. However, as Freud describes in Civilization and Its Discontents, psychological repression of the awareness of our natural being was a necessary step in building civilization, by disciplining the masses into taking part in vast and self-abdicating social projects.

Lee Baxandall notes that, by contrast, "the post-industrial, newly greening era offers fresh options, a chance to integrate the natural human being with post-industrial values, technology, and knowledge."

174. Nudity has often been censored primarily to avoid the more difficult task of managing it.

175. Recreation managers often "permit" nudity on remote beaches without facilities or lifeguards, then use nudity as a scapegoat for problems including litter and drug use that inevitably appear in high-use recreation areas without active management.

176. One of the greatest challenges faced by clothing-optional beaches is that their popularity, combined with their scarcity, leads to intensive use, which in turn conflicts with environmental and management concerns.

This has been a source of problems at several beaches across the country, including Sandy Hook in New Jersey, and Cape Cod National Seashore, which closed its traditionally nude beach ostensibly for environmental reasons in the mid 1970s.

177. The "secondary effects" of an actively managed nude beach have in actual experience proven to be less crime, less inappropriate behavior, no drug dealers, an increase in parking revenues, and an increase in business in the adjoining commercial area.

178. Nudity has often been repressed for economic reasons, not because it was considered immoral.

Bernard Rudofsky writes: "In the 1920s, in some parts of Europe people used to bathe in public without feeling the need for a special dress. At the height of summer the beaches on the Black Sea swarmed with bathers who had never seen a bathing suit except in newspapers and picture magazines; their holiday was one of untroubled simplicity. . . . The idyll came to an end a few years later when tourism reared its ugly head, and the protests of foreign visitors led to making bathing suits compulsory."  The same thing has recently happened in the former East Germany, where traditionally nude beaches are now being restricted to appease more conservative European tourists.

179. We must never forget that for any freedom that is lost, we bear partial responsibility for letting it be lost.

In the words of Frederick Douglass: "Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of justice and wrong which will be imposed upon them. . . . The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those who they oppress."

Christianity supports Naturism.

180. Genesis 1:27--The (naked) human body, created by God, in God's own image, is basically decent, not inherently impure or sinful. The human body was created by God, and God can create no evil. It is made in God's image, and the image of God is entirely pure and good.

181. Genesis 1:31--God saw that everything, including naked Adam and Eve, was good.

182. Genesis 3:7--Many scholars interpret the wearing of fig leaves as a continuation and expansion of the original sin, not a positive moral reaction to it.

Hugh Kilmer explains: "Man wanted to put his life within his own control rather than God's, so first he took the power of self-determination (knowledge of good and evil). Next, finding his body was not within his control, he controlled it artificially by hiding it. After he was expelled from paradise, he began to hunt and eat animals; then to gain complete control over other people, by killing them (the story of Cain and Abel)."

183. Genesis 3:10--Many scholars believe that Adam and Eve's sense of shame came not from their nakedness, which God had created and called good, but from their knowledge of having disobeyed God.

184. An innate, God-given sense of shame related to nakedness is contradicted by the existence of numerous indigenous societies in which nudity is the rule and a sense of shame is totally absent, and by the lack of shame felt by naked children.

185. Genesis 3:11--It was disobedience that came between Adam and Eve and God, not nakedness. The scriptures themselves treat Adam and Eve's nudity as an incidental issue.

Robert Bahr observes that "when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they grew ashamed of what they had done and attempted to hide themselves from God, who was not the least bit concerned with their nakedness but was mightily unhappy with their disobedience."  Herb Seal notes that God provided a covering by slaying an innocent animal: the first prototype of the innocent one slain to act as a "covering" for sinners.

186. Genesis 3:21--God made garments of skins for Adam, but the Bible does not say the state of nakedness is being condemned. Because of the Fall, Adam and Eve were no longer in Eden and were thus subject to the varieties of weather and climate, and God knew they would need clothes. God loved and cared for them even after they had sinned.

187. To assume that because God made garments He was condemning nudity makes as much sense as concluding that because God made clouds which blot out the sun He was condemning sunshine.

188. Genesis 9:22-24--Noah was both drunk and naked, but Ham was the one who was cursed--when he dishonored his father, by calling attention to Noah's state, and making light of it.

The shame of Noah's "nakedness" was much more than just being undressed. It was his dehumanized, drunken stupor which was shameful. Ham's offense was not merely seeing his father in this shameful state, but gossiping about it, effectively destroying Noah's reputation, cultural status, and authority as a father figure. In the story, Shem and Japheth were blessed for coming to the defense of their father's honor. Rather than joining Ham in his boasting, they reverently covered their father's shame.

189. Exodus 20:26--The Priest's nakedness was not to be exposed because it would create dissonance between his social role, in which he was to be seen as sexually neutral, and his biological status as a sexual being. The Priest's costume represented his social role; to be exposed in that context would be inappropriate and distracting.

Rita Poretsky writes: "Personhood, original sexual energy, and physical nakedness may be either in synchrony with social institutions or in disharmony. . . . Nakedness is a nakedness of self in a social context, not just a nakedness of body."  On the other hand, it was quite appropriate for David to dance essentially naked in public to celebrate the return of the Ark of the Covenant (II Samuel 6:14-23).

190. Leviticus 18:6-19--Here and throughout the Old Testament and Torah, the expression "uncover the nakedness of" (as it is literally translated in the King James Version) is a euphemism for "have sexual relations with." The prohibitions do not refer to nudity per se.

191. I Samuel 19:23-24--Jewish prophets were commonly naked--so commonly that when Saul stripped off his clothes and prophesied, no one considered his nakedness remarkable, but everyone immediately assumed that he must be a prophet also.

192. II Samuel 6:14-23--King David danced nearly naked in the City of David to celebrate the return of the ark, in full view of all the citizens of the city. Michal criticized his public nudity and was rebuffed.

King David was not strictly naked--he wore a "linen ephod," a sort of short apron or close-fitting, armless, outer vest, extending at the most down to the hips. Ephods were part of the vestments worn by Jewish priests. They hid nothing.

193. Isaiah 20:2-3--God directly commanded Isaiah to loose the sackcloth from his hips, and he went naked and barefoot for three years. The prophet Micah may have done the same thing (see Micah 1:8).

194. Song of Solomon repeatedly expresses appreciation for the naked body.

195. Every Biblical association of nakedness with shame is in reference to a sin already committed. One cannot hide from God behind literal or figurative clothing. All stand naked before God.

196. Nakedness cannot automatically be equated with sexual sin.

Linking nudity with sexual sin, to the exclusion of all else, makes as much sense as insisting that fire can only be connected to the destruction of property and life, and is therefore immoral. Sin comes not from nakedness, but from how the state of nakedness is used. Ian Barbour writes: "No aspect of man is evil in itself, but only in its misuse. The inherent goodness of the material order, in which man's being fully participates, is, as we shall see, a corollary of the doctrine of creation."

Pope John Paul II agrees that nudity, in and of itself, is not sinful. "The human body in itself always has its own inalienable human dignity," he says. It is only obscene when it is reduced to "an object of 'enjoyment,' meant for the gratification of concupiscence itself."

197. Nakedness cannot automatically be associated with lust.

It is not reasonable to cover the apples in the marketplace just because someone might may be tempted by gluttony, nor is it necessary to ban money because someone might be overcome by greed. Nor is it reasonable to ban nudity, simply because an individual might be tempted to lust. Furthermore, appreciation for the beauty of a member of the other sex, nude or otherwise, cannot be equated automatically with lust. Only if desire is added does appreciation become lust, and therefore sin. Even then, it is the one who lusts, not the object of lust, who has sinned. Bathesheba was never rebuked for bathing, but David for lusting (II Samuel 11:2-12:12). Pope John Paul II writes: "There are circumstances in which nakedness is not immodest. If someone takes advantage of such an occasion to treat the person as an object of enjoyment (even if his action is purely internal) it is only he who is guilty of shamelessness . . . not the other."  Margaret Miles observes that "Nakedness and sexuality or lust were seldom associated in patristic writings."

198. Many historical church leaders have disassociated nudity with sexual immodesty. St. Thomas Aquinus, for example, defined an immodest act as one done with a lustful intention. Therefore, someone who disrobes for the sole purpose of bathing or recreating cannot be accused of immodesty.

Pope John Paul II writes: "Sexual modesty cannot then in any simple way be identified with the use of clothing, nor shamelessness with the absence of clothing and total or partial nakedness. . . . Immodesty is present only when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person, when its aim is to arouse concupiscence, as a result of which the person is put in the position of an object for enjoyment. . . . There are certain objective situations in which even total nudity of the body is not immodest."

199. Through Christ, the Christian is returned spiritually to the same sinless, shameless state Adam and Eve enjoyed in Eden (Genesis 2:25). There is no question that their nakedness was not sinful. When God creates, nakedness is good. It follows that when God re-creates, nakedness is also good.

200. The Bible says plainly that sexual immorality is sin. Healthy Naturism, however, is entirely consistent for the Christian, who has "crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24)

201. The Bible calls for purity of heart. Anyone who thinks it is impossible to be pure of heart while nude is ignorant of the realities of nudism, and anyone who believe that it is wrong even for the pure of heart to be nude has fallen into legalism, a vice which St. Paul repeatedly denounces.

St. Paul writes: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. . . . Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of the world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. . . . Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Colossians 2:8, 20-23; 3:2)

202. Clothes-compulsiveness creates an unwholesome schism between one's spirit and body. A Christian morality should deal with the person as a whole, healing both spirit and body.

203. Nudity has often been used in the Christian tradition as symbolic of renouncing the world to follow Christ.

Margaret Miles writes: "In the thirteenth century, Saint Bernard of Clairvoux popularized the idea of nudity as symbolic imitation of Christ; it took Saint Francis to act out this metaphor. Francis announced his betrothal to Lady Poverty [i.e. his renunciation of material possessions] by publicly stripping off his clothing and flinging it at the feet of his protesting father" and the local bishop. Several Christian sects have practiced nudity as part of their faith, including the German Brethren of the Free Spirit, in the thirteenth century; the Picards, in fifteenth century France; and, most famously, the Adamites, in the early fifteenth century Netherlands.

204. Many other faiths also support nudity, both historically and in current practice.

For example, the "Digambar" or "sky-clad" monks of Digambar Jainism have gone completely naked as part of their ascetic tradition for 2500 years, though nudity is rare in the dominant Hindu religion. Many other (males-only) Hindu religious orders also practice ritualistic nudity or near-nudity, as they have for hundreds or thousands of years. Tribal Hindus held an annual nude worship service attracting 100,000 in Chandragutti, India until 1987, when it was stopped by the police, in reaction to violence which had erupted the previous year when social workers tried to force clothing on the participants.

Personal experience supports Naturism.

205. One of the most important arguments in support of nudism is personal experience. Personal testimonies in favor of nudism are too numerous to mention. Based on my own experience, I find nudists to be more friendly, open-minded, considerate, respectful, and sharing than non-nudists in general. Their children are more active, and healthier, both physically and mentally. None of these testimonies, of course, compares to personal experience. A single visit to a nudist park or a nude beach will not cause permanent harm to anyone. On the other hand, it may change your life. Experience the freedom for yourself!

Endnotes

Special Thanks

Special thanks is due The Naturist Society and the American Association for Nude Recreation. Many of the ideas expressed in this document have their origins in the philosophies, histories, and publications of these two organizations. Thanks, especially, to Lee Baxandall, who contributed significant resources to this research.

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        Smith, Robert Ellis. "The Little Things That Mean a Lot!" Clothed with the Sun 4.3 (1984): 35-37.

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Sources: AccuWeather, City-Data.com, ClothesFree.com, CriminalDefenseLawyer, FindLaw, The Frisky, Google Trends, LawnStarter.com, Refinery29, U.S. Census Bureau, and World Population Review are some of the sources.

My book was reviewed and recommended by ClothesFree.com.  Available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my publisher.

I add this to show the journey one person made in deciding how she wanted to live her life -- a choice we all continue to make each day.

Anna and the Naturist Life

Written by Anna 09 September 2000

Translation from German by Hermann (Australia)

My parents are not nudist fans, but we would often go to the lake nearby and swim naked.

When I was 16 I went to the lake on my own and bathed naked all by myself, but after a few days I got bored with being nude only in the water or the shore and so I went for a little walk around the area by the lake, not far, only til the border of the nudist area, naked and barefoot. The next day I again went to the lake, took off my clothes, but instead of going into the water I went across the nudist area wearing only my sneakers. At the end of the nudist area I noticed a path that led through the forest by the lake and I thought I would just go there. So I ran around the woods naked. I noticed many walkways which would be suitable for bicycle riding and suddenly I had the idea to go for a nude bicycle ride.

The next day I was ready to ride my bicycle so instead of going to the lake I went straight to the forest, stripped off leaving only my sneakers on. I knew there wouldn't be many people around the area and so I rode a few kilometres. I carried on with this for a few days until I had the idea to ride all the way home. I rode to the main road but then changed my mind as I didn't dare riding all the way home which was about 200 meters off the main road.

One day my mother told me that we would be visiting nanna. I told her that I didn't want to go, that I'd rather go to the lake. So I went to the lake, stripped off, put my clothes in the bicycle basket and rode to the forest. After a few hours it had become dark and when I was at the main road I thought I had to give it a go and quickly crossed the main road to my home. Within 2 minutes I was in our backyard. The day was so super but I didn't know that one of our neighbours had seen me. She told my dad the next day but he didn't say anything to me.

One week later my parents had a couple of days off, but they didn't come to the lake with me. They stayed home instead. My big brother (19) and my sister (20) were in Spain on vacation.

So I went to the lake, ambled around a little while and after half an hour went to my bike with only my sneakers on. It was stupid of me to have left my clothes by the lake that day. My parents also went to the lake a bit later, not to swim but to observe me. When they saw that I was off on my bike in the nude they simply took my clothes and went home.

After a few hours I came back to the lake when I suddenly realized that my clothes were gone!

I searched for them, completely naked, but could not find them. I was close to tears.
I had no idea what my parents would say when I turned up at home completely naked. And I was afraid that someone would see me on my way home for it was a weekend and therefore pretty busy. So I waited until it was dark and after a lot of thinking about it, I finally rode home. Luckily no one saw me or so I thought. I quickly opened the garden gate leaving my bicycle behind. I then ran to the basement and up the stairs to get to my room, but my mum caught me.

"Please come here for a moment, what's with you" my mother asked. I wanted to tell her that my clothes had been stolen but she held them in her hands. I cannot describe how shocked I was! My mum took me to the kitchen and we sat down. I wanted to get dressed but my dad wouldn't have any of it. "You will stay nude until we have spoken about it" he said. We talked for an hour and they simply told me that they didn't mind me being nude and I could go around the home naked. Then my dad said to me "You are going to stay naked for 3 days at home until your brother and sister come back from their holidays, that's your punishment whether you like it or not". So I went around the home nude, did everything naked and found it so cool.

When my brother and sister came back my mum talked to them. My brother first laughed but didn't object and my sister didn't have any problems at all, she too found it rather cool and so did most visitors. My parents talked to them first and most had no problems with that, however if someone objects then I get dressed of course.

I'm 19 years old now and have lived mostly in the nude since the last 3 years. I still get excited when I remember the experience, simply being naked outside with only my sneakers on, but I discuss any such endeavour with my parents first. I now go naked to visit my girlfriend next door and our neighbours all know that I'm a nudist fan and have seen me already nude! I told my mum two days ago that I wanted to visit our relatives naked, and so we drove there, with me being nude all the way from home and back. I have had many more experiences and will write about them shortly.

Comment of the translator:
What a beautiful story and what a remarkable girl!
Truly independent children and young adults who follow no one but their soul are so rare.

Naked Bike Ride in the UK

There are great gardeners in Miami, Florida, as you can see in the pictures that follow:

I should have expected it but didn't even think about it until it was posted.

I could have posted it BUT it is a very long article.  It covers naturism's history in many countries and history thereof.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturism

New EV Battery to Provide 300 Miles with a 5-minute Charge

Welcome to Thomas Insights — every day, we publish the latest news and analysis to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in industry. Sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox.

A new lithium-ion battery that uses semiconductor nanoparticles in the place of graphite means charging EVs on the go could soon be as fast as filling up with gasoline.

For 60% of drivers, range anxiety remains one of the biggest barriers to the large-scale adoption of all-electric vehicles even though some models already exceed 300 miles on a single charge.

The good news is that range anxiety is being addressed on two fronts: massive investment in battery research and development has led to ever-increasing power and charge, and extensive charging networks are rolling out across the U.S. and many other parts of the world. Tesla, for example, has already built a network of more than 20,000 Superchargers. China is reportedly installing EV stations at a rate of more than 1,000 per day.

But one concern remains. If you need to charge your EV when you’re away from home, how long will it take?

Lengthy Charging Times for EVs

Most drivers treat their EV batteries the way we charge our smartphones: plug it in at home overnight for a full charge, then top it up during the day as required.

This is because empty-to-full charging times are impractical. According to PodPoint, fully charging a 75kwH Tesla Model S battery, for example, would take 21 hours with a 3.7kW (slow) chargepoint, 11 hours at 7kW, and 5 hours at 22kW. Rapid chargepoints up to 150kW can reduce charging times to under an hour.

Tesla superchargers have a max charging rate of 250kW, but most public chargepoints range from 7kW to 22kW.

This is why EV makers recommend the top-up approach. Tesla, for example, has the following on its Supercharger website: “Superchargers can add up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Since charging above 80 percent is rarely necessary, stops are typically short and convenient … On average, [Tesla] drivers Supercharge for about 30 minutes before driving on.”

Waiting Around

Even 15 minutes, however, is three to five times longer than it takes to fill up a gasoline vehicle. EV charging requires a behavioral change, forcing drivers to allow more time for journeys that will require a battery top-up, and will alter the perception of service stations as a quick pit-stop.

Tesla urges its Supercharger users to “Relax, grab a coffee, stretch your legs, or play a game” while they wait, while a 2016 article suggests Nissan Leaf drivers could exercise, go shopping, or even try out some amateur photography while their car (slowly) charges.

Petrol/charging stations will have to up their game by providing more seating, better café and dining options, and facilities such as outdoor gyms and playgrounds. In return, customers are likely to spend more money than they usually would while they wait around.

Making EV Charging As Fast As Filling Up with Gasoline or Diesel

Israeli company StoreDot has created 1,000 factory samples of a lithium-ion battery that is able to fully charge in five minutes, providing a range of 300 miles. This translates to 60 miles of travel on a one-minute charge.

However, this will require chargers that are more highly powered than are generally available today. With current infrastructure, StoreDot believes it can deliver a charge of 100 miles in five minutes by 2025.

Typical lithium-ion batteries contain one electron made of graphite, which creates a bottleneck for the flow of electricity. StoreDot’s FlashBattery replaces the graphite with semiconductor nanoparticles that can handle a significantly faster flow.

Speaking about range anxiety, StoreDot CEO Doron Myersdorf told The Guardian that people are afraid that they will be stranded on the highway or will have to wait in a charging station for a long time. “But if the experience of the driver is exactly like fuelling [a gasoline car], this whole anxiety goes away.”

“The bottleneck to extra-fast charging is no longer the battery. Now the charging stations and grids that supply them need to be upgraded,” he said.

StoreDot predicts the cost of the FlashBattery will be the same as standard lithium-ion batteries. FlashBatteries are manufactured in China on standard production lines.

Investors in StoreDot include BP, Samsung, TDK, and Daimler.

Act Naturally

Barefoot to the Neck

La fonte des neiges

Naked States and Naked World

My Daughter The Teenage Nudist

And then there’s more

And the last one we’d like to mention is The Workshop, a documentary about guru Paul Lowe who’s giving mental healing workshops and uses nudity to make the participants more open and accessible. But he uses sex and orgies too so the question is what this actually says about nudity itself…

The Links to some of these movies on youtube can be found on the original page:
https://www.nakedwanderings.com/nudists-movie-list/

Why You Should Be Working Out Naked

ClothesFree.com - Have you ever considered working out naked? Most of us have our go-to clothing at the gym, but have you considered doing so? As it turns out, working out Nude has a number of advantages. It's good for your physical and emotional well-being. 

Body acceptance and comfort with one's body can both be enhanced by being naked. Both men and women struggle with negative body image as they strive to meet unreasonable expectations of their physical attractiveness. Women are pressured to maintain their slim figure, whereas men are encouraged to bulk out in order to appear more masculine. People who spent time in their birthday suits felt better about their bodies than those who wore clothes, according to the results of studies. A better sense of self-worth is reported by those who engage in nudism. 

Accept yourself as you are! A randomized trial with 51 people was conducted, and the participants were divided into two groups. One would engage in activities while dressed, whereas the other would not. Prior to and shortly following these activities, participants' perceptions of others' beauty and social body anxiety were assessed. People who participated in communal nudism were reminded that no body is "perfect" and their social physique anxiety seemed to go down as a result. 

There are numerous ways to exercise, and you can examine your form while you're still clothed. When you work out while naked, you can get a better look at your muscles and how they move. 

Get rid of your shackles by getting rid of your cumbersome clothing. Working out attire, especially when you are sweaty, can be confining. Working out nude eliminates the possibility of your garments bunching up or otherwise feeling uncomfortable on your body. As an added bonus, you'll be fresh and clean afterward. 

Of course, you can't just go to the gym naked and work out. While being naked at home is the most convenient and comfortable alternative, there are gyms and classes that allow you to work out while being completely undressed. Before you go, do some research and look them up to make sure they are real.

Nudist vacationing on the rise despite pandemic

LAND O’ LAKES, FLORIDA — Pasco County has long held the reputation as the nudist capital of the U.S. But it’s not just longtime nudists who flocked to local clothing-optional businesses after COVID-19 subsided.

Newer — and younger— visitors started milling about pants-less and proud.

“Nakations,” if you will, to beaches and campgrounds have significantly increased, according to Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the American Association of Nude Recreation. The 200 or so clubs affiliated with his group are no different.

A 2017 study by Saint Leo University, paid for by the association, estimated that 2.2 million people indulge in nudist travel, which rakes in at least $7 billion to Florida’s economy.

“What we’re seeing is a lot of pent-up demand,” Schuttauf said. “People want to travel. They want to see people and enjoy nature — the way nature intended.”

And, it seems, younger people are attracted to the buzz.

Robbe White, founder of the Florida Young Naturists, said his organization has seen a surge of new members, despite the fact that the group skipped hosting events in 2020.

“I’m getting emails and Facebook messages on a daily basis with people asking questions,” said White. “I think a lot of people, coming out of not being able to go out last year, are looking for something new.”

The Florida Young Naturists formed in 2009 as a small group of friends who went to campgrounds and beaches together. Membership ballooned to more than 300 before the pandemic, with an internet presence drawing visitors from as far as China, Iceland and Australia. They gather throughout the year at resorts around the state, such as Lake Como in Lutz.

“In the ‘60s and ’70s, there were a lot of young people, with kids and families, and Lake Como was booming. Those people have aged,” White said.

“Young people are definitely interested,” he continued. “I just think it’s knowing that it exists.”

The family-friendly, clothing-optional resort has a large older population, but charges just $5 per day for those ages 18 to 30. The younger visitors mingle among longtime residents dining at the Bare Buns Cafe and belting karaoke at the Butt Hutt.

The influx of guests may have prompted Lake Como to physically expand. The Pasco County Planning Commission continued both of Lake Como’s applications for a 57-space RV park in a July 8 meeting. A representative for the resort declined to comment on the plans, adding that “several items are up in the air.”

Lake Como often hosts events for the Florida Young Naturists, like the upcoming Reignite Naked Bash taking place Aug. 12-15. There will be a screening of the nudist film Garden of Eden, which was filmed at Lake Como in 1954. The celebration will also feature guided meditations, lakeside camping, fire performances and a drum circle.

“We have a lot of important discussions and workshops about how we can feel with those around us and make the world a better place,” White said.

“Nudity is just a tool to bring people together.”

Clothesfree.com is a paid website promoting acceptance of the human body as a given.  They offer videos, photos, forums and weekly video programs about many places of interest to those open to nudity.  See their free material.  Join if you want member privileges.

 ‘Nakations’ boom despite the pandemic

Study estimates 2.2M people indulge in nudist travel

Diti Kohli and Gabrielle Calise
Tampa Bay Times

LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. – When the first wave of the pandemic hit Florida in early 2020, KC and Joanna Quintana couldn’t wait to strip off their masks – and the rest of their outfits.

The couple has frequented the clothing-optional Caliente Club & Resorts in Land O’ Lakes for the past decade. In May 2020, the day the resort reopened to members, the Quintanas came back.

'We all have something in common,' KC Quintana said. 'Flying the freak flag.'

Pasco County has long held the reputation as the nudist capital of the U.S. But it’s not just longtime nudists who flocked to local clothing-optional businesses after COVID-19 subsided.

Newer – and younger– visitors started milling about pants-less and proud.

'People got really bored sitting at home (during the pandemic) and started rethinking their mindset,' he said. 'It’s almost like revenge travel.'

'This past year, everyone had to listen to so many rules and comply with so many guidelines,' said Caliente communications director Anastasiia Chyruk in a phone interview earlier this summer. 'Caliente is a place where you can be completely free.'

'Nakations,' if you will, to beaches and campgrounds have significantly increased, according to Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the American Association of Nude Recreation. The 200 or so clubs affiliated with his group are no different.

A 2017 study by Saint Leo University, paid for by the association, estimated that 2.2 million people indulge in nudist travel, which rakes in at least $7 billion to Florida’s economy.

'What we’re seeing is a lot of pent-up demand,' Schuttauf said. 'People want to travel. They want to see people and enjoy nature – the way nature intended.'

Two weeks after its 2020 reopening, Caliente found itself almost fully booked up.

Throngs of nudists devoured takeout meals with disposable silverware until sit-down dining resumed. They enjoyed lounging on the newly-bought patio sets and under large, white shades. Others participated in pickle-ball tournaments and watched live music in the outdoor nightclub.

Mid-week occupancy neared 100 percent through this June, Chyruk said; that month also brought more than 40 new memberships.

An upcoming townhome project will add six buildings with up to 42 single-family units, potentially adding to the count of Caliente residents. Around 350 people live on-site today.

And, it seems, younger people are attracted to the buzz.

Twenty-six to 35-year-olds have become the second-highest age group among Caliente visitors. Long gone are the days when nudism was reserved for those 55 and up, said Caliente social media director Kevin Sellers.

'A lot of folks said, ‘This wasn’t for us before. Now let’s give it a shot,’' Sellers said.

Robbe White, founder of the Florida Young Naturists, said his organization has seen a surge of new members, despite the fact that the group skipped hosting events in 2020.

'I’m getting emails and Facebook messages on a daily basis with people asking questions,' said White. 'I think a lot of people, coming out of not being able to go out last year, are looking for something new.'

The Florida Young Naturists formed in 2009 as a small group of friends who went to campgrounds and beaches together. Membership ballooned to more than 300 before the pandemic, with an internet presence drawing visitors from as far as China, Iceland and Australia. They gather throughout the year at resorts around the state, such as Lake Como in Lutz.

'In the ’60s and ’70s, there were a lot of young people, with kids and families, and Lake Como was booming. Those people have aged,' White said.

'Young people are definitely interested,' he continued. 'I just think it’s knowing that it exists.'

The family-friendly, clothing-optional resort has a large older population, but charges just $5 per day for those ages 18 to 30. The younger visitors mingle among longtime residents dining at the Bare Buns Cafe and belting karaoke at the Butt Hutt.

The influx of guests may have prompted Lake Como to physically expand. The Pasco County Planning Commission continued both of Lake Como’s applications for a 57-space RV park in a July 8 meeting. A representative for the resort declined to comment on the plans, adding that 'several items are up in the air.'

Lake Como often hosts events for the Florida Young Naturists, like the upcoming Reignite Naked Bash taking place Aug.12-15. There will be a screening of the nudist film Garden of Eden, which was filmed at Lake Como in 1954. The celebration will also feature guided meditations, lakeside camping, fire performances and a drum circle.

'We have a lot of important discussions and workshops about how we can feel with those around us and make the world a better place,' White said.

'Nudity is just a tool to bring people together.'

Normalizing Nudity

a YouTube interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjjDz8BcBqg

DETROIT – General Motors will supply its Hydrotec fuel cell power cubes to Navistar for use in its production model fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) – the International® RH^TM Series. Navistar's FCEV will get energy from two GM Hydrotec fuel cell power cubes. Each Hydrotec power cube contains 300-plus hydrogen fuel cells along with thermal and power management systems. The power cubes are compact and easy to package and can be used in a wide range of applications, including marine, earth-moving and mining equipment, locomotives and power generators.

(click image below to download pdf version)

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which powers everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.

Sanctioned (and unsanctioned) nude beaches in Florida

h Haulover Beach, N Miami Beach

h Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore

h Caspersen Beach, Venice/Sarasota

h Hobe Sound Beach, Jupiter Island

h Hickory Preserve, Lee County

h Passage Key Island, off the entrance to Tampa Bay (boat needed to get there)

h Blind Creek Beach, on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce

h Apollo Beach, Canaveral National Seashore

h Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin

h Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key

What to do, what not to do when visiting a clothing optional beach or resort

h Respect wildlife and environmentally fragile areas. Beaches are often in areas safeguarding endangered species of birds, fish and plants. Avoid endangering the habitat with fire, pollution, or other hazards.

h Keep the beach clean. “Take more trash out than you brought in.”

h Dress before leaving designated clothing-optional areas and while there use sunscreen and cover up if you feel you’ve had too much sun.

h Respect yourself and others by following appropriate rules of conduct.

h Be polite to everyone.

h Always get permission before taking photographs.

h Whenever possible, walk along the shoreline.

Source: American Association of Naked Recreation

Places To Go

Why You Should Sleep Naked, According to Science

ClothesFree.com - A 2021 survey by Mattress Advisor found that 50% of the participants enjoyed sleeping in the nude, with more than half of the nude sleepers saying it was more comfortable, along with others who said it helps them sleep better. Aside from temperature control and general comfort, there are other reasons that sleeping naked can be great too, including some unexpected benefits to reproductive health. Here’s how sleeping nude might be a good idea for your nether regions.

I spoke with Dr. Navya Mysore, MD, who specializes in reproductive health at One Medical and mentions that adequate airflow during sleep is actually help with vaginal health. “Yeast loves a closed, dark, tight environment that propagates any kind of fungal infection,” she explains. For anyone who has chronic yeast infections and has been trying different ways to solve it, sleeping naked is “worth trying,” Dr. Mysore says.

Restful sleep has a lot to do with temperature control, and Dr. Mysore points out that the ideal room temperature for comfortable sleep is between 66 to 76 degrees. As it turns out, a cooler temperature is also important for scrotum health. “Hotter temperatures reduce sperm motility or can reduce sperm quality,” Dr. Mysore explains. “Keeping the testicles in a cooler environment can potentially help with sperm quality and motility.”

In the same sleep survey, 54% of nude sleepers reported their partner also sleeps nude, meaning a lot of natural skin-to-skin contact. “Skin to skin [contact] releases oxytocin, and when it releases oxytocin, that reduces stress.” Sleeping naked with a partners can promote the release of those good hormones, and obviously spark an intimate connection more often.

All that said, having a cooler environment with more airflow can help with some things, but it won’t help much if you’re the type of person who has to have something on to be comfortable. If you do wear clothing, though, Dr. Mysore recommends it be “cotton, breathable, and loose.”

ClothesFree.com

Toplessness Has A New Set Of Homes In America

 

Considering that my first article on the subject went over so well I have been contemplating a follow-up piece. If you haven’t read the first one, it seemed to tickle some funny bones and resonated with others.

Two Little Words, is about the fun, excitement, and freedom people feel when they get naked. In today’s world, this has taken on an entirely different meaning in society. We now live in a society that is becoming far more accepting of nudity than in the years prior. Perhaps, one day, long after I’m gone from this world, America will adopt a more European view of nudity. Already, laws have changed allowing for things like seeing the twins strolling towards you in six states and at least fifteen cities.

A federal court ruling coming out of the 10th circuit court of appeals, which presides over Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma, made it essentially legal for women to go topless in public in September of 2019. The case was brought forth by Brit Hoagland and Samantha Six, who sued Ft. Collins Colorado over a ban on toplessness. They argued that being able to take off their shirts in public was their right and is a step toward gender equality. Their attorney argued that the topless bans are attacks on equal rights.

Clearly, the issue wasn’t and isn’t settled. Eventually, the federal supreme court will no doubt have to take up the argument. In 2017 the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals which rules over Chicago, parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, upheld Chicago’s banning of women going topless in public. The differences from area to area point to a showdown at the supreme court level between the cities and states still fighting and the #freethenipple movement. In the meantime, there are a number of notable cities that allow for toplessness across the genders.

New Orleans, Louisiana (Mardi Gras)

During Mardi Gras, women can and do go bare during the blowout carnival that ends with the start of Lent. Parades, balls, floats, lots of booze, and dancing around the streets are the normal order of the day during the annual celebratory festival. You’ll see plenty of twin sets parading down the streets, leaning over the many balconies, rolling up to the bars, and proudly posing for pictures. Mardi Gras in New Orleans has a famous reputation for being a wildly fun and uninhibited event. Most of the girls don’t bother with the camouflage beads so have a couple of stiff drinks and get out there and enjoy the show.

New York City

Females going topless is legal in New York state because it has not been banned by their laws. New York City decided to allow it and the police don’t get involved with the babes out there unless crowds start to form. If you visit New York in warm weather and you hit Times Square be prepared for some good-looking babe to come up and offer to pose for a photo with you, and she’d likely be topless.

Austin, Texas

According to GoTopless.com Austin Texas is a topless-friendly town. Cowgirls in tight jeans, cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and topless, sounds attractive no matter how you spin it. A stroll by the University campus in Austin might just get you a lucky eye full. The church types in Texas might not appreciate this level of equality between the genders but who really cares, it’s sunny and can be pretty damned hot in Austin. So if you go for a visit and decide to partake, ladies, take along some sunscreen. Keep in mind, local ordinances in other towns might not be as friendly.

Portland, Oregon

There’s no real surprise here. The beautiful forests of the Northwest aside, Portland has spent plenty of time in the news over the past year. One thing that I didn’t know, is if you set out for a walk or a bike ride through the forest and end up encountering a topless girl, don’t be surprised. It could happen anywhere, in and around Portland, a town known for its extremely liberal background and vibe. Both men and women can go topless in Portland. Oregon has a naturalist vibe, being host to a high number of nudist colonies, beaches, and resorts. People in Oregon obviously like those two little words, “Get Naked.”

Fort Collins, Colorado

After the Federal Judge gave the green light to the “free the nipple” movement, striking down a town ordinance that banned women from baring their breasts with an argument it endangered children, the local men were quite pleased with the judge. The town held several meets and greets photoshoots to celebrate the newfound freedom of the women to celebrate.

Other cities include Washington DC, Eugene Oregon, Asheville North Carolina, Keene Newhampshire, Columbus OH, and Madison Wisconsin. To stay up with the current cities and legal issues, before you dare go bare, check out gotopless.org. https://gotopless.org/

The controversy over whether women can go topless at Ocean City beaches has reached a federal appeals court.

A long article on Naturism on Wikipedia providing the history thereof.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturism

A woman tells her story of why she teaches Yoga and how it helped her to accept herself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxYQz8cbtzQ

When You Stop Wearing Underwear, This Is What Happens To Your Body
 
By Ashley Collins

June 2, 2020 12:09 pm EDT/Updated: May 14, 2021 4:48 pm EDT

For many, deciding to stop wearing underwear may seem like an odd choice. After all, to some, wearing underwear is as much of a routine as breathing. You put it on under your clothes every day before heading to work, school, or the gym. Maybe you prefer rainbow-colored boy shorts over barely-there bikinis or lace thongs — there are a lot of options out there! But why do we wear underwear at all? "There is no one explanation as to why people wear underwear, but the most common reason is that it's viewed as a societal norm," Dr. Elizabeth Eden told Good Housekeeping. So, if we're wearing underwear because that's what we've been conditioned to do, is it really necessary?

More and more women are choosing to forgo underwear for comfort, health, or appearance — no one likes panty lines or wedgies. And while wearing underwear has its benefits, going commando may actually do some good, but the decision to wear underwear or not ultimately comes down to personal preference, as noted by Shape. Medically speaking, however, your vaginal area is "most happy and healthy when it has a chance to breathe," Dr. Lisa Masterson of The Doctors fame told PopSugar. But before you shout, "Hallelujah!" and ditch your panties, you may want to know what happens to your body when you stop wearing underwear.

When you stop wearing underwear, you may reduce your risk of developing a UTI or yeast infection
pairs of underwear


No one likes getting an infection down there — it can be itchy, debilitating, and downright annoying. Turns out, if you stop wearing underwear, you may reduce your chances of developing a urinary tract or yeast infection, especially for those of you who suffer regular bouts of vaginal infections. Why? According to Dr. Nini Mai, DACM, who spoke with Well+Good, panties "can trap excess moisture and microbes." And that can create a moist environment where Candida, a fungus that causes yeast infections (via CDC), thrives most in, according to Healthline. This can happen while you're sleeping or at the gym, especially if you're wearing non-breathable panties.

Panties may even cause a UTI, according to Bustle, because the material may help "the spread of bacteria from the rectum to the tract," and this is especially true when it comes to thongs (via The Sun). While there isn't hard evidence that directly links wearing no underwear to fewer yeast infections, reports Healthline, experts say it's not a bad idea going commando as an added precaution.

If you stop wearing underwear at night, you may breathe better down there


While ditching your underwear right before bedtime isn't a hard and fast rule, the practice could help give your lady bits a cool break, especially if you wear underwear during the day. Simply put, your vagina needs fresh air sometimes, according to OB-GYN Alyse Kelly-Jones. "I believe the vulva area should be exposed to the air, just like any other area of your body," she told Healthline.

This nightly ritual could be especially helpful for women who are susceptible to vaginal infections. "You really should sleep without underwear if you're prone to vaginal issues," Dr. Nancy Herta, an OB-GYN, told Glamour. As mentioned before, underwear can trap moisture and that type of wet environment is where bacteria grows and causes yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis. "Allowing that area to get some air helps to keep it dry and clean," Herta said. So if you've been wearing cute lace undies all day, it may be a good idea to stop wearing underwear at night for a happy vagina.

You may experience less irritation and chafing if you stop wearing underwear

Whether you feel gross about the idea of going commando or you're all for freeing your lady bits, it may not be a bad idea to stop wearing underwear completely, or at least occasionally, if you're experiencing irritation or chafing down there. "With underwear that's too tight, irritation and chafing of the vaginal area can occur due to the friction generated," OB-GYN Kecia Gaither told Bustle.

Friction typically occurs when the underwear you're wearing is made up of artificial fabrics, which can "chafe and irritate" the skin, including the labia, exposing you to bleeding or injury, Healthline reported. You're actually more susceptible to chafing or injury if you're menopausal, according to The Sun. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists spokesperson Dr. Vanessa Mackay was quoted by the publication as saying older women tend to "have thinner skin down there so are more susceptible to irritation and rubbing."

If you stop wearing underwear completely, you may want to consider what you're wearing
   

It's true that going panty-free may help prevent chafing and irritation down there, however, that's also dependent on what pants you're wearing. "If you're wearing loose-fitting pajamas or something comfortable, not wearing [underwear] should be fine and allow your private parts to breathe," Florida-based OB-GYN Christine Greves told Refinery29. But if you're wearing tight pants like jeans sans underwear, according to Self, you may be exposing your lady bits to more irritation as the tough fabric can rub against and put pressure on your vulva especially since you don't have an extra barrier like underwear to protect you.

Irritation may come in the form of redness and itchiness, which mimics symptoms of vaginal infections when it's, in fact, inflammation. If you wax or shave downstairs, you may want to opt for a skirt, dress, or loose pants if you stop wearing underwear every day. "The trend to shave or wax or laser pubic hair, which is a natural protective barrier, has made the delicate skin of the vulva even more vulnerable to irritation from tight clothing," OB-GYN Dr. Maria Sophocles told Women's Health.

If you stop wearing underwear during workouts, you may experience a strong smell down there


If you've chosen to stop wearing underwear every day, you should know it's pretty safe to go underwear-free at the gym or on your morning run — but you might notice odor coming from your lady parts faster. "Perspiration allows skin bacteria in hair-bearing areas, including the genital area, to cause body odor," OB-GYN Alyssa Dweck told Shape. If you're panty-free, there's no barrier between you and your workout shorts or leggings, so, instead of the sweat hitting your underwear, it goes straight to your pants, causing you to notice that sweaty odor you know and hate faster, according to Shape.

Choosing not to wear underwear during a workout ultimately comes down to personal preference, and it may actually even improve your performance. "Some women prefer to go commando during running, elliptical, spinning, kickboxing, etc., which affords less chafing, less visible lines in tighter workout clothes, and gives a sense of more mobility and flexibility," Dweck said.

If you stop wearing underwear during workouts, you may increase your chances of micro-cuts

If you do stop wearing underwear every day when you work out, you may increase your risk of micro-cuts, also known as vaginal fissures, as reported by Bustle, and yes, it is as painful as it sounds. These fissures are often caused by the stretching or irritation of the skin, and occur if you're doing "repetitive workouts in improper gear without underwear." So, just like with your day clothes, it's important to wear soft, breathable pants while exercising.

In a personal essay for Bustle, Teresa Newsome, a Planned Parenthood clinic manager, compared the vaginal area to your knee. "A good fall can scrape, dent, cut, and bruise your vagina enough to get you out of the workout game for a few days (or weeks) until you heal," she wrote. As it happens, working out sans underwear is safer than wearing a thong. "The material causes more friction and irritation, and any friction or irritation can make little cuts or microabrasions in your skin, and those cuts can lead to bacterial infections, which can cause discomfort, itching, redness, [and] pain," OB-GYN Scott Osmun told HuffPost.

If you stop wearing underwear, you should remove wet clothes immediately after a workout


You might be thinking, "If I'm not wearing any underwear, I can get away with staying in my gym clothes post-workout," but you'd be wrong. "Yeast and bacteria thrive in moist, dark, warm places such as in the genital area confined in tight nonbreathable material during and after a workout," OB-GYN Alyssa Dweck told Shape. It doesn't matter whether or not you're wearing underwear. Dweck suggested immediately changing out of your yoga pants or leggings following any type of workout.


Take it from fitness lover Isis Briones, who wrote a personal essay for Health, in which she admitted that, prior to her decision to stop wearing underwear, she'd stay in her wet yoga pants for hours post-workout, even going to eat and run errands before heading home and showering. That was until she realized it was better for her body to "wash myself off right away." It's also just as important to wash your workout pants after every use, especially if you decided to go commando for the sake of good hygiene, Health reported.

You may reduce your risk of experiencing allergic reactions if you stop wearing underwear
  

If you stop wearing underwear, you may avoid itchy allergic reactions, Fox News reported. Sometimes panties may cause a localized rash known as contact dermatitis. This is often your skin's reaction to certain "fabrics, dyes, chemicals and preservatives" found in underwear, including latex, which is often used for the waistband, New York City-based allergist Tim Mainardi told Fox News. One way to prevent an allergic reaction is to wear latex-free underwear that's usually hypoallergenic, Mainardi said, or skip underwear altogether.

Your laundry detergent can also cause an allergic reaction, Considerable reported. "The tissues that your panties come in to contact with are a lot more sensitive than your elbows," said Dr. Donnica Moore, a women's health expert. So if you're sensitive down there, going commando may be the best thing for your lady parts. And if you're worried about experiencing a pollen allergy down there when sans underwear, an article from Bustle put that myth to rest.

You may see less discharge if you stop wearing underwear


Alright ladies, let's talk about vaginal discharge. It may not be the most glamorous topic, but it needs to be addressed regardless as we all deal with it, and some maybe a little more often than others. Turns out there is some good news when it comes to discharge, which is a "combination of bacteria, vaginal skin cells, and mucus and fluid from the cervix and vagina," as OB-GYN Jennifer Paul explained to Self. You actually may experience less of it if you stop wearing underwear altogether, especially if you normally wear non-cotton panties, OB-GYN Falguni Patel told Bustle. Why? Well, Patel said it's because underwear may prevent "proper ventilation" in your lady parts, leading to more discharge.


Discharge is normal and typically not a cause for concern, Patel also said, unless the discharge is a result of antibiotics or stress, which may lead to an infection. But since going commando allows your lady parts to breathe, there may not be as much wetness down there, and you may avoid this problem altogether.

If you stop wearing underwear, you may be more susceptible to public bacteria

If you decide to stop wearing underwear during the day, you may introduce your lady parts to some unwelcome company. Bustle reported that, while it's extremely rare to contract pubic lice or crabs, you may be increasing your chances of foreign bacteria contacting your skin if your skirt or dress accidentally hikes up on a public bus or subway seat. But you don't have to let that stop you from going commando in public — just be careful to keep your skirt down. And if you're at the gym and plan to sit on a workout bench or bike seat, your pants will provide the barrier you need to keep you from any "bugs lurking on fitness equipment," according to Cosmopolitan.


Daily showers is an obvious way to keep your downstairs clean, especially if you're out and about all day sans underwear, OB-GYN Jessica Shepherd told Well+Good. "Showering can remove bacteria and debris, and if you're not showering every day this can lead to excess bacteria leading to vaginal irritation and infections such as bacterial vaginosis or yeast infections," Shepherd said. So as long as you're practicing good hygiene and common sense, going commando in public isn't dangerous.

If you stop wearing underwear, your circulation may improve

If you stop wearing underwear, it may not just be more comfortable but it could also help improve your blood circulation, especially if you've typically worn tight shapewear like Spanx for a slimmer appearance. "If it's really tight, you could have nerve impingement and decreased circulation," women's health professional Dr. Donnica Moore told Considerable. And since shapewear is generally tougher to pull down, some women may find it a challenge to use the restroom. "So when women wear them, they tend to hold it more than they should," Moore also said. You don't have to worry about that when you're not wearing underwear.


If you do wear tight underwear for a long time, you may experience unwanted tingling in the area, a result of poor circulation, the Los Angeles Times reported. There's even a condition called meralgia paresthetica, which occurs when "there is too much pressure on nerves that run through the groin," causing tingling and numbness. Going commando could help prevent this as long as you don't wear pants that could also cut off your circulation. "Again, do what feels comfortable, and if you're comfortable going commando in jeans or your everyday clothes, go for it," OB-GYN Amanda Kallen told Cosmopolitan.

You may avoid digestive issues if you stop wearing underwear

Going commando may help if you suffer from digestive issues like acid reflux and have typically worn tight shapewear in the past, the Daily Mail reported. Tight undergarments may cause pressure on the stomach and, as a result, push acid into the esophagus, causing the digestive condition. "If you don't have a reflux problem yet, but have a predisposition to it, then wearing tight garments could tip you over the edge into being a sufferer," said Jonathan Wilson, general surgeon at The London Clinic.

If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, tight shapewear can worsen your symptoms, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. This isn't to say that shapewear isn't for you or that making the decision to stop wearing underwear every day is essential, gastroenterologist Jay Kuemmerle told the Los Angeles Times. "But adopting a healthy lifestyle may obviate the need to feel like you have to wear these things," Kuemmerle explained.

Corinne Masiero stripped nude to present the nominees for the best costume at France’s César film awards

Yesterday, Corinne Masiero stripped nude to present the nominees for the best costume at France’s César film awards. The actress was protesting the lack of support for cinema during the pandemic. The audience reaction? Applause! Was she then rushed off the stage? No, the host simply asked her about the nominees. Ms. Masiero then calmly proceeded with her presentation without any attempt to cover up.

The entire event was broadcast on television without any censorship. Today the news in France does not report any scandal. Why would there be? We’ve always seen France as a society that was quite tolerant of nudity. Unlike many other cultures, they don’t seem to see naked bodies as harmful. But will it stay that way?

French television series and films created specifically for Netflix appear surprisingly bereft of nudity; even when its presence would seem appropriate. Is there pressure by the American company that is funding the productions? Or is it self-censorship by the producers who understand the sensitivity of international audiences? Is it truly a French film if it is made to American standards?

Not surprisingly, the social media channels of French publications are avoiding the nude version of Corinne Masiero; opting instead for earlier images in her blood-stained protest gown. Yet the most newsworthy photo is clearly her nude body with the words “No culture, no future” painted on it. This self-censorship is understandable as nudity of any kind is regularly deleted or hidden by Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok, and others.

The argument has always been they are private businesses and that people are not obligated to use them. But who can afford not to be present on Facebook? They boast about reaching over 3 billion people with more than 100 billion messages every day. That is a de facto public place.

Some of the community standards appear to allow for nudity under certain circumstances. The reality is that enforcement is inconsistent and there is no effective appeal process. It has been well documented that moderators have mere seconds to decide whether to allow or ban content. Worse, more of these decisions are now made by computer algorithms. Yet whether something is art or not is about subtleties and context. So in the face of this, it is not surprising that publishers of content opt to take the safe route and self-censor.

Clearly mainstream social media is influencing cultural expression. They claim to enforce “community standards” for the benefit of their audience. But that is an ethnocentric view of the planet. Communities differ greatly from one place to another and that is what makes our world so interesting. Unfortunately, the ubiquity of major social media platforms and globalisation appear to be reducing that diversity. Perhaps it is time for governments to impose their own community standards on the social media companies.

Who is Corinne Masiero?

This TV ad for a watch ran on regular TV in Iceland.

It is a pun: in Icelandic the word for watch is part of the expression to disrobe

https://vimeo.com/475544342

Með Úrlausn hjá Nova er úrið allt sem þarf. Skildu símann eftir heima.
Við viljum vekja athygli á mikilvægi geðræktar og hvernig sé hægt að bæta andlega líðan. Við þurfum að tala aðeins um líkamsvirðingu. Við erum allavega, allskonar og af öllum mögulegum stærðum og gerðum. Hér er nýja auglýsingin okkar í allri sinni dýrð. Ekkert að fela. Ekkert til að skammast sín fyrir. Allir úr.

Google translate of the text
With Nova's solution, the watch is everything you need. Leave your phone at home.
We want to draw attention to the importance of mental health and how to improve mental well-being. We only need to talk about body respect. We are at least, all kinds and of all possible shapes and sizes. Here is our new ad in all its glory. Nothing to hide. Nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone from.

They are reporting they are working on a Bill to go before Congress to decriminalize public nudity -- wherever people wear bathing suits, they can be nude as long as there are no suggestive acts.  More specifically, they are saying at beaches, lakes, homes, etc. 

Well, many people cut their grass in bathing suits, wash their cars in bathing suits, etc.  I wonder when this Bill will finally make it to Congress.  Hmmm, maybe 2025!

Free to be yourself!

In you own backyard -- or frontyard

Taking a nature walk in the beautiful mountains

Jainism -- one of the oldest of world religions

The Jain community is divided into two major denominations, Digambara and Śvētāmbara. Monks of the Digambara (sky-clad) tradition do not wear clothes. Female monastics of the Digambara sect wear unstitched plain white sarees and are referred to as Aryikas. Śvētāmbara (white-clad) monastics, on the other hand, wear seamless white clothes.^[172]

Jack in the Box television commercial in the 1960s.

Don't know how long this commericial ran -- really amazing it ran at all.  It also makes we wonder what is coming down the pike now.

https://youtu.be/7t8MJWl0zng

Good enough for aliens out there

Everyone has as happy place

Exercise and fresh air are important for the body

Eat With Friends

And do some gardening to relieve stress -- and you can eat it later!

And hanging out with jovial friends helps the psyche

I believe that nudity should be treated as something natural, but unremarkable. Parents will be comfortable with different degrees of nakedness, depending on their own background and body image. Some families are comfortable showering or visiting saunas together. Others may be more comfortable only being naked around same-sex members. Still other parents may be reluctant to undress in front of a child, much less hold a conversation while nude. But remember that your attitudes towards nudity will shape your child’s future in a variety of ways.  

Get Nude with Your Family

Source: FamVeld/Shutterstock

Children have a natural curiosity about nudity. Being naked around your children—whether occasionally or regularly—can teach them what a “normal” adult body looks like. Modeling comfort with and respect for your body can become a basis for a healthy body image as your child grows and experiences the changes of adolescence.     

Here are some tips for handling nudity in your family.  

1. Be explicit about the fact that there are different cultural rules around nudity. How nudity is handled varies across cultures and even across families. In some northern European communities, whole families will hot-tub together naked. In Germany, some public pools allow kids to swim naked until the age of 6; adults may frequently strip down on beaches or in parks. Elsewhere, however, we find numerous restrictions on when one can undress and in front of whom. Explaining such differences to children will help them develop an understanding of appropriate behavior in their own cultural context, as well as an ability to refrain from judgment when faced with different customs or beliefs.  
2. Be explicit about situational rules as they come into play. Being naked is normal in some situations and inappropriate in others, even within your own family. When children are young, they have not developed a sense of modesty based on cultural prescriptions and do not care who sees them naked. Eventually, though, they will need to manage the display of their body in expected ways, and parents can help children learn to do this without instilling a sense of shame. During the early years, they can have opportunities to see you naked. You may want to bathe together, as they will need help anyway. Request privacy when you want it, however, as when using the toilet. Children should also learn that nakedness will make people uncomfortable in some situations, as when visitors are present. Nakedness will be natural and expected in some places, such as in the bathroom or bedroom when changing, but out-of-place in the kitchen.  
3. Set patterns and expectations early. Opposite-sex nudity within the family is not unacceptable or traumatizing if it occurs early and within appropriate contexts, for example. For men or gay men raising daughters in the U.S., for example, nudity will not be shocking if it was treated as normal during the early years. The same goes for opposite-sex siblings (although care should be taken from very early on to teach siblings to uphold stricter boundaries when their friends are present in the home).   
4. It's OK to politely compare bodies and ask questions. Develop a sense of ease and comfort with your own body and with responding to questions. Your young children will look at your body, comparing it to their own or to your partner’s body. They may ask questions about breasts, penises, or pubic hair, and parents should respond factually (breasts provide milk for babies, hair provides cooling protection, because adults’ bodies are warmer, etc.). This process also teaches children when it is acceptable to look at other people’s bodies and what types of comments can be made.
5. Use nudity as a teaching moment. Teach your child the correct names for each body part—penis, vagina, vulva, breasts, buttocks, etc. Learning the proper words will aid in their understanding of anatomy and cut down on confusion. It will also keep your child safer. If a child learns to differentiate between body parts, he or she will also be able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate touches. An accidental touch on the buttocks during play is very different from someone attempting to touch the vulva—but if this whole area is referred to as a “bum bum,” the child will have difficulty both interpreting and communicating about the behavior of others. With older children, nudity can also spark conversations about the changes to expect during adolescence.
6. Keep eroticism out of the picture. Being naked, even with a partner present, does not mean that it is OK to be sexually expressive. Do not rub or touch a partner in sexually explicit ways, as this may confuse a young child.
7. Follow the child's lead. By adolescence, self-consciousness about nudity usually develops regardless of how a child was raised. Some adolescents may want to accompany a parent into a steam room naked or go skinny-dipping with the family—others will not, even if they were OK with it in the past. Respect such decisions, and use cues to determine their comfort level even if nothing is stated directly. Some children may be uncomfortable with either their own nudity, or yours, in earlier years as well. Honoring a younger child’s feelings can be done in sex-positive ways: for example, abiding by requests to bathe separately at a certain age, but not to hide your nakedness in your own bedroom or bathroom.
8. Cultivate lifelong attitudes. Comfort with one’s naked body translates into healthy behaviors later in life. Confidence, self-esteem, and body image are intertwined. Your child is watching how you respond to changes in your appearance or health, how you handle aging, and the ways that you are influenced by cultural ideals of beauty, masculinity, or femininity. Notice if you criticize yourself in front of your child. Even if you lack self-esteem, you do not necessarily need to pass that on. When appropriate, talk about the differences between the bodies you see in magazines or on television and the body that you have. Frame behaviors like dieting in terms of health rather than just appearance.

Growing up with nudists

My parents moved to Fenwick from Toronto in about 1955-56 to operate a nudist camp — a bit unusual in those days I guess, but my father had had this plan since his youth in Germany, where it was already a fairly popular idea. He had found out that a small group of people from Fonthill, St. Catharines, and Toronto had started to gather on some land on Roland Road, and my parents acquired the property, I believe in 1955. They called it Sun Valley Gardens and started to make significant improvements.

At its peak, from the early ‘60s to the mid-‘70s, there were about 500 adult members, and it was one of the largest nudist clubs in North America, with members coming from as far as Toronto, Montreal, Boston, and Cleveland—even annual seasonal visitors from Los Angeles and Florida. It was so well-known that we once received a letter sent from West Africa which was addressed just, “Sun Valley Gardens, Canada.” The post office in Montréal marked it “try Toronto,” Toronto marked it, “near St. Catharines,” and of course, St. Catharines knew where to send it.

I was born in 1957 and lived on the property full time until I left to go to Toronto. An interesting childhood, I would say.

I attended Law’s School for Grades 1 and 2, and then Hansler, South Pelham, Pelham Center, senior public school in Fonthill, Pelham High (until it closed when I was in Grade 11), graduated from E. L. Crossley in 1976, then moved to Toronto for university.

I kept a cottage on the property and stayed there off and on until about 2007, when the property was sold, shortly after my father, Karl, passed away in 2006. My mother, Marlies, passed away just last year, in May. (I’m writing this on Dec. 26, 2020, which would have been her 89th birthday.)

From the very beginning, rather than be secretive, my father took the opposite tack. He made a point of advertising an “open house” weekend so all the neighbors, local politicians, and news media could come and see the place.

He did this twice. The first time, any members who chose to be there that weekend remained fully clothed to avoid any risk of overreaction from the police. In the event, it went really well and some 2000 people toured the place. People realized that it wasn’t a wild sex club or anything, and the press was generally complimentary.

The second time, he had everyone sign a waiver at the entrance that they were aware there would be nudity. Both events were very successful and meant that instead of being harassed, the place was quite quickly accepted by the authorities. In fact, as a direct result, there was a core of members who were locals from Pelham, Welland, and St. Catharines, most of whom kept it a bit quiet. My father was also very astute about the value of positive media coverage, and welcomed visiting interviewers from CHCH-TV, the CBC on multiple occasions (notably June Callwood’s interview), and from some of the Buffalo stations. I’d say our membership was divided about equally between the Canadians and Americans from the Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Rochester area.

People realized that it wasn’t a wild sex club or anything, and the press was generally complimentary

Back when Sun Valley Gardens was in full swing as a nudist camp, the Niagara Regional Police used to come visit now and again. My father was on pretty good terms with them, which meant he could count on help if there were any nosy youth (you guys know who you were) trying to sneak onto the property for a peek. Whenever a new officer was hired, it was part of the hazing to take him out, without any heads-up, to the camp. Generally the senior guy would say it was, “to get to know the rural parts of Niagara better.” At some point the senior officer would say, “Let’s get a coffee,” and the junior officer would of course wonder where there was coffee, out in the middle of nowhere. So they’d drive out Roland Road to the front gate, ring the bell and talk to my dad, who’d buzz them in. The junior officer was still unaware, because the “Sun Valley Gardens” sign is ambiguous. They would drive up the long curved driveway and, when they got to the parking area by the clubhouse, the junior guy’s eyes would bug out because, of course, naked people were walking around!

My father would meet them at their car in his famous “rubber boots and nothing else,” and escort them down to the snack bar beside the pool area, where the police officers would sit and chat with my parents and some of the other folks while drinking their coffee and having a piece of cake.

My father encouraged these visits, of course, because (a) it meant the police were accepting of nudist things and knew firsthand that there was no weird stuff going on (okay, naked is weird for most of you, but nothing really weird) and (b) if there was an emergency they all knew how to get there fast.

Many people wonder about how folks got to be nudists and join the club. In those days, well before social media, my father would run advertisements that were more or less specific, depending on where they ran. Some would be in the various nudist magazines of the time, and these would basically say, “Come visit Sun Valley Gardens, the best nudist camp near Toronto and upstate New York.”

He also ran ads in some of the regional newspapers (not all permitted it), that would be a bit more discreet: “Enjoy a carefree lifestyle at Sun Valley, Canada’s best family-oriented naturist campground.” There would be an address and “Visitors by appointment only.” Most people would write for more information and be sent the many brochures we had on hand. Visitors would arrive at the gate, ring the bell, talk to my dad, and be let in.

Of course, usually the half of the couple suggesting to try nudism would be the husband, and very often the wife would be a bit more reticent—in those days anyway—so it was certainly a bit of a shock for these fellows to be greeted at the clubhouse parking lot by my father, in his rubber-boots-and-nothing else, with the usually-not-visible parts being at about eye level through the car window.

The visitors would be shown a place to park and be invited to tour the grounds, clothed at first. They would walk down the driveway toward the valley, where the pool, snack bar and other facilities were located, probably being greeted by other members (pun intended) as they went. On a weekend there would usually be quite a few people there, and when the visitors reached the valley where the big open area was there they were: sunning, swimming, playing cards or cribbage, volleyball or badminton—adults and kids.

Now what often happened at about this point was that the husband would be slightly disappointed that the place was not full of Playboy models, but of people rather more like your typical Walmart customer, if they were nude. On the other hand, the wife would stop being worried about whether her looks would match up, and realize that these people were just comfortable in their own skin.

After getting toured around the whole property—the cottage area, the campground and trailer area, and the clubhouse building—my father would invite them to spend the rest of the day, but explained that they would now have to be nude as well. It was pretty rare that people would leave. They would change at their car, take a towel (all nudists keep a towel with them to sit on) and go back to the valley to meet some other members, swim, or sit at the snack bar to chat with my mother. And then they would decide whether to become annual members, or to come occasionally and pay the daily or weekend fee.

The stranger thing for me was when I first went to school and had to understand that it was expected that people always wear clothes

In those days it was generally not permitted for a single man to come alone. This was to head off any kind of “singles bar” atmosphere. There were a few exceptions: one fellow from Toronto had been coming since before my parents bought the place, so he was grandfathered in and was a member until he was in his 90s. And there were a couple of others over the years. Some were men who had originally come with their girlfriends, and when they split up, they or sometimes the girlfriend would be allowed to keep attending. Later on, in the late ‘70s and the early ‘80s, that all loosened up quite a bit.

By the late ‘60s some families even lived there full time, but most were either weekend visitors if local, or stayed for two- or three-week vacations in the summer, with many families coming back for ten years or more, with semi-permanent trailer locations or summer-only cottages. Sometimes the children became members in their own right when they grew up, many of whom I still know. The place was always very well represented with kids of all ages, although there was often an awkward stage at puberty, when some kids would stop coming with their parents for a little while, or they’d even stop attending altogether. But mostly the kids got through that experience as well. I mean, there were certainly no secrets about what was happening to their bodies—they could see the adult version all around them. The fact that no one made a big deal of it to them was, I think, a very healthy thing for their self-image.

I’m often asked by friends when they discover how I grew up, “What was that like?”

Well, it felt perfectly normal, to be honest. The stranger thing for me was when I first went to school and had to understand that it was expected that people always wear clothes, even in nice weather. Seemed a bit ridiculous, but that’s where I learned that cultural norms are all relative.

We never concealed where we lived, so it was the subject of a lot of curiosity among the other kids. But most of my friends, male or female, were permitted to come visit me — another benefit of the “open house” policy, because their parents had presumably visited. I had another large group of friends at Sun Valley Gardens as well, who would be there either on weekends or for two or three weeks at a time, and I would see them every summer.

I also get asked, “Do you have to be nude all the time?”

No, it’s just expected that if the weather permits, you don’t walk around dressed when everyone else is not. Raining or cold? Wear something waterproof, or a sweater if you’re cold. Women on their period? They’d wear a bikini bottom or shorts. But otherwise you’d just naturally choose to be nude.

So, finally, some corrections, or a least, an alternate perspective. An oft-cited book on nudism in Ontario, Au Naturel: The History of Nudism in Canada, perpetuates some pretty harsh criticisms of my father. I am the first to admit that he was a strong-willed curmudgeon and had a temper. People thought he could be dictatorial at times (me too), but the book seems to rely too heavily on the statements of some folks who left Sun Valley Gardens on bad terms, and there are of course two sides.

Yes, he was pretty strict, partly because he knew if anything bad happened there, the local authorities would stop being so friendly. And he did not appreciate things like littering or having members step barefoot in someone’s dog poop (which ultimately led to a dog ban, because people would not keep their dogs curbed).

It was said in the book that he didn’t allow people to rearrange the outdoor furniture. Not at all true — what he didn’t appreciate was it being dragged away from the public valley area to a personal campsite, or rearranged and left somewhere for him to put back himself later. And I never saw him limit people playing any of the sports. He had no interest in imposing any kind of activity schedule for others. Maybe someone was hogging the horseshoe pitch or shuffleboard court all day and he asked them to make it available for others?

I do know we had a lot of fun: huge bonfires, campfire sing-alongs, “luau”-style pig roasts and lamb roasts, Halloween and other impromptu parades, dance parties with DJs and treasure hunts for the kids.

One of the main sources of discord was alcohol. Alcohol was a pet peeve for my father, and although he wasn’t anti-alcohol as such, he was mainly concerned that just one bad situation due to excess drinking would cause him a lot of trouble. It was only quite late, in the mid-’70s I think, that he finally started to allow people to drink alcohol at the clubhouse and elsewhere. Until then it was only permitted at your own campsite, trailer or cottage. So if you discreetly had a drink in your own place, that was okay, but loud, late-night drinking parties would get you warned, or summarily expelled. Some of the folks who couldn’t tolerate these alcohol rules went off to start their own very different style of nudist camps, for example near Hamilton.

The focus of the book is on my father, but I should also say that my mother was very much responsible for the success of Sun Valley Gardens. I still meet or speak with people who knew her and were strongly impressed by her ability to keep everything going.

There was definitely a decline in membership starting in the mid- ‘70s, but this was true of almost all nudist camps at that time, often because people had started to combine their nudism with going south for a vacation (which wasn’t so common before) or looking for a more party-like atmosphere. So they stopped coming to the campground-style nudist resorts. Many of the nudist resorts then went down a more commercial route to increase revenue, with big parties every weekend, a real emphasis on alcohol sales and even open-to-the-public judged “naked women” events — I call it that because it really got away from the nudist philosophy and into marketing nakedness. This was never my father’s style.

The end of the Sun Valley Gardens era really came when my parents split up. My father was left to run the camp, but it was pretty clear that he was not a people-person and had relied on my mother to do most of that, so it didn’t go so well. And his heart wasn’t in it anyway, so he closed it. He would be very sad to see how the place looks now, but he wouldn’t have compromised to keep it going either.

Am I still a nudist today?

In the long run, I haven’t kept up “being a nudist,” i.e., attending a nudist campground. I’ve moved around the world too much, and it’s just not been a priority. I’ve gone on holidays to nude resorts in the Caribbean, and visited nude beaches on my travels. The main thing I think I carry with me from that upbringing is to understand that nudity per se is not sexual. All this weirdness about whether some particular part of the body is visible or not, or the idea that a man (or woman) “can’t control themselves” if they see too much skin, is just ludicrous to me. I applaud that toplessness is legal in Ontario, but also recognize that by harassing, ogling and cat-calling women if they do choose to go topless, men are causing women to not take advantage of this legal freedom. (It’s a lose-lose situation, guys! Wise up.)

It has also caused me to be very accepting of a wide range of ways of living. I’ve lived in many places in the world, feel comfortable with the idea that “the way we do things here” is not “the best” and certainly not the only way to live, and I am adamant that people should be able to choose their preferred way to live, as long as it doesn’t directly harm or restrict the freedoms of others. Be gay, straight, bi, poly, asexual or whatever; choose your expressed gender according to how you perceive yourself and how you feel comfortable in your skin; practice any religion you choose or none, but don’t force your beliefs on others; treat people from all races and cultures equally and value them.

This is more than mere “tolerance”—it is affirmative acceptance—and nudism (and Canadian multiculturalism) was my gateway.

Police chief warns man he shouldn’t sleep naked

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A 71-year-old man in South Carolina was embarrassed and feared for his life when a police officer looking for teens who might have been breaking into cars held him outside naked and at gunpoint after he peeked out his door to check on the disturbance, the man said in a lawsuit.

Body camera video of the June 2019 encounter in Rock Hill shows Officer Vincent Mentesana cursing at Jethro DeVane and telling him not to close the door.

Mentesana orders DeVane to stand outside his home naked at 4 a.m., facing the wall, according to the video, which DeVane and his lawyer obtained through a public records request and released Tuesday. When DeVane asks what’s going on, Mentesana responds, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

The officer held the gun to DeVane’s head for 90 seconds as other officers looked through his home, according to the lawsuit.

“I did what the man said. He had the weapon. He could have took my life in a minute,” DeVane said at a news conference Tuesday with his lawyer.

Once Mentesana got the all-clear, he asked DeVane his name and told him why police were in the neighborhood.

Police did not have a search warrant for DeVane’s house, according to the lawsuit filed Monday, which claims gross negligence, emotional distress and false imprisonment. The suit does not ask for a specific dollar amount.

At the news conference, DeVane said he was embarrassed because there was at least one woman among the officers. He also said he feared for his life; that if he tried to close the door, grab some clothes or argued, the officer with the gun to his head would fire.

“I won’t get over it the rest of my life,” DeVane said.

DeVane’s attorney, Justin Bamberg, said the way police treated his client reminded him of a police video out of Chicago that surfaced earlier this month. In that video, police are seen breaking down the door of a Black woman’s apartment as she is changing clothes, and handcuffing her while she is naked.

What took place at DeVane’s house would never happen in a rich white neighborhood, Bamberg claimed Tuesday.

“Why do we have to be here advocating for human decency and human dignity? It is utterly ridiculous and it is unacceptable,” he said. “And it needs to stop before there is a death. God forbid, if Mr. DeVane had panicked like a lot of people would and tried to close that door.”

DeVane’s lawsuit says the Rock Hill police chief found that Mentesana was discourteous, but acted properly, along with the officers who went inside his home and searched it without a warrant.

Rock Hill Police spokesman Lt. Michael Chavis said the department does not comment on pending lawsuits. Mentesana requested a transfer from the police department to Rock Hill’s utility department in February, the city’s law firm said.

In a news release shortly after the encounter, police said officers who saw the teens running noticed DeVane’s house with tall grass, no lights, an open door and a dirty swimming pool. They thought it might be abandoned and the teens could be inside.

DeVane was detained by officers and police searched his home in the interest of public safety, the news release said.

DeVane said the police chief went to his home later that month to discuss what happened and said he probably shouldn’t sleep naked.

“I didn’t have my clothes on that night. Why? I’m in my house,” DeVane said Tuesday, adding, “Like I told him, if you had let me know you were coming, I would have put my clothes on.”

Dancers Strip Down For Stunning Photos In NYC

Professional dancers from all around the world stripped down to pose for Manhattan portrait photographer Jordan Matter's new book: Dancers After Dark.

From London to Paris to New York City, this professional photographer traveled to many different cities to capture dancers' completely naked bodies in public places. "Often, in life, we have to run toward our goals blindfolded, trusting our instincts to guide us. This kind of photography art represents our willingness to throw ourselves into the streets without fear of failure," Matter said. "Doing so led to beauty and exhilaration we could not have imagined." Each photo shows how the dancers have left their comfort zone to pursue their dreams with extraordinary commitment. Take a look at some of Matter's interesting photos celebrating the human body shot in New York below.

Public Nudity Should Be Exempt From Penal Laws!

 

Sign the petition: http://chng.it/xyjjgfDrPm

Bare Body Freedom Activist, and Music Au Naturel Artist and Producer, Ton Dou, believes the responsible at-will practice of wholesome nakedness is an essential part of the natural plan, and the solution to many of the issues humans have had with themselves and each other historically, and continue to perpetuate the problems we struggle with in society everyday.

Ton Dou writes the lyrics, sings the songs, talks the talk and walks the walk of intrinsic wholesome nakedness in the light of day for the world to see because he believes it is precisely what the world needs to see if it is ever to be experienced the way nature intended it to be.

Ton Dou believes it is not only when we die that we are with the Great Spirit, it is also when we are naked on the land or at sea. He also believes Bare Body Freedom is as natural and significant a human right and life choice as any other, and should never be legislated as criminal behavior, and it is this message he hopes will resonate with every member of society.

He needs your help to tell law makers and law enforcers whose jobs are to serve and protect us, that we are not alarmed and / or offended by the mere sight of the bare human body.  We are capable of determining whether something is right or wrong with an individual’s behavior, and in this modern day of technology, we are capable of documenting it!

He needs your help to tell them that we appreciate and respect the natural human right of others to be responsibly bare for psychological and physical purposes if they choose.  We are fully supportive of every member of society who resorts to nature to live a harmless, happier, healthier and more productive life.

He needs your help to tell them to use currently existing laws to address lewd and lascivious behavior, when and where it is thought to have occurred whether nudity is involved or not.  We believe that an individual’s state of nakedness is not an indication of a crime, and that an assessment of their behavior should be made before any other legal action is taken.

He needs your help to tell them the bare human body predates any form of governance, and while human laws govern human conduct, nature's laws determine human appearance.  We are very happy to have laws that help to keep us safe, and fully supportive of every official who writes and/or enforces them with this element of nature in mind.

He needs your help to tell them, before electing them, that we expect them to fulfill their duties to serve and protect, on behalf of all of humanity, in concert with the laws of nature.  We need your vote of confidence, and your commitment to provide for the practice of the most natural of human rights, and to protect it by removing it from penal laws nationwide.

If law makers and law enforcement officials provide for the protection of the responsible at will practice of simple nudity, whether publicly or privately, society will eventually be rid of the stigma associated with the bare human body, and the average person will develop greater appreciation for who they are naturally, and more willingness to be respectful of others.

If they do not, a natural source for physical and psychological health, happiness, and safety as a result of increased awareness will continue to be undermined for the average person, and nudity penal laws will continue to create and claim victims as the result of the suppression of a natural human right that if practiced would minimize or eliminate these problems naturally.

Please sign this petition and be one of the very important people who are helping to send this message to lawmakers about this very important natural human rights cause.

Ton Dou

Dear United States Legislators,

I started a petition on behalf of all of humanity for the most natural of human rights, and genuinely hope it reaches you in good health and great spirit.

I would very much like to have your input, and hope you will not hesitate to contact me with any concerns, questions or recommendations you may have.

Sincerely,
Ton Dou

Sign the petition: http://chng.it/xyjjgfDrPm

They are reporting they are working on a Bill to go before Congress to decriminalize public nudity -- wherever people wear bathing suits, they can be nude as long as there are no suggestive acts.  More specifically, they are saying at beaches, lakes, homes, etc. 

Well, many people cut their grass in bathing suits, wash their cars in bathing suits, etc.  I wonder when this Bill will finally make it to Congress.  Hmmm, maybe 2025!

Naked woman cycles through London and raises $9,000 for charity

A woman braved the cold and bared all to raise awareness of a very important cause.

Former head girl at St Crispin's School Kerri Barnes raised over £7k for charity this weekend by cycling around London – completely naked.

The woman who lived in Wokingham, rode 10 miles around the City’s landmarks on Sunday, November 29, to raise awareness for suicide prevention.

Braving the cold and the prying eyes from strangers, she raised thousands of pounds for Mind Charity, which experienced its largest ever increase in helpline calls during the nation’s first lockdown.

The former Bracknell student explained how the suicide of her cousin inspired her to do this challenge.

Kerri said: "Earlier this year, due to the pressures of the first lockdown, one of my loved ones tried to kill themselves. It was absolutely heartbreaking, and I felt very powerless to help, given that I was locked down in another city. Added to that, I've already known the pain of losing someone to suicide. 

"The more I spoke to people, the more I realised just how widespread mental health problems are, particularly after the difficult year that we've all been through.

"There seems to be a lot of stigma surrounding mental health problems and suicidal feelings, as it stops people getting the help they need."

So far Kerri’s bold decision has paid off, as she smashed her target of £1,000 - reaching over £7,000. ($9,000)

She added: "I was strangely quite calm about the prospect of the cycle to be honest! It was bloody cold, but very liberating. There was no negative attention from anyone. So many people saw the signs, and cheered warm words of encouragement - even the various police I met along the way were hugely supportive! In London, anything goes!

We’ve seen some discussion on Florida naturist Facebook pages about the changes that occurred to Florida statute 800.03 as a consequence of HB 675 and paired Senate Bill 1018. We looked into the changes with a focus on naturist/nudist concerns.

Wording from House Bill 675 which will modify Florida Statute 800.03

The exposure of sexual organs by any of the following does not violate this section:
(a) A mother breastfeeding her baby or
(b) An individual who is merely naked at any place provided or set apart for that purpose

This text from the staff analysis is landmark in that it records in Florida State legislative documents the precedence that ‘nudity with out sexual intent’ is not an offense of 800.03 as clarified by the state courts.

From the Staff Analysis of HB 675

The bill also clarifies that public nudity is unlawful only when it is vulgar or indecent and that nudity at any place provided or set apart for that purpose is lawful.

Florida courts have also clarified that an indecent exposure offense requires lascivious exposure of a sexual organ, meaning the exposition or exhibition involves an “unlawful indulgence in lust, eager for sexual indulgence.”10  Therefore, public nudity alone or an act such as urinating in public does not, by itself, constitute a lewd or lascivious act and is not indecent exposure,11  whereas other types of nudity may be considered lewd or lascivious.1

Note that the changes are concerning indecent exposure, not simple nudity.

The concerning effects of HB 675 on 800.03

The bill allows an officer to conduct a warrantless arrest of a person the officer reasonably believes has committed indecent exposure. The bill makes a second or subsequent indecent exposure offense a third-degree felony. By expediting the arrest process for indecent exposure, and increasing the penalty for a second or subsequent offense, the bill may reduce the time an offender remains out of custody after committing an offense, which may prevent the offender from:
-Committing additional indecent exposures or another sexually-based offense;
- Fleeing or going into hiding; or
- Becoming hostile when law enforcement returns to execute an arrest warrant.

#FloridaHB675 #NAC #NaturistActionCommittee #Nude #NudeRights #FightingForYou

Jennifer Lopez, 51, in new naked music video

Jennifer carefully placed her hand on her leg to reveal the massive diamond engagement ring she received from fiance Alex Rodriguez nearly two years ago.

She's known for keeping up with her impeccable fitness routine.

Jennifer Lopez, 51, posed naked to announce the release of a new single, In The Morning.

In the video, Jennifer rocks short wavy hair with subtle makeup - with the unreleased song playing in the background.

The video consists of various different angles highlighting her incredible physique.

Jennifer's tagline for her new project is 'Beauty Has No Expiration Date.'

No longer illegal for women to be topless in Minneapolis parks

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis parks will no longer cite anyone for being topless in a city park.

Wednesday, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board voted unanimously to approve a resolution to repeal its ordinance regarding proper attire after determining the ordinance is already covered by city and state law.

The repealed language stated, "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".

Under Minneapolis and Minnesota law, it is not illegal for women to be topless. Under those statutes, indecent exposure involves lewd behavior.

Folks are comfortable with one another in a resort.  Nude is actually normal.

(Clothes Free International News)

Hello everyone,

I am a 21 year-old newly-married male. Two years ago when my wife and I were dating, I revealed to her my regular practice of home nudity and my desire to visit a nudist club. She didn't understand why anyone would want to do this at first and was very reluctant to even talk about it, but after months of discussion and thought, she agreed to give it an honest try. It turned out she really enjoyed our first visit - we went back several times that summer.

Some things I learned during this process were:

• Be patient. I understood quickly that this was a sudden and overwhelming piece of information for her, so I knew I had to be patient with how much I revealed at once, and how much I asked of her at once.
• Give her control. I promised her that if she was really uncomfortable while at the club, we would get alone and talk, and leave if necessary. I think knowing she had a "way out" helped her feel more at ease.
• Listen. Spend as much time listening to her as you do talking to her. Repeat her concerns and fears back to her in a way that lets her know you understand. Do not make fun of or downplay her feelings.
• Clearly explain your intentions. Let her know explicitly what is is about naturism that you love, and why you would love for her to join you in it.
• Be prepared to give it up. I told my wife two years ago, "If, after an honesty try at naturism, it's truly not something you want to do, I will give it up and never mention it again." That was huge for her I think: it let her know she was more important to me than naturism, that her feelings were more important than my desires.

Finally, here are some "Baby Steps" to ease your partner into viewing simple nudity as fun and relaxing:

• Spend time nude at home together. If you shower together, suggest not getting dressed right away if you have nowhere to go. Suggest a nude picnic dinner on the living room floor. If you are sexually active, look for ways to spend time nude together that don't (always) lead to sex.
• Suggest going skinny dipping. If you have a pool or hot tub, try going nude. You can even get in clothed and undress under water. Try to keep it fun and non-sexual. You could even try doing this in a group setting with close friends. You'd be surprised how willing close friends are to trying something like this!
• Suggest visiting a nudist club only after she is totally comfortable with simple nudity. When you get there, don't go right in the middle of the crowd. Tour the grounds, hike the nature trail if they have one. If you are a man trying to convince your female partner to join you in social nudity, take the lead by introducing yourself and her to someone you meet at a club. Act natural and wear a smile. Keep the mood light.

'Naked Athena' faces off with police during Portland protest

 

It wasn’t a clothing optional protest, but one woman now known as “Naked Athena” took a seat in the nude on Friday night.

The woman was clad only in a face mask and a beanie when she got between protesters and officers in Portland, according to Oregon Live.

Video shows the woman pacing on the sidewalk, before taking a seat and doing some naked yoga and ballet poses.

“Everyone seemed surprised and kind of astounded,” said Dave Killen, a photographer for The Oregonian/OregonLive.

He said police shot pepper balls at the woman’s feet, even when another protester tried to run in front of her to protect her. Police reportedly left about 10 minutes after “Naked Athena” arrived on the scene.

“She was incredibly vulnerable,” Killen said.

“It would have been incredibly painful to be shot with any of those munitions with no clothes on.”

Bruce Springsteen: I love skinny-dipping

 

If you see a naked man swimming in the ocean at night, do not be alarmed.

It might be Bruce Springsteen.

The Boss delivered an ode to the joys of summer on his “Bruce Springsteen: From His Home, To Yours” broadcast of Wednesday, July 15 on Sirius XM's E Street Radio channel. The show was called “Summertime, Summertime.”    

Those joys include skinny-dipping.

“There is nothing like the sea at night when the water is slightly warmer than the air, even though the air is humid after a 95 degree day,” Springsteen said. “God, I love swimming at night. It is all darkness and mystery. It is the void and it must be done naked. Clothes at the waterline, please. Do this, and my pilgrim, you will become cleansed. Never will the evening air, or a kiss on the beach, or a dry towel, ever feel so good again. The walk to the car will be filled with starlit grace and you will never forget it. 

“Once you hit the water, you will be covered in the blossoming beauty of your youth no matter how old you are and whoever you're with, you will always remember them.”

Springsteen, as one could probably tell from his songs, loves summer. His telling of summer stories on the broadcast , and the songs that accompanied them, went beyond nostalgia to an almost impressionistic hue.

Springsteen spoke of walking the streets of Freehold in the middle of the night, hitch-hiking to the beach in Manasquan, drive-in movies and the big Freehold drug bust in the Summer of 1967. The Boss, not one to partake, was not arrested but it did mean the end of his first band, the Castiles. 

He read surfing magazines as a kid.

“The advertisements for Fender guitars,” Springsteen said. “The true objects of my desires. Three white Fenders, a bass, a Stratocaster and a Jaguar. I spent hours in my room salivating over those guitars.”

Springsteen would later become make history with a Fender – a modified Telecaster. There was a hint of future music to come on the broadcast before he played a “studio outtake” of his “County Fair.” Unreleased songs recorded in the period between “The River” and “Nebraska” “will show up magically,” Springsteen said.

Summer is a season of magic.

“I loved and love summer,” said Springsteen at the beginning of the broadcast. “As a child I became summer. I melted into the hot tarmac and I rolled myself into a sandball at the beach. I slid beneath the murky waters ducking summer dragon flies at the Freehold pond. I sat in the tops of trees feeling the summer breeze prickle over my freshly cut Saturday afternoon flat top.

"I'd stand with my bike under the August sun on the roadside watching the local road crew lay down a steaming black top that beneath their rakes and shovels and heavy equipment curled and flattened like licorice. When the big man and the machinery moved away, I waited and I wanted my wheels to be the first to touch that steaming virgin roadway.

“In the twilight I sat glued to a curb with a pinkie rubber ball in my hand waiting for my best friend Bobby Duncan to finish his dinner so we could engage in epic gutter ball tournaments into the night, and later with scissors we'd poke holes into the lids of glass mason jars and invade the vacant lot across from my grandmother's front porch to capture our nightly quota of the evening's fireflies just to leave them twinkling till dawn on our night tables. May they rest in peace. We'd play home free, running from pool of light to pool of light under our neighborhood street lamps until we were called in, as the neighborhood's porch lights went dark, by my grandmother's voice. There my sister and I would sleep on opposite sides of the bed wrapped between hot sticky sheets on pre-air conditioning humid Jersey summer nights.”

New Show August 1, 2020

 

On This Show:   Join Tim, Paul and Melissa from Las Vegas and Philip, Madison and Corky from California. 

Top  Stories:  Walt Disney wholesome nudity. Basic benefits of naturism. Nudism in Russia, Historic nudism in Germany. High School Nude swimming in the 1950’s. Plus more. 

U.S. Cities & States Where You Can Legally Be Nude

 

Although National Nude Day is not an officially observed holiday, it is a good excuse to go skinny dipping if you have a pool or enjoy lying naked in bed. Every July 14, National Nude Day is celebrated, and although the origins are unknown, nudism, which revolves around the philosophy of naturalism — had been practiced for thousands of years.

The holiday is meant to celebrate nudity and nakedness, and essentially enjoying your body and escaping from the pressures of wearing clothes all the time. In the United States, being naked is, of course, only publicly legal in certain places or under certain circumstances. Nudity laws have changed over the years, but in most places, there are only laws about indecent exposure of specific body parts.

Plenty of places have nude beaches and areas where it’s okay to bare it all, but it’s not as common as it was in yesteryears when the 1980s popularized nude swimming and the YMCA used to allow men to be nude together to swim. Now, there are legalities surrounding nudism in the U.S. that involve actual punishments and legal repercussions for walking around nude — the total opposite of some places in the world like Spain, where being nude is written into the country's constitution as an inalienable right. Consequences for indecent exposure can range from and include incarceration, fines, being put on a sexual offender registry, community service time, and more. In Vermont and Alaska, for example, you could still get in trouble for "exposing" yourself.

The laws all widely differ, and while some pose a threat to freedom, others are intentionally restrictive safety measures. There are states and cities, however, that allow people to celebrate nudity in all of its forms in special locations. Ahead, we've mapped out some of the U.S. cities and states where you can be free to (publicly) celebrate National Nude Day.

Seattle, WA

Seattle actually allows for people to be nude anywhere anytime as long as you’re not making anyone uncomfortable. Many people go to relax at beaches or parks without the stress of clothing, and have been doing so since the 1990s when the case of Seattle v. Johnson made it legal.

Oregon

Most places in Oregon are pretty lenient when it comes to nudity, as it turns out. There are plenty of nude spas and clubs you can go to (when it’s safe to go places again after the COVID-19 pandemic, of course). There are even lots of hot springs where you can enjoy unwinding totally au naturale. 

Austin, TX

Surprisingly, Austin is one of the most topless-friendly cities in the United States, where there are no laws specifically forbidding public nudity. In fact, Hippie Hollow is Texas' government-maintained clothing-optional park, which covers 100 acres on Lake Travis's shoreline and is a great place to cool off in the nude.

New York, NY

New York is one of the only places where anyone of any gender can go topless publicly without it being considered indecent exposure. However, it's still not legal to bare your genitals, so no summer streaking across Rockaway Beach unless you want a hefty fine.

Philadelphia, PA

Philly technically allows you to be naked as long as you're not being "lewd." In fact, there's usually an Annual Naked Bike Ride, which has also been seen in other places like Los Angeles. Still, people usually cover their genitals.

Florida

It's actually completely legal to go out in the nude for some sun at many beaches in Florida, where at places like Miami's Haulover Beach it's clothing optional. Feel free to bare it all at Playalinda, Blind Creek Beach, or even South Beach (although, watch out for camera phones). Perhaps the only exception (though there is no legal precedent) is Bunche Beach Preserve in San Carlos Bay of Fort Myers, which definitely does not want anyone to take their clothes off.

Nudist chases wild boar that stole laptop

 

At a lake in Berlin on Wednesday, where Germans are known to bask and bathe in the buff, a middle-aged nude man found himself at the center of a ridiculous scene — chasing down a wild boar while naked.

According to Adele Landauer, another visitor to Teufelssee — that’s “Devil’s Lake” in English — a boar and her two piglets had been perusing the shore in search of snacks. After reportedly consuming a stash of leftover pizza from the backpack of another tourist, who was swimming in the lake at the time, the pig posse moved on to the bright yellow bag, which they surely thought had food inside.

What happened next was pure mayhem.

“In the yellow bag is the man’s laptop, so he gave it his all in Adam’s costume,” she said, adding that the man had “laughed loudly” at the images, and authorized her to post them on social media.

“Everyone of us adored him how focused he stayed and when he came back with his yellow bag in the hand we all clapped and congratulated him for his success,” the acting coach captioned. “This happens when you’re focused on your goals.”

The wild suids of Europe have been known to stick their snouts where they don’t belong. Late last year, a boar in Italy unearthed an estimated $22,000 worth of cocaine buried in the Tuscan countryside by drug traffickers. And in May, as the streets of Spain cleared due to pandemic lockdown measures, officers in Catalonia were forced to herd the potentially dangerous hogs back to the forest, before they could attack residents.

The deceptively agile animals, which can run as fast as 30 mph and climb walls up to 6 feet high, are not to be trifled with — lest you find yourself defenseless facing a pack of untamed porkers.

In a viral tweet last year, a concerned Arkansas man asked rhetorically — as a defense in favor of assault rifle ownership, no less: “Legit question for rural Americans — How do I kill the 30-50 feral hogs that run into my yard within 3-5 mins while my small kids play?”

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.