Modern Social Nudity

Less than a year ago, I adopted the philosophy, "nude when possible, clothed when necessary" most notably espoused by Rev. Ilsley "Uncle Danny" Boone during his 21 year reign as president of the American Sunbathing Association (present day American Association for Nude Recreation) when he wrote, "a nudist is one who believes and practices that one may freely go without clothes unless for some specific reason, such as bodily comfort or social requirements, it is essential to wear them." Since becoming a nudist I have moved beyond simply remaining nude when at home to making frequent trips to nudist resorts in my area and enjoying social nudity. Social nudity is simply the practice of communal complete nudity in the presence of other like minded people. As I continue to explore and experience the nudist lifestyle I am looking forward to visiting some of the more luxurious resorts available both here and abroad and I am planning soon to book a nude cruise.

Certainly I do understand that there are many who might ask why anyone would want to spend a good part of their life nude even in the privacy of their own home much less in the presence of other nude people. While I allow it is a fair question which I will attempt to answer, it does point out that one who asks such a question truly doesn't know a great deal about nudists or the nudist lifestyle. It actually never ceases to amaze me just how misunderstood nudism is given that nudism has been a part of life for all of recorded human history. If you think about it, terms like nude, naked, nudist and nudism likely didn't even exist until clothes were invented because it was just the way things were. The ancient Greeks idolized the naked human body and thought it was beautiful. They participated in sports and other recreational activities in the nude. In fact, the word gymnasium comes from the Greek word gymnos, which means naked.

Mostly due to religious influences, somewhere along the way in human history, nudity became a taboo and people were taught to feel shame if they saw someone naked or someone saw them naked. Being nude was equated with being sinful. This standard of modesty was brought to this country by our Puritanical founding fathers. People were so anti-nude in those days that many refused to disrobe even for bathing. This mindset continued unabated up until the 1900s. In 1901, the ideas of modern social nudism first found expression in several books written in Germany and by the 1920s the first naturist clubs were formed in Europe and modern social nudism came into prominence. As a result, even today, the European community is light years ahead of North America when it comes to the acceptance of nudity. It wasn't until 1929 that the first real nudist outing was held on American soil. It was organized by a group of German-Americans familiar with European naturism and led by a man named Kurt Barthel. They rented a piece of remote, unimproved property over a Labor Day weekend, and enjoyed a pleasant weekend outdoors in the nude. The following spring, Barthel formed the first American nudist club, the American League for Physical Culture. In October of 1931, Barthel asked Ilsley Boone, then the ALPC Executive Secretary to take his place as president of the organization. Boone agreed and later renamed the group The American Sunbathing Association. So as you can see, even modern social nudity has a pretty long history.

To grasp what social nudity is, I think it is helpful to first understand what it is not. Many people believe that nudists are all about sex and they equate nudity with promiscuous sex. Actually nothing could be further from the truth. Nudists do not attend nude gatherings for the purpose of either looking at other nude bodies or for the purpose of flaunting their own nudity to be seen by others. Having been to many such gatherings, I can tell you that they are not at all erotic, sexually-charged atmospheres. Yes, everyone is nude but no one seems to notice. You actually find that people make eye contact when conversing much more so than you find at clothed social gatherings. And all traditional nudist clubs and resorts prohibit overt, public sexual conduct. It simply isn't about sex. Two things which contribute to that misconception I think are "swingers" who combine nudity with sexual expression but who are not considered mainstream nudists and by the pornography industry which promotes sex and nudity. Nudists get a bad rap I think by being tarred by the same brush by non-nudists. Actually research shows that countries who are more open and tolerant of social nudity and where it is more mainstream than here have substantially lower teen pregnancy and abortion rates which supports the claim that social nudity is not about sex.

Another thing that must be understood is that social nudity is not the same as public nudity. Social nudity is only practiced in appropriate settings, either at established clubs and resorts which are private property or at designated beach areas where nude sunbathing and swimming are authorized. Nudists never seek the right to appear nude anywhere and everywhere because we actually aren't out to offend anyone and obviously there are a good many people in our society who are offended by nudity. Also, nudists do not wish to be gawked at by those with voyeuristic motives. This is never a problem at nudist resorts but a continuing irritation at clothing-optional beaches as anyone who has visited one will attest to.

Why be nude? For me and many other nudists I think it is the profound sense of freedom that one experiences while nude. From past experience, I can tell you that I absolutely had no grasp of that concept back in the days when the only time I was ever naked was when I was showering or having sex. For those who have lived that way, I doubt seriously you could comprehend the feeling of freedom I speak of unless you tried spending time nude beyond those two activities. I know I didn't. You never really realize just how uncomfortable clothing is until you start spending prolonged periods of time in the nude. Certainly there are times I have to be clothed for those situations and settings when society expects people to be dressed, but I've really come to loathe having to wear clothing and can never wait for the opportunity to get undressed again. I frequently plan entire days at home just so I don't have to dress. Nude just feels good and it is fun, especially when you can be outdoors. There is simply nothing like the feel of the warm sun and the breeze on every inch of your skin. And how does sunbathing without tan lines sound? Activities like swimming, jogging, hiking, gardening and sports are other things that I find even more enjoyable when they are done in the nude. It just feels more healthy to spend time out in nature and the fresh air in the nude and actually it feels very natural. Being a nudist also I think is positive for one's self-esteem. Nudists practice what is termed body acceptance meaning we accept ourselves and others regardless of body size, shape or imperfections. Many of my non-nudist friends say they would never visit a nudist resorts because nudists are usually not the kind of people you want to see naked. Actually, there is a grain of truth to that in that it isn't likely you are going to see any "perfect 10s" at a nudist gathering. What you will likely see is a bunch of average looking people who are naked, some with a few extra pounds, some over-weight, some with scars, and some with wrinkles. But honestly one of the first things you learn when you begin participating in social nudity is that we all look pretty similar when we are nude. The objections raised by my friends pretty much points out that they too equate nudity with sex and so if by going to a nudist gathering they aren't going to be titillated and encouraged to sexual arousal by looking at lithe, toned, overly thin, big breasted sexy females, then they aren't interested. The media, Hollywood and advertisers have for years bombarded us with unrealistic, air-brushed images of body perfection that we are conditioned again and again to believe is the only appealing and worthy body type and so it is hard for me to blame my non-nudists friends for their perspectives. Still, this sort of thing also supports my point that social nudity isn't about sex.

When it comes to socializing with others while nude, the difference in atmosphere between that and clothed social gatherings is nothing short of amazing. You could be speaking to a cab driver, plumber, or corporate CEO and you would never know it. Clothes are frequently used as signs of social status and image in our society. Clothing plays a big role in modern society. It whispers, "You are what you wear." It is pretty difficult to feel self-important or exclusive when you are completely naked. Women especially should understand my point here since as the old saying goes, "Women do not dress to impress men they dress to impress other women." So certainly women should understand the posturing that takes places in social interaction where clothing is concerned. Some non-nudists have told me they just couldn't try social nudity because naked they would simply feel far more vulnerable than they would be comfortable with. Actually, I have never sensed any feeling of vulnerability, perhaps because everyone else is nude too. If anything you just feel like all the class and social barriers are dropped and everyone is on an equal footing and that really opens people up. People are authentic and open in conversation and don't feel the need to try and be someone they are not.

Families, couples and singles have all been represented at nudist gatherings I have attended and it truly is a wholesome, non-sexual and family-friendly atmosphere. At resorts nudists can enjoy a variety of recreational activities. Nature hikes, water volleyball, tennis, jogging, swimming, sunbathing and much more wearing nothing but a suntan in the privacy of a spacious gated property. Many resorts these days are clothing optional meaning nudity is not required especially by women and children, just encouraged. So if you have never visited a nude resort but think you might be willing to try it, you don't have to worry that you will be immediately pressured to get naked. You can take your time and wait until you are comfortable with the idea. Actually, based on my own experience, I'd say you would likely be surprised just how easily and quickly you could get used to the idea. For one thing, when you are at a nudist gathering and you are wearing clothing, you are the one who looks odd.

Hopefully, if you have taken time to read this article, I have made you a bit more informed about nudists and what social nudity is really about. My intent was not to convert anyone to the nudist lifestyle but hopefully just to educate and maybe present a more positive image of what nudists are really about to debunk a few of the negative stereotypes people often have as a result of misinformation. On the other hand, if I have piqued the curiosity of anyone I encourage you to try nude to whatever degree you are comfortable with. You could simply try spending some time nude in the privacy of your own home at times you usually have been clothed in the past. I think you would especially find it appealing if you happen to have a backyard with a nice privacy fence where you could explore being nude outdoors. If you feel you have the courage to try social nudism, mark your calendars for July 11, 2009. The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) in cooperation with the folks at Guinness Book of World Records, is sponsoring a world record skinny-dipping event where people all over Canada and the United States will participate in simultaneous skinny-dipping events at AANR affiliated at clubs and designated clothing optional beaches. The clubs are all offering discounted admission on that day, as low at $10 per person for those who want to participate. This would be an excellent time, to literally get your feet wet in trying social nudity. You might be surprised to learn that there is likely an AANR affiliated club or resort right in your area. For complete details on the skinny-dipping world record event or for information on local AANR affiliated clubs, please check out the links provided.