“What’s the Problem with Nudity?” BBC

“I SPENT THE AFTERNOON NAKED IN PUBLIC AND THERE WAS NOTHING WEIRD ABOUT IT”

Photo from: The Plaid Zebra – An Unconventional Lifestyle Magazine

I like the fact that the nudity wasn’t censored like other nudist news stories.

“I SPENT THE AFTERNOON NAKED IN PUBLIC AND THERE WAS NOTHING WEIRD ABOUT IT”

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.

Just Parts

 

Now that I got your attention.  I’m tired of all the drama made about certain body parts. Society acts like they don’t exist, and once they’re revealed, all hell breaks loose.

If you’re male, female, or transgendered you have one of the above body parts.  Look at the penis, it serves a function.  Look at the vagina, life springs fourth from it.

The above photo would be marked as NSFW and censored by the media.  But why?  Hasn’t anyone seen a dick and a clit before?  Also there is nothing sexual about the photo.  Why should it be sexual???  There is no sexual activity or erect penis. Just body parts of a male and a female.

When you see a nude person, ask yourself why mere body parts are X-rated?  Question your conventions.

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.

The Reason Why

A nude woman in public free of fear, shame, or stigma

I was brainstorming on why women don’t have equality in society.

In the U.S. women make 19% less than their male counter parts. 1 out of 6 women will be sexually assaulted within their lifetime.  In many parts of the world women can’t vote or own property.  Women are little more than chattel, slaves to their husbands.  In Saudi Arabia women aren’t allowed to drive.  Women are subjected to criticism about their appearance that males aren’t subjected to.  And in most parts of the world women can’t be topless and men can.

What is the reason for this?  All of my conclusions didn’t yield any new insights.  The only thing that made sense is that society (men) are afraid of women.  That’s right, men fear women.  Why else would we do everything to control them and hinder their freedom.

But why do we fear women?  Well, women can do one thing that men can’t, women create life.  Yes, males assist in the creation process, but it’s women who nurture and bring forth life.

Another thing that men are fearful of is women’s sexuality.  Women’s sexuality is a complete mystery to men.  And what you don’t understand you either fear it or attempt to control.

The female body is another aspect of society’s trepidation of women.   Women’s bodies are a threat, something to be covered up.  In some cultures the only visible part of a woman’s body is her eyes.  Female nudity is forbidden and stigmatized.  A nude woman is either a slut or out to destroy community morality.  Breasts, the symbol of life and fertility, are to be covered up at all costs.

The countries that allow women to be topless are also the countries that have the best records on women’s rights.  I feel that nudity equals equality.  And if female nudity were de-stigmatized, a lot of psychological baggage would disappear.

Men must get over their fear of women.  Women are human beings and deserve to be treated with full equality.  Our mothers, daughters, and sisters deserve to be full partners in society.

The Benefits of Naturism

I had to take a business road trip and drive to San Diego.  The weather was cold and the road was wet with intermittent rain.  I chose to drive to San Diego by taking the route that goes through Riverside County.  As I drove, I passed two notable nude recreation sites, first Glen Eden Resort and later Black’s Beach.

As I drove, I started to daydream of warm summers and nude bliss.  That’s when I thought of all the benefits naturism has gifted me through the years.  The following are some of those benefits:

1. A cure for my light psoriasis.  The sunlight and fresh air have done wonders for my skin and reduced rashes due to allergies and psoriasis.

2. Improved my posture.  When you’re clothed, you can’t see your hips through the clothes.  When I’m naked, I can easily align my shoulders with my hips.

3. An increased respect for women.  Naturism has taught me that women aren’t sex objects.  I can now look past society’s conditioning and see people on a whole new level.  We are not our body parts, we are total beings with aspirations and ideas.

4. A connection with indigenous people around the world. Naturism as created a kinship with indigenous people and their way of life.  Many of these people live in cultures where no one wears clothes.  Their way of life is proof that nudity is not sexual, just normal.

5. Increased confidence, better self-esteem.  Being a naturist has increased my self-confidence, once your nude with other people, other things in your life become easier.  Naturism gets you out of your shell, in more ways than one.  Also I have a bad body self image, a self hate.  Naturism has taught me to like my body.  Once you accept yourself, you can accept other people.

6. A stress release.  After a long day, driving more than 400 miles, getting nude is a quick stress release.  I can breathe again.  Stress causes disease and shortens your life.  So getting naked may save your life.

Naturism is more than just getting naked.  Naturism can benefit your life and your soul.

My Journey In Naturism, My Journey within Myself

Chapter One: The Awakening

Why am I a naturist? How did I become a naturist?  When was the first time I was nude at a beach or a club?  It’s hard to answer these questions.  Much of it is lost in the fog of time, or was so natural that it’s like being asked when did I first notice the sky was blue.

As far as I can recall, I’ve always been fascinated by nudity.  As a child I thought it was strange that people wore clothing.  I didn’t like wearing shoes, preferring to walk home from school barefoot.  I could recall finding my dad’s stash of Playboy magazines, looking at the pictures of the nude women, I was neither titillated or repulsed.  The nudity of those naked women seemed normal, beautiful, the most beautiful thing I ever seen.

As a teen I was drawn to being nude.  We lived on a dark cul-de-sac with no street lamps.  I remembered taking off my clothes and walking around nude.  I remembered one time riding my bike up and down my street with no clothes on.  I lived not to far from the local high school which had a pool.  Many kids would sneak down there on hot summer nights, hop the fence, and skinny dip.  I remembered one hot night sneaking out of my room, walking barefoot to the school, hopping the fence, and swimming naked.  I could remember the thrill and the freedom swimming nude in a normally clothed pool.

I also skinny dipped at friend’s swimming pools.  I remember one time being invited to go swimming at a friend’s house.  I conveniently forgot my swim trunks and my friend without batting an eye said I could swim nude.  There was nothing sexual about it, just two friends swimming.  He in swim trunks, me nude.  Then his mother came home early.  In a fearful state I got out of the pool and ran towards my pile of clothes.  “Don’t worry,” my friend said, “my mom doesn’t care.”  Sheepishly, I walked back towards the pool.  Through the sliding glass door, I saw a woman carrying a bag of groceries.  She saw me and waved.  I waved back.  It was the late 1970s and people had a different attitude towards nudity back then.  Harmless skinny dipping. If that happened today there would have been a freak out and a call to parents or worse.

My activities more or less continued in the same vane without much thought or label.  One night I remembered seeing a program on San Diego’s Black’s Beach.  Black’s Beach is a nude beach.  The reporter was interviewing a hippie type guy with a long blonde mustache and a wide smile.  The headshot cut away showing that he was nude, bare buttocks facing the camera.  The interview was satirical, made to make the naked man into something of a loon.  I can’t recall what the naked man said exactly in the interview, but I remember words like “freedom” and “there is nothing wrong with what I’m doing.”   Terms like nudist or naturism weren’t mentioned in the interview.  As the program ended, I wished I could be that guy on the beach.

A few years later I saw an episode of “Hour Magazine” with Gary Collins.  He was interviewing a young man who was a firemen and a teenager.  They were both members of the “Treehouse Fun Ranch” a nudist club.  “Nudist” that’s where I heard it, nudist.  The teenager was a female with curly hair and appeared nervous.  She was talking about how she became a nudist.  Her family took her to the club and she wasn’t keen about being nude. However, the pool required the swimmers to be nude otherwise you couldn’t swim.  She started swimming nude and slowly was nude more often and took to the lifestyle.  I was a nudist.  There were people like me.  There were people who liked being nude.  There was no internet back then, no way to research nudism or connect with other nudists.  But I was a nudist.  I didn’t know the “hows” or “whats” but all I knew was that there were people like me out there.  I wasn’t alone.

I couldn’t find any information on nudism.  Just what dictionaries and encyclopedias defined in the library.  In my early twenties, I was reading “Outdoor Magazine” and there was an ad for the “Naturist Society.”  The ad was promoting “naturism.”  Naturism?  The ad was spoke about the benefits of nude recreation.  The ad had an address in which you could write for more information.  So I wrote the Naturist Society and asked for more information.  A few weeks later an informational pamphlet came.  Also around that time, I found a copy of Lee Baxandall’s “World Guide to Nude Beaches & Resorts” in a local bookstore.  With a little embarrassment, I paid for the book and left the bookstore.

My mind was blown.  The book was full of nude photos all ages and all genders.   But was the most compelling was the information of what naturism was.  The guide spelled out what naturism was and wasn’t, rules of etiquette, and places to get nude.  I read the guide cover to cover.  It was like a bible to nude recreation.  I scrolled to my State, California, and was happy that were a lot of nude beaches and resorts.  I found the entry on Black’s Beach in San Diego and decided that was the place to start.  Black’s Beach was two hours away, but it felt like the other side of the moon.  How would I get there?   I had a car but had never driven that far.  But I decided it was the best place to try going nude in public.

In the early summer of the 1990s, the exact date lost in time, I drove the “long” trip to San Diego.  In my part of California, it was sunny, but as I drove closer to San Diego, the weather turned overcast.  The windshield of my car became wet with mist. My first day nude in the sun was in jeopardy. Compounded later by becoming lost when I got closer to the beach.  These where the days before GPS or Google Maps.  AlI I had was a Thomas Guide Map book and the “World Guide to Nude Beaches & Resorts” to guide my way.

The guide said to look for the sign that said “Glider Point.”  I finally found the parking lot near the beach at around 11am.  The parking lot was a dirt lot near the University of San Diego.  The weather was still overcast, but the sun started to peek out.  I could see why this was the place for a nude beach.  The trail was treacherous, steep, and carved out of the side of a cliff, the trail was maintained by a group of volunteers “The Black Beach Bares.”  I got my towel and things and started the long climb down.  I didn’t wear shoes, and that was a mistake, because by the end of the day my feet were cut up.

The zig-zag trail was narrow in some parts and had stairs in some parts.  The color of the cliff was a red adobe studded by rocks.  The end of the trail opened to a wide view of the ocean.  The smell of the ocean the crashing of the waves.  I saw no one.  There was a jogger running along the shore, but no one else.  I thought I was in the wrong place.

I walked closer to the shore, looking out at the ocean with my feet being lapped by the waves.  Then I saw them, a man and a woman laying on a towel facing the ocean, near the cliffs.  Both were nude.  I was in the right place.

I walked a bit and found a place that looked okay.  Not too far from some volleyball nets.  I set out my towel and sat there, which felt like forever.  Wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  The weather was still overcast but warm.  After a while I got up my courage and stood up, took off my shirt and slid off my jeans.  I prepared by not wearing underwear.  I put sunscreen on even though it was cloudy, I didn’t want to get a sunburn.  I immediately laid on my stomach with my head facing the ocean.  My pulse was quick and I thought to myself “I’m really doing this.”

As it got past noon, more people began to populate the beach.  I got enough courage to lay on by back.  Contrary to popular myths, newbies males don’t always get erections.  You’re too nervous and scared for that to happen.

I was on my back when I heard the crunching of sand nearby.  I looked up and saw three people.  Two young women and a large man.  They were 30 feet away from me. They put down their stuff and immediately the two women took off their clothes while the male stayed clothed.  The two women ran towards the ocean and dove in.  The male started to dig a hole in the sand, and later in the day the hole was large enough to in lay in.

After their dip, the two ran back to their towels, and dried off.  Their eyes were red because of the salt water.  What was most interesting about the trio was that the male wasn’t excited by their nudity, he was non-plussed.  It was my first encounter with a person (another male) who didn’t view female nudity as something to get excited about or concerned about.  The two females then laid down and later fell asleep.

I got up the courage and got up and walked to the water.  It an odd but pleasant feeling to feel the breeze on my body.  It was also odd to be totally naked for anyone to see.  I waded waist high into the water, the water was cold and grey.  I didn’t swim.

There was more people on the beach now.  Not too far from me, a father and his toddler son set up their towels.  The father removed his clothes and the clothes of his son.  The son was happy and began to run around.  A tall dark man with long braids set up and began to do what appeared to be yoga.

I was there an hour and already “this” began to feel normal.  It was just like being on a clothes beach except no one was wearing clothes.

The two females woke up and started smoking cigarettes.  I went up to them and asked for a cigarette.  I just quit smoking a month ago but this was my “in” to talk to someone.  I was met with a smile and given a cigarette.  I offered them some bottled water but they declined.  I was dumbstruck.  If a naked man came up to you, a stranger, would you react the same?  Back then Black’s Beach was more of a mix of people, more hippie-ish.  Back then you could strike up a conversation with someone and have it not mean anything.

It was getting late, late as in near 3pm.  Even though I was naive on long driving trips, I knew it would be a longer drive if I didn’t leave now, rush hour traffic is a nightmare in Southern California.

I packed up my stuff, but I didn’t put on any clothes, I walked the whole way back to the foot of the trail nude.  As I walked along the shore, a clothes couple walked past me holding hands, they had nervous looks on their faces as they past me.

I reached the foot of the trail, put my jeans on, and my shirt.

The trail was a hard climb.  I was out of breath and dripping with sweat as I reached the top of the cliff.  I stood there looking down at the beach.  I felt different, I felt changed.  Something meaningful just happened.

Next week, Chapter Two: “Self-Expression”