Nudism Misconceptions (Editorial)

A Naked Hootenanny...What could be more natural?

NUDISM MISCONCEPTIONS: WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT NAKED

Thousands upon thousands of people world-wide have found nudism a great source of personal freedom and relaxation. Nudism (also referred to as Naturism or Naturalism) is also one of the most misunderstood lifestyle choices among the general population. The topic seems to confront deep feelings in most people, particularly in the West.  For the uneducated, nudism may appear to counter both political and religious ideas of the current culture.

I advocate nudism as a matter inherent choice, as a part of the connection of one's own body and the environment, of accepting and understanding the natural workings of the body, and the beginning of eliminating the fear, doubt, guilt and shame that society has put on self-image, the body and sexuality.  I also believe being forced to wear clothes is a form of tyranny and repression -- the same as anyone who is forced to wear a burka.  

Here are some common misconceptions concerning nudism...

1. Sexual Activities. Misconception: Nudism is a "front" for wild sexual activity.

This is the single most untrue misconception about nudism. In fact, any public place where true nudism is practiced, sexual activity, exhibitionism and voyeurism are strictly discouraged and in some cases prohibited. Overt sexual situations, exhibitionist and voyeuristic conduct results in the offending participant being expelled from the area immediately.  Those behaviors in most nudist situations -- as are most public arenas -- are considered unlawful, if not merely an annoying and rude nuisance.  Sexual activity is not allowed any more in a nudist resort or Naturalist event than any typical public setting, and the other members are even encouraged to report such conduct, if they see it, to the organizer or owner of the facility.

Yet, sexuality is a part of life.  I think there should be places for adults to do what adults want to do.  It is impossible to divorce the body and mind from sexuality.  Public urination is against the law, yet, visit any major city in the world and you will probably witness someone relieving themselves in full view.  What do you do?  You ignore it and move on. Yes, you don't want to offend, but still, what's the harm in seeing an erection or people enjoying themselves in a sexual way? 

And what exactly is the defining line of what is sexuality?  Is it just genital stimulation or could sexuality be other behaviors as well?  Even the most liberal of nudists might still have a streak of the puritanical to address and consider alternatives for those who have just as might right to their choices.  Many open-minded and sex-positive European countries laugh at North American's backward attitudes.  It's time for nudism to evolve in sophistication.

2. Naked Equals Sexy. Misconception: Nudism is sexually stimulating.

When they first try nudism by going to a nude beach or swimming naked with friends, scores of people find themselves surprised at the lack of sexual arousal the situation evokes in them. Men may be afraid of being visibly aroused. 

The fact is that erections are spontaneous.  All the men have to do is lay on their stomach, take a dip in the water, put on a towel or -- the best solution -- do nothing.  Men may be afraid to show their penis for "lack of penis size" prejudice.  Others may feel they are "too fat" to take off their clothes.  A few minutes of seeing all kinds of people naked, one looses all perspective of what is "normal" and what is "sexy".

After a while, nudists even forget that they and the other people around them are nude. Long-time nudist confess they are less likely to be aroused in a nudist situation than at a beach or pool where people wear bathing suits, because bathing suits actually draw attention to the body parts they are supposed to hide. Being naked is not the same as being a "Playboy" centerfold in a magazine.

"Sexy" is anyone who is comfortable, confident and health-oriented -- naked or not.  "Sexy" is a positive-attitude toward the body and sexuality.

3. Only "Hotties" Should Be Naked. Misconception: Nudists have attractive bodies -- or need to have a great body to show them off.

Only good looking people should be nudists?  Once again, nudism is not about voyeurism and exhibitionism.  Nudists have all kinds of bodies; any kind, size or shape of body you normally see in day-to-day life. Nudist come in all ages and from every imaginable walk of life (although statistically nudists tend to be better educated than the general population). The only commonality nudists may have otherwise with each other is they are comfortable with getting naked -- alone or with others.

Scores of people are judgmental and assume others will judge them as harshly as they do others. They worry they are too fat, have an ugly scar or just don’t look like a supermodel. They are afraid to bend over to expose themselves in the plain view of people they don't know. Nudism is not a beauty contest. Believe me, once you've seen a thousand, a thousand-and-one don't mean a thing.

I have been in several situations in which well-meaning nudists have made a comment about another person's body -- usually about an overly-endowed man or a bodacious woman's breasts.  These are harmless, realistic observations, not hurtful and mean critiques.  Some things beg for commentary.  It wouldn't be "normal" if you didn't say something.  So what?

4. Nudism Is Adults-Only. Misconception: Nudism makes minors "warped".

Nudism welcomes and encourages whole families with children -- no matter the age of those children. Children are usually the most enthusiastic nudists because they have not yet learned to feel shame about their own or others’ bodies or to equate nudity with sexuality. Children are curious and nudism aids in the natural progression of their curiosity level and affords a great opportunity for questions-and-answers with parents.  Most clothing-optional venues have play areas and activities set up specifically for children. However, children are only allowed to participate in nudist resorts or organized events if they are accompanied by their parents or legal guardians, and their parents, organizers and the other nudists are always on the lookout for anyone who would take advantage of children.  They simple don't want the act of one or two idiots to have consequences for the law-abiding group.

I acknowledge that nudism should be a freedom of choice -- for adults and children alike.  If a child shows interest in being a nudist but the parents are not interested, parents should teach the child where and when it is appropriate, just like anything else in life.  Teenagers who have grown up in the nudist lifestyle generally take a couple of years away from participating to do other things and to have privacy.  They also tend to be nudists again later on.  This choice should also be respected, of course, but the reasoning for the decision should also be discussed, a discussion which allows the minor to formulate ideas on their own and not just go along with peer-pressure that every parent has to address. Nudists are the very people who should appreciate diversity -- even from their own children.

Besides, Doctor Freud took a lot of heat for suggesting children aren't as "innocent" as they seem.  What is seen in the little research information that is available indicates nudist children grow up to have less teen pregnancies, less suicide, less divorce, make more money, live longer and describe themselves as "happy" more often than other groups.  The "Great Mysteries Of Life" are common-place amongst nudists.

5. Nudist Hate Clothing. Misconception: Nudists have strict "nude-all-the-time" policy.

It's a preference, not a all-consuming mandate. Nudists get naked when practical and dress appropriately when the need arises (so to speak). In the winter, nudist resorts generally arrange for events for indoor setting, such as a heated swimming pool, gymnasium or sports facility. Nonetheless, someone visiting a nudist venue is strongly encouraged to disrobe soon after arriving as a deterrent against creepy voyeurs. Novice-nudists/nervous people who are self-conscious, acting abnormally, and stay in their clothes tend to make other nudists uncomfortable, so getting naked as soon as you arrive sort of gets it out of the way to move on to other things.  The point is to enjoy yourself, not create a scene which should be worked out with a therapist.

6. Nudists Are Odd-balls. Misconception: Nudists are perverts, weirdos and other sorts of sexually-deviant people.

...If only...In general, nudists around the world are open, understanding and extremely friendly. Nudism is a personal experience that you share when the situation occurs.  Nudists are people who simply don't buy into all of the social myths and repressive authoritarian hierarchy that the majority of people do. Sure, nudists are rebels with a cause, but they tend to be peace-loving and non-confrontational.  Nudism is an activity, not an identity.

I have said a million times, "Free the body and you free the mind..." One of the things the gay community has contributed to the world is the notion that "Silence Equals Death".  Communication conquers ignorance and ignorance is deadly.

7. Nudists Are Asexual. Misconception: Despite being naked, nudists are unresponsive sexually and have a negative reaction to sexuality.

Some people think that by treating nudity as not so much a sexual thing, nudists deny human sexuality altogether. Obviously, nudists do marry and reproduce, just like nature intended. But nudists come in all forms of sexual orientations, preferences, genders -- falling anywhere along the Kinsey Scale. They just don’t promote sexual activities in an atmosphere that would perpetuate the common misconception that all nudity is sexual -- or to compromise an "innocent family situation". Nudists are sexual beings just like you and I, but they conduct their activities in private -- or in public places designed for such activities.  Gay and Swinger nudists have countless clothing optional resorts around the world to visit and countless numbers of those resorts permit full public sexual contact.

8. Nudists Are Being Crude. Misconception: Nudists have no sense of privacy or decency.

Although nudists feel comfortable in the nude, they tend to be particularly shy of cameras because of feeling "invaded" and have aspects of their life they do not need the world to know. Just because someone is nude, one should not assume anything about them. In most naturist settings, photography is restricted or even prohibited and taking pictures of children (even innocent ones) is strictly forbidden, in order to deter voyeurs and molesters. Likewise, when a person attends a nudist resort, the club keeps the visitor's information private, just like a person’s information is held confidential in any typical public place.

Being nude does not harm anyone.  It's a victim-less crime.  They aren't doing anything to you, so why should you care?  The point is: they are getting naked to try to eliminate a reaction, not to stir a reaction from others.

9. Nudism Is Illegal -- Period (Or Should Be).  Misconception: Nudism doesn't happen around here.

Some people think that nudist venues are a branch of some kind of black market, that nudists keep their cult-like lifestyles secret and unknown to law enforcement for fear of being arrested and prosecuted. I cannot speak for every jurisdiction of every county of every country of the world about what is and isn't lawful. In most places on the planet, laws do not strictly target nudism per se, although, it is simply illegal to be nude in a public place. Law enforcement tends to treats nudist venues as being exempt from prosecution because everyone who visits agrees to be nude, and the venue is kept out of public view with fences, etc. Many nudists advertise and communicate their lifestyle through various media and law enforcement treats their lifestyle as a legitimate social cause. Some nudists are even police officers, judges or lawyers themselves. However, there are a few jurisdictions where this misconception is a reality. Nudism is officially illegal in the state of Arkansas and in the countries of Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Sometimes the police make half-hearted frivolous arrests, such as a crack down on a nude beach or arresting typical parents who take innocent nude photos of their young children, but in these cases, the court usually sees reason and dismisses the charges as unlawful and unsubstantiated. The best place to look for what the laws are in your area is to look them up on the internet.  We have a long way to go to gain universal acceptance of something seemingly so inherit...

10.  Great-Grandma Would Never! Misconception: Nudism is new and alien in the history of humankind.

Humans began naked, both historically and (allegedly) Biblically. Many believe that humans originally began to wear clothes as a means to keep warm to be able to go to cooler climates in order to survive. Then, over many millennia, clothes evolved to denote status and class. Society came to the point where a body without clothes was taboo. However, if you visit the cathedrals in England, you will see many statues of undressed humans and many great artists, such as Renoir, Donatello and Michelangelo depicted nude subjects in their work. In North America, nudism as a cause -- as a movement -- is about a century old, but the swimsuit is also a new invention, prior to which people swam and used saunas in the nude. Early swimsuits covered most of the body but in recent years has gradually covered less of the body over time. A swimsuit of today would probably get you arrested a hundred years ago, but go back two hundred years and people would wonder why you’re dressed at all.

One has to look no further than the poor women of third-world countries who must cover themselves at all times -- even their eyes -- for fear of retaliation (even death) to see the ridiculous and destructive religious and political ramifications of clothing. Until someone can accept themselves in total -- warts and all -- then their spirit is fractured and they will remain shattered.  Nudism is seeing oneself as whole and recognizing the wondrous natural aspects of what being human really is.  Nudism is a one key to self-actualization, one facet of being healthy.