Tag: British naturism

Newsworthy Nudity, 2022 -2

  1. The History Of Nudism (1/5/22)

    Gary Mussel, who’s been an activist for naturism and an official of various naturist organizations, offers a birds-eye view of the history of naturism. Open, unproblematic nudity has occurred frequently in human societies as long as humans have existed, especially in regions with mild climates. Occasional open nudity wasn’t unusual even in various more “modern” urban societies until a couple thousand years ago. Even within the past 100 years or so, bathing naked in rivers, lakes, and the ocean wasn’t unusual (at least for males). But, of course, historical trends such as urbanization and religious dogmatism gradually stigmatized nudity.

    However, trends may eventually reverse when extremes are reached. In Europe, the “Romantic” writers lamented the increasing alienation of humans from the natural world. In the U.S., somewhat later, writers like Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau echoed those sentiments. Finally in Germany in 1894 Heinrich Pudor (using the pseudonym Heinrich Scham) openly advocated for naturism in a short tract entitled Naked People. It was optimistically subtitled “A triumph-shout of the future”. 9 years later, the first known nudist park, Freilichtpark, was opened in Germany by Paul Zimmerman.

    After the First World War, nudism caught on in Germany, and (partly thanks to German tourists) in France later in the 1920s. Spielplatz opened in England in 1929 – and has operated continuously since then. Mussell traces the further evolution of nudism (and naturism) in the U.S. thanks to people like Kurt Barthel, Bernard MacFadden, and (especially) Ilsley Boone. Boone took over Barthel’s American League for Physical Culture in 1931 and renamed it The American Sunbathing Association. He also bought an existing property, Sunshine Park, in 1935 and located the ASA office there.

    Boone was quite a controversial figure. He lost control of the ASA in 1951, and in 1994 it was renamed The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR). The bulk of Mussell’s historical account goes into many details of the history of nudism/naturism in the U.S. in Boone’s time up to (almost) the present day.

    Unfortunately, as Mussell writes, “At AANR, there has been a steady decline in membership over the past decade from a 50,000 peak in 1998 to under 30,000 in 2015.” The number of affiliated clubs has also dropped from a peak of 270 to about 180 currently. Mussell suggests, however, that “even as the number of “card-carrying” nudists may be getting smaller and grayer, nude recreation continues to grow as more people choose clothes-free vacations.” Naturists need to work harder to ensure this isn’t just wishful thinking.

  2. Spielplatz Naturist Club: The secrets of the famous nudist resort hidden in Hertfordshire (1/14/22)

    Spielplatz, the British nudist club mentioned above, was established in 1929 by Charles Macaskie and his wife Dorothy near the village of Bricket Wood, about a 40-minute drive from central London. Although it covers only 12 acres, it has about 50 full-time residents and admits naturist visitors during the summer season. Although originally situated in a wooded area, there’s now a small suburban area east of it, and another naturist park, British Naturism’s Sunfolk, next door to the south. Spielplatz is the oldest surviving naturist place in England, and the only one having full-time residents.

    The Macaskie’s daughter, Iseult Richardson, inherited the property and managed it until passing it on to her daughter, Beverly Kelly, Spielplatz’s current manager. The place has been a naturist park the entire time. Iseult’s autobiography, No Shadows Fall: The Story of Spielplatz, provides a very personal account of the park’s history. Iseult was born into nudism in 1932 and remained an enthusiast her whole life.

    Spielplatz means “play place” in German, and there are many children’s playgrounds so named in Germany. Macaskie intended it to refer to somewhere people could live and enjoy recreation while completely naked. (Related articles here, here, here, here, here, here, here)

  3. A naked history of 100 years of naturism (3/25/22)

    Despite its longevity, Spielplatz wasn’t the first nudist park in England. According to this history, that honor belongs to a club called Sunbeam, founded 5 years earlier in 1924. It was located near the town of Wickford, about 35 miles east of London. The “English Gymnosophical Society”, organized in 1922, needed a place for their members to enjoy naturism without fear of legal hassles. Although this was more than two decades after naturism appeared in Germany, Brits were more reticent than less inhibited Teutons. But then, even in France, naturism didn’t gain much interest until the latter half of the 1920s. (France then had stricter laws against public nudity than Germany, and in fact still does.)

    “Gymnosophy” was a more “polite” term for nudism – although it was based on the ancient Greek “γυμνός”, which simply meant naked. The initial name of the new club was the “Moonella Group”, supposedly a name associated with the owner of the land where the club met. Sunbeam soon replaced the earlier name to avoid inane puns. Much of the club’s history is unclear, but here’s a very good article based on later research. Apparently, the original location of the club was in use for only two years. Outside of Germany, it seems naturism didn’t really get much traction until after 1930 – when it got started even in the U.S. (by Kurt Barthel and other German expatriates).

  4. Nudist Friends: Why you should want them, and why you should be them. (2/13/22)

    If you often enjoy being naked, at least when it’s possible, then before long you’ll probably want to be naked not just when you’re alone. Maybe that’s possible even when certain others are around – hopefully with some family members, or at least a significant other. But also, you may have friends who don’t seem to mind seeing you naked. Even then, you may be unsure they’re actually comfortable with your nudity, but simply being tolerant. The best case, of course, would be having friends who also enjoy being naked. So that’s an obvious reason to want friends like that, even if they don’t actually consider themselves naturists.

    With naturist friends, you can enjoy naked activities like camping, hiking, sports, parties, or just watching movies together. But will only one or two naturist friends be enough? They may not always be available when you want to go skinny-dipping, or perhaps none live close enough to visit with often. In general, the more naturist friends you have the better.

    The good news is that every naturist friend you have, even if it’s only one or two, can help you find others. Your naturist friends probably know other naturists you’ve never met – so they can introduce you. Even if they don’t know other naturists you haven’t met they may have friends or relatives who aren’t naturists but know one or more other naturists. I’ve written in detail about how this works. Here’s a shorter article with good suggestions. And here’s another article of mine on the same subject.

  5. 10 Ways Naturism Is a Healthy Lifestyle (2/4/22)

    When you’re discussing naturism with others who don’t quite understand what you like so much about being naked, it’s handy to have a few plausible reasons to offer. Out of this list of 10 reasons, these are two of the best.

    • Feeling comfortable in your own skin
      There’s more to it than simply feeling comfortable wearing nothing. It not only feels good, but there are measurable psychological benefits. Keon West of Goldsmiths’ College, University of London conducted experiments with groups of strangers who volunteered to be naked together. He found that “people who regularly participated in group nudist activities were more satisfied with their lives and content with their bodies, but he also found that such overall satisfaction was increased the more frequently these activities occurred! It seems the more often people strip down together, the more comfortable they feel with themselves.” I’ve noted more about that here.

    • That Feeling of Becoming One with Nature
      The point is that “there’s no better way to re-establish a strong connection to the natural world than through nudist recreation. It’s a beautiful sensation to have the warm sun and a light breeze accentuate your nudity as you traipse along a backwoods trail or open stretch of beach.” Here’s a video where New Zealand naturists talk about he idea.

  6. Toasted buns: A first-timer on why you should go naked this summer (1/12/22)

    People who haven’t tried naturism or even considered it generally enjoy the pleasure of nudity, at least when alone. As one New Zealander thinking about naturism remarked, “I like being naked. Who doesn’t? … there’s an innate sense of freedom and joy that comes with being starkers.” But actually going naked when strangers can see you is almost always scary – even if the others are naturists and used to nudity. But people who haven’t been raised in a naturist family have probably been taught that exposing too much to others just isn’t OK.

    A young New Zealander relates how she and a friend decided to be brave and try going naked on a local clothing-optional beach. Having a friend along helps with needed self-confidence, even if the friend doesn’t get naked. The result: both became comfortable being naked fairly soon. Although not all nude beaches (or other naturist environments) are devoid of people who don’t know proper naturist behavior, the best way to find out is to visit them. If the atmosphere doesn’t seem right, then just leave without getting naked. If all seems OK after surveying the situation, the best advice is just “Try it, you’ll like it!”

  7. Women in Nudism: Are You Hesitant? (3/25/22)

    After a few years of the Me-too movement, women are generally more hesitant about getting into naturism than at any other time in the past half-century. And they certainly have good reasons for that. Even aside from Me-too, the writer of this article, Kelly, explains, “As a woman, being nude in general used to be hard for me considering all the hang-ups I used to have over my body.” But even after getting beyond that, “Once I started to get comfortable in my own skin, I was still on the fence about nudity out in public.” Kelly also cites “A layer of insecurity that was built upon years of ingesting all forms of media with women who had perfectly curated bodies – all the things in all the right places and no flaw in sight.”

    However, after dealing with all that, gathering together enough courage and actually visiting a naturist location like a nude beach, the result is: “That first time, and every time since then, when I get nude at the beach, the world doesn’t stop. The people around me just carry on with their lives, you’re just another nude body amongst a sea of people embracing themselves – flaws and all. People of all shapes and sizes boldly deciding to not be a prisoner to cultural programming that makes nudity out to be a sin, hyper-sexual, or something only reserved for people with movie screen bodies.”

    Kelly then offers several pieces of advice that include: (1) Experience being naked at home; (2) Invite an open-minded friend to accompany you in a nude experience; (3) Proceed slowly, one step at a time; (4) Get to know experienced naturists for support and advice.

  8. How a Visit to Nude Hot Springs Helped Me Confront My Fear of Aging (2/1/22)

    People beyond middle age can have significantly different feelings about being naked around others. Many in that category have mostly stopped giving a damn about fears of social nudity. If there’s a suitable opportunity and desire to be naked, they “just do it”. But for others – women especially – the fears can be turned way up. Few in the upper age group still have bodies much like they had in their 20s. While many simply don’t care how others see them, many others do care – a lot.

    The writer, Ashley, visited a popular California hot springs with a friend who “felt a radical transformation in herself and her comfort within her own body” after a relatively early experience with social nudity. The friend explained: “It’s like anything—the more you do it, the easier it gets… Especially as women, we can feel guarded, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve also realized this body won’t be around forever. Why not enjoy it while it’s still there?”

    Initially, Ashley (although still relatively young) feared going beyond simply topfree. But later she encountered a group of older women, mostly in their late 60s, who were “sprawled out on the concrete, completely nude, sharing blankets and a picnic lunch of fruit and sandwiches.” On returning to her friend, she removed her bikini bottom and tossed it aside. She “didn’t even check to see if anyone had noticed.”

  9. Interview With A Single, Male, Introvert, First-Time Nudist! (1/18/22)

    Scott had considered himself a “part-time home nudist” since he was in middle school (so probably a pre-teen). Yet he never attempted to visit a nudist resort until 30 years later. He was single at that point and also considered himself an introvert. He was also aware that, at least until fairly recently, many clubs didn’t welcome single males – especially in many parts of the U.S. Those factors almost certainly accounted for waiting so long to seek involvement in organized naturism. Most men like Scott probably are quite hesitant for the same reasons. Consequently, a large proportion of men who enjoy nonsexual nudity either never participate in organized naturism or at best delay doing so for decades.

    After coming across an AANR article urging clubs to be more welcoming towards people like himself, Scott agreed to be interviewed about his experience. He offered suggestions for specific things clubs should do to be more welcoming – basically the same simple policies any business or organization should follow to make prospective “customers” feel comfortable and appreciated.

    Additionally, he suggested that introverts “should be willing to take some initiative and step outside their comfort zone”. (That should apply to women as well as men.) Participating in naturist activities of any sort – nude beaches, hot springs, life modeling, naturist Meetup groups, naked yoga classes, online naturist events, etc. – provides conversational material when getting to know other naturists. That’s an important step to help reduce anxieties about socializing with naturists. Becoming familiar with the policies and available activities at a particular club before visiting would make embarrassing missteps less likely.

  10. How Rejection Turned Into A Family (2/1/22)

    Here’s an even more egregious case of a naturist club turning away prospective members – a typical married couple in this case – for no apparent reason. David and Kassie “were confused and crushed. How could they reject us? We had been perfect nudists, always had been. We abided by all the AANR ethics in a social nudity scenario or situation. We knew how to act. We loved being nude. We loved nudists.” They lived in the Jacksonville, Florida area but don’t identify the rejecting club. Quite possibly the club was a smaller one where most members knew each other well, and their action strongly resembles the behavior of cliquish high school “cool kids”. That shouldn’t happen in the naturist world, but of course it does.

    The AANR article mentioned in the previous item clearly discourages that sort of thing. The couple should have complained to AANR, even if they weren’t actually AANR members. But perhaps the offending club wasn’t even an AANR affiliate. There’s a happy ending to the story though. They had no trouble visiting other clubs in their area, including the Suwannee Valley Resort, which claims to be “North Florida’s Premier Clothing Optional Resort”.

    The couple decided they “needed a club that was inclusive, whether you are straight or gay or bisexual or lesbian, married, single, or married and solo, without regard to race or religion.” So they started the First Coast Naturists, a Meetup.com based non-landed club. It was founded in 2013. and became an AANR-charted club in 2015. This is a great success story. However, Florida teems with naturists, and starting a naturist club in many parts of the U.S. that lack the climate and population density of Florida can be a much more difficult task.

Bonus from earlier:



The Rise and Fall of a Nudist Colony that Scandalized L.A. in the 1930s (9/15/17)

Very recently I summarized an article about the demise in 2000 of a once-popular naturist club, Elysium Fields, in southern California. It was just one of four naturist places in the area that had folded since 1995. Another one of those was the similarly-named Elysian Fields (usually called Elysia). Its story is recounted in the present article.

Elysia was about 40 miles from Los Angeles’ outskirts and nine miles west of Lake Elsinore. The permanent location of the 139-acre camp actually straddled the border between Orange and Riverside counties. At the time both were ultra-conservative areas, and still are to some extent. The location was chosen in the hope of avoiding law enforcement from either county (as long as both didn’t come simultaneously).

The original owners were Hobart Glassey, a nudist who’d moved to California from New Jersey (where other very early naturist places were located), and Irish-born Peter McConville. Their partnership foundered in 1935, after only two years. McConville remained in control and renamed the camp Olympic Fields. In 1954 Wally and Flo Nilson, frequent visitors to the camp, bought it from McConville, who was in poor health, and named the place in his honor.

Unfortunately, according to the article, “the era of nudism as a radical statement and the camp’s lack of amenities, including electricity, caused membership to decline. In 2000, Flo renamed the camp Mystic Oaks, and changed the camp from strictly nude to nude optional. However, membership continued to sink.” The camp closed in 2007, not long after two other troubled naturist places in southern California also succumbed (and it was followed in 2008 by Swallows Sun Island).

Newsworthy Nudity, 2021-5

In most of the northern hemisphere the naturist outdoor season begins in May and June. So there are some good reports suggesting clothing-optional beaches. And others dealing with general naturist activities.

  1. The UK’s best nudist beaches revealed: Why more Brits will be in the buff this summer (6/11/21)

    Public nudity in the UK is actually not illegal as long as it’s not intended to be offensive or alarming. And the country has plenty of coastline (11,000 miles of it by one estimate), with many sandy beaches. Of course, naturists prefer using beaches favored by other naturists. Here’s one listing, with a map, of 42 such beaches.

    As a British Naturism spokesperson explains, “There are plenty of beaches that are well-known for being used by nude bathers and it’s great to be surrounded by happy, like-minded people.” The present article has good advice for anyone who wants to try beach nudity for the first time, including a reminder that the British climate is often not ideal for a great naked experience.

  2. It’s Time You Finally Visited One of Europe’s Best Nude Beaches (6/2/21)

    Many articles offer their own opinion of what the “best” nude beaches are (usually in Europe). This particular list is useful, since the 9 beaches included are in 9 different countries – not just France, Spain, and Croatia. So if you’re visiting a country not known for its nude beaches, this list may help. If you have the time and wherewithal, you could easily spend an entire summer just visiting Western European nude beaches and spending only a few days on even half of the best ones. With a few, there are accommodations next to the beach where you could be naked most of the time. U.S. naturists should be so jealous. (Or, better, they could try considerably harder to have more clothing-optional beaches established.)

    The article explains “Nudity has never been as taboo in Europe as it is stateside. Europe has a longstanding social history behind the practice of nudism, and beachgoing au naturel has become a summer fixture in European culture in recent decades.” There are very brief summaries of the history in Germany, France, Greece, and Croatia (where British King Edward VIII and his mistress visited and swam nude in the 1930s). The article describes 9 beaches it considers the absolute best.

  3. Best Nude Beaches in Greece (5/9/21)

    Mainland Greece isn’t actually as favorable towards naturism compared to other Western European counties. According to this article, “Greek people are not used to nudism. It is usually ok if you are sunbathing topless on a remote beach but total nudism exists and is permitted only on some particular beaches. These beaches are most of a stretch of land surrounded by cliffs or high trees.”

    The Greek islands, however, provide a somewhat better story even though, as on the mainland, there are no “official” nude beaches. The islands not only attract tourists from all over (and depend on the income generated), but have some popular clothing-optional beaches. Paradise Beach on Mykonos may be the best-known, but there are others. The present article describes some of them. In general, nudity is easiest at the more remote and hard-to-access beaches. Here’s another article on the nude beach situation in Greece.

  4. 11 Reasons Why You Should Try A Nude Vacation This Summer (6/12/21)

    Most of the 11 are simply reasons for participating in naturism at all. Current naturists are fully aware of them, so only people just becoming interested in naturism or maybe ready to try it need to know the reasons. Then nude vacationing is an obvious next step. Note that if you plan to be naked much of the time, you need to bring very little – perhaps just a credit or debit card, essential medicines, and one change of clothes. This is especially if long-distance travel is involved. The travel fare, lodging expenses, and (perhaps) renting a car probably far exceed the cost of buying other necessities at your destination.

    The real question is the type of nude vacation to take. If your budget allows more than the travel, lodging, and food expenses for the trip, then you have the most options. Otherwise you’ll have to make compromises. If cost isn’t an issue, then a destination in Europe, such as France, Spain, or Croatia is ideal. The only problem is the overwhelming number of good choices you’ll have.

    If you’re in the U.S. and your budget is more limited, then Florida may be the best bet. It has the longest outdoor naturist season, four clothing-optional beaches, and dozens of naturist places to stay. California has more nude beaches, but the coastal weather is less dependable. If you don’t need a beach, then there are many naturist-friendly B&Bs and small hotels available. However, if you just want to go somewhere you can for a week or two usually be naked, then there are far more options in both the U.S. and Europe.

  5. Reasons Why Everyone Should Try Skinny Dipping At Least Once (7/3/21)

    In fact, a rather large percentage of people in the U.S. probably have tried skinny dipping at least once. The Naturist Society has sponsored two or three professional polls that ask about this, and the results were generally 25% to 30% “yes”. But what’s meant by “skinny dipping”? Is it any instance of being naked in a body of water larger than a bathtub? How about a hot tub or an ordinary swimming pool? Is an experienced naturist “skinny dipping” any time he or she is naked in the water at a naturist club or clothing-optional beach? Or is it something that seems completely natural and ordinary to them?

    Pretty clearly the point of this article is getting into the water naked when it seems like a risqué or daring thing to do. Perhaps it’s done only alone or with very close friends – especially at night or somewhere nobody besides the individual or group is likely to notice. Or it could happen at a clothing-optional beach when a person decides to get into the water naked if many others are doing likewise.

    If that goes well, anyone who tries it will probably find it unexpectedly pleasurable. In the words of the article’s author, when he and his girlfriend first entered the water naked, “the feeling of freedom was exhilarating. Wow. It was as though something had been missing, but now we were complete.” Such an experience probably results in a desire to repeat it, which is what happened in this case. Prevailing social attitudes against open nudity may deter people from pursuing the desire to repeat. But the possibility remains this experience could be a “gateway” into other “naturist” activities.

  6. Have You Ever Been Skinny Dipping? (6/1/21)

    Tracey writes from her own experience about “How I ended up skinny dipping and why you should probably do the same.” She says her first skinny dip “changed me in a way that made me happier and more respectful of life. I took off all my clothes and jumped into a lake with other naked people.” She adds, “Skinny dipping is one of those experiences that you will appreciate more in hindsight than it might seem while you are doing it.” But she cautions, “It might scare the heck out of you if you just take the plunge without a real reason to do so.”

    She continues to describe her thoughts and feelings about skinny dipping but eventually admits “Skinny dipping can be a scary thing. It might be the easiest way to get arrested, or worse, caught on video. Someone could see you and tell everyone else.” Scary. That scary aspect is precisely why naturists on social media who write eloquently about social nudity and its many virtues generally don’t persuade many of their readers or listeners to take the plunge, get involved with naturism, and eventually make social nudity an important part of their lives.

    Why? In general, ideas that seem risky and scary in the abstract – like going naked around other people – are inherently difficult to accept. But almost always, people are more easily influenced by one or more others they know personally and trust. So they’re more likely to overcome doubts and go on to experience the scary thing for themselves. “Social influencers” online, however, almost never enjoy the same degree of trust when scary ideas are involved.

  7. Skinny-dipping With My Girlfriends (7/13/21)

    Here’s one more take on skinny dipping, and this one emphasizes the positives. Elle writes: “I love to be naked in the water. It just feels so much better than wearing a bathing suit — perhaps because it’s just more primal. … it’s almost like being transported to another world — one that is less artificial, less consumer-oriented, and more real somehow.” Why is it more real? Most naturists, I think, would agree it’s because clothing is annoying and an artificial, superfluous way of expressing one’s individuality. Nudity, however, shows one’s uniqueness without concealing what we have in common with others.

    Elle also offers a good reason that nudity with like-minded others is especially healing and salutary for women: “We felt very in touch with our most natural selves, very female, and very, very powerful. … We were in our element and experiencing the synergy of allowing our most elemental selves to shine through.”

  8. Naturism in Niagara (5/12/21)

    This article was already mentioned here. The subject is Sun Valley Gardens (SVG), an early 25-acre nudist resort in Ontario, a little over 10 miles west of Niagara Falls. It was in operation from 1954 to 1982. The article contains a slideshow of 40 images of the place. It was one of the first nudist resorts in Canada.

    The text following the slide show provides interesting details about SVG. For example, Karl Ruehle, who founded the resort, was an active promoter of nudism as a lifestyle. Unlike many other early nudist leaders, he wasn’t at all secretive about nudism or his resort. He promoted it with press releases and paid advertising. He even appeared on talk shows and TV programs. Personally, however, Ruehle was eccentric and autocratic.

    By contrast, a member of a smaller nearby nudist place who wished to be known only by his first name (Graham) is much more secretive. However, to explain their interest in nudism, Graham and a couple of others gave many reasons they enjoyed a naked lifestyle. That provides background for readers who know little or nothing about nudism.

  9. I was meditating naked every day for a month (6/25/21)

    Meditation is increasingly popular these days. since it can facilitate self-control, self-care, and self-love. In this short essay, nakedness is recommended as the best way to practice meditation. The absence of bothersome, constrictive clothing frees a person from irrelevant disruptive stimuli. The mind has expanded freedom to roam where it will when freed from distractions.

    Be sure to pick a time when you won’t be interrupted – not because you’re naked, but just to avoid distractions. You don’t need to meditate in the absence of all external stimuli, as long as they’re conducive to comfort rather than – like clothes – unsupportive of it. Feel free to accompany your meditation with pleasant aromas, soft music, or peaceful sounds like those of gentle ocean waves. Pay attention to your body, especially your skin when in contact with nothing but air.


  10. 20 Years Later: Remembering Elysium Fields (5/1/21)

    Elysium was a popular naturist destination in Topanga Canyon, just north of Los Angeles, for 33 years. from 1967 to 2000. It was founded by Ed Lange, who had accumulated a degree of wealth by the time he was 47, as a noted photographer and publisher of nudist magazines.

    Elysium was noteworthy because, although nudity was allowed (perhaps encouraged), it was not secretive and promoted itself as a “Human Growth Center” rather than a nudist camp. So it was similar to other “New Age” establishments such as the Esalen Institute. But unfortunately, Elysium was located in Los Angeles County, whose ultraconservative public officials had fought against nudist clubs since the 1930s. Although Elysium finally won the legal battles in 1993, Lange died in 1995. His daughters inherited the property, but for various reasons, such as dwindling interest in New Age ideas, Elysium was no longer economically viable, so it closed in 2000.

    The name “Elysium” figured prominently in ancient Greek mythology even before the time of Homer. It referred to a realm of the afterlife reserved for heroes and others favored by the Greek gods to reside forever, enjoying whatever most pleased them in mortal life. An apt name for a contemporary naturist place.

    (Similarly named “Elysian Fields” was an earlier, unrelated nudist place in Southern California near Lake Elsinor. It was founded in 1933 and persisted with a couple of name changes until finally closing in 2007.)

Bonus from earlier:

How a beach becomes nude, and why people like getting naked in public (8/11/19)

What needs to happen for a beach to become accepted as a clothing-optional beach? There really isn’t any standard process through which nudity on a particular beach becomes tolerated, let alone accepted or even officially designated. But this article from New Zealand gives some idea of what can happen.

It’s important, of course, that nudity in public isn’t entirely prohibited, at least under certain conditions. That’s the case in New Zealand, as well as in Great Britain, and even some U.S. states like California. In those examples, public nudity isn’t illegal as long as it’s not considered obscene, offensive, or threatening. (Opinions, of course, vary as to what those terms mean.) There also must not be stronger prohibitions under local laws and regulations. Still, although those conditions are necessary, they aren’t always sufficient.

Generally what happens is, first, that in a region where the beach is located there should be enough people who actually want to be naked on the beach, or at least a certain part of it. Given that, a sufficient number of people should actually use the beach or some part of it naked on a regular basis. If that usage continues “long enough” without serious objection, nudity there will probably become accepted.

But it usually takes some time – if ever – before the beach becomes “officially” clothing-optional. That generally happens only given certain conditions. For example, if naturists are persuasive enough, local officials favor the idea, or (often) because there are tangible benefits, such as tourism, to the local community.

Newsworthy Nudity, 2021-4

  1. These 6 People Posed Nude To Celebrate Their Bodies After A Strange And Terrible Year (1/15/21)

    Body acceptance is an important factor in becoming involved with naturism to begin with, but also a primary benefit of continued participation in naturist activities. Unsurprisingly, both men and women who might otherwise enjoy social nudity are reluctant to take the first step in that direction – because they’re afraid their body isn’t “good enough”. If one is actually brave enough to visit a naturist club or resort, that people with a wide range of body types are active and enthusiastic naturists is quite obvious.

    The present article makes little connection between body acceptance and naturism. However, the 6 individuals featured in the article did allow their fully nude photos to be published and clearly expressed their varied perspectives. The most common body insecurity problem probably has to do with weight. But there are a number of other issues. One of those, especially relevant for women, has to do with body hair. There’s a social convention that body hair on a woman (other than on her head) is a problem. But Emma felt differently, observing that “the more authentic I am, the better it is for me”. And further, “I wanted to just be able to be me and focus on my personality.” That’s a healthy attitude, which is certainly relevant for most naturists.

  2. ‘Reclaiming women’s bodies from shame’: a photographic illumination of ageing (3/7/21)

    The second article deals with the same body acceptance issues, but from an additional angle – that of attitudes towards aging naked bodies. Although the focus of the article is on older women, the problem is also relevant to older men. For most people who’re fortunate to reach the age of 50 or 60 in good health, their bodies simply don’t closely resemble the bodies of 20-year-olds. And the resemblance continues to decrease in letter decades. Although most societies value the wisdom of older people (at least relative to younger ones), with respect to appearance the value is clearly on youthfulness.

    According to the article, during one year, Australian photographer Ponch Hawkes (a 75-year-old woman) “has shot more than 400 nude women over 50 to fix a pervasive problem.” The problem: “We don’t know what the bodies of older women actually look like.” It’s especially a problem in the eyes of many younger people who might be interested in naturism, since (at least in the U.S.) so many active naturists who visit naturist parks – men as well as women – have passed the 50-year mark. So the issue of physical appearance extends to age as well as weight and other factors. Perhaps surprisingly, enough older Australian women of all body types volunteered to be photographed fully nude – considerably more than one per day. Although “Some women came prepared to be naked… Others hadn’t taken their clothes off in front of anyone for years.”

  3. Lizzo shares unedited naked photo on Instagram to ‘change the conversation about beauty standards’ (4/22/21)

    According to her website, “Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist.” The article here reports that “Lizzo has been on a quest to normalise different body shapes and sizes and smash beauty standards.” As part of that, she “shared an unedited naked photo of herself, curves and all, with the goal of ‘changing the conversation about beauty standards’.” The photo, on Instagram, has received more than 2 million likes. (Of course, it’s posed so as not to violate Instagram’s absurdly prudish “standards” related to nudity.)

  4. How Being A Nudist Affected My Mental Health (3/31/21)

    Naturism benefits a person’s health in various ways – especially physical, mental, and social health. The physical benefits have been emphasized since the earliest days of naturism – fresh air, sunshine, exercise, etc. The social benefits accrue from pleasant interactions with other naturists. As described above, mental health benefits from improved body acceptance. There are scientific findings that support this.

    In the present article, Alexis makes a different yet simple case for naturism’s mental health benefits. If (and only if) you really enjoy being naked, as most naturists do, then your mental state will improve while you’re naked simply because you’re doing something pleasurable. And there’s no reason to feel any guilt about that. In the rest of the article, Alexis offers ideas for increasing the amount of time you can spend naked. (Disclaimer: Alexis included a couple of positive links to posts on this blog. Thanks, Alexis.)

  5. The new rise of naturism: Why we’re better off in the buff (4/30/21)

    Marie Claire Dorking summarizes a variety of reasons for how life can be better without clothes, especially given the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although there were problems with having to work from home, the upside was the freedom to dress more comfortably – or not at all. Many people probably as a result came to recognize and appreciate the pleasures of everyday life sans clothing. She explicitly notes the physical and mental health benefits of nudity. Quite simply, being naked to do routine things like cooking, cleaning, and even office work is enjoyable.

    Briitish naturist Beatrice Berry is quoted explaining how the freedom to be naked compensated for loss of other freedoms during the lockdowns. Another British naturist, Stephanie McManus, founded Body Freedom International during the pandemic to focus “on the discovery of nudity as an internal transformation tool for body acceptance, freedom, and confidence.” The article concludes with advice on getting started with naturism. It’s a good article to share with others who wonder why you like being naked.

  6. Naturist couple say stripping off outside is ‘best antidote’ to pandemic anxiety (1/14/21)

    Covid-19 is still around. Currently, in December 2022, an average of 50,000+ new cases are diagnosed per day in the U.S. – and rising. So even though the lockdowns are over and pandemic-related stress is down compared to earlier, there are new sources of anxiety and stress instead, such as high inflation, growing levels of common flu, and the onset of winter. The article here reports how pandemic stress could be relieved by getting naked outside. Although that antidote to stress is difficult at this time of year (in the Northern hemisphere), indoor nudity is still helpful – if the heating costs are affordable.

    The article reports how a long-time British naturist, Chris, overcame stress and anxiety late in 2020 by stripping off in the local woods, despite the chilly ambiance. Chris was accompanied by his partner, Ginny, but though she’d become a naturist more recently, she kept her clothes on. However, she explained, “It was so nice to see him enjoying himself again, after he’d had a couple of panic attacks.” Ginny, a photographer, was carrying her camera and documented Chris’ experience.

  7. ‘Naturism isn’t just for older, kooky people’: Lockdown has seen younger people relax their attitude to nudity (4/30/21)

    Here’s one more article on British naturism in the midst of the pandemic. The British Naturism organization made a concerted effort during the lockdown to provide remote activities for naturists in the UK (and elsewhere). Activities included a cooking show, naked yoga, a naked book club, and more. The effort was well-received, as shown by a sharp increase in BN membership. (U.S. naturist organizations generally did little extra in this period.) Many others probably took advantage of being confined at home by simply not bothering to wear anything. So they discovered and got used to the comfort of nonsexual nudity – and became interested in naturist activities.

    Since many people confined at home were quite far from retirement age, lots of young adults became adherents of naturism. And since they could be naked at home as much as they wanted, there was no impact on their careers. One of them is quoted, saying “There are many more of us younger generation naturists out there than is outwardly obvious.” The WFH (work-from-home) trend should be a boon for naturism.

  8. How Canada’s oldest nudist club helped this filmmaker understand his family history (4/28/21)

    Daniel Berish is a Vancouver, BC filmmaker. Going through old photographs with his grandmother Zella one day, they found a photo of Zella clearly wearing nothing but a towel and bathing cap. She explained unabashedly, “Oh, that’s the nudist club where I met your grandfather.” Years later, after Zella died, Daniel finally decided to learn more about his grandparents’ naturism and why it appealed to them. So, as a filmmaker, he went with a colleague to make a documentary.

    They visited the VanTan Club, which was founded in 1939 and is Canada’s oldest naturist club. He got more than just a better understanding of naturism and its appeal. According to the article, “As Berish and his colleague interviewed the folks at Van Tan, they realized that to truly understand the naturalist [sic] perspective, they would have to take it to the next level.” In Berish’s own words, “We’re excited to be able to share their story, and we knew that in order to do that, we were going to have to, you know, get naked as well… I reluctantly decided to jump in. And once I did, it was great.”

  9. 10 Tips for World Naked Gardening Day (4/1/21)

    World Naked Gardening Day was cofounded in 2005 by Mark Storey and Jacob Gabriel. (Storey is presently a consulting editor and principal writer for the Nude & Naturial magazine of TNSF.) Since then it has spread around the world to counties where naturism has enough followers. It’s not an organized activity, for the most part, but is promoted by many local naturist organizations. In the Northern hemisphere it’s usually scheduled for the first Saturday in May. (Usually in October in the Southen hemisphere.)

    In this article, Linda Weber (an activist in several naturist organizations) provides 10 pieces of practical advice, which are mainly intended for naturists who have little personal experience with gardening – but who’d like to add a new hobby they can enjoy naked.

  10. World Naked Gardening Day: Women explain why they like to garden in the buff (4/30/21)

    This is the sort of mediocre article to be expected of a British tabloid. However, it’s noteworthy that two women – Claire and Kendall – were willing to discuss the subject naked on a TV broadcast. Claire, a survivor of breast cancer with a mastectomy, said the experience strengthened her determination “to embrace her body”, and that gardening nude “gave her confidence”. She added that “I’ve always enjoyed getting my kit off and when the sun shines I love to be outside naked doing my garden.”

    Kendal admitted that “she also loves to be in the buff among her plants, but can’t always embrace her hobby fully” due to inadequate privacy from neighbors. She insisted, however, that naked gardening helped “connecting with myself and integrated my body and myself with nature.” During the episode, “the two women looked perfectly comfortable in their own skin.”

Bonus from earlier:

Is Naturism the solution to low body confidence? (1/27/20)

Just before the first waves of Covid-19 crashed on British shores, final-year journalist student Stephanie Silom went to a 60s-themed event at a hotel in Bournemouth, UK, hosted by British Naturism. According to her article, she “discovered that Naturism may be the answer to the age old problem of how we can improve our body confidence.” (Why don’t U.S. naturist organizations do this sort of event at regular hotels with quality accommodations? Never mind. What was I thinking?) Much of the article quotes BN spokespersons.

However, Stephanie concludes:

“Naturism gives people the opportunity to see a huge variety of healthy body types in a safe, respectful, asexual environment. Millions of people have been converted to the Naturist lifestyle after discovering the joys of feeling fresh air on their bare skin, feeling more relaxed and less self-conscious as a result.

Naturism opens people’s eyes to the reality and beauty of the human body; our body confidence and the extent to which we base our self-worth on our bodies improves massively once we learn that almost no-one has a ‘perfect’ body.”

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, January 1-15, 2021

  1. A First Summer At Sunfolk
     
    In March 2020 British Naturism, Britain’s national naturist organization, purchased a small landed naturist club that had been in operation since 1931, as reported here and here. The property, Sunfolk, is conveniently located about 40 km west of London. It’s also about a 5-minure walk from the better-known Spielplatz, which was founded only 2 years earlier.

    Perhaps because the club had been overshadowed by neighboring Spielplatz, club members had difficulty in maintaining the facility. BN’s purchase will allow for needed redevelopment and safety work. Although BN will own the property, BN won’t directly manage it. The pandemic precluded naturist use during the summer of 2020, but it provided an opportunity for necessary work to be done more quickly, so normal operation could resume in 2021.

    Sunfolk will no longer be a private members’ club, but will welcome members of BN and other naturist federations. BN will also use the facilities as a “campaigning” center where “influencers and policymakers” can learn about naturism first-hand and mingle with actual naturists. BN will also be using the property for naturist events and gatherings.

    Unfortunately, naturist organizations in the U. S. haven’t seriously considered doing something similar. In Southern California alone, 4 naturist parks folded during the past couple of decades, as well as a considerable number of others elsewhere in the country. Here in the U. S., we just don’t have any naturist organizations that tried to help.

    Realistically, because of large distances in the U. S., one place like Sunfolk would hardly be enough for the whole country. There should be several such places that could be managed like Sunfolk. There’s a desperate need for “influencers and policymakers” to learn what naturism is really like. But U. S. naturist organizations, apparently, don’t see that as part of their mission, or simply don’t care.

  2. 8 Incredible Experiences In Valley View Hot Springs
     

    Here’s another naturist-friendly article from the mainstream travel site Travel Awaits. (Earlier articles were mentioned here.) The subject of the article, Valley View Hot Springs, is a 176-mile drive southwest of Denver, through Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Not only the hot springs, but all the experiences there, and the property itself, are entirely clothing-optional. Even the showers in the toilet building are co-ed. What more could a naturist want?

    Any textiles who happen to visit unaware of the clothing-optional policies may not want to stay long. Yet, as the article notes, you may well find yourself sharing the place with families and their young children, couples of all ages, single men and women, mothers and daughters, and even some teens. In fact, there are about 11,000 visitors annually, so there’s lots of opportunity to chat and enjoy the company of like-minded others. But with over 2000 acres in the property, you can have solitude if you want it.

    What’s there besides the springs? How about, as the article notes, “endless hiking trails”? If hiking naked amid unspoiled natural scenery and vistas appeals to you, this would be the place for it. The springs are located on a 2,200-acre parcel of protected land owned and managed by the Orient Land Trust, which is a non-profit organization, so you won’t have to pay excessively to enjoy your visit. If you do plan to visit, take note of advice in the article about things like making advance reservations, available accommodations, and the fact that there are no hookups or dump stations for RVs.

  3. Love Your Body: Own how you look in 2021
     
    This article is from the free, “alternative” news magazine Now, of Toronto, Ontario. Being “alternative” means it deals with stories that almost all “mainstream” media would resolutely avoid. “Love Your Body” is actually a once-a-year feature of the magazine, appearing in January.

    Accepting and appreciating the body one has – even if not exactly always “loving” it – is a concept most naturists understand very well. It’s necessary for people who desire to be completely comfortable and at ease being naked, whether or not in the presence of others. But the article isn’t about naturism per se, even though all six individuals profiled are shown fully and explicitly naked – without any image censorship at all.

    The nudity here is totally appropriate, since a major theme (but not the only one) is about how people relate to their bodies. Other themes include feelings concerning gender, ethnic, and life-stage identity. These types of identity are entangled with each other, of course. Physical exposure of one’s body isn’t the only issue here, since emotional and psychological exposure is also involved. These things are often important issues for naturists – especially in the initial stages. However, the physical issues tend to disappear rather quickly the longer one is a naturist. Body acceptance is not only necessary for enjoying naturism, it’s greatly strengthened by naturist activity.

    When naturists recommend trying out naturism to a friend, the usual reaction is negative. Possible excuses typically include a belief that allowing others (except for an intimate partner) to see one’s naked body is “immoral”, forbidden by one’s religion, inappropriately “sexual”, “socially unacceptable”, or something similar. Or maybe they fear being considered “exhibitionists” who get a thrill from “flaunting” their naked bodies. But more likely is that most people assume they’d be embarrassed to go naked, since their body isn’t “perfect” enough.

    The usual – and appropriate – naturist response is that naturists are unconcerned about the appearance of anyone’s naked body. Why? Because physical appearance simply doesn’t matter, since body shame is psychologically unhealthy and needs to be overcome. Bodies come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. So what? Nudity isn’t just something naturists can get “used to”. More often it’s embraced enthusiastically.

    So naturists are able to enjoy nudity’s pleasurable feelings, without concerns that others who respect them – other naturists in particular – might be judgmental about body appearance. Actually participating in naturism may well be the best way to overcome body shame and accept one’s body as it is.

    This article from BuzzFeed News provides, on a single page, a summary (with pictures) of each individual’s take on the subject.

  4. Naturism during lockdown
     
    Donna Price and her husband John are British naturists who’ve been written about here a few times. (Here, here, and here) Donna is now well-known in British Naturism, since she volunteered to help relaunch BN’s Women in Naturism campaign a little over 2 years ago. She’s been a prominent spokesperson for the effort ever since. John is an equally enthusiastic naturist, and like his wife is naked fulltime at home.

    The news articles cited below seem suspiciously like deliberate PR stories, but that’s OK. Naturism fully deserves fair and accurate coverage in mainstream news media. That’s bound to bring it to the attention of people who’d otherwise have no idea what it’s actually about and may not even recognize the term.

    It’s significant that the first article touches on “nude walks” in the countryside, since the next item after this one gives an example of how such activity doesn’t always go too smoothly. Donna says that “the majority of responses they receive from fellow walkers are ‘actually very encouraging’.” And also, the responses are “not shock horror, majority of the time, I can guarantee that. A lot of people just say ‘good morning’ and carry on.” There’s no mention of what the minority of responses are like. If the couple has encountered serious harassment, let alone threatened arrests, they’re not saying. However, it seems likely that a woman out for a naked walk with her male partner is a lot less at risk from hassles than a naked man by himself.

  5. False arrest for nudity in England
     
    Half the stories here have been from Britain, and that could be since naturism gets considerably more respect there than in the U. S. (or most countries outside Western Europe, for that matter). The stories, however, aren’t entirely positive. Apparently there are still some British folks who haven’t yet been clued in that public nudity usually is legal in Britain, as long as it’s not sexual or intentionally offensive to others.

    Officers became involved only “after receiving several reports of a naked pedestrian”. A search eventually located the “offender”, an elderly bloke who was strolling naked around rural Waldridge Fell in September, about a mile outside the market town of Chester-le-Street. Police then arrested him “on suspicion of outraging public decency”. Although detained and questioned, he was cooperative and was subsequently released with no further action. The Fell is uninhabited open space. It’s close to, but not visible from, a residential area.

    The incident, however, didn’t make the news until three and a half months later, when the naturist Three Rivers Outdoor Club, based in nearby Newcastle, objected to a police Facebook post that summarized the incident but negligently failed to make clear that public nudity was generally legal in Britain. The group maintained that the post had put “them at risk after wrongly suggesting it was illegal to walk around naked.”

    A spokesperson for the group told the local newspaper “Our events are usually a liberating and joyful experience, but during one walk last summer, one of the ramblers had water thrown over them, whilst the assailant told the group that they shouldn’t be walking naked in public. It is wrong for Durham police to post misleading reports that suggest that public nudity is illegal, and it puts us at greater risk of harassment in future.”

    It’s interesting to read the comments on that Facebook post. Most are supportive of the naturist position. But a few are from the usual dimwits who agonize “but think about the innocent children who might see any naked people!” Even in Britain there are still some who are ignorant of both naturism and the country’s laws.

  6. 10 Benefits of Sleeping Nude You Should Know
     

    Last, but not least, here’s yet another article on the benefits of sleeping naked. The concept hardly comes as a surprise to almost all naturists. But it’s interesting how often it’s mentioned in more-or-less mainstream media. (See here for more references.) As noted in those references, sleeping naked can be a “gateway” to naturism. Perhaps naturist organizations should focus more on that and other gateways, such as naked yoga, naked hiking, naked exercise, naked life modeling, skinny-dipping in remote places, body painting, etc.

    All these things (mostly) encourage full nudity, but usually outside of traditional naturist venues or in private homes. Naturists, of course, probably enjoy some or many of these things. People who have no problems participating in such activities ought to be comfortable with at least some forms of organized naturism. But it would be good if individual naturists and naturist organizations made more efforts for outreach via gateways to others who know little if anything about traditional naturism.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, October 1-15, 2020

  1. The World’s Best Nude Beaches
     
    Reports of the “best” beaches where nudity is acceptable and common (generally termed “nude beaches”) are a favorite of some mainstream media that want to attract readers interested in topics commonly considered “risqué”. A distinguishing characteristic of real naturists is that they don’t consider most beaches where clothing actually is optional to be risqué. But obviously, the writers of the article cited here aren’t naturists. Right in the article’s second sentence they use the term “naturalist” instead of “naturist”.

    That mistake doesn’t necessarily invalidate their choice of beaches to write about. Any beach that most people would consider to be a pretty good beach would be fine with a naturist as long as it’s possible to feel safe and comfortable being naked there. The choice of beaches in this particular article is probably somewhat subjective. In fact, there’s only one beach that this list has in common with the beaches more objectively selected in this list – Valalta, in Croatia. But so what? Naturists should find any beach in either list quite agreeable, as long as nudity is actually common and accepted there.

    Interestingly, some of the beaches in this article’s list are in Italy, Turkey, Latvia, or South Africa – which are not likely to be on the travel itinerary of most naturists. The beaches may, nonetheless, very well be considered fine by most naturists. Several U. S. beaches that most U. S. naturists know about are on the list – Haulover (Florida), Hippie Hollow (Texas), Little Beach (Hawaii), Black’s (California), and Gunnison (New Jersey). Even those beaches might be rather distant from most U. S. naturists – but at least a passport wouldn’t be necessary to visit any of them.

  2. Nude beaches and resorts near Toronto and the rising popularity of naturism
     

    Many people, including naturists, would be surprised that Canada is another country with good and popular clothing-optional beaches. One that’s perhaps more widely known is Wreck Beach in Vancouver. But Toronto also has a popular nude beach: Hanlan’s Point. It’s at least sufficiently well-known to have its own Wikipedia page.

    The article is more about naturism generally in the Toronto area than just the beach. It’s from the perspective of a woman who first went topfree on a French beach during a vacation. She found that experience “exhilarating, but also kind of scary”. But more experience with naturism gave the realization that being naked in a naturist place is no sweat, because “literally no one cares.”

    She poses the question “What is it about being nude that can feel so overwhelmingly daunting for some, yet for others, it’s no big deal?” The experience of being naked with others varies widely, because everyone has different social conditioning – so “In fact, for many people, it’s empowering.”


  3. You should start sleeping naked: Here are 5 super convincing reasons
     

    The general mainstream attitude towards nudity – as we all know – is mostly negative. But surprisingly, there’s one case where the attitude is not only positive, but sometimes downright enthusiastic. At least, that seems to be what one could conclude from reading a typical article in mainstream media about sleeping naked.

    The articles usually cite a number of reasons, especially health benefits, from sleeping naked. The article linked here is just one of a huge number. Don’t believe it? Just try Googling “sleeping naked”. The resulting list just goes on, and on, and on. There are at least 200 articles, just since 2014. And there are additional reasons besides the health benefits – such as comfort due to the absence of restrictive clothing, and (of course) greater intimacy when sleeping with someone else.

    That doesn’t mean that many minds will be changed as a result. It’s rather unlikely most people will come across any article on the topic just by chance. But naturists should bring up the topic as a way of introducing naturist ideas in a conversation with friends. If any skepticism is encountered about the health benefits, simply challenge the skeptics to go check with Google themselves.

    When statistics are presented about how many people actually sleep naked most of the time, the numbers range from under 10% to 70% or more (at least for Millennials). You may find many among your friends actually do sleep naked, at least sometimes. But for those who don’t, just suggest they give it a try. Who knows? If people try it and make it a habit, they may be interested in exploring nudity more generally.

    For experienced naturists, sleeping naked probably is almost universal. So here’s the naturist perspective on sleeping naked: Should I Sleep Naked? Yes, Start Tonight!


  4. Getting naked around strangers improves your body image, study finds
     

    This was covered back in June, here. The present article provides more details of the experiment. Keon West, the researcher, himself observes “More replication is always a good idea, and it would also be good to test these hypotheses on some different populations. So far, the research has really focused on White, European participants.”

    Not only that, but with only 51 participants – half in the experimental group and the other half in the control group – this is a pretty small sample. In addition, participants were volunteers who knew that nudity might be involved – not individuals randomly selected from the population. Still, it’s quite consistent with the experience of naturists who find improved body image after becoming involved in naturism. And that’s a good thing, even though it may be confirmation bias after having been told that social nudity improves one’s body image – and expecting that outcome.


  5. Nudist couple says lockdown has tripled membership of British Naturism
     

    It’s already been covered that membership in some naturist organizations has surged in spite of a need for social distancing and even lockdowns because of the pandemic.

    Just how big is the “surge”? Well, there are some misleading statements about it that need explanation. A statistic mentioned in one of the earlier articles is that since the start of the British lockdown in March 2020 the number of new members of British Naturism rose from 184 to 930 – presumably in the same period of time before and after. That’s a 5-fold increase (or 400%) – but only in numbers of new members. That’s absolutely not the increase in total BN membership. (In November 2020 BN advocated to Parliament for greater tolerance of naturist, non-sexual nudity and claimed a total membership of “over 9000”.) While the increase in new members is impressive, implying the total membership has “tripled” is rather misleading.

    Nevertheless, something positive for naturism in Britain is certainly going on. The article here is based on an interview with BN activists Donna and John Price. They offer some observations that help explain what’s going on.

    The couple has spent “most days dressed only in their birthday suits and doing everything from gardening to baking and household chores in the all together”. They’ve taken full advantage of their organization’s extensive online video opportunities for interacting with other naturists in spite of being mostly confined to their own property. As Donna explained, since “the events are virtual, they are open to people from all over the world, so we’ve met naturists we probably wouldn’t otherwise have crossed paths with. We’ve been doing all sorts during lockdown – yoga sessions, coffee mornings, cooking classes, life-drawing, discussion panels and evening drinks – all virtual and all naked.”

    It’s also claimed that another reason for the sharp increase in BN membership could be that attitudes towards nudity – at least in Britain – are becoming more relaxed and less unfavorable. A BN spokesperson suggested that “the whole taboo around nudity is eroding. As the decades have gone by, we’ve become less prudish and repressed.” And furthermore, “nudity isn’t that scary subject anymore. Attitudes are changing. People may not call themselves naturists but are increasingly doing nude things and not thinking too much about it.”

    Let’s hope that’s all correct. But progress also tends to experience pushback from people who can’t overcome their social conditioning and are intolerant of positive changes. Worryingly, the opposition to family naturist swims in England seems to be increasing – see here and another example next. Naturists need to fight back.

  6. UK naturists lose more naturist family swims because of hysterical right-wing Brits and Covid-19
    • Blackpool’s Sandcastle Waterpark bans Naturists from hosting nude swim events with children
      This example demonstrates perfectly what naturism is up against. It has nothing to do with the pandemic – except perhaps indirectly due to the increasing popularity of naturism during the pandemic. This event and an earlier one were sponsored by BN, and open to all members. It seems that similar swim events organized by local naturist clubs continue to be held without restrictions on children.

    • Naked family swim at Alton Towers waterpark cancelled due to Covid-19
      Alton Towers is a hotel with a water park and a theme park in Staffordshire. For 14 years before this year BN has rented the hotel and water park for a whole weekend in November, usually having a sell-out crowd of about 400 members of naturist families. But this year the event has been canceled, because it would breach pandemic protocols. So this is one negative for naturism caused by the pandemic. A previous report on the event is here.

  7. It’s the nude renaissance: Why lockdown is a great time to get your kit off

    The phrase “get your kit off” is a dead giveaway that the writer is British – and probably a naturist. Both suppositions are correct, as confirmed by the writer when she admits “Getting naked on a public beach is easily the most thrilling thing I’ve done since the start of lockdown. Thanks to my enforced hiatus from travelling this year, I’ve missed the heady rush of endorphins that exploring a new country brings.”

    So here’s another reason that the pandemic has stimulated many more people to experience naturism – at least in Britain. The writer, Tracey Davies, lives near Brighton Beach, part of which is one of the most popular UK clothing-optional beaches. “It seems that lockdown has sparked a nude renaissance – which is why I headed down to our nudist beach to see what all the fuss is about,” Tracey confesses. Thus one impetus for a “nude renaissance” is that the monotony of being severely limited in options for new experiences has led to discovering a previously overlooked option that remains available – the pleasure of enjoying nudity in the sunshine on a clothing-optional beach.

    Will naturism continue to increase in popularity when (and if) the pandemic subsides? Long-term naturists and new enthusiasts will need to continue exerting effort to keep the popularity of naturism increasing.

  8. The History of Nudity in the Western Region
     

    The Western Region of AANR (the American Association for Nude Recreation), also known as AANR-West, comprises the states Hawaii, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming (and the western half of Mexico, too).

    California, because of its mild climate and open-minded attitudes of many of its inhabitants, was a leader in the growth of U. S. naturism during the 1930s. Lupin, in the Northern California hills above San Jose, was established in 1935 and is still going strong. Fraternity Elysia was established a year earlier in the Southern California mountains above Lake Elsinore. It underwent a series of name changes, first to Olympic Fields, then McConville, then finally to Mystic Oaks – but closed finally in 2008.

    The article here very briefly touches on various events in the history of AANR-West. There are also links to 7 other articles that provide more details on specific naturist topics and locations (mostly in California). This is quite far from a reasonably complete history, even of the early years. But it’s a nice high-level overview.

  9. If you go down to the woods today: adventures in nudist Paris
     
    Many articles on naturism in mainstream media – such as this one – are written by women. That’s noteworthy mainly because (unfortunately) many more men than women are active naturists. Yet it’s good to have the perspective of a female writer. Although the writer is less likely to be or become a naturist (as in this case), she’s somewhat more likely to show naturists how reasonable others perceive them.

    The reporter for this assignment, Pamela Druckerman, is actually having her first experience with naturisme (the preferred French term). Her first surprise was that almost everyone was male in the Paris park she visited, which was set aside for naturism. That severe imbalance isn’t typical of most naturist places, especially in France. But, unfortunately, it’s not too uncommon either.

    Pamela notes that Paris does have “an active naturist subculture that includes this city-approved zone in the forest, weekly naked nights at a municipal pool and occasional clothes-free bike rides, museum visits and garage sales.” She doesn’t undress at the park, and doesn’t really have much to say about it. But she does meet one naturist woman there, “Marie”. Later she accepts Marie’s invitation to attend a naked swimming night at an open-air swimming pool for aqua-exercises – and actually gets naked there.

    She doesn’t, however, particularly enjoy the experience. That’s in part for a surprising reason: “The naturist movement’s resolute non-sexuality bothers me too. Other people’s bodies suddenly seem demystified and banal. … Why take the pleasant erotic charge out of a leisure experience like sunbathing or swimming?” She also has body-image issues.

    Although Pamela doesn’t find the nudity of others particularly objectionable, it’s clear that naturism really isn’t her cup of tea. And that’s fine. To be a naturist requires a certain taste for the pleasures of naturist nudity. Non-naturists, it seems, simply can’t grasp the separation of sexual and non-sexual nudity. Both are good. But they’re fundamentally different things.

    That being so, Pamela clearly wasn’t a good choice for giving readers a reasonable feel for what naturism is actually about. This counts as a failure for mainstream media (The Economist magazine, in this case.) But it’s useful to help naturists understand why more people don’t share their enthusiasm.

  10. The naturist couple that travels the world naked
     
    Mainstream media seem to consider it newsworthy that naturists would seek out – and find – the opportunity to enjoy nudity in delightful places around the world. Naturists having sufficient resources and/or determination for world travel, at least. Some of these places are widely known – to naturists, anyhow – while others are genuine hidden gems. This article features the well-known naturist bloggers Nick and Lins, of the Naked Wanderings blog.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, September 16-30, 2020

  1. Skinny-dipping in Cornwall’s historic miners’ pools

    Cornwall is the southernmost county in England and a popular tourist destination for its scenic spots, historical associations, and beaches. More than a dozen of the beaches are clothing-optional (at least unofficially). There are lists here, here, and here. But the clothing-optional beaches aren’t the only places on the coast where skinny-dipping is possible. There are also a number of tidal pools, both natural and man-made. Some naturists may prefer them, as the water is clearer and they’re likely to allow for more privacy.

    The writer of the story one day met Laura, who prefers the pools for nude swims. As she explains, “Tidal pools, for me, offer peace and privacy. I’m drawn to off the beaten track swim spots that feel a world away from the crowds and, more often than not, you have the pool totally to yourself. On a choppy day they often offer a tranquil swimming spot alongside the sea so you don’t have to forgo a swim.”


  2. Children and nudity
     

    The issues of how much, if at all, it’s “healthy” for children to encounter adult nudity or even be naked themselves engender much controversy – especially in countries like the U. S.

    The issues arise especially in connection with family nudity in the home. In the state of Utah, one of the most backward states in the U. S., a judge actually ruled in January 2020 that a woman violated a state “lewdness” law simply for being topfree in her own home when children were around. See here for the details.

    On the other hand, in England some art teachers are making a good case why it’s beneficial for children to have art classes that include nude models. That’s reported on here.

    Now there are additional articles dealing with this issue.

     
    Recently, I offered some comments here on this article: Searching for the Threads of a Family Naturist Network about the fact that rather few U. S. families bring their children to naturist parks and resorts – especially compared to the situation in Europe. In order for this to change for the better, it will probably be necessary for nudity to become normal and routine in more homes. The article Eight Things to Know About Nudity and Your Family, (from Psychology Today) was recommended to support this view.

    Here are some earlier articles discussing similar issues:

     
    As you’ll see further down, the opinions regarding children and nudity of deeply ignorant people who know nothing about naturism, even in England, can be a major problem.


  3. Spencer Tunick – Alexandra Palace
     

    London’s Alexandra Palace, in spite of the name, was never a residence of royalty or a member of the nobility. It was opened in 1873 as a place serving the public for recreation, education, and entertainment. Many naturists will need no introduction to Spencer Tunick. But for anyone who’s unaware of his work, he has been directing and photographing about 100 “installations” involving nude volunteers in public places around the world. Installation are announced beforehand – and there are almost always more volunteers who apply to participate than can be chosen. His latest work involved 220 selected volunteers. Check out some of the numerous articles published online for details, pictures, and videos.


  4. Naturist attacked by angry mob


    For a number of years, British Naturism has hosted an event for members and their families at an elaborate waterpark, Waterworld, in Stoke-on-Trent, England. (See here.) In the last few years, anti-naturist extremists have protested the event, on the grounds that “their” children might be endangered by “pedophiles”. That’s nonsense to begin with, since only families of British Naturism members actually attend the event. But logic is a foreign concept to such extremists. BN, of course, does not allow any known pedophiles among its members, and would not tolerate any improper behavior by anyone at the event. Further details can be found in the news stories listed below.

    Similar events for British Naturism members and their families have been held elsewhere in England without this degree of harassment and threats. (Although family naturist swims in other countries such as the U. S. and Canada have encountered such problems.) So what happened in this case shows that even in England there are people as ignorant about and hostile to naturism as are more typical in North America.

    The following stories appeared before the event and provide general information about it.

     
    On September 26 the event went on as scheduled. Unfortunately, threats of harm to their business were made to the owners of Waterworld by the protesters before the event and during an unruly mob protest outside the event itself. So the owners decided that in the future children under 18 will not be allowed to attend future naturist events, as described in the following articles.

  5. Lockdown Doesn’t Mean Locked In
     

    With the arrival of vaccines for COVID-19 and the cautious, gradual relaxation of restrictions on social activities, there’s hope that more of a normal life will be possible in 2021. However, many people – especially naturists – have enjoyed the freedom of spending considerable time naked while confined to their own homes. So dispensing with clothes can become increasionly routine – even the norm – at least at home and elsewhere it’s possible.

    As this article points out, nudity is quite possible outdoors – even after social distancing is necessary – if one has a sufficiently private yard or access to natural places nearby where nudity is acceptable. In fact, it would be worthwhile to invest time in searching for outdoor places that can be enjoyed naked. If only to be prepared for the next pandemic to come along.


     

  6. Top 5 Fears of a Clothing Optional Resort

    This article has advice for anyone who’s new to naturism. It allays fears that anyone who’s had even a little experience with social nudity has easily overcome. What’s noteworthy is that this is on a site (gogirlfriend.com) that’s especially intended for women traveling alone or with a partner. Most naturists, even men, probably have had the same concerns before their first visit to a naturist place. (Note: The resort named “Desire Resorts” and recommended in the article is definitely not a naturist place. GoGirlfriend includes conventional naturist places, but also some places with a more sexual aspect.)

    The fears, specifically, are: (1) Clothing-optional resorts are for swingers; (2) Being naked around strangers will make you feel self-conscious; (3) Full nudity is always expected; (4) You will be hit on; (5) Anything goes. To be honest, there are some clothing-optional or (supposedly) naturist places where such fears could be justified to some extent. For a first-timer, it would certainly be prudent to read reviews at sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor of any destination being considered – especially for a woman traveling alone. GoGirlfriend itself should be checked, though it covers only a few places.

    Here are a few earlier GoGirlfriend articles about clothing-optional places:

  7. Belgium’s second nude beach will open in summer 2021

    Belgium is located just south of the Netherlands and north of France. It has 2/3 of the population of its neighbor to the north, and beaches on the English Channel just like those two neighbors. But unlike the Netherlands – where most beaches have a clothing-optional section – Belgium has had only one “official” naturist beach (Bredene, which was not open in 2020 because of COVID-19). In addition, there are only about a half dozen naturist campgrounds and parks. (Lists here and here.)

    However, things are looking up when warmer temperatures arrive in 2021. According to the article, “nudism enthusiasts will be able to plop down in Middelkerke, after the municipality decided to reserve parts of its coastal strip to the country’s nudist community.” Having just a single official nude beach wasn’t a tremendous hardship, as the new one is only about 8 km (5 miles) from the older one, a 15-minute trip by car. In the U. S., coastal beaches that allow nudity are hundreds of miles apart, in most cases. But 2 is twice as good as 1. So, why the change? As is often the case, tourists and the local economy are key considerations – as the Mayor of Middelkerke candidly stated.

    Chambers of Commerce and tourist bureaus in U. S. beach locations really need to get a clue. The heavy lifting here in the States seems mostly left to ad hoc local grassroots groups of naturists, such as Tampa Bay Free Beaches. And that sometimes works, as the example of Blind Creek Beach demonstrates.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, August 1-15, 2020

  1. I Never Thought Nudity Was a Big Deal
     
    On a recent trip to Florida, Evelyn and her mother had checked into a hotel. She writes that “After a shower, I toweled off, slipping on a robe to grab the delivery I’d ordered. Then, I’d tossed the scratchy monster on the bed, and naked is how I stayed — and how I will forever prefer to stay.” Clearly, Evelyn is comfortable with her nudity.

    But unexpectedly, “I heard a keycard beep and the door-handle said, click”, and, fully exposed, she saw that “a housekeeper stood in my doorway with her arms full of towels.”

    The next day, after plenty of time to process the event, she realized “I’d never questioned my love of private nudity. Since puberty, when my parents fought me to wear a bra, I’ve loved the sensation of my skin against the open air. I also assumed, like me, most people didn’t care about disrobing in secret. We’re all born naked and get nude at least once a day. Is it so strange to enjoy our natural state? The answer is, of course not.”

    Evelyn’s eventual conclusion: “Somewhere along the line, society decided nudity is weird, and it became the norm to cover up, even off the record. … I couldn’t find one reason why this rule needed to apply to anyone who doesn’t want to follow it.”

    Here’s the thing: There are lots and lots of people like Evelyn. Nudity – at least in private – feels normal to them, and they enjoy it. But they know that “society” thinks it’s an aberration – even though that’s just plain wrong. Almost everyone like Evelyn is only a short step away from deciding that naturism is for them. All they need is for someone to come along and welcome them into the fold.

    If you’re a lot like Evelyn, but don’t yet consider yourself a naturist, why not? This is your invitation. (Perhaps this blog post will address some of your concerns.)


     

  2. The Clothing Optional Retirement Plan
     
    I can’t resist including this article, for a reason noted at the end, even though it’s undated and may have appeared before August. The article’s about choosing a naturist park or resort as a place to retire in. If you’re young, you’ve probably thought little or nothing about retirement. But once you’re near retirement age, you’ll probably think about it a lot. If you’re still healthy when you retire, you may be satisfied to continue living right where you are. But as the years go by, you may want to consider moving – probably to a smaller home. A large home, perhaps with a large yard, is more than you really need, and requires considerable work to keep up – work you don’t feel like doing much longer.

    If you’re a naturist, there’s much to like about the idea of retiring to a naturist community, besides having a smaller, more easily maintained home to live in. Here are some other obvious advantages:

    1. You can be naked most of the time.
    2. You’ll spend much less time doing laundry.
    3. You’ll have the company every day of many others – both visitors and full-time residents – who enjoy nudity as much as you do.
    4. Almost all naturist communities have one or more swimming pools and spas, perhaps a well-equipped gym and a decent restaurant within walking distance, and probably other amenities and recreational facilities as well.
    5. You’ll be in a gated community with excellent security.
    6. You can relocate to a part of the country with a milder climate than where you came from.

     
    Are there downsides? Well, if you’re lucky, there may be a good naturist community even closer to where you have family and friends. But more likely you won’t be living as close to family and friends as you were before. And quite possibly, even if family and friends aren’t too far away, many may be uncomfortable visiting a place full of naked people. On the other hand, they might actually be intrigued by that possibility – and even think seriously about becoming naturists themselves.

    Now, what was it I found especially interesting about this article? It’s the fact that the article seems to have appeared last year, but at the end it links to a page that lists many naturist places in the U. S. Unfortunately, that page is quite out of date. How do I know? Because that page is on this blog’s website, but hasn’t been updated in about 14 years. So (I’m sorry to say) it can’t be relied on. I won’t link to it, but if you really want to see it, search on this phrase: “Where to be Naked in the U. S.” There are a number of other places you could look for the informaation, such as this Wikipedia page, or this one from the AANR.

  3. More People Getting Naked During Coronavirus: When Clothing Is Optional, What About Masks?
     

    There have, surprisingly, been a number of articles published that find it strange for naturists to wear masks because of the pandemic. Already noted here was another article about this from the same source. And here are additional examples mentioned in the present article: (1) You Can Leave Your Mask On: Nudists Wear Just One Item in Covid Times, (2) The Ongoing Battle to Convince Nudists to Wear Face Masks, (3) Clothes off, masks on: America’s nudist resorts reopen, (4) ‘You can leave your mask on’: Nudists adapt to Covid times, (5) Getting naked in quarantine: Interest peaks in nudist lifestyle during COVID-19 pandemic.

    It’s really rather silly, however, to suppose sensible naturists would seriously object to wearing a mask for protection of themselves and others. Most naturists are health-conscious, practical people who wear shoes or sandals to protect their feet when necessary or some sort of actual clothing when cold. Masks are just another example of being prudent. To imply that naturists don’t exercise good judgment is sort of a put-down.

    But this article is a good one, and presents a rather positive view of naturism. For one thing, it cites accounts that some naturists organizations have noticed a surge in membership, attributed in part to offerings of online naturist activities using video technology. Just consider the following reports, from Ireland, as examples.


     

  4. Irish Naturist Association sees surge in numbers joining nudist group during lockdown
     
    Here’s the gist of the story:
    “A growing number of people are stripping off across Ireland to help themselves cope with the woes of life in lockdown. According to Newstalk, there has been a surge in the number of people showing an interest in joining the Irish Naturist Association. This has been partially attributed to the Covid-19 restrictions in place across the country, with many exploring new ways of letting off steam and enjoying their natural surroundings. The Irish Naturist Association is reporting a 31% increase in new memberships between May and July. Speaking to The Hard Shoulder, member Ciara Boud cited the fact many have more free time on their hands during lockdown to explore such options.”
     
    If you’re surprised that naturism is now popular in Ireland, there are other posts on the topic: here and here. And there’s another article on how the lockdown has stimulated interest in naturism in Ireland: ‘You get accustomed to it’ – Irish Naturist Association sees surge in memberships. That mentions one possible reason for the new interest in naturism: “Maybe people had more time to be online, they’re looking up stuff.”

    In other countries besides Ireland the national naturist organization reported a notable increase in membership. Here are some reports from England.

  5. Nutritionist Non-Confidential: what to eat to look good naked
     

    The nutritional advice in this article isn’t especially unusual, and if you’re concerned about healthy eating – as you should be, whether or not you enjoy being naked – there’s probably not much here you don’t already know. So why take note of this article at all? It certainly starts off in a nudity-positive way:

    “Whether you’re an avid subscriber to the Skinny Dip Club or like to dance around your condo in the nude every once in a while, there’s no denying that there are few things that feel quite as exhilarating as flaunting your birthday suit.”

    Other than that, there’s really nothing of special interest to naturists. No doubt the main intention was for the headline and first paragraph to grab readers’ attention. Nevertheless, it’s a good sign that an enthusiastic viewpoint on nudity would have the desired effect.

  6. Naturism as a Way of Living
     
    When measured by time spent naked, naturists occupy a broad spectrum – from “only if I’m in the mood to visit a clothing-optional beach or naturist resort” to “absolutely as much as possible”. It’s all good as far as naturism is concerned. But the ideas and practice of naturism, in general, will prosper the most if the largest number of people gravitate to the “as much as possible” end. It makes sense to say that people toward the often-naked end “have a naked lifestyle” or “embrace living naked”.

    Exactly why is this good for naturism? There are many reasons why it’s good for all naturists if there are more people who have a naked lifestyle. Friends and relatives of such people will become more used to seeing nudity, and they’ll understand better why it’s enjoyed. Being naked will be considered more “normal” and less crazy or eccentric by the general population. There will be more visitors to naturist parks and resorts, hence more can afford to open and offer a wider variety of facilities. People will feel freer to dispense with some or all clothing in everyday social situations. There will be more pressure for allowing nudity at least in parts of public beaches and parks. Repressive laws against nonsexual nudity in suitable places will be weakened or eliminated. And so on.

    The article cited above makes the case that naturists aren’t merely “naked people”, indistinguishable from other naturists. Rather, they are people who value being free of clothes as an important part of their life. An analogy is offered between naturists and people who value practicing yoga or vegetarian eating. But that doesn’t mean being clothesfree, practicing yoga, or abstaining from meat is something that defines them. Each of these interests will occupy different portions of someone’s life. However, the simple fact that someone openly enjoys any of these things tends to “normalize” that interest to everyone who knows the person. Consequently, the interest can become more understandable and acceptable to everyone else.


  7. Naked fundraiser at botanic gardens hailed a success
     

    England has many impressive privately-owned gardens, thanks to centuries of wealthy owners of private country estates who devoted part of their leisure time to overseeing the cultivation of stately gardens. Some of these gardens have been open for visits from the public (for a modest fee), and also for private events, such as weddings, parties, and business meetings. A few of these gardens have hosted occasional clothing-optional events for naturists. The Abbey House Gardens is perhaps the best-known of this number.

    As noted here, the Fullers Mill Garden hosted an clothing-optional event on the evening of August 9. It was arranged by British Naturism, and a large part of the proceeds from ticket sales was contributed to charity. According to the news article, the event was “hailed as a success”. Sadly, the U. S. has fewer private venues of this sort, since experiencing this kind of splendid garden seems perfect for being enjoyed naked.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, July 16-31, 2020

  1. Nudist fun: Bodypaint with friends
     

    Bodypainting is a great way for people of all ages – from toddlers on up – to get naked and have lots of good, clean fun. Better yet, it can be practiced anywhere from private backyards to swank naturist resorts. Artistic talent may give more aesthetically pleasing results, but isn’t important for enjoying the application of (washable) paint to bare skin. It’s a way to “paint nudes” – without needing any artificial canvas. Even better, those who paint others need not be naturists themselves, although they mustn’t be afraid of nudity. However, they might discover a temptation to get naked themselves. Naturism Girl shows in a very brief video that “Just being naked on the beach is amazing by itself. But if you are looking for more fun activities, bodypainting can be a great choice.”

  2. Why being a nudist is way better than not being one
     
    Many of these points are well-known to naturists, but the list itself is extensive. It probably contains at least a few points you may not have thought of, so one or more could come in handy when explaining to others why you like being naked. There are about 50 separate points in the list. Here are some of my favorites:

    • It promotes family togetherness.
    • Water and being naked go hand in hand.
    • We humans feel more of a part of nature like we should.
    • It’s so much fun, and more fun than being clothed.
    • It’s hard to be naked and sad.
    • It’s carefree, like in childhood and the summer.
    • It means all of us get to be ourselves.


     

  3. 9 Common Myths about Naturism that are WRONG
     
    I covered the general topic of most of the common misconceptions about naturism and social nudity here in some detail. Most of the issues could be of concern to anyone who enjoys nudity either at clothing-optional beaches or naturist clubs and resorts. And also nudity at home unless entirely in secret.

    The account referenced in the title above deals mainly with issues of concern to people thinking about visiting naturist clubs and resorts, as well as clothing-optional beaches to a slight extent. It hardly touches on issues of possible concern to home naturists.

    Below are capsule summaries of why most of the concerns mentioned are based on “myths” about naturism – albeit a few that have some basis in the real world. As far as fears about visiting naturist clubs and resorts are concerned, there’s a very simple solution in many cases. Just read carefully the website of a specific club or resort to learn about their policies and find out what is or isn’t considered acceptable behavior. If the information is sparse or ambiguous, simply call the place before going there to clear things up. In addition, there’s often information available at sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp.

    It’s more difficult to get information about clothing-optional beaches, which seldom have websites, although there may be online reviews for some of the popular ones. In this case, a personal visit or two may be the best or only way to learn about the place. The main concerns would be about legal issues and the general nature of regular visitors.

    So here are brief summaries about concerns discussed in the article:

    1. You might end up at a sex club. Response: Real naturist clubs and resorts have nothing in common with “sex clubs”, except for the presence of nudity. It’s almost always possible to identify real naturist clubs by reading the rules stated on the website. If any doubt remains, just call the place and ask what’s allowed and what isn’t.
    2. Naturist places are full of voyeurs. Response: Real naturist clubs do not tolerate people making others uncomfortable by staring. Reporting any occurrences to the management should result in the problem being handled quickly. Naturists at popular clothing-optional beaches generally make voyeurs feel quite unwelcome.
    3. Naturists only camp. Response: Not true. If you don’t care for camping, before going read on the club’s website about what accommodations are available, and call ahead to make a reservation for the type of accommodation you would consider suitable.
    4. Naturists are hippies. Response: Not true. Many different types of people visit most naturist places. A few may have been “hippies” in their youth – 40 or more years ago. You might even enjoy meeting some of them.
    5. Naturism is expensive. Response: There are many different types of naturist clubs and resorts, and each has its own range of facilities. Call ahead to check whether the prices fit your budget. There are also many “non-landed” clubs that meet at private homes, sometimes go as a group to naturist places, and have very reasonable membership fees.
    6. You need a perfect body to become a naturist. Response: Not true. No legitimate naturist club discriminates on the basis of physical appearance. You’re likely to see a wide variety of body types. At first, you may need a little time to feel comfortable being naked, but most people adjust quickly. Being naked at home more often before visiting a beach or club should help.
    7. Naturism is for old people. Response: Usually false. There are various reasons younger people often aren’t represented in proportion to their percentage of the population – lack of free time, for example. Myths like some discussed here are another reason. Everyone, regardless of age, is made to feel welcome if real naturism is what they’re looking for.
    8. You have to be naked 24/7. Response: Not true. At all but a few naturist places these days, nudity is not required, except around swimming pools and spas. First-timers can delay undressing until they become comfortable. To be clear about the rules, call ahead before going.
    9. Children don’t belong at naturist places. Response: Usually false. Seeing adult nudity is not harmful to children. There are a few naturist resorts that are “for adults only”. This may be because adult visitors want to enjoy a brief time free of childcare responsibilities – rather than open sexual activity. Call ahead to verify that visitors under 21 are welcome, and if so they’ll be very safe as long as they have age-appropriate supervision.

     

  4. History of Naturism in Ireland
     

    There was a story revealing that Ireland is a great place for naturists – back here: Naturism in Ireland is Alive and Well. Now there’s a sequel discussed in the article linked above. It’s an interview with the current president of the Irish Naturist Association, Pat Gallagher (how much more Irish could someone with that name possibly be?).

    Regarding the INA’s founding, he says, “these original members met while on holiday in Corsica and decided to form an association in Ireland when they returned home from this no doubt naturist vacation. Later INA committee meetings took place in a pub which was owned by one of the original committee’s members, and most original member meetups were in each other’s homes.” So the earliest members were home naturists to begin with, and the founders got inspiration, no doubt, from French naturists in Corsica.

    There are many other interesting details in the article, which are instructive for how to successfully promote naturism in a country the size of Ireland, which has a population of around 6.6 million. That’s about the population of a mid-size U. S. state like Indiana or Tennessee. In this regard, Gallagher has an interesting comment:
    “Lessons learned from other naturist federations as to how they made naturism more acceptable in their countries, gave us and continue to give us ideas as to how we can promote naturism in Ireland. However, I still think the International Naturist Federation (INF-FNI) has a lot more to do to make naturism more acceptable everywhere. I believe that this organisation should not leave it to individual countries to fight government policies in relation to naturism. ”

    In the U. S., the two national naturist organizations (AANR and TNS) correspond roughly to the INF. These two have done very little (if anything) to promote statewide naturist organization in individual states. There really are no statewide organizations of much consequence in any of the 50 states. Having such organizations is important for the purpose of lobbying individual state legislatures to make much-needed improvements to the legal climate for naturism in each state.

    That task is left mainly (if at all) to smaller local groups, which lack the clout, skills, personnel, and resources to have much influence in even the smallest states. In addition, there’s almost no capability of providing advice and resources to support establishment and operation of local naturist clubs and beaches. So it’s hardly surprising that most naturists in the U. S. are able to enjoy naturism only in their own homes or with small groups of friends. The organizational structure lying between local groups and the national organizations is mostly not there. (AANR does have 6 “regions” of roughly similar size, each of which corresponds to a population (if evenly divided) of about 55 million people – more than the population of California.)

  5. Bathing Suits Optional at This Public Pool in Spain
     
    Here’s a brief article about the successful establishment of swimsuit-optional hours at another public pool in Spain. It begins:
    “Bathing suits are optional at this public pool in Spain’s Madrid on Sunday as the municipal sports centre of Aluche wants to celebrate ‘No swimsuit day.’ The swimsuit will only be optional in the morning shift and not in the afternoon shift (the two schedules created due to the Covid-19 pandemic) to celebrate this initiative launched in collaboration with the Spanish Naturism Federation.”

    In Spanish, the organization’s name is Federación Española de Naturismo. Thanks to the efforts of that group, clothing-optional hours have also been established at other public and privately-operated pools in Madrid. Unfortunately, based on this article, it seems that the clothing-optional hours were for only one specific day. Nevertheless, as in Ireland, this illustrates what can be accomplished for naturism by a national naturist organization.

  6. Swimsuit optional: the spontaneous, liberating joy of skinny-dipping
     
    Most of this will seem quite familiar to naturists who’ve ventured outside of a naturist park or resort to enjoy nudity in nature. But it’s still refreshing to hear it said from a person who doesn’t especially identify as a naturist.

    According to the article’s sub-heading, “Like her granny before her, Rosie Green has plunged into sun-warmed seas, freezing lakes, moonlit rivers – all completely naked. She reveals here the spontaneous, liberating joy of skinny-dipping.”

    The article, written by Rosie, begins:
    “ My grandmother loved getting naked. Not when grocery shopping or gardening; she wasn’t some kind of eccentric or deviant. In fact, the only kinks she had were in her garden hose. But she did love skinny-dipping. When confronted with a pond, lake, river or pool she couldn’t wait to disrobe.

    … I’ve inherited her love of skinny-dipping. On my first Teletext-booked holiday with friends we ran stark naked into the Mediterranean. When we emerged, we had gained a welcoming committee and lost our clothes, but that didn’t put me off. I’ve plunged into freezing lakes, climbed over fences to swim in hotel pools and splashed in rivers at moonlight. All naked.”

    Apart from the influence of her grandmother, how does Rosie explain her delight in skinny-dipping? She cites a number of factors, including teenage rebelliousness. “It unearths a little of the 18-year-old me. Which, I suspect, is what makes my teenagers so completely mortified about me doing it. There’s plenty of eye-rolling and indignation as well as threats of disowning me. But I don’t care what my kids say because skinny-dipping feels spontaneous, joyous, freeing, brave, exhilarating… and sensual.”

    Naturists often explain their love of being naked as, simply, “because it feels so good”. This is generally not easy for non-naturists to understand. But as Rosie explains, it’s a complex feeling. There are several different aspects to it, each of which is reasonable and understandable.

    Rosie goes on at some length with ideas of a psychologist, Fiona Murden. Like Murden, Rosie finds the appeal of being naked – skinny-dipping – is related to being immersed in water. “The silken water’s caress and the bonding laughter with my friends is balm for the body and mind,” she writes. But only water of a reasonable temperature. “For me, skinny-dipping is a high-summer activity. I know some brave souls throw themselves into icy pools in January, but not me. In my world it is forever linked with languid, lazy hot days.”

    Most naturists probably think there’s more to nudity than that. Many, of course, are quite happy being clothesfree in the warmth and privacy of their home, with or without the company of others who also enjoy being naked. Naturism has different yet legitimate meanings for different people.

  7. All The U.S. Cities & States Where You Can (Legally) Celebrate National Nude Day
     
    Here’s one more article about the quasi-holiday “National Nude Day”, which was written about previously here and here. The article lists 6 U. S. cities and states where, supposedly, it’s legal to be naked in public: Seattle (WA), Oregon, Austin (TX), New York (NY), Philadelphia (PA), and Florida.

    Don’t rely too heavily on this advice, however. In all cases, nudity must not be “lewd” or “offensive” to others. Those are fairly subjective standards. And where States are concerned, there may be local ordinances that could be much more restrictive about nudity. Unlike countries, such as England and Ireland, where there’s a uniform standard for the whole country, at least in theory, the places listed here may not be tolerant of nudity just anywhere, even if it isn’t “lewd”. The situation in Florida is actually a little murky. For instance, nudity may be OK on private property, even if it’s visible from other property. But local law enforcement might cite some other violation, such as “disorderly conduct” if they feel like it.

    Also, there are a couple of notable omissions. One is California, where, as in Oregon, non-lewd nudity is technically legal anywhere (by a court decision), provided there aren’t stricter local ordinances. Also, on Federal land, such as National Forests, nudity may be allowed (or not) depending on local regulations.


     

  8. Fullers Mill Gardens to host naked visit for naturists
     

    Here’s yet another example of how naturism is regarded in sensible countries like England (at least in this respect) as a perfectly acceptable (albeit rare) personal interest – quite “normal”, in other words. So setting aside a specific time for people to nakedly enjoy a lovely botanic garden isn’t controversial. It took place in August and was only for a few hours on one day. But it still attracted favorable attention to the place, and over half the ticket price was donated to a charity. Some might dismiss something like this as a typical British “eccentricity”. But so what? It’s better than the clotheist conformity prevalent in most other countries.

    Another news article about this event: Back to nature – naked event at botanic gardens

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, June 2020

Yeah, this is very late again. It’s only about June stories. Been a very hectic few months. Yet it still seems worthwhile to make note of some of the most interesting stories from June. Of course, it can’t be considered “news”, but I try to select articles that won’t soon cease being interesting. This is what’s called “history”, right?

  1. Meet Nudists: How to Make Friends In a Niche Community

    Is it difficult to find naturist friends? No, not necessarily. Most naturists are open, friendly folks. If you’re an outgoing, extroverted person, making naturist friends should be quite easy. If you’re more introverted, it’s naturally not quite as easy. But when you’re naked with others, there’s a shared sense of both vulnerability and openness that can significantly enhance the possibility of forming friendships.

    Even if you’re a newcomer at most naturist clubs and resorts, you’ll probably notice that many or most others will smile and wave as you walk around or sit by your tent or camper. That’s a good sign you might start a conversation on the spot. Perhaps you’ll see that someone is carrying sporting equipment, walking a dog, has interesting tattoos, or in some other way provides an opening to start a conversation.

    Don’t be shy about it, if there’s any indication the other person shares an interest of yours – in addition to naturism. Enjoying nudity is a very significant characteristic common to just about everyone around – plenty of incentive to discover other shared interests that can be a basis for friendship.

    Besides a naturist club or resort, a clothing-optional beach is the other main place you might be in the company of many folks enjoying nudity. But there are significant differences you should keep in mind. In particular, many people visit a beach just for enjoying the sunshine and the water, and not for socializing.

    Many people at a clothing-optional beach may have little or no experience being naked around others, so they’ll probably be nervous and wary of being approached by naked strangers. In this situation, if you’re already fairly comfortable being naked it may be best to let others approach you, or to watch for positive signs that others are comfortable with having a conversation.

    One idea you could try is to bring extra snacks and cold beverages to the beach. If you see others who appear to be friendly and approachable, offer to share some! Sharing food is a very ancient human bonding experience. The same idea would work at naturist campgrounds and parks too, of course. Get creative.

    The article cited here offers a lot of good thoughts about finding naturist friends, and it deals not only with the “real-life” environment (which is certainly the most satisfying one), but also the online environment as well. The latter case can be tricky, since you can’t be quite as confident about the dedication of others to the principles of “real” naturism. On the other hand, online is certainly a good way to make initial contacts with people who’re happy to discuss naturism. And if they happen not to live at a great distance from you, meeting in “real life” will be that much easier.

    Here are some other good articles on making naturist friends:


     

  2. A scientific experimental study finds that nudity helps improve body acceptance
     

    “It’s official – nakedness leads to improvements in body image!”, a British Naturism post in June proclaimed. The post contains a summary of the research, in which “51 participants arrived for the experiment, half of whom spent 45 minutes socialising with clothes on (the control group), the other half doing the same naked.”

    After a description of the experiment, it’s reported that “The participants were all happy to engage in the experiment once they were given their instructions, whether naked or clothed. And there were no differences in the responses between men and women or between different age ranges.”

    The post announced a study conducted Dr. Keon West (Twitter), a Reader in Social Psychology in the Psychology departement of Goldsmiths University in London. It’s entitled I Feel Better Naked: Communal Naked Activity Increases Body Appreciation by Reducing Social Physique Anxiety

    From the abstract:
    “Positive body image predicts several measures of happiness, well-being, and sexual functioning. Prior research has suggested a link between communal naked activity and positive body image, but has thus far not clarified either the direction or mechanisms of this relationship. This was the first randomized controlled trial of the effects of nakedness on body image. … This research provides initial evidence that naked activity can lead to improvements in body image”

    Although the research article is behind a paywall, there’s a little more about it here. A related paper, entitled “A nudity-based intervention to improve body image, self-esteem, and life satisfaction” is still in press, but is described here.

    An earlier study from Dr. West, entitled Naked and Unashamed: Investigations and Applications of the Effects of Naturist Activities on Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Life Satisfaction, was published in the Journal of Happiness Studies in January 2017.

    Quoting from the abstract of that paper,
    “It was found that more participation in naturist activities predicted greater life satisfaction—a relationship that was mediated by more positive body image, and higher self-esteem (Study 1). Applying these findings, it was found that participation in actual naturist activities led to an increase in life satisfaction, an effect that was also mediated by improvements in body image and self-esteem (Studies 2 and 3).”

    A January 2017 British Naturism post quickly announced that research, summarizing it as “Science proves Naturism is good for you”. That post contains a brief video (containing clips from a London World Naked Bike Ride). A Goldsmiths press release says Research finds nudism makes us happier. Felicity’s Blog provides many details: New Research Shows That Naturism Improves Body Image & Happiness.

    That research got a considerable amount of media coverage, such as:


  3. International Nude Day
     

    Well, it’s not exactly a well-known holiday, perhaps not even to most naturists. But there really is an “International Nude Day”, which is always July 14, and it is recognized by several online sites that record “special” days. For example: here, here, here, here, and here. However, it’s not always taken very seriously at such places. A few other sites looking for “interesting” material, such as this, also take note of the day.

    Naturally, because summer in the northern hemisphere is vacation time for most people and the best time to be naked outdoors, the whole month of July deserves to be considered a National/International Nude Month.

    The idea apparently originated in New Zealand, even though July 14 is smack in the middle of winter down there. (This Rock Haven Lodge page gives the year as 2003.) Nevertheless, a NZ site should be a reliable source:
    “New Zealand’s (and now the world’s) National Nude day is not a public holiday but a day to celebrate the human form.

    Brain child of former All Black and TV presenter Marc Ellis, National Nude Day (also now known as International Nude Day) is a celebration of the skin with much fun attached. ….

    Nude Day is a one day a year that all in NZ can celebrate nudeness, nakedness, being in the nuddy, running free in all your original raw beauty, putting on your best birthday suit. It’s day everyone can participate in, fat, skinny, big, small, firm, soft and the flabby can all get involved.”

    There are a couple of other things in early July with the same idea: International Skinny Dip Day, promoted by the American Association for Nude Recreation (second Saturday in July), and Nude Recreation Week (the week after July 4), which was promoted by The Naturist Society.

    It doesn’t seem like many naturist organizations promote the day very much, if at all. Few naturist blogs mention it either, although the Sesual Nudist has a good post. Alexis remarks: “Having a holiday, even if unofficial, to encourage and support nudity is along the path to normalizing naturism, and I certainly think we should do what we can to push this along. Who knows, maybe we can get it more widely recognized as a holiday…wouldn’t that be nice?!?”

    Yes, it certainly would be nice. That’s a very good point. If the date were much more widely promoted by naturist organizations and businesses catering to naturists, there would be a natural opportunity to bring naturist ideas to a wide audience, provided it’s taken seriously enough.

    But you don’t have to wait for some organization to take the initiative. You can do it yourself! If you have open-minded friends with whom you haven’t yet have discussed your interest in social nudity, this special day would be the perfect occasion to let them know. If there are other friends who already know, also invite them along for a visit in the afternoon or evening, especially if you have a swimming pool or spa. Provide plenty of snacks or have a cookout. And make it clear that you plan to be clothesfree (but nobody else need do likewise, of course). If you already have friends nearby who enjoy nudity, be sure to invite them too.

    When we get around to dealing with naturist articles for July, it will be interesting to see just how much attention centers on July 14 (and related days).


  4. Florida has another official clothing-optional beach
     

    We noted back in January that the East coast of Florida was on track to get another clothing-optional beach, about halfway between portions of the Canaveral National Seashore to the north and Haulover Beach in Miami to the south. Almost 6 months later that became a reality.

    A section of Blind Creek Beach, near Fort Pierce, has been unofficially clothing-optional for more than 20 years – possibly as long as 50 years. But a 4-1 vote by the County Council on June 2 made 36 acres of the beach officially clothing-optional. That status has been generally accepted by locals for much of the preceding two decades, so the main difference will be that signs will be posted to alert visitors who might be unaware that there could be naked people on the beach, restrooms would be provided, and (perhaps) lifeguards might even be hired.

    What’s taken so long for this development? In recent times it hasn’t been local opposition to nudity so much as the need for the county to spend a little bit of money on the restrooms. The Florida economy is very dependent on tourism. If local naturists could just put in enough effort to inform the public of the value of naturist visitors, there’s still plenty of beach space in Florida that’s not yet clothing-optional. The American Association for Nude Recreation has a report on this very topic: The Economic Impact of Nude Tourism & Recreation in Florida. Other states that already have significant naturist destinations should also take note.

    News articles:

     

  5. Naturism during a pandemic
     

    In June the pandemic seemed to be winding down. (Ha!) So some naturist resorts in Europe, North America, and elsewhere started opening up, but usually making a good effort to observe sensible safety guidelines. Many naturists chose other ways to enjoy nudity safely.

    Here are a few reports:


     

  6. Naturism in Ireland is Alive and Well
     

    A small number of European countries are known for having a fair number of places for naturists, such as clothing-optional beaches, campgrounds, resorts, swimming centers, spas, and guest houses. France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Croatia, and even England, are names that quickly come to mind. But … Ireland? Apparently it should be in that list too.

    The Irish Naturist Association has recently been actively pursuing this idea – for much the same reason that applies to Florida: naturist facilities attract naturist tourists to spend money locally. It’s also helped a lot that, as the article notes, “In the past twenty to thirty years Ireland has become a much more open minded and culturally diverse society. As part of the ongoing liberal attitudes new laws were passed by parliament in 2017 which now make being naked in public no longer illegal or a prosecutable offence.” The U. S. should be so fortunate, but sadly (in most states), it’s still in the dark ages, at least as far as public nudity is concerned.

    Ireland’s enlightened attitude shouldn’t be so surprising, since a similar liberalization has occurred during the same period in England – Ireland’s close neighbor. Not only do the two countries share a similar climate, but there are cultural similarities as well. Ireland (except for Northern Ireland) achieved complete independence from Britain in 1921. But for centuries Ireland had long been dominated by its neighbor. So people could move between the two islands without much trouble. And English is very widely spoken in Ireland, as well as the native Irish.

    The Irish Naturist Association has actually existed since 1963. So organized naturism in Ireland does have close to a 60-year history. The article points out that “many more [people] are accepting of and taking part in naturism in Ireland. Indoor facilities, swimming pools, saunas, Yoga/meditation retreats and other such facilities” book naked events. And outdoors, “naturists also make use of traditional known naturist used beaches and outdoor swimming areas. Currently there are some thirty-three documented beaches in the Republic of Ireland.”

  7. Naturist Bed & Breakfast with Winery
     
    Speaking of places where it might be surprising to find good places to be naked – as well as a thriving winery – how about Oklahoma? Not everyone’s idea of an idyllic place for naturism, shall we say?

    But, as naturist author/blogger Will Forest writes in a review of the Wakefield Country Inn and Winery, it’s “really three favorite things” that “combines (1) a bed & breakfast and (2) a winery with (3) a naturist philosophy.” The establishment describes itself on its (non-naturist) website:
    “We are an adults-only (must be 21) bed and breakfast (it is our home, not a hotel) and winery, located in southeastern Oklahoma, between Ada and McAlester off Highway 75. If you’re looking for solitude, peace and quiet, we are located on 50 acres and our closest neighbor is 1/2 mile away. … The sole purpose of our bed and breakfast is for couples to re-connect/re-kindle the romance in their relationship.”

    Here’s the reviewer’s conclusion:
    “A summary for this fantastic three-in-one destination: (1) The bed & breakfast is terrific, and the facilities are beautiful. (2) The winery is wonderful and the wines are outstanding. (3) It’s the people -the owners, the guests – who really bring this lovely establishment to life and who espouse the naturist philosophy. The owners know that their home business has become a gateway for many who are curious about social nudism, and who try it for the first time right there.”

    It seems to me that establishments like this – small and run by real naturists who love social nudity – may be the future of naturism. Provided they are numerous enough for nearby naturists to visit easily. In the U. S. (outside of Florida, at least) larger naturist facilities are probably going to be few and far between for some time to come. They’re expensive to start and operate. And in many parts of the country, they may be viable only if located in areas that are already close to popular tourist destinations.

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.