“What’s the Problem with Nudity?” BBC

Black Belt Naturists

 

Nude Power!

I have to face it, I’m just a Blue Belt when it comes to my nudity. However, there are some naturists who are Black Belts when it comes to their naturism. How does one get a Black Belt for being a naturist? One or more of the following makes you a naturist Black Belt:

1. Totally open about being a naturist. Everyone knows they’re a naturist. Uses their real name at nudist clubs and online. Gives zero f**ks who knowns they’re a naturist.

2. Has been interviewed in the press about nude recreation. Is a promoter of the naturist lifestyle in the media. Stephane Deschenes, Brian Spence, and Felicity Jones are all well known naturists.

3. Has been to Burning Man, WNBR, Bare to Breakers, or the Fremont Solstice Parade nude for everyone to see. Their photos are plastered all over the internet. Again cares zero f**ks about it. In fact their public nudity gives them empowerment.

4. Participated in nude protests. Protested naked against injustice or protested naked against stupid anti-nudity laws.

These Black Belt naturists are a role model to everyone in the naturist lifestyle.

Naturists are Heroes

Naturists are heroes, and it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Participating in nude recreation is an act of heroism. The following are some reasons why naturists are heroes:

1. Naturists challenge the notion that nudity is only sexual. As any naturist can tell you, just being naked is not sexual or leads to sexual thoughts. Being naked is just natural and an expression of being human.

2. Naturists were pioneers in allowing nudity to be portrayed in print media. Early nudist magazines were considered obscene and couldn’t be mailed by the U.S. Postal Service. However, a later Supreme Court ruling found that nudist magazines were not obscene under the Roth test for obscenity. This led to other publications like Playboy to be published.

3. Naturism supports gender equality. Naturists support topfreedom and the right of mothers to breastfeed their children in public. Naturists believe that women should have the same rights as men and should be able to be nude without being labelled as a “slut” or harassed.

4. Naturism is pro-environment. Naturists try to live in harmony with nature through nudity. Naturists fight against global warming, pollution, and help keep beaches and parks clean. Plus the naturist lifestyle is more carbon neutral, in that we use less electricity (air conditioning) and water (washing clothes).

5. Naturism advocates realistic body image. Naturists believe in a more realistic view of how people really look. There is no such thing as the perfect body. Everyone is beautiful and human beings. Class, money, and status all disappear when you’re naked.

So nude people, you’re heroes. Your beliefs make the world a better place. Your nakedness makes you more human.

Nude Photos-The Greater Meaning

During the Labor Day weekend, many celebrities (like Jennifer Lawrence) had their nude photos leaked on to the Internet

Taking nude photos and sharing them is not just for regular people, but celebrities too.  But the bigger question is why?  As I stated in an earlier post, we have become so disconnected from humanity that nude images have become extraordinary. I think, deep down, people crave nudity.  Sure there is a sexual component, but when people share nude images of themselves, what they’re really saying is “this is me.”

If we all lived in a culture that nudity was normal, no one would care about celebrity nude photos.  Therefore this whole situation really doesn’t matter to me.

The Verge:

“Sending nude selfies is increasingly common behavior”

PS> Please do not share any of these celebrity photos.  They have a right to privacy.  Also, while writing this post, I came across one of these so called “photos” and they’re nothing special. Having been a naturist has made me more aware of all the baggage nudity brings.

Image Gender Imbalance

                                                              Different parts, but both human

I received a comment on my post “Why? (A Question for Non-Naturists)” that sparked some thoughts on nude photos and gender:

“Wouldn’t be too bad if it was a man’s penis on show!!! It seems it’s always the women on show, wonder why?! Want to see more naked men please!!” -The Savvy Senorita

At first glance I thought she was talking about my blog.  I try to post equal amounts of nude male photos and female nude photos.  But as I re-read Savvy Senorita’s comments, she was speaking in more general terms.  Why is it we see more female nudity than male nudity in the media?

I could remember a time when you never saw a male fully naked in movies.  Sure, you saw bare buttocks, but never full frontal nudity.  Showing a penis was an automatic X-Rating, even if it was flaccid.  The only nudity that was acceptable was female nudity.  This has evolved over the years, but you still see more female nudity than male nudity in the movies and photography.

But why is this?  The following are some reasons why female nudity is more prevenient:

1. Men still call the shots.  Sad but true, most of the movie studios are run by men, most of the media companies are run by men, and most of Silicon Valley is run by men.
2. Women have a long history of being sex objects.  Western culture is based on exploiting women.  Until recently it was acceptable to sexually harass women in the workplace.  It was all right to demean women sexually and still is.
3. Art has made female nudity more palpable.  Let’s face it, there is more works of art that portray nude females than nude males.

I’m a naturist and I find both male and female nudity to be equally beautiful.  Nothing is more beautiful than another human being.  The reason why things are the way they are is because of antiquated thought processes.  If we’re to grow and evolve, we must set aside our past conditioning and create a new way of thinking.

Tumblr Page-Marked as “Adult Content”

My Tumblr page has been marked as “Adult Content” by Tumblr.  Which means you must have a Tumblr account and be logged in order to view my page.  I only post pictures of non-sexual nudity and images that exemplify the naturist lifestyle.  

Killing access to my Tumblr page, only to Tumblr users, hurts non-sexual nudity.  And as I’ve said before, people NEED to see non-sexual nudity.  Making nudity obscene, extra ordinary, or censored causes more harm than good.  Problems with body image, sexual deviancy, and self-esteem can all be traced to people’s issues with nudity.   

Update 8/18/2014:

My Tumblr page is now viewable by those without a Tumblr account.  For about a week I could not see my own Tumblr account without first logging in.  Maybe it was just a glitch.

Why? (A Question for Non-Naturists)

                                                      If our own bodies are “wrong” then all is lost

I was driving down the street, on a very hot day, and thought to myself “why?” Why is the nude body so offensive? Why is nudity so shocking? How is someone injured by seeing someone naked?

Is it because nudity causes sexuality? Maybe in Western cultures, but most indigenous people live in the nude without it being sexual. To indigenous people, nudity is just an everyday thing.

Is it like religious leaders say, nudity causes lust, and seeing a naked person causes people to lose self-control. I thought about that too, but I can control my own sexuality and so can most people. Plus there have been many times where I’ve been attracted to someone and never saw them naked. Also this argument is moot because it makes people out to be little more than animals that can’t reason.

Is nudity a sin? But if I’m made in the image of my creator (like a lot of religions say), how can my mere nakedness be a sin? What is more sinful: physically hurting other people or walking naked down a nude beach? What is more sinful are bad ways we treat each other, i.e. murder, rape, poverty, and hate.

I couldn’t find an answer to my questions. Then I realized I was asking the wrong person, me. I have no problem with nudity and seeing someone naked is kind of a ho-hum moment. So I ask you my readers: why is mere nudity such a bad thing? I understand that the majority of my readers are naturists and nudists. But I would like to hear from non-naturists/nudists as to why nudity is wrong. Please pass this article to your non-nude friends and ask their opinion.

How My Blog (Inadvertently) Changed Google for the Better

The main reason I created this blog was to talk about my love of being nude and nude recreation. I wanted to discuss topics within naturism and the nude lifestyle. I especially wanted to focus on the underrepresented naturists of color. However, inadvertently, my blog made a positive impact on Asians and naturism.

It used to be when you Googled “Asian nudist” or “Asian naturist” you got nothing but porn results. There were no resources for someone who was Asian and interested in naturism. In fact, Googling “Asian naturist” was an invitation for some of the worse garbage on the internet. The reader would think naturism equals extreme sexuality.

When I started this blog, I wanted to tell people what naturism meant to me. Naturism is perhaps one of the most important things a person can do to grow psychologically and spiritually. So, I wrote about myself and my experiences.

A few days ago, I Googled “Asian naturist.” I was expecting the same old exploitation of Asian women as exotic sex objects, or the usual porn garbage. What I saw instead was something unexpected. My blog kept coming up as a search result anytime “Asian” and “naturism” was searched together.

Now someone who is Asian and interested in naturism can get a realistic definition of what naturism really is. I’m very happy that my blog made some kind of difference in the internet community.

Why Nude Photos are Important to Naturism

This is an example of who we are. There is no shame, lust, or degradation.

Imagine if you will that this blog wasn’t about naturism, but about camping and backpacking.  In my theoretical camping blog I’d write about my travels, offer advice, discuss issues within the camping/backpacking community, and show you pictures of my trips.   No one would get upset about pictures of Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.  But in reality my blog isn’t about camping, but nude recreation and the naturist lifestyle.

Since its early days, naturism has been portraying the nude human body in photography.  In fact, it was nudist magazines that set the legal precedent for nude images to be published.  Up until 1958, it was illegal for nudist magazines to be mailed by the U.S. Postal Service. In SUNSHINE BOOK COMPANY v. SUMMERFIELD, The U.S. District Court of Columbia ruled that nudist magazines could be mailed.  This decision also created the precedent for Playboy and other magazines to be published.

The nude human body is the core of our lifestyle, it’s what defines our philosophy and our outlook.  And when discussing our way of living, how can we describe it?  Sure I can drone on forever about nude recreation in words and sentences.  However, nothing describes who we are or what we believe than a picture. Many of my readers recall that my own foray into naturism began by seeing images of non-sexual nudity.  Naturist photos act like ambassadors to non-naturists, demonstrating what nude recreation is like.

Seeing nude photos helps eliminate equating nudity only with sexual activity.  For the vast majority of Americans, nudity is akin to sexual activity.  Movies, TV, and the internet teach us that mere nudity is only erotic.  Seeing non-sexual nudity is the first step to removing society’s warped conditioning.

Nude photos also fosters body acceptance.  I used to hate how my body looked.  I thought I wasn’t the “ideal” body, or a body fit to be a naturist.  But seeing many different people nude has changed my outlook.  I have finally learned to accept myself, and accept others.

Now I’m not naïve, I know that our lifestyle attracts the wrong people.  It’s a sad fact.  Our photos can be exploited by some really sick and warped minds.  Case in point: naturist photos used to show pictures of entire families, but now because of a few perverts, no naturist in their right minds would allow photos of their children to be posted online.  Another sad fact is that the term “naturism” has been hijacked by the porn industry.  But this isn’t the fault of naturism or nude recreation.  Blaming naturists for having their photos exploited is like blaming a woman for being sexually assaulted because she was wearing a risqué dress.  The accountability should be placed on the victimizer and not the victim.  I’m not going to stop being a naturist because of a few losers.

Nude photos are a part of naturism.  Nudity is part of the naturist experience, but the biggest part of the naturist lifestyle is what takes place between the ears and not the legs.  Nude photos serve only as an example of  what naturist activities are.  There is nothing shameful about the naked human body.  The only “shameful” part of nudity is those who exploit it for the wrong reasons.

 

How to be Successful in Naturism

Naturism is a wonderful way to live.  Nudity is bliss.  However, to the newbie nudie, it can be daunting to take the first steps.  The following are some of my tips to make nude recreation and life more enjoyable.

1. One of the most difficult things for a new naturist is where to look.  I’ve seen and been the new naturist that stares at the ground the whole time.  My advice is to look at people’s faces.  Make eye contact.  People talk to each other while making eye contact.  Having a conversation nude is the same as having a conversation clothed.  It would be weird if you stared at someone’s groin while talking to them, the same is true clothed or nude.  My advice is to treat being nude as being clothed in regards to how you look at people.

2. Understand that nudity is not an invitation for sexual activity or sexual harassment.  I remember a time when I was at a nudist club where I observed a guy staring at a nude female who was sunning herself near the pool.  His gaze was so intense that it was like a laser beam coming from his eyes.  He later walked over to her and sat next to her, closely edging himself closer each time.  But to the female’s credit she ignored him.  I later reported the incident to the office, but he had already left.  When the manager spoke to the female guest, she said that she didn’t report him because she was used to jerks like that.  And that it was his hangup if he wanted to act that way.  The woman didn’t allow him to destroy her day.  I use this example to illustrate that just because someone is naked doesn’t mean it’s sexual and that people have a right to enjoy nudity without harassment.

3. If you’re going to a nude beach or resort, do your homework.  Research the place before going there.  For nude beaches, some nude beaches have shaky legal status.  You don’t want to get arrested or ticketed for being nude.  For resorts and clubs it’s important to call ahead before visiting.  Each club or resort has different rules.  Some clubs require a background check before visiting, while others do not admit single males, and some clubs require you to be a member of a national naturist/nudist organization like AANR or TNS.  Bottom line call ahead, ask questions, and follow the rules.

4. Be friendly but not too friendly.  Be sociable.  But be wary to respect people’s space.  Learn to read body language.  A person lying on a lawn chair with their eyes closed may not appreciate you striking up a conversation.  Also not talking to people and propping yourself under a tree, in a isolated part of the club, also looks weird. Strike a balance between being a wallflower and a gadfly.

5. Leave the iPad, laptop, or camera at home.  Technology has brought the camera everywhere.  I can tell you horror stories of people using their cellphone and suddenly being accused of taking people’s picture, and then being falsely thrown out of a club.  I’d leave all electronics in your car or in your bag.  And if you have to use your phone, point the camera away from people.  After people get to know you, they’ll relax, but newbies are always under suspicion.

6. Always have a towel.  I don’t know of a naturist club that would admit you if you didn’t have one.  In fact have multiple towels.  One for sitting on, a large one to lay on, and a towel to dry yourself after swimming.  

7. Be prepared.  Sunscreen?  Water?  ID? Money?  Is there a snack bar?  Do they take credit cards? Sunglasses?  I once went to a nudist club with no shoes, in the height of summer, my feet were burned by the end of the day.

8. Erections.  I have never had a problem with this.  In fact you’re going to experience the opposite to put it mildly.  You’re going to be too nervous to have an erection.  But if you do have an erection, don’t draw attention to it.  If you’re laying down, roll over on your stomach etc.  After awhile, and more experience, this will not be a concern.

Naturism is a premier experience, something to be relished.  May my tips be helpful to you.