Category: News about nudity and naturism

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 8/23/20

Well, it seems I’ve gotten somewhat behind in reporting on “recent” noteworthy articles on nudity and naturism. Personal reasons for that, but no excuses. I’ll try to cover the best articles from May here – but with less detail than usual. You’ll see there are some fairly interesting things. Hopefully, June, July, and August summaries won’t be too far behind.

  1. Utah, California, South Carolina Best Places for 2020 ‘Naked Gardening Day’ Saturday
     

    The World Naked Gardening Day for this year (in the northern hemisphere) was on May 2, and has already been discusssed here. But this article appeared a little later and has additional details. The LawnStarter website has covered WNGD before (last year), when it rated Bakersfield, California, as having “the most conducive climate for getting out and gardening in the buff”. This year it bestowed the honor on Ogden, Utah, based on weather forecasts. But the event is celebrated by naturists in many other countries besides the U. S. For instance, Donna Price (pictured above), from the UK, is quoted recommending everyone to “make it naked and enjoy the liberation”.

  2. The Great British Take Off
     


    WNGD wasn’t the only special naturist event in May. British Naturism designated Saturday, May 16 as the day for The Great British Take Off (GBTO). Here’s their announcement: The Great British Take Off – 16th May. The name chosen for the day may refer not only to taking off clothes but may also suggest the idea that naturism in the UK could be taking off to a new level. Here’s what BN said on the day of GBTO: The Great British Take Off – Today’s the Day! And here’s their summary of what happened: Didn’t we have a lovely time…!

    The announcement got widespread notice in the British press. Most of it was favorable to naturism and not condescending (as it would certainly be in most U. S. media). It’s no accident there were numerous media reports. BN obviously made a serious effort to get favorable coverage – even supplying images to accompany the stories. U. S. naturist organizations don’t seem to make such efforts, or if they do, they’re not nearly so successful.

    Some of the stories:

     

  3. The woman behind “Women-in-Naturism”
     

    Here’s Donna Price again, in her role with British Naturism as a promoter of naturism for women. She’s officially the Coordinator of the Women in Naturism Campaign. We all know about naturism’s gender imbalance problem. It’s to BN’s credit that they don’t just talk about the problem but also have someone who’s responsible for getting things done to address the problem. Simply having a point of contact from whom other women can learn more about naturism is important. Since Donna (and her husband) have only been naturists since 2016, they can explain from their own experience how to overcome the concerns that women have about participating in naturism. Donna has an active Twitter feed, which makes communication especially straightforward.


  4. Naturism goes on in spite of the pandemic
     

    There’s no question about the pandemic having an impact. But it seems to be less severe than in some other areas. Naturally, since most people are spending lots more time at home – especially if they can continue at their normal jobs remotely – they can be naked much more of the time. Since most traditional naturist activities are outdoors (beaches, campgrounds, resorts, etc.) transmission of the virus is somewhat less likely. Many other activities can go on using video – naked yoga and figure drawing/painting classes, for example. And many more people can participate – even from another continent, since travel isn’t necessary. The use of video also means that naturists can spend more time in conversation with each other, and find new friends.

    It should be noted that British Naturism hosts an extensive calendar of online events. Some are free for BN members (but it’s not necessary to live in the UK to join BN). These include things like chats, a book club, and life drawing. Other more intensive offerings – such as yoga, aerobics, and fitness workouts – can be booked for about 5$US per session (for BN members). The schedule is here. Neither of the U. S. national naturist organizations has anything like this, as far as I can tell from their websites.

    Here are some media reports:


  5. ‘Why we decided to do our podcast in the buff,’ say the women behind the Naked Podcast
     

    “When Kat Harbourne told her friends and fellow BBC Sheffield journalist Jenny Eells she wanted to make a podcast that explored issues around body image she jumped at the chance. Even when Kat said they, and their guests, would be naked, she didn’t change her mind.” Jenny explained, “For me being naked isn’t really an issue but I know that’s not the case for everyone and we wanted to try and find out why.” The podcast website is here.

  6. Petition to protest censorship of naturism on Google’s YouTube
     
    The petition, entitled Normalize the human body in its natural form, is at Change.org. I expect most naturists would agree with the notion. The text begins: “Depictions of non-minor persons of any sex either in public or in private in a non-sexual, nude state shall not be prohibited by social media sites or their providers if and when the depictions are intended by their disseminator to be of an artistic, educational, or documentary nature and/or facilitate the formation of an educated opinion…” There have been over 13,000 signers so far. Please take a moment to sign yourself, if you haven’t already. (It’s free, although you can make a donation to help publicize it.)

    The petition was initiated by Hector Martinez of the Mexican Nudist Federation. He had posted hundreds of videos on his channel, which had 1.3 million subscribers and a total of 200 million views. And then “someone” at YouTube deleted the entire channel, without warning or explanation. According to Hector, the videos had been posted since 2016 and observed YouTube’s guidelines for acceptable content. The whole text is worth reading. My own comment, after signing, was:
    “There’s nothing whatsoever wrong with nudity. In particular, nonsexual nudity as practiced by naturists is entirely healthy and wholesome. Not everyone agrees with this, of course, but that does not in any way justify censoring the expressing and documenting of a completely valid point of view.”

    Some other naturist blogs also reported on this:


  7. British Naturism: Sunfolk – an update
     

    This British Naturism project has already been mentioned here. The progress that’s already been made is noteworthy, in spite of the pandemic. The plans BN has for Sunfolk are impressive. This may be the first example, at least in the English-speaking world, of a major naturist organization taking over management of an existing naturist facility. It will be run much like a traditional naturist club, but primarily for the benefit of BN members. During the last few decades a dozen or so landed clubs in the U. S. have folded and converted to conventional textile-only use. Neither of the national U. S. organizations seems to have considered doing what BN has done with Sunfolk. That’s a lot of very unfortunate missed opportunities.

  8. I Think I Found the Missing Nudist Bloggers
     
    In this post I replied to an article on the Sensual Nudist blog: What Happened to the Nudist Bloggers? That led to some interesting dialog (in email and article comments) with Alexis (the article’s author) and other bloggers. Alexis posted an interesting response on her blog, giving a good explanation of her thinking. It’s a long post, so I won’t summarize here – just read it.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 6/5/20

  1. I want the world to know…
     
    What is it that a member of British Naturism – who wrote a brief testimonial – wants the world to know? Why, of course, that he’s very happy to be able to live a significant part of his life naked. In his own words:
    “Discovering Naturism is often a turning point in people’s lives. New Naturists tell us all the time how great they feel, how they now can’t imagine life without the opportunity to be happily naked and be part of such a strong, welcoming, non-judgemental community.”

    This should be a reminder for all naturists that being able to enjoy a naked lifestyle is a gift of fortunate circumstances – one to be thankful for, since it isn’t automatically available to everyone. For many, it may not be easily within reach, due to various factors, such as opposition from family and/or friends, residence in a place that’s hostile to naturism and nudity, or health problems.

    There are probably two main obstacles for most people to overcome in order to realize a naked lifestyle. The first is having the desire and courage to begin at all, in spite of the difficulties that may need to be overcome. The second is a little more subtle. In order to fully enjoy living naked, it’s important to be as open as possible with most of one’s family, friends, and (often) neighbors and workplace associates. Otherwise, there’ll probably be limits to how much nudity can be enjoyed.

    Here’s the basic truth: Living naked is healthy – physically and emotionally. It’s nothing to be embarrassed or secretive about. Try to let as many people as possible know that. You may be able to motivate others to try naked living too – which will make that easier for you as well. Sharing this lifestyle with others you know is a reward in itself.

  2. I had a dream… and it came true
     

    Kate is a relatively new naturist blogger – her first post was last November. In it she relates a story of rare and rather amazing good fortune. That was to have a fortuitous meeting with the author of a New Zealand guide book – which she’d already found to be an exceptionally good guide to many of the spectacular wild natural places of the country.

    The result was a fast friendship, which consequently launched her on an unexpected quest to, as she explains, “help put a stop to the body-shaming and judgment we force on each other and set people free to have fun with their fabulous bodies in the fabulous natural world.” Kate’s blog is no ordinary naturist blog that merely doles out some mix of personal opinions and helpful advice on how to enjoy a lifestyle in which nudity plays a central role.

    In the post linked here, from April, about five months after the first, Kate explains her dream. In her own words,
    “At the beginning of this summer [which, in New Zealand, begins in November] I had a dream of getting multiple people naked in nature together. I had a fantasy (in the most innocent, non-sexual way) of having a group of around a dozen people all get naked and leap in the water together. A fantasy of creating my own tribe of like-minded people. Of building a community of friends who share the same love of nature and freedom as me. I dreamed of being able to help others push their boundaries and experience some liberation.”

    That sounds a lot like the ambition of many naturist leaders over the past century. If there were no more to the dream, it would seem a bit hedonistic. But there’s a lot more to it. New Zealand is known for having one of the planet’s most open-minded and intelligent societies. The country is mainly two islands, and much of it is still in a fairly natural state – spectacularly so in many places. There are plenty of excellent beaches.

    According to the New Zealand Naturist Federation, “In New Zealand, it is legal to be naked in appropriate public places, such as beaches. It is not the lack of clothes that is the issue but the behaviour that goes with it. Nonetheless, while laws that specifically prohibit nudity and equate it with “indecent exposure” are rare, that should not be taken as an invitation to get naked “anytime, anyplace.””

    Kate’s ambition has been to put together a quality guidebook to as many as possible of the best natural places in the country where nudity is not only appropriate but clearly the ideal way to experience nature.

    During the past summer, Kate, together with her growing circle of friends, has acquired a wealth of raw material while exploring exactly those places. From that material, she aims to compose a guidebook specifically for adventuresome folks who want to experience nakedly the best that nature has to offer. She concludes:
    “We’ve had our summer of fun, frolicking hither and thither, meeting new people and going on great naked adventures. Now we have enough content to fill multiple books! Time to knuckle down and do the office work. This dream is just as scary for me, feels just as fantastical and unattainable. But if I have learnt anything in the last three months, I have learnt that dreams CAN become reality.”

    Let’s hope that by the time Kate’s guidebook comes out the worst of the current pandemic is over. Even if some degree of “social distancing” is still necessary, the outdoors is generally the safest place to be – especially anywhere that’s uncrowded enough for nudity to be not at all controversial.

  3. British Naturism Member Makes Headlines by Rowing the Atlantic
     

    The BN member is Julie Paillin, who was featured in a mainstream news article (link below) as a member of a team that’s “facing the severe endurance challenge of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. Julie is part of a team of four taking part in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. The team will be the first mixed quad to row the ocean and are doing so to raise money for several charities.” Evidently she won’t be the only one rowing nude, since “Like many of these endurance challenges, the team will be doing much of the rowing nude to reduce friction. As a naturist, this is of course second nature to Julie.”

    While the challenge seems daunting enough – even without the nudity aspect – all team members are amateurs, not professional competitors. But at least they will be in a type of boat that’s made such a trip a number of times. According to the news article, Julie “will be joined by a man and two women, who together hope to row a 28ft boat from the Canary Islands to Antigua… The amateur rowers are believed to be the first mixed team to ever complete the massive race.”

    News article: Naturist mum rows naked to prepare for 3,000-mile trek across the Atlantic

  4. Normalizing Nudity
     

    This is a guest post on the Write Nude blog by Fred (whose own blog is here). The main point is very simple, but can’t be repeated often enough:
    “The biggest problem in attempting to normalize nudity is the very secrecy nudists must engage in about their nudist activities. It is a self-reinforcing cycle. You’re hiding because you fear getting in “trouble” if you are “outed.” At the very same time, hiding reinforces the notion that what you are doing is nefarious. Others will say, “If you really felt the way you say, you wouldn’t be so secretive about it.””

    Fred’s point is absolutely correct. It echoes the ideas in the testimonial discussed above (Item 1). That is: naturists need to share with others what’s so great about naturism. This is also an aspect of Kate’s vision for her guidebook.

    Secrecy is the bane of naturism. Many naturists are very secretive about enjoying nudity socially – or even enjoying it occasionally by themselves. It’s the same problem as LGBTQ people faced in the past – and still do in most backward societies (and even with many people in societies that consider themselves less backward).

    There are two somewhat distinct adverse effects of the secrecy. First, as Fred points out, being secretive about having a positive attitude towards nudity and naturism causes other people to think there must be something wrong with it. The reasoning is that if the holder of the attitude didn’t agree with the wrongness on some level, the secretiveness would be unnecessary.

    Naturists can deal with that reasoning by pointing out that the assumed reason for secretiveness is mistaken. The actual reason is a legitimate fear of adverse effects on naturists due to the unjustified negative attitudes that society has towards nudity. Obviously, but unfortunately, naturists are reluctant to make that argument if they don’t think they can persuade others that the negative attitudes are unjustified. (For naturists who’re willing to try persuading anyone why the attitudes are unjustified I went into some detail in this post.)

    A second adverse effect of the secrecy is that society is simply unaware that positive attitudes towards nonsexual nudity and naturism are as prevalent as they actually are. Most people (at least in the U. S.) probably think that nudity and naturism are embraced by fewer than 1% of the population. Why? Simply, because of the secrecy, most people probably aren’t aware of any naturists among their acquaintances.

    Estimating fairly accurately the percentage of a given population having positive attitudes towards nudity and naturism is difficult. Some surveys suggest percentages much higher than 1%. In some European countries, like France and Germany, perhaps 20% or more of the population may occasionally, if not more often, strip off at clothing-optional beaches, get naked at public spas, visit naturist campgrounds or resorts, or simply enjoy nudity at home. The percentages in the U. S. and similar countries could be closer to 10%. But – because of the secrecy – who really knows?


  5. World Naked Gardening Day 2020
     

    WNGD 2020 (in the northern hemisphere) is already past – but that doesn’t mean being naked to do your gardening (if it’s something you enjoy) is no longer an option. If the location of your garden gives you enough privacy, you might as well always be naked while working there (weather permitting). Were you gardening naked on May 2 without objection from your neighbors? If so you can probably continue that way – without really needing the excuse that May 2 was the “official” day for it. (Unless you’re the sort of person who can dress in an unconventional way – just because you feel like it – only on Halloween.)

    Surprisingly, the idea for World Naked Gardening Day was actually conceived by a U. S. naturist – Mark Storey – and the first occurred in 2005. (Reference.) I actually wrote about it back then.

    The idea did spread worldwide – and it’s even observed in the southern hemisphere – although on a different day down there. (See this post.)

    For another take on WNGD, see this article by naturist Linda Weber – who also wrote a good article on her positive experiences at Haulover Beach, discussed here.


  6. Nude Online Meetups: The Next Step in Social Naturism?
    Here’s another take on how to enjoy social nudity during a pandemic – or anytime naked socializing is impractical – by interacting with other naturists using video conferencing with tools like Zoom. After some downbeat observations on earlier forms of online naturism, Nick & Lins get around to their account of their online meeting with Dan Carlson et al – which has already been covered here from Dan’s side. More on the general subject is here.

    Although Nick & Lins were skeptical at first, their interaction with the Carlsons seems to have changed their mind:
    “What we half expected to be an awkward fifteen minutes or so video chat with a guy who we hadn’t even met in person, turned out to be a fun evening filled with wine and great conversations. We got to meet Dan’s wife, their dog and Addie, a regular at the Carlsons and an occasional guest blogger on The Meandering Naturist blog.”

    What is it that makes video interaction much better than text-only conversations on naturist forums or social networking sites? Many things, such as:

    • Physical appearance of the participants. Not so much their physical attributes, but the way they present themselves through facial expressions, mannerisms, gestures, and other body language.
    • The tone of voice and speaking style of the participants.
    • The degree that participants respond appropriately with laughter, concern, or empathy to each others’ remarks.
    • How readily, thoughtfully, and coherently they contribute to the conversation.
    • How politely and respectfully participants interact with each other and avoid dominating the conversation.
    • Various other factors that reveal the unique personalities of each participant.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 5/10/20

  1. It’s ‘Work Naked Wednesday’!
    Yeah. Don’t we wish? Are there any enthusiastic naturists who haven’t at some time or other imagined being able to work naked at their regular job? Sadly, unless you work at a naturist resort or as a dancer at a strip club, or… well, there obviously are a few other jobs where clothes aren’t required. Back in the real world, however, working naked at your job requires being able to work from home – assuming others there are OK with that. Now, suddenly, many (if they’re fortunate to still be employed) are actually able to live that dream. Maybe you’re one of them!

    Apparently it was the British Naturism organization that decided – with tongue firmly in cheek – to officially designate every Wednesday as the appointed day for working naked. We may suppose that was, at minimum, a good idea for attracting attention to naturist ways of thinking. However, if you’re now working at home, at least for the present, why shouldn’t every day be good for working naked? One doesn’t need to be Albert Einstein or Winston Churchill (who, according to reports, actually did that) to figure this out.

    If you have friends you think might like the idea, feel free to invite them to join in. Even if few in fact take up the suggestion, it could lead to some “interesting” conversations. If nothing else, it gives you a way to let selected friends know how you feel about wearing clothes (or not). As a subsequent post at the British Naturism site observes, “At our events, we’re seeing a huge increase in friends booking together and people bringing members of their family. So, if you are in the workplace and want to embrace #WorkNakedWednesday, then go ahead and see who will join you.”

    More about this from the Irish Naturist Association

  2. Why I teach naked yoga
     

    Well, guess what? Here’s an actual, legal, real-world job that’s done wearing nothing – and gets paid for – with others watching! (Nude modeling for amateur and professional artists – and, of course, working at a naturist resort – are similar jobs.)

    Caroline, the yoga teacher who wrote the article explains,
    “I get asked a lot why I teach naked yoga and why I enjoy being naked. Very often it’s asked with a slight tone of disdain or incredulity. My answer – because it feels fun and exciting to be naked, because I feel better about my body when I’m naked, because I feel more connected to and more compassion for others when I am naked. The deeper reasons for why this is the case, I’m not acutely aware of. The fact that it feels good is reason enough for me.”

    It’s a perfectly adequate explanation for anyone who enjoys nudity – naturists especially. No further justification at all is needed. Nobody should feel embarrassed to admit this. But it’s also OK to mention other reasons, such as reduction of stress, improved body acceptance, and the pleasure of socializing naked with others.

  3. Strip Off For The Best Nude Beaches In The World
     

    Articles attempting to recommend the “best” examples of almost any category you might think of aren’t in short supply. This is especially true with regard to travel and vacation destinations. That makes sense, because people are always interested in experiencing something new (to them) and different. And few have the time and wherewithal to go out and make the comparisons themselves. Indeed, many of the articles of this sort you might come across are based mainly on the subjective experiences of the writers who may have sampled only a few of the alternatives – selected for who-knows-what reasons.

    These limitations certainly apply to recommendations for the “best” clothing-optional beaches around the world. It’s a difficult problem, especially, for nudity-friendly beaches. Many of them aren’t well-known outside of their local area – because regular users want to keep it that way. Too much popularity of any potential travel destination – let alone one where nudity is the norm – may well not be a great thing for the ambiance.

    And besides, who has been fortunate enough to sample most of the possibilities? But luckily, there’s a travel advisory organization named Globehunters that’s approached the task systematically. Their effort has already been noted here.

    This approach uses mostly objective factors such as average summer temperature, hours of sunshine, cost of accommodations, and a “safety” index. That’s instead of more subjective factors, such as friendliness of other beach users, scenic views, ease of access, and lack of gawkers. There are clearly both pros and cons of this approach, but at least it’s potentially able to cover a larger sample of beaches.

    Obviously, this year is not a good one for long-distance travel. But if you want to make travel plans for the future, the Globehunters’ list gives you a wide range of alternatives (45) to consider. Naturists will also want to investigate other clothing-optional opportunities in the general area of each alternative.


  4. Haulover Beach for the First Time: A Naturist Woman’s Perspective
     

    Linda W., a seasoned California naturist, writes about Haulover Beach in Miami, Florida, which she visited because it “came highly recommended by friends who ironically, were on an extended stay in Florida from the United Kingdom. They raved about what a nice beach it was.” The clothing-optional part of Haulover, of course, is one of the best and most well-known nude beaches in the U. S. It has many fine points, such as great climate, friendly naturist users, and an active support organization, on whose blog this article appeared. That blog and Linda’s article provide just about all the information anyone might want to learn about the beach.

    Although Linda writes from a “woman’s perspective” the message is basically that Haulover is a great, safe place for a woman (or anyone, really) to give naturism a good and carefree try. “It is a haven for people who want to enjoy a clothes-free relaxing day,” she writes, since “if there are unwarranted activities such as sex, drinking or drug use noted, people will say something.” In summary, “As a female naturist, I felt safe enough to walk the beach by myself without anyone hitting on me or making me feel uncomfortable.”

  5. The Nude Selfie Is Now High Art
    People who write for the New York Times tend not to be especially tuned in to naturist ways of thinking. And often not even to current social trends among people of the “Millennial” generation – let alone the “Gen Z” cohort. Thus the writer here begins:

    “[N]ude selfies have become one symbol of resilience, a refusal to let social distancing render us sexless. Nude selfies are no longer foreplay, a whetting of a lover’s appetite, but the whole meal. Though the debate about art versus pornography has never been settled, a case can be made that quarantine nude selfies are art. Some of us finally have time to make art, and this is the art we are making: carefully posed, cast in shadows, expertly filtered. These aren’t garish below-the-belt shots under fluorescent lighting, a half-used roll of toilet paper in the background. They are solicited or spontaneous. They are gifts to partners in separate quarantines, friends who aren’t exactly friends, unmet Hinge matches and exes.”

    We can’t know what’s actually on the mind of people nowadays who exchange naked pictures of themselves. Do they honestly think what they’re doing is art? (Although sometimes it is.) Or now, in this period of social distancing, are they just especially sex-starved and horny, regarding the exchange of naked selfies as simply an enhanced form of phone sex? (Not even considering the use of things like Zoom.)

    But why does this kind of activity need to be considered either “art” or sexual at all? In fact, ever since the advent of smartphones with cameras, it’s become much more common – among people of college-age or later (and many who are younger as well) – to exchange naked selfies as a way of saying “I like you and want to share some of myself with you in this way.” This is definitely not about dick pics and crotch shots – stuff like that is just plain rude and crude in most cases. For many people – how many is not knowable – it’s really much more like a naturist attitude: “There’s nothing wrong or embarrassing about nudity. It’s just fine to share nudity among friends.”

    To be perfectly clear, there certainly does need to be lots of caution associated with this activity – especially for young women or anyone who expects to go into a career such as politics or pre-college teaching. It shouldn’t be done without careful consideration of the circumstances. Especially in countries (and many U. S. states) that are backward and not really part of the modern world. People who exchange naked selfies need to ask themselves: “Would the consequences be devastating if my pictures went farther than I intended?”

    Already, after a couple of months of enforced isolation, younger people – at least those not in long-term, monogamous relationships – are becoming more relaxed about and accepting of the idea that sharing nudity with friends is a wholesome, salutary thing. Naturists should hope that this idea will persist long beyond the duration of the present unpleasantness.

  6. Naturist Lock Down Idea #2 – Read and Share Naturist Magazines
     

    Marc at the Nude & Happy blog is a maker of lists of ideas related to naturism, and the lastest offers ideas for how naturists can continue to enjoy their lifestyle even when (mostly) confined to home because of the pandemic. (Idea #4 briefly covers video chatting with other naturists.) Idea #2 reminds us that information about naturism isn’t available only online, but is also still available in the venerable printed magazine format. Indeed, there are a surprising number of such publications still, which is remarkable in itself, as many printed publications are either going to digital-only form or actually into extinction.

    Marc names ten periodicals. The majority are in English. (Every major English-speaking nation seems to have at least one of its own.) Two, however, are in French, and one is German. (Among those mentioned – there must be others.) There are pros and cons to both print and digital format. Digital is fine if all you want is to scan the articles, and perhaps read a few, on your computer or smartphone. But the printed form has definite advantages. Printed copies are better for taking with you to read at your favorite camp or beach, sharing with others, or leaving out on your coffee table to stimulate discussions about naturism with guests.

    You might be surprised how effective naturist magazines can be with open-minded people. I first became aware of, and interested in, naturism from just seeing a naturist magazine at a newsstand while in college, eons ago. Sadly, there are many fewer such newsstands today, and almost none (at least in the U. S.) dare to carry naturist publications.

    Why bother reading about naturism at all? Isn’t the whole point just being able to enjoy life without clothes when that’s possible and comfortable? Mark responds with 3 good points:

    1. “Nudity is an integral part of naturism but naturism cannot be limited to nudity. This means there are tons on topic that naturism can relate too: psychology, family, nature, well-being, health, food, etc.”
    2. “[T]he naturist movement has federations, clubs, and resorts. A magazine is a great opportunity to talk about them, promote them and explain the positive economic impact of naturism on local economies.”
    3. “[M]agazines are a great way to reach out to curious people, to new naturists who have questions about the lifestyle. They provide a wonderful way to make people aware about naturism, [and] its various benefits and locations.”

     

  7. Preserving Nudist History: An Interview with NaturistVintage – Part Two
     

    This is the second half of an interview with a collector of vintage naturist magazines – typically from the early days of naturism in the middle of the previous century. (The first part is here.) The collector’s great great grandfather was a prominent naturist back then, and his interest clearly percolated to later generations. The collector now has a popular account on Twitter: Naturist Vintage, where many scans of images and pages from vintage magazines are offered.

    Naturism (or nudism, as it used to be called) has changed considerably in recent decades, although much is still the same – the way being non-sexually naked can enhance a person’s life. These glimpses of naturist history give us some idea of both what has changed and what hasn’t. Interestingly, naturists back then seem, if anything, less inhibited, circumspect, or embarrassed about their nudity than naturists today. But maybe that’s because nudity then was confined to private homes and campgrounds, where prudish, judgmental people never ventured. None of these vintage magazines is still published (AFAIK).

    Two remarks from this part of the interview seemed particularly interesting to me. First, “I think it’s all the more important for people to be exposed to non-sexual nudity (pun intended). Being nude around other people and seeing other people nude, with all their beautiful imperfections, can demystify the body, which so often gets objectified in our culture.”

    That observation, I believe, can’t be emphasized nearly as much as it needs to be. It’s extremely important for people to see and become accustomed to seeing (non-sexual) nudity. By continuing to treat images of explicit – and I include full-frontal – nudity to be considered so taboo and controversial, a vicious circle is established. Because such nudity is so seldom seen, the idea is perpetuated that it shouldn’t be seen. Everyday nudity can never be considered normal if it’s (almost) never seen in a positive light. Seeing only the backsides of naked people isn’t enough. The implied message that people are (or should be) ashamed to be seen naked from the front is toxic for naturism.

    Just ask yourself this: If non-naturists cannot become accustomed to seeing full nudity, then why is it that many people still are able to enjoy – without apparent distress – sketching and painting nudes in art classes, mingling with naked people at clothing-optional beaches, or watching naked cyclists at World Naked Bike Rides? And yet explicit pictures of naked people like that are a problem? WTF?

    The second prescient remark from the interview is this: “[O]ne thing that amazes me about reading magazines from the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s is how much of the debate around nudism has not changed in the years since. Some of the issues they dealt with, such as maintaining a gender balance, or managing the understanding of non-nudists, are still in many ways the same.”

    Yes, quite a lot is still the same. But change for the better is possible and does happen sometimes. We do have World Naked Bike Rides now, naked bodypainting in New York’s Times Square, well-attended performances by naked magicians and comedians, naked theatrical productions, and a (small but increasing) number of naked yoga classes here and there.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 4/11/20

  1. Body painter turns naked models into classic works of art
    Body painting is an art form uniquely suited for appreciation by naturists, for obvious reasons. It’s something that’s been discussed here several times. Although anyone can paint in interesting ways on any cooperative naked model, considerable artistic talent is required for genuinely impressive results. That’s even more true for the subgenre where the art is intended to blend seamlessly into an existing painting or photo. The artist here, Trina Merry, is clearly a master at this. In fact, according to the article, Merry’s work is so highly regarded that she’s done some commissions for a price of more than $100,000.

    “Working with the human body is really beautiful, it has a personal connection that other artforms have a hard time accomplishing,” Merry says. Many more examples of her work can be found on her website and on Instagram. And here’s another article with additional examples.

  2. 10 Plus 1 Nudist Beaches in Greece
     

    In view of the legendary prevalence of nudity in ancient Greek athletics and art, it may come as a surprise to many that modern Greece isn’t especially known for its tolerance of naturism – unlike, say, nearby neighbor Croatia. Unfavorable attitudes in Greece towards naturism are especially surprising in view of the country’s benign climate and location with abundant coastline on the Mediterranean. The situation, however, is a little different on Greece’s numerous Mediterranean islands. Although the islands have no naturist resorts, there are a variety of beaches where clothing-optional use is possible. Some of those- such as on Mykonos and Crete – are well-known, but many more are little known except to local naturists.

    Greek naturists are, necessarily, somewhat secretive about their enjoyment of nudity, since (according to the article) “the unaccustomed villagers often looked down on the foreign to them habit.” Nevertheless, there are “over 80 official and unofficial nudist beaches” scattered among the islands. Yet “until recently, most of these beaches were secluded and hard to find. Usually locating a bare-all beach was (and still is to some respect) done by word of mouth. That way only those who really needed and wanted to know knew where to go.” The article here provides directions to 10 island beaches considered the best for skinny-dipping. And the 11th is actually close to Athens, on the mainland.

    Check here for one young woman’s rewarding and eye-opening experience at one Greek beach.

  3. GNA Magazine Signup!
     

    Most professional and scientific organizations have a long history of publishing respected periodicals in their field. In the past couple of decades almost all of these periodicals have also been provided in electronic as well as printed form – in some cases only in electronic form. Some national naturist organizations have more recently done likewise – British Naturism, the Federation of Canadian Naturists, and the American Association for Nude Recreation, for example. (Conspicuously, however, The Naturist Society has yet to follow suit.) In nearly all cases, it’s necessary to be a dues-paying organization member to access either printed or electronic versions of the publications. That makes sense, because it’s expensive to produce a reasonably high-quality publication in either form.

    There have also been a few attempts in the past several years to produce online naturist publications that are more like magazines than ordinary websites, sometimes for free and sometimes for a subscription fee. If successful, such publications would be like the nudist magazines of years ago that are discussed in the following article. But none seems to have caught on.

    Now, though, the people associated with Get Naked Australia (GNA) are making another attempt. Their magazine is delivered by email instead of on a website. And the first issue has already been distributed. Anyone can simply use the Signup page linked above to request a copy. It comes in the form of a PDF file, so nothing more than a standard PDF reader is required to view it. As a PDF file, it’s also easy to jump around from page to page, and even search for specific words and phrases (location names for instance). It can also be read on a smartphone or tablet. And at a total of 60 pages, it’s full of plenty of text and pictures. Best of all: it’s free.

    This magazine looks like a very professional job, so quite a lot of work must have gone into producing it – all done by volunteers, presumably. It will be somewhat amazing if this continues to be available in the present form – without any fees or even advertising. But we can hope. If it is successful, it could make naturism considerably more popular in Australia. An even better outcome would be if both the “Get Naked Australia” idea itself, as well as the magazine, could be duplicated in other countries, but that might be too much to hope for. It would be surprising – but most welcome – if existing naturists organizations could adopt this model for themselves. (Don’t hold your breath though.)

  4. Preserving Nudist History: An Interview with NaturistVintage – Part One
     

    The writer of this article explains: “NaturistVintage is a twitter account that concentrates on posting scans of nudist magazines and photographs. I wanted to learn why they did this.” So the article consists of an interesting Q&A with the account owner, who is an avid collector of vintage (roughly, before 1980) naturist publications.

    Anyone who’s discovered the wonders of naturism only recently is probably unaware of the long, but important, history of nudist/naturist magazines. That’s because few remain, mostly those of a small number of national naturist organizations. But at one time there may have been such magazines were a lot more numerous. They probably were the main way that people discovered naturism – in spite of the rather condescending or derogatory way it was usually portrayed in mass media (if it was discussed at all).

    Occasionally, before leaving home to go to college, I enjoyed the feeling of getting out of my clothes when nobody was around. But I had no idea that such a thing as nudism even existed until I chanced on a small pile of nudist magazines at a newsstand near my university. That was several decades ago, and I’ve often since regretted being too embarrassed to purchase any of those magazines.

    Somewhat later, when I was living where there were many more naturist opportunities, I was able to enjoy naturism for real. But-by that time most nudist/naturist publications had disappeared. If naturism hadn’t remained a long-delayed interest of mine, I quite possibly wouldn’t have discovered it at all. The current lack of anything like the early nudist/naturist magazines available to the general public is undoubtedly one reason that so few people these days – especially in the U. S. – have any idea of what naturism is really about.

    Even most newsstands that once carried nudist publications are now gone. Good naturist information certainly is now available on the Internet. But for people who may be curious about the subject, searching for accurate information about it is rather difficult, because porn sites have largely co-opted the terms “nudist” and “naturist” for themselves.

    There are now a small number of “libraries” in the U. S. that have collections of the old nudist/naturist publications. But essentially none of the material is online. The libraries are not really open to the general public anyhow, even if people were willing to travel hundreds of miles to visit them. At least, though, there are occasional articles, such as the one linked here, that offer a few tidbits of information on the history.

    In theory, it would be possible to digitally copy much of the material and make it available – except that the funds needed to do that are rather unlikely to appear. And it’s not clear whether the information about nudism/naturism as it existed decades ago would really be all that useful and relevant to naturism as it exists today around the world.

  5. Naturism in Thailand Shows Resilience Against COVID19
     

    There’s already been a discussion of naturism in Thailand here. It’s essentially the only Asian country with attractive destinations for naturists. In fact, there are at least 8 different options there – described in the article – for your clothing-optional pleasure. And in contrast to the situation in Greece, most of them are comfortable resort locations, not just out-of-the-way beaches.

    Yes, of course, because of COVID-19 the present time is pretty awful for a vacation just about anywhere. Thailand is, at present, only slightly affected by the pandemic – in sharp contrast with China and South Korea. But nobody can predict what conditions might be like by the time you can take a serious vacation, let alone are able to travel to the destination. So, at least, it’s good to know that the Naturist Association of Thailand has offered a “COVID-19 SAFETY PACKAGE”, which guarantees a full refund without penalties of any kind. The conditions include making the booking with the resort (not through an agency) no later than August 1, 2020, for a visit before the end of the year. Presumably, the refund covers any reason you can’t make the trip, including health problems in your family or cancellation of airline flights.


  6. British Naturism acquisition of Sunfolk: A bright future for Naturism
     

    From the article:
    “In a major new undertaking, British Naturism has taken over the land and property of The Sun-Folk Society. Not only does this secure the future of the Sunfolk site and its character as a popular naturist club, it will also present opportunities that we expect will form a central tool in the advancement of naturism in the years ahead. The property will in future be known as “British Naturism: Sunfolk”.”

    Sun-Folk’s website says the club “occupies a beautiful five-acre site between St Albans and Watford.” So it’s a pretty small operation. But according to BN, it’s “one of the oldest clubs in the UK, founded in 1931. Arguably it is the perfect representation of the origins of UK naturism.”

    The article’s not very clear about exactly what the relationship of British Naturism will be to this club. Evidently BN was able to purchase the land and facilities on the land. Did they purchase it outright, or take out a mortgage? Perhaps that doesn’t matter, but either way it’s an indication that BN is in good shape financially. BN apparently won’t actually operate the club, since the article says: “A question that might be asked is whether this means that British Naturism is now a campsite operator or a property developer, rather than a campaigning and community organisation. The answer is no.” Apparently the operation will be contracted to a third party. That’s smart, since BN probably has little expertise actually operating physical facilities.

    It’s an interesting business model. Any national organization that’s financially sound ought to be able to buy existing naturist properties whose owners want to sell and then contract out the actual operation, perhaps to a single company for more than one site. Indeed, it should be possible to purchase guest houses, campgrounds, and small resorts that aren’t currently clothing-optional to transition them for naturist use. That’s assuming, of course, the properties are in locations that aren’t too expensive yet have many naturists in the general area – or a lot of tourist traffic. As the population density in the UK is much higher than in the U. S., this might be more difficult in the latter country. But it could work in states like Arizona or Florida with robust travel and hospitality industries.

  7. You CAN Ask That: A nudist lays it all bare
     

    This is from a website of the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC). It’s a telephone Q&A interview with an Australian naturist. But not just any naturist. The interviewee is “Jessa”, who’s “a nudist, a naked yoga instructor, and she runs a blog called The Nude Blogger.”

    Although Jessa was interviewed remotely via phone, the link did allow her to appear on TV – uncensored, in fact. She was quite pleased about that, remarking “I’ve seen myself naked on TV before so it wasn’t too much of a shock for me. I love the fact that it was uncensored. I think that’s super refreshing, so that was pretty fun.” She wasn’t embarrassed at all: “I personally am nude in front of people so often – I’m a naked yoga instructor – so I don’t personally feel embarrassed or anything.” And after all, there are plenty of naked pictures of herself on her blog. Undoubtedly, few naturists are as comfortable with their nudity as Jessa – but they should be, at least among friends and family, even if not on TV.

    Many of the questions Jessa was asked are just what most naturists would expect – rather banal. But one of Jessa’s responses was exactly on point, something all naturists should emphasize: “what I’m trying to do is normalise nudity so it’s not seen as such a sexual thing because I’m around a lot of men and women and we’re all socialising nude and it’s definitely not a sexual thing.” The only way for nudity to become considered “normal” is to make very clear that it is, in suitable circumstances, just another reasonable choice of attire: NBD – no big deal. We simply need to explain that wearing nothing is merely what feels most comfortable to us at certain times, and anyone who respects us should respect our preference for this, just as we respect the clothing preferences of others.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 3/23/20

  1. Cyclists get nude for safety’s sake
    On Sunday, March 8 there was a World Naked Bike Ride in Byron Bay, Australia – just one of many in the southern hemisphere on or near that date. (More are noted below.) Byron Bay is a smallish beachside town (pop. ~9200) on the eastern coast of Australia, 772 km north of Sydney and 165 km south of Brisbane (480 and 103 miles, respectively). With several fine beaches and a very moderate climate – average summer highs about 28°C (82°F) and average winter highs about 19°C (66°F) – Byron Bay is the quintessential beach/surf town.

    Not surprisingly, it’s also an ideal place for naturism – especially since part of one of the local beaches (Tyagarah Beach) is clothing-optional. There’s even a local naturist association: Byron Naturists. Because of the town’s tolerant attitude towards naturism, it’s also not surprising that the local WNBR usually gets quite a good turnout. According to the article, “Fine weather on Sunday saw 180 odd people don their Birthday Suits for a spin around Byron on Sunday.” (Was “odd” meant as a double-entendre?)

    There’s something especially interesting about photos in this article. Did you notice it? Right: there’s full-frontal nudity that hasn’t been blurred or pixelated at all. A number of other similarly “explicit” pictures accompany the online article. The article is on the website of The Byron Shire Echo – the local free weekly independent tabloid newspaper. It’s exceedingly rare for print/web media aimed at the general public to exert no censorship of such nudity. Naturists can at least hope this is part of a trend to making nudity more “normal”.

    New Zealand: Nudists bare all for environment and body positivity
    This ride had about 80 participants in Golden Bay, New Zealand, which is near the northern tip of the South Island.

    South Africa: Bottoms up — Cape Town celebrates Naked Bike Ride
    There are no figures on the number of participants in the ride, which was held on Saturday, March 7.

  2. Staying safe… and naked
     

    I think Marc has said it just about right:
    “If by the time you read this post you are not convinced the COVID-19, a.k.a. coronavirus, is a dangerous thing, well stop reading this article and go read the papers and view the videos on the WHO site. This virus is changing the world as we know it and it may be doing so even when humanity has contained and reversed the virus threat. Like any other human beings, nudists and naturists can play a role in stopping the spread of the virus, while remaining naked and continuing promoting our lifestyle.”

    Is it possible there’s anyone alive and conscious (and not still in diapers) now who isn’t quite aware of the COVID-19 pandemic? Probably very few. But this is a naturist blog, so we’ll keep discussing naturism, for the most part. You surely know much better places to keep informed about the pandemic. And if you’re confined to your home, you can’t spend all your time worrying about the bad stuff. So set aside at least a little time to enjoy being naked – and thinking about your plans for when this eventually is over. Just do all you can to be still in good health by then.

    We know the possibilities for naturist activities will be limited severely during the next several months. But that doesn’t mean naturism must be forgotten about entirely. “This too shall pass.” In the meantime, you can think about spending even more time naked in your own home – especially if you’re temporarily unemployed. Sure, that really sucks. But you’ll probably find that just being naked will cheer you up – especially as warmer days are not far off (in the northern hemisphere). And if you’re still employed and working from home – you can finally work naked.

    Keep in mind that there are still some very good opportunities for enjoying naturism with negligible exposure to the virus – if you’re careful. For example: naked hiking and naked camping.


  3. Comedians Bare It All At ImprovBoston’s Naked Comedy Showcase
    Given that The Naked Comedy Showcase “has been running for nearly 15 years”, and (at least recently) on the first Thursday of every month, it seems to have received very little media attention, and is hardly ever mentioned even in naturist publications. This is still more surprising, since the show takes place at a theater in Cambridge’s Central Square – a short walk from MIT and a slightly longer walk from Harvard.

    It’s not a show put on by rank amateurs either. The venue is for comedians experienced in stand-up comedy – who also see value in the nudity. According to the article, “Naked Comedy shows regular people’s bodies, moving in nonsexual ways. That’s what Kendra Dawsey, a comic who’s done the showcase a handful of times, likes about it. “I should be allowed to have my body in its natural state in a nonsexual context,” she says. Performing in the showcase provides her with that opportunity.” Unlike the Naked Magicians, doing a striptease throughout the show, performers are naked the whole time. Certainly a very naturist attitude.

    Amateurs – audience members in fact – are invited to perform too. “There’s even an opportunity for audience participation: [Andy] Ofiesh [who originated the event] invites audience members to walk up to the stage, undress behind the curtain, and tell a naked joke onstage.”

  4. More “best” nude beaches
     

    It seems as though every country that has a nude beach ranked among the top 45 in the world wants to brag about it. That’s fine with me.

    Portugal: Algarve home to two of world’s best “holiday destination for nudists”
    Portugal is well-located on the coast just west of Spain, so it has almost as much coast on the Atlantic as Spain, despite having only about 18% of the land area. So historically Portugal has been intimately connected with the sea. During the 15th and 16th centuries it actually had the first global empire. Today tourism is one of the largest segments of its economy, with about 20 million foreign tourists per year. Two of its clothing-optional beaches (Ilha Deserta and Praia das Adegas) were ranked in the top 10, being 3rd and 6th, respectively. Check here for information about those two beaches – and many others where nudity is possible.

    Croatia: Croatia has some of the best nudist beaches in the world – find out where
    Croatia actually outshines Portugal in terms of exceptional nude beaches, having two in the top five: Punta Križ beach (#2) and Sovinje beach (#4). The first is near the northern end of the country, while the second is in the center. Both are considerably north of Dubrovnik, in the southern end of the country. Of course, Croatia has a long history with naturism – although that’s little known outside of Europe. In addition to the beaches, Croatia has some large naturist campgrounds. You can check here for much more about Croatian naturism.

  5. You can now eat Sunday roast in the nude
     

    Naked dining events may no longer be possible as long as COVID-19 is a huge problem. But this one was scheduled for March 1, so (as far as I know) it actually occurred. British Naturism once again puts U. S. naturist organizations to shame by arranging events like this. Some local or regional naturists organizations in the U. S. may occasionally arrange naked dining events, but I haven’t seen any publicity for such things arranged by either of the national organizations (except, perhaps, in connection with larger gatherings they have).

    The event in question here was held at a pub in the Bloomsbury district of London. According to the article, the meal featured “all the usual delights, including meat, vegetables and gravy.” So the food was evidently the standard British stuff – and only the nudity made it special. Attendees, however, were “also invited to join in on a naked swim before dinner.” Apparently, staff personnel working at such events have no problems doing so, since according to the event organizer, “the staff at places where we hold our events are happy to have us back.”

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 3/11/20


     

  1. Best Beach Holidays for Nudists
    Although summer is still about 3 months away in the northern hemisphere, travel services are already eager to use any incentive they can think of to stimulate travel in this current environment of pandemic fears. Even nude beach vacations. Naturists, of course, need little extra incentive, if they’re willing to travel at all. But perhaps even non-naturists might consider the possibility, as an alternative to long-distance air travel or that deluxe cruise they’d been thinking of. Many of the top-rated beaches are in southern Europe – Spain, Portugal, and Croatia, especially – but also some in France and Greece. Unfortunately for U. S. naturists, only 3 of the top-rated 45 beaches are in the U. S. – the same number as Canada. There’s a lesson in that – perhaps the U. S. travel industry is clueless about the potential of naturism to improve profitability.

    Here’s an article, based on the preceding one, that singles out the top 18 beaches: The 18 best beaches in the world where you can be naked. And here are some UK aticles about local beaches from the main list: Dorset beach named as one of world’s top nudist destinations, Devon nudist beach named one of the best in the world, A nudist beach in the South West has been named one of the best in the world, Studland beach is named as one of the world’s top nudist destinations

  2. Nakation couple bare all as rising trend of naked holidays go mainstream
     

    The article claims, with some slight exaggeration, that “From naked cruises, nude hikes and nude beaches to luxury accommodation where you walk around in the buff, nakations are taking the world by storm.” If only that were so! Interestingly, the article appeared in a South African media outlet. There is, in fact, some interest in naturism in that country. SunEden is probably the leading naturist resort, and a travel company, Amatungulu Tours offers a variety of “tour options for amazing nudist vacations”. As the article says, “in South Africa, it’s even possible to go on a nude safari.” That might be a bit more exciting than walking naked with llamas (see next article).

    It’s not clear that the ugly neologism “nakation” is the best way to promote clothing-optional vacations, but nevertheless there does seem to be increasing mainstream interest in the idea – at least outside of the U. S. To be honest, except perhaps for Florida, the best “nakation” opportunities are in Europe and a small number of other countries, including Brazil and Thailand, as well as South Africa. The “nakation couple” (Nick de Corte and Lins van Wambeke) who were interviewed for the article observe that “Most resorts are near Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. Some tour companies now offer nude safaris.”

  3. You can go naked walking with llamas just one hour from Kent
     

    In case you’ve run out of ideas for new things to try doing naked, you might consider walking with llamas. Not in Peru or somewhere like that. It can be done at a “llama park” less than 65 km south of London. The event is scheduled for June 11. Once again, this opportunity has been organized by British Naturism – surely one of the most helpful naturist organizations in the world. They understand that naturists want to do many more things naked besides just getting an all-over tan by the pool.

  4. Your Body is not a crime!
     

    If you’re into fine art nude photography, you really should check out the Model Society – if you don’t already know about it. Their website describes their purpose: “Model Society is dedicated to restoring human beauty to its rightful place as a true work of art.” Among the offerings at the website are: a Community, where models, photographers, and artists can connect and collaborate; a Magazine, which “features the best figurative fine art in the world”; and an Academy, which provides eductional resources for models, photographers, and artists.

    The link at the start of this entry contains a video showcasing some of the best work of Society members. It was, of course, censored by various social platforms, but is here shown uncensored. Naturists can wholeheartedly agree with the text accompanying the video that explains the problem:
    “It is not just Facebook. This is the society that we live in. This is the climate of judgment and shame that you encounter when you share images of human nudity as art. It’s punishable for you to share images from classic works of art or a figure drawing class or even a mother breastfeeding her child. Censorship on Facebook is just a reflection of the bigger battle you face when you draw, paint or photograph a naked human being. We do not create this body of nude art to shock, offend, or arouse a mindless lust. We create so that all of us may come to see our shared humanity as a miraculous work of art.”

  5. Campus in Ohio boasts 17-year streak of naked dashes
     

    The article is about Denison University in Ohio. Organized (and tolerated) streaking has been going on there for 17 years. Only 13 students participated in the first run of the week, according to the article, but on the final run of the week more than 50 were expected to join in. At Denison the event is part of “Naked Week”, which is (ostensibly) “a student celebration of body positivity and for raising awareness about eating disorders.” The article doesn’t mention any other planned naked activities. Although most students were just observers, those who did participate were enthusiastic about the experience. “It’s the most fun time that you can have with your clothes off but in front of 200 people,” one streaker reported.

    College streaking has a long history. According to this article, it dates back at least to 1804. Other schools that have had streaks at some time or other include the University of Michigan and the University of California at Santa Cruz. Another article mentions 7 schools where streaking is allegedly “an organized sport.” Denison is one of them, along with Dartmouth, Williams, and Reed. A third article mentions several more, including Swarthmore and Harvard. A few other schools have had annual streaking events, including Princeton, whose events attracted hundreds of participants and occurred for almost 25 years. Sadly, with tuition costs being what they are today and the pressure on students to perform academically in order to have any hope of finding a decent job, streaking seems now to be generally considered a frivolity lacking the same audacious cachet it may once have had.

  6. 22 Amazing cities to join a World Naked Bike Ride in 2020
     

    As usual, Nick and Lins know where in the world some of the best clothing-optional opportunities can be found. There’s general WNBR information in the article, and lots more on the official site and on Wikipedia. Actually, there are many more than 22 rides – the ones listed are just those with the most participants. Scores of other cities on 5 continents (all except Antarctica and – unsurprisingly – Asia) also have rides. Most can be found listed at the official site. And if you can’t find one nearby, you can organize one yourself – if you’re willing to work at it. Most of the events are in the northern hemisphere during the summer there. But Australia, S. America, and Africa also have WNBRs. In some places with sufficiently mild climates, there may be several events in the same city every year.

    Perhaps as an indication of enthusiasm for clothesfree activities in the UK, that country was awarded “The Naked Wanderings 2020 Prize for Country of the World Naked Bike Ride.” The article notes that “there isn’t another country in the world that will organize so many naked bike rides in the summer of 2020. … If you happen to be in the UK in June and July, you’ll get the chance to cycle nude pretty much every weekend.” Just about all of the events are now officially approved, with full nudity generally acceptable (although how much there is varies from place to place). This is a noteworthy example of normalized public nudity.

  7. A snowy hot springs where clothing is optional after dark
     

    There’s a certain allure to being naked outdoors in a chilly, snow-encrusted environment during the wintertime – provided you can spend the time soaking in 40°C H2O – especially in a natural hot spring. Strawberry Park Hot Springs is only about a 15-minute drive from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. By all means, call ahead to check on the local weather conditions and whether there’s available parking. In fact, read the Springs’ website carefully, since there’s a lot you need to be aware of (no dogs allowed, for instance). Unfortunately, clothing-optional bathing is allowed only after dark, when “children” under 18 are not allowed in the water. (Remember, this is in the U. S. – the so-called “land of the free” (except when nudity is involved) and the “home of the brave” (except for being terrified of letting kids see any adult nudity)).

  8. Hot springs in Colorado: Ghost town home to luxury
     

    If clothing-optional is your passion, Dunton Hot Springs could be a better choice than Strawberry Park. However, it appears to be rather upscale – i. e. expensive. There seem to be no restrictions on either nudity (in the springs) or youngsters. The setting, especially during the winter, is at least as spectacular. Dunton is a former mining town – abandoned long ago, but whose cabins and public buildings have been restored to the status of a rustic but luxurious resort. There are different locations to enjoy the water, at a variety of temperatures.

    The same source has a list of 16 of Colorado’s most sizzling hot springs – some of which are clothing-optional.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 2/29/20

  1. The Joys of Living Naked
    Dan, of The Meandering Naturist, found the recent New York Times article – which I discussed here – to be problematical in several ways, even though it presented a generally postive picture of naturism. Like Dan, I though the article was somewhat shallow and superficial. While having positive articles about naturism in prestigious mainstream media is a good thing, it’s obvious that non-naturist reporters generally don’t quite really grok what naturism is about. Naturism isn’t only about senior citizens who go about their daily lives naked in resorts that cater to them. That doesn’t quite get to why it is that people want to do such a strange thing.

    Dan wonders “whether a media splash like this actually helps or hurts the naturist cause.” He wishes (as I do) that the article had broadened the topic to explain the Joys of Living Naked. He notes that it wasn’t necessary to go to Florida to learn about the naturist lifestyle, because there are naturists right in New York City “who embrace the clothing-optional lifestyle, but not just on vacation or in retirement, but on a typical Sunday morning when the apartment is warm enough to be naked at home, even in December, and clothing is simply an option that isn’t necessary.” It’s just not necessary to go to a Florida resort to enjoy living naked, because nudity is enjoyable even in one’s own home.

    We can all, like Dan, welcome “the seemingly growing trend amidst the general public as related to the tolerance of social nudity” – as evidenced by the Times article. It’s encouraging that there’s even “a photo of a fully nude woman – from the backside – working in the kitchen” – which suggests “we’ve all finally agreed that the nation’s children will not be harmed by the incidental sighting of unadorned buttocks.” Well, maybe readers of the Times, at least, are enlightened enough to get that.

    Dan argues that naturists themselves, and the resorts they frequent, aren’t helping naturism by being “at least inadvertently, self-deprecating if not outright ridiculing themselves,” because they “simply can’t seem to resist nomenclature, sign-posts, and newsletter headlines that actually perpetuate the idea that ‘You naked people are all a little crazy’.” Sure, being lighthearted about one’s enthusiasms, instead of overly earnest about them, is OK – but going too far with that can backfire and give the wrong impression. Naturism isn’t a weird eccentricity or crotchet, but it’s not a solemn religion either. There are aficionados of many things – sports, physical fitness, computer games, etc. – who may veer too far in either direction, and naturists can do the same. But avoiding either extreme is probably the best way to go. Living naked is an enjoyable lifestyle – no more, perhaps, but no less.

    So much for the philosophy of naturism. Dan concludes with several very good points about how best to start living naked. Here’s the list (but go read the article for the details):

    • Talk to your neighbors
    • Be an advocate
    • Understand your windows
    • Landscaping and sight-lines
    • The wood burning stove
    • Pareo or sauna towel
    • Display nude artwork
    • Naked gourmet dining
    • And what about the WNBR?

     
    I’ll be posting another article soon with some similar suggestions for enjoying a naked lifestyle – and at the same time normalizing nudity.

  2. Constructive Ways to Celebrate and Promote Nudism
     

    Here’s another voice supporting the idea of normalizing nudity: “Lately, we have been happy to see the hashtags #normalizenudism and #normalizenaturism going around social media.” Probably almost everyone who’s read this far will agree with the idea. But it will take more than that to make it actually happen. So this article adds six more suggestions about how to do that.

    • Lobby your local government for nude beaches & other naked places
      While the goal is certainly important, this may put the cart before the horse. To be successful in the effort, there needs to be plenty of support in your community for designating nude beaches and naked places. And that probably means first convincing many in the community that nudity should be considered normal. How? Other suggestions here would be good places to start.

    • Come out to your family and friends
      Absolutely. These are the first people who need to be persuaded that nudity is good. Watch here for much more about that.

    • Take a stand against anti-nudity policies
      This is another cart before the horse. Official policies won’t change unless there’s community support for that. However, individual naturists should be supported publicly if they’re unfairly treated because of, for example, unreasonable complaints from neighbors.

    • Support nudist networks and businesses
      If you’re fortunate enough to have naturist-friendly businesses in your area, you should certainly support them. If “networks” refers to regional or national organizations, they should be supported too – if they can, in return, support local naturists. Being active in online naturist groups will help individual naturists support each other and naturism in general.

    • Stop shaming others
      Be careful how you deal with naturists who may have personal values different from yours. Shaming should be reserved only for people who link non-naturist values to naturism or behave unlawfully in ways inconsistent with naturism.

    • Share your first-time stories
      Assuming you are “out” as a naturist, why stop with only the first-time stories? Don’t hesitate to let others know of all the enjoyable naturist things you do. Yes, most people feel a little awkward the first time they’re naked “in public”, so it’s good to let anyone who might be interested in naturism know that’s a very temporary problem. But also tell about how much can be enjoyed after becoming comfortable with nudity.

     

  3. British Naturism books out Hollywood Bowl in Ashford for naked session
     

    The news is that “The British Naturism (BN) has organised a social event in Ashford for its naked members.” British naturists are very fortunate to have a national organization that actually arranges for many local naturist events around the country. Naturists in the U. S. and other countries should be so lucky.

    Wait, what? Bowling??? Isn’t that something that went out of fashion, oh, 20 or 30 years ago? Well, yes, perhaps to some extent. But people – including naturists – still do it. Just stop to think about it for a moment. Bowling, despite its stodgy image, is an almost ideal activity for naturists. Bowling alleys (those still in business) are private (when reserved for naturists) and (usually) have comfortable temperatures regardless of the weather outdoors. The activity is generally very social, and individuals can concentrate on their own performance, instead of trying to defeat an opponent or win a competition (as in tennis and many other sports). Best of all, success in bowling depends more on skill than on strength, speed, or endurance – so people without exceptional physical gifts can do well. If naturists live somewhere there’s an alley nearby and they can get a sufficiently large group to rent the facility for a few hours, a bowling party could be a fun naturist activity at any time of the year.

    More details: here

  4. Naked bathers want to ‘piggyback’ on Wild Atlantic Way’s success
     

    Nudity on certain public beaches in Ireland has actually been legal only since 2017. Yet many beaches in Cork County have been used discreetly by naturist for years. According to a spokesperson for the Irish Naturist Association, “West Cork boasts several beaches that have been attracting naturists for decades.” As I noted here, Ireland is rapidly becoming a good place for naturism.

    The “Wild Atlantic Way” (WAW) “is a tourism trail on the west coast, and on parts of the north and south coasts, of Ireland.” The spokesperson is calling for “providing signage and officially recognising many of the secluded ‘unofficial’ nudist beaches dotted along the region’s coast” – along the WAW route. The hope is that, given recognition, naturist usage of the beaches will become “very normal very quickly”, and consequently, naturists “will spend time and money in these areas.” Arguments like this should be effective in promoting naturist destinations elsewhere. This has definitely happened with Blind Creek Beach in St. Lucie County, Florida.

  5. I Went to a Nude Beach With a Friend, and We Loved It
     

    This is a pretty good first-time story. James, whose story this is, certainly had the right attitude: “Beach days are hard to beat. You are lying in the warm sunshine, have sand between your toes, and can hear the sound of waves crashing. What could be better, right? Maybe . . . going naked?” He invited his friend, Nicole, to go with him to check out Black’s Beach while he was visiting San Diego. Neither of them had been to a nude beach before, but they “were excited to see what it was all about.” Not surprisingly, for first-timers, James says that once on the beach, “it was very awkward for the first 20 minutes or so.” But after that, he dropped his “shorts, and ran straight into the ocean. Nicole quickly followed, and within minutes, it just wasn’t weird anymore.” Most readers who’ve tried it know that’s usually how it goes – if they get naked at all. Unfortunately, most non-naturists find this truth hard to believe.

  6. Albemarle Co. yoga studio to host another nude class
     

    Charlottesville, a smallish city located in Albemarle County, Virginia is a college town, home of the University of Virginia, and the county population is about 150,000, so it’s not especially surprising that there are more than a dozen yoga studios in the area. However, only one of them, apparently, offers nude yoga sessions – the Elements Yoga Studio. Unfortunately, the sessions aren’t coed. There was a session for women in February, which “turned into a sold out event earlier in the month,” according to the article. A session for men was held on February 29, according to the studio’s calendar, and another one for women is scheduled for March 13.

    “The body-positive yoga allowed women to step into a safe, judgement-free [sic] space where they were free to take off as much clothing as they felt comfortable with,” the article says. So the class is actually just clothing-optional. There’s no information on how many opted to be naked. It’s a good thing, at least, that the option is available – even only once a month. Perhaps interest in nude activities will grow as more people have the opportunity to experience them.

    More: here

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 2/19/20

  1. Dining unclad de rigeur at Zipolite’s annual nudist festival
    Although there are some food-related stories below, this isn’t really one of them. Zipolite is a popular clothing-optional beach in Mexico on the Pacific Ocean coast south of Mexico City. This is the fifth year of an annual and very popular naturist festival on the beach. This year’s attendance was about 6000. The beach has had clothing-optional use since at least the 1950s, but has only recently become much better known outside the local area.

    Since many attendees spend much of their time on the beach, they often eat there too – but that’s only in addition to a variety of other common beach activities. For instance, volleyball, body painting, musical performances, yoga, or simply sunbathing. Since the beach is only about 15° north of the Equator, temperatures in January-February are quite comfortable – in the 80s (F).

    More: Everything You Need to Know before Visiting the Zipolite Nudist Festival 2020, The Zipolite Nudist Festival 2020: Our Experience

  2. Florida bill would make it legal to be naked at a nude beach
     

    Under section 800.03 of Florida’s legal code “exposure of sexual organs” is illegal in public or if visible from someone else’s property if it’s done in a “vulgar or indecent manner”. It’s also illegal simply to be “naked” in public “except in any place provided or set apart for that purpose”. However, both of these provisions are somewhat vague, especially in case of simply being naked on a beach that’s traditionally “clothing-optional”. And what about exposure of female breasts?

    In particular, there are several beaches in Florida that have long been popular with naturists, including Haulover Beach in Miami, and portions of Apollo and Playalinda beaches in the Canaveral National Seashore. And a new clothing-optional beach has just been approved near Fort Pierce (as noted here). It’s not entirely clear that those locations have officially been “set apart for that purpose”. This new legislation would take care of the ambiguities – if it becomes law, which isn’t a foregone conclusion. The bill would expressly allow being “naked in public … including, but not limited to, clothing-optional beaches.”

    The bill could well become law, since Florida is slowly waking up to the benefits to its tourist industry of people interested in clothing-optional recreation. Given the prevalence of many naturist resorts around the state, local tourist bureaus may want to attract naturists to their own clothing-optional places. (The article is also here.)

  3. Nude beach quietly routine at Volusia’s southern tip
    The beach in question is the aforementioned Apollo Beach in the Canaveral National Seashore. (There’s an unincorporated place of the same name on the opposite side of the state, which should not be confused with the actual beach.) Clothing-optional use is traditional only in the southern portion, adjacent to parking lot #5. Unfortunately, the parking lot has only 35 parking places, and it fills up early on any day with decent weather. (There’s sometimes a similar problem with parking lot #13 at Playalinda Beach, adjacent to the clothing-optional section.)

    The small parking lot is a problem, since it’s a 2-mile hike to the next parking lot to the north – especially if you need to carry much, like beach chairs or a cooler. Of course, if you’re not alone, you can drop companions and gear off, then go back to park. Still it’s a hassle, especially since the lagoon on the side of the road opposite the ocean is quaintly named Mosquito Lagoon, and appropriately so. Fortunately, the beach itself at lot #5 is not only clothing-optional but also less popular with the mosquitoes.

    According to the article, regulars at the clothing-optional part of Apollo Beach are a fairly laid-back bunch. They’re not all naturists, but they have relaxed attitudes towards nudity, and are generally content to share the beach with others, whether or not they’re naked. One beach regular, who doesn’t get naked, was quoted remarking “Some people get naked, other people don’t, and everyone gets along.” If only the same level of tolerance prevailed in many other places…

  4. Top 10 U.S. Nude Beaches
     

    Articles like this appear periodically in widespread sources (at least in the western half of the world). Usually these are found in media having a general readership. But this one is on a naturist resort’s website – DeAnza Springs in southern California. Even so, all places mentioned are actual beaches, not resorts, and are open for public use (with at most small charges for parking). Another list, which includes 5 U. S. beaches and 5 in other countries, was discussed here. (The 5 U. S. beaches are also in the present article.)

    Some of the beaches mentioned, such as Haulover, are frequently included in lists of best clothing-optional beaches worldwide, but others probably wouldn’t qualify. The actual criteria for inclusion of beaches here aren’t stated. Perhaps it’s mainly popularity, which would be related to convenience of access (certainly one important criterion). However, Black’s Beach is notoriously difficult to reach, as it requires steep climbs down and up tall cliffs just behind the beach. The reviews would have been better if they’d included more information on the convenience factor – things like distance from population centers, physical ease of access, typical climate, etc. Instead, there’s often more about the history of the beach, which isn’t necessarily useful for potential visitors.

    In one case (“San Gregorio Private Beach”) the information given is confusing. San Gregorio State Beach is part of the State Park system, and as such is not clothing-optional. But there’s an excellent large beach adjacent to the north that is clothing-optional. It’s “private” in the sense that the parking area is on private land and not always open. The beach description, however, clearly describes the State Park beach. What a shame the description here isn’t better. The history of San Gregorio is actually relevant, since it’s regarded as the oldest established clothing-optional beach in the U. S. The location of the beach isn’t fortuitous, because it was selected in 1966 by a few young people from San Francisco’s nascent hippie culture as the most suitable beach for skinnydipping after scouting many locations not too far from the city.

  5. Public speaker and The English Cream Tea Company boss Jane Malyon gives a talk at a Bournemouth hotel to 180 naturists
     

    The article is an account by the speaker, Jane Malyon, about the talk she gave in January to a naturist group (which wasn’t named) that was spending the weekend at a hotel (also not named) in Bournemouth (UK). What’s interesting about this article is how it treats as something quite normal a talk given by a public speaker to a large group of naturists. Jane was fully informed beforehand to expect the audience to be completely naked, and evidently she wasn’t fazed at all by the prospect. Not even, according to her report, when “immediately upon entering the hotel, I was surrounded by lovely, smiling, friendly people, all of whom were totally stark naked.”

    To some extent, her reaction wasn’t too surprising. Jane describes herself as “a professional speaker and author, and an expert on the history and etiquette of afternoon teas, appearing regularly on TV and radio.” She’s also a managing director of a company in the UK “afternoon tea” business. So she’s paid to do these talks promoting somewhat of a niche industry. Why, after all, pass up another good opportunity to talk about something she loves merely because the audience comprises “people who have no clothes on. Absolutely nothing.” She was even “advised that my own clothing would be optional.” Evidently she didn’t immediately dismiss the idea, but eventually declined based on advice from her agent, on the basis that there would be a photographer.

    The balance of the article has only laudatory things to say about the naturist audience and the overall experience. She “didn’t find the nakedness in front of me particularly off-putting, though perhaps a little surreal.” However, she does observe that “the majority of attendees at this event were middle-aged or older.” Still, one has to wonder whether her invitation to speak might have perhaps been less likely if the group were mainly younger and less interested in the “afternoon tea” business.


  6. The Joy of Cooking Naked
     

    On one hand, it’s generally a positive thing when naturism gets attention from such a thoroughly mainstream organ as the New York Times. Articles like this can help by exploding prevalent misunderstandings about naturism, such as the notion that it’s all about sex or swinging. On the other hand, in the process of doing that articles haul out trite bromides such as “don’t cook bacon while you’re naked”. So while dissing some common clichés they fall back on promoting others. Give it up, eh? Naturism can really be understood only by trying it, not just reading about it. Sort of an acquired taste, you might say (if you want to play on the culinary metaphor). Keep that in mind when discussing naturism with your friends.

    The subtext in this article is that naturism has some “special” relationship with cooking and eating. Actually, what’s probably going on is that the writer had to stress the food connection so the article could enliven the Times’s food section. The truth, of course, is that not only cooking and eating but almost anything that people take pleasure in can also be enjoyed naked. And besides, you might get naked to use a swimming pool or spa, and then get dressed afterward. If you’re not usually naked at home, there’d be little reason to get naked for cooking and eating. But if you are usually naked, you’d probably stay naked at mealtimes. Still, there is a connection, tenuous though it may be, between naturism and food, because some early forms of naturism also embraced vegetarianism. But that’s not much of a thread to hang a story on. Vegetarianism is certainly a valid choice, but these days the preferences of naturists with respect to food are as varied as among most other types of people.

    The naturist element of the article focuses on life in Florida’s Lake Como Family Nudist Resort. Presenting the stories of various long-time habitué’s there – often in their own words – allows for highlighting some of the unique aspects of naturist lifestyles. In particular, sharing meals together informally or having more orchestrated dinner parties has always been especially popular with naturists – because it’s a natural justification for getting together naked with others. Just about everyone likes to eat, whereas not everyone cares a lot for board games, dancing, jigsaw puzzles, or what-have-you. Sharing food together is as old as humans and even their ancestral species. Those prehistoric folks were probably naked, too, as least in the warmer climes.

    Having decent restaurants is a must for upscale naturist clubs and resorts. More recently there have been attempts to start clothing-optional restaurants as a business. One-off events of that type often sell out long in advance. Unfortunately, however, such things have had rather little commercial success. Even the mainstream restaurant business is very hard to break into. With a much smaller potential customer base, business is even harder for naturist restaurants. That’s not necessarily such a bad thing for naturists, though. Socializing in a familiar, comfortable space with others who share an unorthodox lifestyle – is bound to be more satisfying than what’s possible in restaurants full of strangers.

  7. Inside the World of Nudist Cooking
     

    This is basically a concise summary of the New York Times article above. But it makes the most important points much more succinctly:
    “There are millions of nudists in America, and because they are people, they do many of the same things other people do — they just do them naked. As revealed in a recent New York Times feature detailing the lives of the naked residents of the Lake Como Family Nudist Resort in Lutz, Florida, this roster of otherwise normal tasks and activities nudists happen to perform naked includes cooking, because why wouldn’t it?”

  8. Food in the nude: Switzerland to get its first naked restaurant
     

    Despite the immense difficulties of making a restaurant for naturists into a sustainable business, hope (seemingly) springs eternal. According to reported plans, the establishment will be called “Edelweiss Basel – Nudisten Lounge” and will open at the end of February. Patrons will be able to leave their clothes in a cloakroom, although anyone not brave enough to be naked can keep their underwear on. (Ewwwww. Seriously?) And waiters will be naked. If this isn’t somebody’s idea of a joke, we can certainly hope this one does better than the O’Naturel in Paris. Switzerland isn’t exactly noted as a popular place for naturism – although naked performance art has been done publicly in the streets of Zurich.

  9. Look Ma! No Hands!
     

    Fred is a southern California naturist who enjoys a wide spectrum of naturist activities – most of which aren’t confined to private naturists resorts. The annual “Bare to Breakers” run in San Francisco in May is one of his favorites. He has a whole post about it here. But that’s not all. Mainly he simply enjoys nudity, either alone or with others:
    “I just enjoy being nude. Period. Don’t need an excuse for it. Have no interest in rationalizing it. I enjoy it alone. I enjoy it socially. I enjoy it if I’m the only one nude and I enjoy it just as much if everyone is nude. I enjoy it up on a stage doing improv in front of a hundred complete strangers or in a living room with a couple of friends or alone on the trail miles from anywhere.”

    He notes that “nude public events have become much more common.” “Bare to Breakers” is just the informal name used by naturists who run or walk naked in the official Bay to Breakers event. But there are a number of similar examples where public nudity is allowed, some also in San Francisco. Additionally, there are also World Naked Bike Rides in many cities around the world, Seattle’s Fremont Solstice Parade, Spencer Tunick “installations”, political protests of many sorts, body painting events, public naked performance art events, and occasional naked museum tours (see below).

    A more novel type of event with public nudity is do-it-yourself theatrical projects as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, which can involve nudity and which Fred is planning to do, as he describes here, here, and here. Another Fringe Festival event with plentiful nudity was a production of the play DISROBED, which was reported on here.

    Fred also enjoys nude hiking, and his blog contains a number of reports of these treks. He summarizes his naturist interests thusly:
    “As far as nudie activities go, I prefer to get off the reservation. Resorts can easily turn into expanded closets. They can become well-appointed ghettoes if you let them. Trips to hot springs, hiking in the wild, camping in remote places, parties, public events, that’s where I’ll find my space. I am not a big fan of highly regulated environments.”

  10. Australian museum opens its doors to an exhibition aimed at nudists
     

    This article appeared on the Brazilian Os Naturistas site (without a link to the original), so it’s in Portuguese. But translations into other languages are available by selecting the flag of the country whose language is closest to yours.

    Although the linked article is recent, it apparently describes an event in January 2018 at the National Gallery of Australia. A better, contemporary account is here. 120 people who wished to be naked for the tour got tickets to attend. According to the article “The event was held around his hyper-realistic exhibition exploring the human figure through a series of sculptures and paintings.” So much of the artwork on display involved nudity. Some of it was so “hyper-realistic” – as in the picture – that it’s difficult to distinguish the attendees from the art. There’s a video at the link that conveys the best impression of the event, even though the nudity of the attendees (but not the art) was censored.

    The National Gallery has had naked events before, for example a 2015 event described here, here, here, here, here. and here.

    Twitter link

  11. Japan’s naked art of body positivity
     

    For almost all practical purposes, naturism doesn’t exist in Asia (except for Thailand). In Japan, however, there is a bizarre kind of pseudo-naturism. That is, full nudity – but only (for the most part) in rigidly gender-segregated facilities. The Asian mind is, as usual, inscrutable to westerners.

    Naturists may not be especially excited about Japan as a travel destination, but it’s at least worth noting a couple of things. First, there are two types of public bathing facilities where nudity is required. There are the well-known onsens, which are natural hot springs. Since these are located near volcanically active areas, they’re usually far from urban centers. There’s also another type of public bathing facility known as a sento. Since these heat water from the local water system, they may be found almost anywhere. Second, since onsens are mostly in unurbanized areas, they provide a much more “natural” experience and are a bit more likely not to require gender segregation. In either case, however, note that Japan, being what it is, has many unbreakable customs and rules which must be observed. In addition to many rules of proper etiquette for using any bathing facility, there are other “gotchas”, such as a strong Japanese prejudice against tattoos anywhere on the body.

    Much more information: here, here, here

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 2/1/20

  1. What to Pack for a Nudist Resort
    The convenience of needing to pack almost nothing in the way of clothing is one of the chief benefits of vacationing at a clothing-optional resort – as long as you plan to spend all your time there. But this article in fodors.com (a site that knows a bit about vacations) suggests a few things that would be nice to bring instead of clothes. Naturists shouldn’t be put off by the fact that the resort mentioned is somewhat outside the ambit of standard naturism, because the suggestions are still pertinent.

    In addition to good sunscreen and a hat for protection from the sun, it would be wise to invest in really good sunglasses, since glare from any nearby water can be rather annoying as well as bad for your eyes. There’s other good advice in the article, but perhaps also a few more things to consider. Since you won’t have pockets, you might bring a small backpack or fanny pack to carry things like keys, money, sunscreen, reading material, and a cell phone (if allowed). In particular, another item to have with you is a water bottle – dehydration can be a serious problem if you’re in the sun a lot. If you tend to burn easily, you might also bring a small kitchen timer, so you can avoid dozing off for too long, especially if you don’t want to wear a watch.

    Here’s an older article with some additional ideas. Insect repellant is certainly a good idea in most places, although it depends on knowing the types of insects you may encounter. You may also want to bring one or two sarongs (sometimes known as “pareos”) – in case your destination requires wearing a little something in certain locations, such as a restaurant, or if you want to leave the resort briefly. If nothing else, a sarong is a good substitute for a towel when sitting somewhere.

  2. The ‘dangerous’ consequence of Facebook’s stance on nudity
    It certainly is complicated. Any naturist who uses Facebook (or its subsidiary, Instagram) is surely aware of the absurd intolerance of the platform for photos containing specific aspects of nudity (the pubic area and female nipples, especially). Naked political lies are entirely OK – but not naked people. It’s not mainly about the antagonism towards nudity in so many cultures. That’s easily handled with location-based restrictions, since the physical location of users at any time is usually known to Facebook. Just because nudity is especially verboten in terrible nudity-hating countries doesn’t mean the whole world needs to suffer because of the backwardness of such places. Many of these shithole countries are already moving to censor or disconnect from the global Internet anyhow – if they haven’t already.

    Another excuse for the censorship is concern about exposure of minors to nudity. Simple age restrictions (as used by YouTube and other sites) could deal with that. But even in that case, as discussed previously, there are very good reasons why children need not be shielded from nonsexual nudity. The actual reason for Facebook’s censorship policies has little to do with any of that. What it’s really all about is the $$$s that might be lost because advertisers are so squeamish about nudity. The fact that Facebook has such a near-monopoly on worldwide social media is actually a stronger rather than weaker reason why its blanket censorship of nudity is so odious.

    More: Do naked bodies belong on Facebook? Tech giant struggles with changing ‘vague and unevenly enforced’ rules over nudity and body art without suppressing freedom of speech

  3. 10 Questions You Always Wanted To Ask a Nude Art Model
     

    Nude life modeling has already been discussed here several times (e. g. here, here). It’s a prefect topic for naturists, since it is one of the few instances when live nudity in front of many observers has long been considered not only acceptable but actually valuable – much before nudity on a theater stage, for instance. Many people, however, including some naturists, naturally wonder what the experience is like for the model. But questioning him or her about that might be embarrassing for either or both the questioner or the model. So this article is very helpful.

    In this case, the model is actually from a country that’s rather conservative about nudity – India. Indeed, she “was extremely hesitant at first”, as most people might suppose – even though she was drawn to the idea because her mother, grandmother, and sister also did nude modeling. “In fact, even when I modelled for the very first time, I cried for hours before,” she admits. Nevertheless, “after that, I got comfortable with it. I forgot all my inhibitions, and now it doesn’t bother me at all.” Naturists are quite familiar with that. It’s really too bad that most people can’t understand how that works. Nudity can be quite normal! Interestingly, though, she avoids nudity in other parts of her life. “My family,” she says “has no idea I do this. The day my husband finds out, he will divorce me.” So she lies to him about it. After all, India is where she lives. But most naturists anywhere probably understand.


     

  4. The Naked Magicians to strip away stereotypes in Lakeland show
     

    Speaking of being naked in front of many observers, here’s another example. This time it’s a performance by naked magicians. Well, why not? A few comedians, singers, monologists – as well as dramatic actors – have also performed naked on stage. But this is just another way to normalize nudity. Your maiden aunt or evangelical preacher might not go for it, but who knows? Maybe they would. Sure, audiences probably tend to include more open-minded sorts of people. (And Lakeland, Florida is near many naturist resorts.) However, the two naked magicians described have performed in more than 250 cities around the world since 2013. And to prove they don’t need sleeves (or any other distracting clothes) “their attire disappears until the men are literally performing in their proverbial birthday suits.”

    More: ‘The Naked Magicians’ can charm audiences with or without clothes


     

  5. Naked artists in Serbia breathing life into damaged art scene
     

    It’s called “performance art”, and it’s a little different from what the naked magicians do, because the performance is conceptual instead of the more traditional sort of performance by a comedian or magician. Serbia is a country that was devastated by war just two decades ago, and it’s taken some time for the country’s art world to recover. Now a number of performance artists are participating in a retrospective in honor of Marina Abramović, a pioneer of performance art and a native of Serbia.

    In the picture above, Aleks Zain is performing his interpretation of Abramović’s piece called “Freeing The Body” – something naturists especially should appreciate. Aleks, a transgender man, “is naked apart from a tightly wrapped scarf covering the head… The performance continues until the dancer falls to the ground, exhausted.”
     

    Another Abramović piece called “Imponderabilia” is performed by Andreja Kargacin, who is a 20-year-old published novelist, theater student, visual artist, and dancer, whose “real passion is performance art”. In the piece, Andreja and another performer stand facing each other, completely naked in a narrow corridor. To reach the rest of the museum, attendees (clothed) must squeeze between the two. If that idea sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because Imponderabilia has been performed a number of times. I recently wrote about it here.

    Performance art doesn’t necessarily involve nudity. However, because it is intended to make viewers think deeply about what they see, nudity is certainly one way to make that happen. I really should write more about these artists sometime. But here are a couple more examples. Unfortunately, a still picture doesn’t convey much of the meaning of an actual performance – not anymore than a still picture of a dance performance.
     

    Carolee Schneemann: “Interior Scroll”

    Karen Finley


  6. Naturists: Cork could be Ireland’s ‘nude capital’
    Many people are probably surprised that there are now lessened restrictions on public nudity in Ireland – similar to those in the UK. It’s now generally legal unless it causes “distress” to someone. That makes it possible for the existence of a number of de facto legal clothing-optional beaches in the country. How could this happen, given Ireland’s reputation for being under the thumb of a domineering Catholic Church? That’s a good question. However, the country has made same-sex marriage legal since 2015, and abortion since 2018. Clearly, somehow Ireland has managed recently to emerge from the dark ages. Naturists in most of the U. S. should be envious.

    The article is based mostly on information from an Irish Naturist Association spokesperson. He talks about the general virtues of naturism, and especially about the popularity of private naturist swims in leisure centers and naturist beaches in County Cork. (It probably helps that Cork is at the southern tip of the country.) Cork now has at least five such beaches. Although none are officially designated as clothing-optional, there are few problems, and the beaches could be even more popular and a benefit for the tourist industry if signage were provided to warn people who’re “offended” by nudity.
    More: Naturists calling for politicians to make Cork the ‘nude capital’ of Ireland

  7. Naked cleaners wanted by Irish company
    Although Ireland (except for Northern Ireland) has been independent of the UK since 1919, it seems to have many similarities to the UK in social matters. The two countries are alike not only in the legal status of public nudity, but also in the popularity (limited though it may be) of businesses offering to provide professional naked house cleaners. The company getting into that business is Naked Cleaners Ireland. Apparently the business isn’t quite up and running yet. They’re now advertising for male or female job applicants, offering (albeit somewhat coyly) pay rates from €30 to €50 per hour (about US$33 to US$55). Is Naked Cleaners Ireland a legitimate naturist business? Hard to say at this point. One does wonder why all the female models in their ads wear cheesy outfits and high heels. It would be nice if their website specified the guidelines for the behavior of workers and customers alike.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 1/25/20


  1. Forget ‘lewd behaviour’ – is being naked around your own kids good for them?
     
    The answer: “Probably it is!” To be more specific, according to the article, “Seeing a parent naked can help children learn what real bodies look like and better understand consent and boundaries.” An important part of every child’s education should be the “facts of life”.  And the best way to do that properly should assume that children will understand best if they’ve often seen others – of differing ages and sexes – in the family naked. That should ensure they know the names (and colloquial terms) for important body parts, and realize that there’s nothing “wrong” or “nasty” about a naked body – even though normal bodies can vary greatly in appearance. In particular, how a naked body looks shouldn’t be a source of shame or embarrassment for anyone.

    Of course, it’s also important to point out that “boundaries” should be respected, and that there are many people who are sensitive or even embarrassed about their bodies. In fact, in the presence of nudity, it’s straightforward to explain exactly what boundaries should be observed and when consent is necessary.

    This issue is now front and center because of a stupid decision by a local judge in Utah – one of the most backward, prudish states in the U. S. It was held that a mother could be prosecuted under an “indecency” law simply because, in their own home, her pre-teen sons happened to see her uncovered breasts. The mother, quite reasonably, believed it was good for her sons to see nonsexual partial female nudity. So, quite absurdly, naturism in a private home could be prosecuted as a crime, even if the only non-adult children present are family members – at least in Utah.

    One of the stupid things about the judge’s decision was agreeing with prosecutors that “lewdness is commonly understood to include women’s breasts in American society”. That’s possibly true in a theocratic state like Utah, which is an extreme case. Yet in states that are more representative of the country as a whole, like New York, simple exposure of female breasts – even in public, let alone in private – isn’t illegal. During the summer in NYC many women go topfree in Central Park, Times Square, and elsewhere. The case in Utah doesn’t even involve full nudity – which would apply equally to men and women. Was the fact that there were children involved relevant? According to this report, there were three kids – ages 9 through 13 at the time. How many boys of that age haven’t seen bare female breasts, at least in pictures, and have been hurt in any way if they have?

    To add to the absurdity of this judicial decision, last September a Federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the 10th district (which includes Utah), struck down a Colorado city’s ban on women exposing their breasts, even in public. And many states don’t consider even full nudity to be “lewd” if the behavior isn’t intended to offend others. So much for the Utah judge’s opinion about how commonly female toplessness is understood to be “lewd”.

    The biggest obstacle to the growth of naturism is the passing along from parents to children at a very early age the ridiculous idea that almost all nudity is inherently “wrong”, “indecent”, “lewd”, or “obscene”. And that nonsense is based on the false belief that seeing nonsexual adult nudity is “harmful” to children – the exact opposite of the truth. Naturists need to strongly oppose this nonsense. In order for naturism and nonsexual nudity to continue becoming socially acceptable, they need to be recognized as perfectly normal and harmless choices for individuals and families. Of course, children shouldn’t be forced to be naked if it’s uncomfortable for them. The best way for nudity to become normalized is for parents, from the beginning, to make clear that nonsexual nudity by family members in their home is always acceptable, at least as long as anyone who might be uncomfortable with nudity isn’t present.

    In this article there is more about the judge’s reasoning. It’s basically that the Utah law is about “lewdness” in front of children, which applies to both men and women. The law, however, also requires either “intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires” or knowing that the behavior would cause “affront or alarm”. Neither of those conditions seems to apply in the current case, so the defendant should be acquitted at trial – especially considering the harshness of the possible penalties. However, this interpretation is still very threatening for naturists, as all the criteria are highly subjective – especially the idea that exposed female breasts are inherently “lewd”, even though male breasts aren’t. That latter point was key to the Colorado decision that such laws allowed unconstitutional discrimination against women.

    The state of Utah is highly dependent on tourism. But there’s hardly any reason to go there, except for the spectacular desert scenery. Everyone – not only naturists – ought to boycott Utah because of its laws that flout gender equality.


  2. Call for naked art classes to benefit children in UK schools
     

    This article goes into more detail why it should be considered healthy for children to observe naked bodies – both male and female. It should be clear that drawing classes using live naked models are a fine way to normalize nudity and foster acceptance of it, while also helping youngsters develop their artistic skills and aesthetic senses.

    The idea is that this will help “improve body image issues caused by social media”.
    “Artists want models to disrobe for young people and display the unfiltered human form, counteracting distortions of shape, size, and normality young people receive online.”

    Some of the points made in favor of the proposal include:

    • Sketching naked men and women should be part of a balanced curriculum, and primary school students are more open to nudity than adults made prudish by socially ingrained taboos or judgemental by presumptions about what a body should look like.
    • Life drawing can educate children in bodily realities before they are influenced by the “nonsense we see on social media”.
    • Children become more accepting of what they are looking at – especially when concentrating on accurately reproducing what they see – whether the bodies are old, overweight, or hairy.
    • When somebody appears naked before others they are just human beings. That counteracts prejudices as to how a body should look. It’s great for body positivity and acceptance.
    • The naked human form is not inherently sexual, and life drawing is mistakenly seen as lewd.
    • Children can handle drawing nudes without hang-ups – unless they’ve already been affected by cultural prejudices, and early introduction to nudity can offset acquired prejudices.

     
    These points are strikingly similar to arguments in favor of naturism itself. In opposition to the proposal, this article, contains many comments such as: “children will ‘sneer and giggle’ at naked bodies at a young age”; children 9 years old “have no contemplation yet on body image”; “Put a naked man and woman in front of a class they would be laughing their heads off. You only have to mention a body part and they’re off”. People who say such things should just ask themselves where those reactions come from. They might then realize it’s due to the corrupting influences children have already been exposed to from prejudiced older children and adults – who themselves acquired the attitudes in the same way. Positive experiences of nudity – like seeing nudity in a child’s own family or drawing nude models – are needed to better inform opinions of the human body.

    More: Life Drawing for Schools,
    Advocates have a suggestion on how to use art classes to promote body positivity

  3. 5 Naturist YouTube Channels You Really Want to Follow in 2020
     

    Yes, YouTube does actually allow some nudity now in uploaded material. But, of course, it’s also classified as “Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines)”. This is even though most of the material (at least what would be of interest to naturists) is non-sexual. And a lot of it is self-censored in various ways besides. The glaring problem here is that young people – at least of school age – are exactly the audience that should be able to view non-sexual nudity in order to form a much healthier attitude towards it. Which is the main point of the preceding articles here. The whole reason for such stupid guidelines is that parents insist on it, because they themselves are victims of our society’s egregious misunderstanding of nudity. The nonsense is passed from generation to generation like an inherited disease.

    Naturists certainly will want to check out the video channels recommended in this article. One problem for English speakers, however, is that three of the five channels are mainly or entirely in other languages (French, Spanish, and Portuguese). Even so, naturists who are able to travel far from home can glean much about opportunities in other countries in spite of the language barrier. And people who already enjoy social nudity might want to recommend the videos to their open-minded relatives and friends who’d be interested in learning more about naturism – in the privacy of their own homes. For better or worse, people don’t read much these days and are far more likely to absorb information from visual media.

    There are two other options to check out. Vimeo, which is a competitor of YouTube, is actually more welcoming of naturist material. And you can do searches in both YouTube and Vimeo for topics of naturist interest, such as “body painting”, “nude art”, and “naturist information”. In particular, many naturist/nudist resorts offer videos that can give you a good idea of what type of facilities and activities the resort has to offer. A number of national naturist organizations have similar information on what’s available in their country.

  4. 21 Nude Festivals and Nudist Events in 2020
     

    The same source that provides the recommended YouTube channels also offers information on 21 naturist-friendly events around the world. Anyone who’s fortunate enough to have sufficient time and financial wherewithal could spend most of the year attending one event after another. By my count only six of the events are exclusively in North America (including Mexico and Canada). Three more are in Great Britain – which is impressive, and fortunate for those who reside there. Five of the rest that occur in just one place are in Europe, and there’s one each from South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. There are also three that are celebrated in many places around the globe – such as World Naked Bike Rides, World Naked Gardening Day, and International Nude Day.

    However, the list is far from exhaustive. In the U. S., for example, both national organizations have several “gatherings” and meetings around the country. Large nudist resorts have events such as clothing-optional music festivals, 5K and 10K naked runs, other sporting events (e. g. volleyball), and so on. For naturists whose main experience is with home or beach nudity, it could be a very good idea to check out nearby naturist/nudist resorts for special events where non-members and first-timers are especially welcome.

  5. Watch these naked skiers get waist deep in Canadian powder
     

    This isn’t a “real” event, but rather a segment of a promotional movie called “Vallhalla”, which was created for Dynafit (a sportswear company), Powder Magazine (for skiers), and Whitewater Ski Resort (in British Columbia, Canada). The skiers are all professional athletes – which should be obvious from the video. All of them – male and female – are naked in this clip. It’s not clear whether the nudity was integral to the storyline or was mainly to get attention. Perhaps it’s both. In any case, the visuals are very impressive. The clip is also available on YouTube and Vimeo.

    One has to admire the fortitude, as well as the skill, of those appearing in the nude scenes, given that the outdoor temperatures were in the 20s (°F). This item is not actually “recent”, having been out for over 5 years. However, somehow it showed up in a news feed, and it certainly illustrates how nudity can be effectively normalized, albeit not for naturist purposes. It might be described by the current buzzphrase “cultural appropriation” – meaning something appropriated by members of a dominant culture from a minority culture. But it’s difficult in this case to see how this couldn’t confer some acceptability on nonsexual nudity, even if unintentionally. Skiers, of course, love the sport for the thrills, so it’s not surprising that some actually do ski naked occasionally.

    More: These pro skiers took to the hills naked for their latest shoot


  6. St. Lucie County could be a step closer to having official nude beach
     

    St. Lucie County is on the southeast coast of Florida. Its largest city, Fort Pierce, is about 130 miles north of Miami. That’s more than a 2-hour drive to Miami’s well-known Haulover clothing-optional beach. The clothing-optional beaches in the Canaveral National Seashore are about the same distance to the north. So naturists near Fort Pierce understandably want a more convenient “official” clothing-optional beach of their own. (The numerous naturist resorts of Pasco County are mostly even farther away, and aren’t adjacent to saltwater beaches.) The chances now seem pretty good that Fort Pierce naturists will be getting their own official nude beach: Blind Creek Beach. According to a local naturist, there’s been nudity on it for at least 50 years. It seems that the local county commissioners consider having an official nude beach to be a desirable tourist attraction, so there’s general local support for the idea. The main hindrance in the past hasn’t been local opposition but simply funding for needed sanitation facilities.