What are your thoughts on social nudity?
Got your attention yet?
I'm a mod of the nudism sub on that other site, and I've set up camp on KBin and Lemmy in case our users want to revolt, but personally have been enjoying Tildes quite a bit more, despite not having a specific place to host our community (but that isn't what Tildes is for....)
My wife and I have visited many nudist or clothing optional resorts, campgrounds, and beaches in the US and overseas. These are non-sexualized family friendly places, just like any other resort, summer camp, or beach you've been to, except that the vast majority of people aren't wearing clothes. There are multiple worldwide organizations that represent nudists, provide accreditation to resorts and clubs, making sure everyone is "playing by the rules" and maintaining a level of decorum.
Next month we're headed back to a clothing optional music festival that we thoroughly enjoyed last year.
There is something completely freeing about being outside in the sun/breeze/ocean/lake/whatever with no clothing, no connection to your daily life. We both have stressful jobs that require us to be "on-grid" almost all the time, and being able to make these escapes are a way to completely disconnect from the stresses of daily life. And of course, swimming in clothing, and then having to sit around in those wet clothes for the next hour is just a ridiculous idea.
So what say you Tildes (Tilders? Tildesers? Tildees?)? Have you ever skinny dipped or visited a nude beach? Got any questions about the logistics of it?
My take is.. it's weird. Probably not what you want to hear, but yea. Just my opinion.
That said, if groups of people want to get nude in some secluded area where it doesn't affect anybody else, go nuts! Much like "do whatever you want in the privacy of your own home."
As long as it's not exhibitionist style with people who don't want to be part of it, I don't have an issue.
This is about where I'm at. It's not my thing. I don't want to see my friends naked even in an expressly non-sexual way. And even less so strangers.
If other people want to do it in a place where it's separated from people who don't want to be exposed to it, then go for it. I'm not going to join, but I'm not going to stop them.
I don’t even like being nude in my own home! Clothes are great, even if theologically I should want to move towards nudity, I guess. shrug
I agree with you and I love dressing up to work, but sleeping nude actually feels so nice. Especially when I'm sleeping with my partner, Both of us didn't use to like it before we got together.
I wouldn't participate but I don't see why being nude has to be sequestered to some special place. No one is going to get hurt seeing some dude flopping down the street on a run. A pair of tits sun bathing in the park isn't going to harm you either.
Inside buildings? Sure, it can be gross depending on context but that's why companies can dictate rules for entering. As to sex, being nude doesn't give you permission to have public sex. You don't need to get nude to jerk it anyway, so permissive nudity wouldn't even change those laws.
You have to ask yourself. Should a person be jailed for simply not having clothes? If no, then you're already accepting is open nudity.
I mean that's kinda what happens today with indecent exposure laws. I understand your point, but we as a society, at least here in the west, have collectively agreed that we don't want to see nude people in public.
Not all cultures have a problem with public nudity -- we've all seen the pictures from various tribes around the world where partial or full nudity is normal.
But that's not here, and I'm okay with this cultural norm.
Well then you are ok with the government jailing people based on appearance. Just remember, while you might be ok with it today, there's no reason the laws can't be changed to be more aggressive again. Women were once jailed for wearing pants because it "made people uncomfortable" and it was "indecent".
Is simple nudity the same as indecent exposure? The trope of a guy on the streetcorner wearing a trenchcoat and flashing, or someone touching themselves with their dick out is a far cry from someone skinny dipping, or changing their clothes at the beach.
I can't speak for other jurisdictions, but in the UK absolutely not. There needs to be an intention to create alarm or distress for a charge of indecent exposure - in general, simple naturism (public nudity) isn't enough to qualify as indecent exposure.
https://www.stuartmillersolicitors.co.uk/guide-indecent-exposure-laws-uk/
I realise things are different in the USA, and in some states I've heard of people being charged with indecent exposure simply for public urination.
The examples provided make it sound like as long as the person thought they wouldn’t be seen, it’s ok (eg “private” urination, accidents)
A situation with a nude person sitting on a park bench or going for a stroll seems less clear from the quoted bit. On the one hand, they obviously know they will be seen by everyone in full. On the other, their (best case) intention is not to alarm or distress. And does the legality change if the nudist’s walk home is past, for example, an elementary school?
I understand this as less of a "the west" thing and more of a "US" thing. In the US, people act like seeing your parents naked (even in a non-sexual setting) is gross and weird. Conversely, all my EU friends think it is weird that we are so uncomfortable and weird about nudity. There is a lot more puritanical thought in US culture than people realize. A lot of US culture around sex and nudity is more the abnormality than the norm.
I'm Canadian and not in the US, so I can't speak to your US comments.
But as I mentioned above, the criminal code in Canada is very specific: you can be nude, but you cannot be visible from public view. I think that is pretty reasonable.
Hehe, nuts..
It's fine so long as people aren't pressured to join along if they don't want to.
Body shame is kind of a bullshit sociological phenomenon in a way, but being exposed in public can be really damaging to one's self-image, which is a core part of an individual's psychology. On the contrary, exposing people to social nudity can be healing for many who already have body image issues. The topic is a bit more complex for transgendered people though.
It's interesting that attitudes toward nudity / dress are entirely socially constructed. A kind of "this is bad but only because everyone else also considers it to bad" social logic. We know that there are (non-western) societies where nudity is the norm. There isn't anything inherently harmful in seeing a breast or a penis, yet these attitudes and the violations thereof are still psychologically real.
I grew up in the US as a member of the Janet Jackson Super Bowl Halftime Wardrobe Malfunction (JJSBHWM) generation where Janet Jackson's career virtually ended over a nipple reveal — and I as a child internalized the lesson that nudity is traumatic and shameful.
When I moved to Europe, I met nudist or body-confident friends who took me to spas and nudist or nudist-adjacent spaces. I saw natural human bodies in all the beautiful, ugly, and mundane ways they can be.
Reflecting on the sociocultural arbitrariness of body shame, it always struck me as odd that we're in a timeline where violence is normalized but nudity isn't. Families will happily watch people getting shot, chopped, throat slit, burned alive in movies, TV shows, and video games, and there is regular breaking news of mass shootings — but seeing a breast or a penis in public is supposedly trauma. I like to imagine that in a more sensible timeline, things would be the other way around.
As a US American, I find the view that gore and violence is ok for a kid to see, but a nipple isn't, a mind mindbogglingly backwards view. How is seeing a body part - that 50% of the world possesses, something that is necessary for human life to exist, somehow more damaging than seeing someone executed on TV with their head exploding and blood going everywhere?
What's funnier is that it's really only criminalized when viewing the opposite sex. Changing rooms in pools/gyms have no rules about hiding nudity. So it's socially it's fine for a boy to see any old dangler but he'd supposedly melt on the spot seeing any boob. And vice versa. It's a ridiculous notion and only an issue due to how much pressure there is to be prudish. If children were not taught to freak over random nudity, then they wouldn't even notice. Trust me, they are more interested in the shiny advertisements than wrinkly skin.
Breasts are especially mind-boggling to me. 100% of humans have them. Some are just bigger than others.
I was in my 30s when that SuperBowl bs happened. I'm Canadian so obviously the nude beach options are somewhat limited by the seasons! But it really annoys me how women in a changeroom get really nasty about... women changing in the changeroom! There are 6 private change stalls in the biggest one nearby and there are about 200 lockers... DO THE MATH. Yet you see sly glances and snickers at women with older or larger bodies. I sometimes wonder if we'd have 90% less assholery in that vein if everyone was simply accustomed to bodies being unique and, you know, a wonderful spectrum of "normal".
This is my view as well. I've spent way too much time being body shamed as a child and teenager and early adult to want to spend any time in a location that will judge me for my body willingly anymore. I don't have a problem with social nudity and am known to wander around my own home naked with my friends over because I can. We also have a church as our next-door neighbor and as long as the kids aren't out, I will also wander the apartment naked when they're there because it's my home and they can choose not to look up to the second story of my apartment.
I haven't had the opportunity to go to a nude beach or nudist colony, but I feel like I would be ok with it, and not uncomfortable. My husband on the other hand might die of discomfort, so I likely won't go to one any time soon because he's my travel partner and I like having him around, I guess.
This part seems a little weird to me. Surely you have blinds, shades or curtains? Walking around naked with all the windows open seems a little bit like you want to be seen, at least to me.
Why? Why am I responsible for someone feeling uncomfortable with what amount of clothing I am wearing inside of my own private home? Why do I bear the responsibility for what someone sees if they decide to look in my window? What amount of clothing is required for me to wear if I want to have my windows open in the summer? Why not ask why someone is looking in my windows and invading my privacy? If not inside my own apartment, where can I be naked? Maybe I want to feel the sun on my body. I can't go to a nude beach or be out in public, I can't do it in my backyard because that's "in public".
Why does the US act like being naked is so scandalous and shameful? I don't want to be seen naked; that implies my intent is to be seen by others. I am not walking around my apartment naked thinking, "boy I sure hope someone looks through my window and sees my ass". I want to be comfortable in my home, and I am not ashamed of my body. Most of the world thinks we are weird for how prudish the US is about nudity, and I can't say I disagree.
I'm not American, so I can't comment about your US-centric comments.
Regarding the "in the house" comments though, I mean if there are no blinds, curtains or shades then people can see directly in. And if you're naked then it's essentially exhibitionism because you could have privacy, but you're choosing not to.
I'm in Canada, and this specific example you've quoted is covered by our law:
The key part here is "exposed to public view." I really don't think it's that hard to avoid public view, especially in the privacy of your home.
That is, IMO, completely fucking insane and idiotic.
Haha, well you are free to disagree! Personally I do not object to the law, and I find it reasonable.
And I live here so it works for me.
Woa. You can't even walk around your own home naked with the blinds up. I do this when I move from the shower to a bedroom or laundry area.
Also, no tanning in your back yard unless you put up a big fence.
That’s fair. I do have blinds, but they’re not very good, especially if the windows are open for fresh air. They’re really thin so they blow about.
I think it's a shame that public baths aren't a thing in our culture. Nearly all naked women anyone sees in our culture (outside of our bedrooms) are airbrushed / photoshopped women of a particularly narrow age range and size. If we all have more context for how bodies naturally age, and what they look like outside of the context of sex, we might like ourselves a lot more and tear down each other less.
Here (australia) most of the swim changing rooms are communal but split by gender. In the UK most I’ve been to are largely communal with a few separate cubicles. I appreciate that my kids see bodies of all shapes and sizes and ages - obviously I wouldnt let them stare but it’s nice that they see it in passing. I’m not sure it’s enough to overcome the media messaging though
Well, technically bathhouses are a thing in some gay male subcultures...
innocent whistling sounds
On a more serious note, I have seen a number of public baths in my very Asian US neighborhood in the form of Korean jimjilbangs. I would go if I didn't have body image issues. Maybe one day.
Not for me, since I am pre-bottom-surgery and hope to live a long and fulfilling life. Would be cool if my body's more typical.
Same here, one of my major goals after surgery (soon!) is to go to a nude beach here. Although realistically I also need a few coverup tattoos as the scars are pretty well-known now :/
I have the scars too. Thrilled about shelling out a couple thou to get that covered up. I don't think I'm getting top-naked in front of strangers in the near future.
I've seen plenty of pre and post-op people on beaches. CIS women with full mastectomies, or mastectomies and implants (no nipples). You are just another body.
I'm "just another body" to 99% of strangers, but it only takes one of the the 1% who knows and is malevolent to pop my midsection open with a 12-gauge slug like a slightly dehydrated grape. I've seen the way some people who are aware of what the scars look like talk about my category of people, and I don't want to risk it. The scars paint a huge target on my back to those people.
That means no swimming without a shirt on, no Korean spas, and if I could super-glue an undershirt to my person for the upcoming work trip where I might share rooms with unsuspecting and mostly conservative-leaning colleagues, I would. This might sound insane and paranoid to you, but as I've said, all it takes is one crazy person to ruin or end my life.
Fair enough - the point I was trying to make was that among the nudist community - people tend to be a bit more understanding than the average bear.
That's good to hear though; it does make me feel more comfortable about participating after I get my general physical affairs in order.
I'll have you know that the bear community is generally very welcoming of people from all walks of life.
(Sorry, couldn't resist that one)
Apart from the safety aspect, staying 'stealth' is definitely preferred for me. Even accepting people change their behavior once they know you're trans in almost all cases. All of a sudden they start questioning previous assumptions or make new incorrect assumptions about who you are as a person and what your body looks like. I don't want people thinking about it tbh.
Yeah, I also avoid going shirtless around other people, and absolutely do not if it's people that I know. 10 years ago everyone said no one would ever recognize chest scars - too obscure. Now they say the same thing about the other scars :/ Lots of tattoos in my future - doesn't fit at all too my personality XD
Unfortunately I have slight dog ears that I should probably get corrected before a tattoo. Plus, I really don't want a tattoo and am not an artistic person at all - how do you then pick a design?! So far I mostly like geometric/tribal designs because they're pretty non-descript but they have some unfortunate baggage.
If you don't particularly care, you can research tattoo artists and ask your tattoo artist to design one for you. If you like their style, chances are, you're gonna like what they design.
Regarding scars, I know this sounds wrong, but I feel like the whole "visibility" narrative pushed by younger trans men was a mistake. To me personally, there's nothing to be proud of there, nothing glamorous or noteworthy. What concerns we share are a direct result of that visibility, and I'm not quite sure if I like it all that much.
I don't know if this is necessarily the case. Like, sure, maybe if you pass super well otherwise? But there have always been plenty of trans men and transmasculine folks who don't pass even if they leave their shirts on, and often that means having those concerns pretty much anytime you're in public. Imo the visibility narrative is more about normalization than anything else, because if it's normal to see someone you know is trans, it's far less likely you freak out when you clock someone (or think you have).
But I'll confess that my emotions are pretty tied up here, as I'm nonbinary transmasc and very unlikely to pass as anything once I get top surgery. I also moved from the US to Germany, where imo there's a lot less general trans visibility, and I don't think that aspect of it improges my day-to-day experience as a trans person. I'm certainly way more likely to encounter people who are openly understanding at places like clothing stores in the US, and I can't help but attribute that to increased visibility of trans folks in the US because we're certainly not doing much else right when it comes to trans people.
It's possible to normalize trans people in everyday life without focusing on / publicizing what the scars look like. That just takes the option of not disclosing away from everyone.
I also moved from the US to Germany, and I actually see it the exact opposite way. While everyone loudly performs tolerance etc in the US, I find they actually have a pretty incorrect view of trans people and in private are very disparaging or less understanding. Not to mention that both sides are much more extreme in the opinions and possible consequences there of.
In Germany, it's less widely talked about but everyone I've come out to has been understately accepting. They get that it's something private, don't out me to others, and continue treating me exactly the same as before (in most cases where I got to choose who to come out to at least). I've been particularly impressed that friends wont out me to their SO's or parents even when I assumed they probably would. In the US, I've had the experience that people then start outing you to everyone as a way to gain social points or because they think you have to be visible.
I'm not sure it's realistically possible to normalize trans people in daily life while also hiding what the scars look like on a practical level.
But otherwise I recognize that our different experiences are probably a big part of our different perspectives here.
I don't see why not? I mean sure, it won't be top secret, but I have had great success in talking about my experiences / motivations without showing my scars. I think the former actually humanizes you to people and gets them to relate, while the latter feels more like a zoo animal on display.
I agree, different experiences probably play a big part here. I'm guessing that you basically always have to out yourself as non-binary? As there's no obvious/definite physical markers?
Oh yeah I didn't mean for one-on-one stuff, I meant more on a societal level -- trans men's scars would inevitably become common knowledge as trans guys become normalized and that would inevitably lead to the same concerns with the same types of people you have now.
As a nonbinary person it's kinda a weird mix. Yeah, you generally do have to out yourself to get people to know you're nonbinary, but at least for a lot of us that appear visibly queer, people will just pick what they assume based on our appearance and that's rarely cishet. I haven't had top surgery yet so people def assume I'm a cis lesbian most of the time, but once I get top surgery I might get a mix of that and people assuming I'm a trans man. My partner is transfem nonbinary and she definitely never gets read as cis, but I doubt most people assume "non-binary" either. It's a weird situation. There's definitely no possibility of comfortably passing for me though, since whether I hit my goals or miss them I'll be visibly queer either way.
This... does not reflect my experience with getting trans healthcare in Germany. Yes, you can get public insurance to cover parts of it that would not be covered in the US, but it's extremely difficult to jump through the hoops to actually get care. It's nigh-impossible to find a therapist who takes trans patients on public insurance, and unlike in the US there aren't informed consent clinics so while it may be cheaper once you manage to get an appointment with an endocrinologist, it's far more of a struggle to get there. A ton of trans women I know in Berlin opt to get their hormones shipped from abroad because it's so hard to find a doctor who will actually handle them.
It's a comparison. What I was saying there is that US trans visibility affects the how the US is and thus has an effect on how it compares to Germany.
I haven't actively sought out an endo, so I'm relying on what I've heard from other trans people in Berlin. My understanding from them is that most endocrinologists are quite hesitant to do trans-affirming hormone therapy, especially for nonbinary people. Viro Praxis is the only one I've heard unabashedly good things about, but they are extremely overbooked and thus won't accept new patients. Granted, most of the trans folks I interact with are fellow immigrants, so maybe they're nicer to native Germans, idk.
What I can definitely attest to is that finding a therapist on the public insurance lists who is accepting of nonbinary people to work with for diagnosis and surgery purposes was absolutely absurd. I ended up self-paying because I could not find a single therapist who even advertised both being experienced with trans stuff and taking public insurance. Maybe my German google-fu isn't good enough, but I also called my insurance's hotline and they were similarly unable to find anyone who met these requirements -- and they didn't even look for therapists whose websites indicated acceptance of non-binary people, which is something important for me. I found at least one therapist (still private insurance only) who advertised herself for trans therapy but also had a whole essay on her website incidating that she only though traditional binary trans people "counted" and deserve care.
I ended up self-paying, but obviously that's dependent on my ability to afford that. Even that involved me emailing around 50 therapists throughout Berlin to only get ~5 reaponses, only 2 of which were positive.
Yeah I also really don't like the visibility thing because it just takes the option away for all the stealth trans people / those who needed DI. To me, it's simply an unfortunate medical condition (which is now get uncomfortably political). IMO, it's entirely possible to normalise trans people without posting pictures focusing on scars or cartoons with exaggerated scars. I've even seen "well-meaning" infographics that amount to "how to clock a trans person".
I didn't know that it was ok to just ask someone to design something - I've only ever seen people get a tattoo who already had a rough sketch - thanks for the idea!
What I have in mind specifically is this one infographic on how to draw trans men, where they instructs the reader to give the character wider hips and softer features - both negative stereotypes and not true for all trans men. I know they are probably doing it out of some benevolent mission to spreading awareness and educating others, but those infographics often highlight features or characteristics that the average individual would seek to conceal or hide, not advertise.
It might cost more because artists charge by the hour and I'm not sure if the design process counts toward the hour count (it probably does), but it's all a part of the process. I'm sure a tattoo that the artist themselves designed is one that they feel most confident doing, so it'll turn out great. best of luck!
I spent summer holidays for some 15 years in a nudie camping on the shore of the Black Sea.
It's weird... for the first 15 minutes. Then you adapt and it feels normal. There's really nothing else to say, I wasn't going there necessarily for the nudism but for the people, many of them friends and colleagues, but also interesting new folks from all over the country.
I think there was a bit of hipsterism involved, but it really felt nice with no clothes on and as long as everybody else was doing it, it didn't feel weird.
We haven’t had a recent census on Tildes so I don’t know about the current age and nationality skew of the demographics. But it’s surprising to me that there’s so much negativity about nudity and nudism in the comments here.
Granting that I’m older, and my family was naturist at home. There’s still an American Naturist Society, and their FAQ responds to many of the questions and concerns above.
u/Lum’s mentioned areas in Germany designated as “FKK”. That stands for Freikörperkultur, a health and nature movement that dates back to the 19th Century. The Naturist philosophy in the U.S. was closely aligned, with changes to purpose and practices in response to social movements over the years.
The Naturist Society has a listing with a variety of nice parks and facilities which are “clothing optional”, not compulsorily nude. Most of the naturist venues I’ve spent time in catered to lesbians. Some of them welcome families with young children, though that’s diminished due to fears of pedophilia. Sadly, there were some substantiated cases. There are communities that specifically cater to LGBTQ+ people and over 50’s.
The community is extremely vigilant about even the slightest hints of child abuse, sexual harassment, or anything else which could result in legal action or becoming the latest religious-right target.
Photography is almost never permitted (in part to prevent pornography), though widespread smartphone use makes that harder to enforce. Privacy, consent, and general politeness are expected. There’s a broadly agreed hygienic etiquette to naturism - you bring a towel to use for sitting on shared surfaces, you bathe regularly, you don’t engage in public sexual activity, and other details I’d imagine would be familiar to people who’ve used traditional saunas or onsen.
TBH, I’ve gotten too busy and old to seek out the naturist community in some years. I don’t know how comfortable and body-positive I’d feel with the sags and scars I’ve accumulated. But I’d be happier about the mental health of my country if nude people were common, and guns were shameful.
I'm not quite as pale as it's possible to be, but if my skin is outdoors for more than 10-15 minutes in the middle of the day I can feel the prickling feeling that presages sunburn. If outdoor public nudity works for you and yours, more power to you. I prefer for my public nudity to be indoors. But really, if you're enjoying it, sharing it only with other people who enjoy it, and not hurting anyone else, more power to you.
This is me, while I have no issues with public nudity . . . I'm almost allergic to the sun, I mean not really, but I have that British skin tone that just burns, and after have 3 pre-cancerous polyps removed from my skin . . . in my 20's, I'm not taking chances.
I view it as a more extreme version of going barefoot.
It's largely impractical, and nearly impossible to do in many terrains and climates. We find archeological evidence of humans making shoes nearly every place we find evidence of humans, regardles of location or history. It can be more comfortable to be barefoot in certain contexts, which is why many take off their shoes when they come home, go swimming, etc.
You could imagine a group of people in the modern era deciding to buck the trend and group together to go barefoot socially in other contexts, despite the seeming superiority of some kind of shoe/sandal in most cases. One might even wonder what motivating factors exist for one to choose such a lifestyle.
I'd find the above group odd. But this is talking strictly about footwear. With nudity, the analogy largely still holds, although the pool of potential motivations one might have increases to include sexual satisfaction, given the social and cultural context that nudism exists within.
Among consenting adults, I have no issue with sexual or non-sexual nudity.
Interestingly that phase was just used in a news article "It's like being barefoot all over"
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/16/its-like-being-barefoot-all-over-nude-recreation-is-a-4-billion-per-year-industry-in-florida/
It is interesting that you said in a bold typeface "Among consenting adults....". If it is a non-sexual thing, what is the problem? Personally, I don't want kids around on my downtime, which includes nudist destinations, but that is just because I don't like having kids around, nothing to do with the nudity part. We're programmed to assume that being naked is somehow dirty or taboo, or even dangerous.
I also think it’s something that should be kept between adults. One reason for me is that kids are terrible at nuance. It’s a lot easier to teach them a couple of places where it’s ok to be naked (home, a swimming pool changing room) than it is to make distinctions between times and places where it’s sometimes ok and sometimes not. This messy notion that it’s ok for mum and dads friends to be naked around you sometimes but other times it would be inappropriate is something quite hard for young kids to grasp. I see no issue in people being naked around their own kids, bathing together etc. but I think it’s probably overall safer for kids to have them kept away from nudist places until they’re older.
I think there are also messy areas of consent here too, although I can’t quite articulate why I feel it’s different from being brought up in any other alternative lifestyle (like, I dunno, veganism or being goths) and I suppose that’s just the societal norms getting to me. But like it or not we do live in a society that has largely decided that nudity in public isn’t appropriate and I think it’s unfair to force that on someone that can’t consent to it. Much like if you married someone who wasn’t into it, it would be inappropriate to force them to come to nudist beaches with you
Just for specific context
What I'm trying to say above is that sexual satisfaction is more than a sufficient explanation for what motivates someone strongly enough that it overcomes both the impracticality and social taboo. I also don't think we can completely disregard the social and cultural context that nudity exists within. It'd be difficult to convince me that nudist destinations and their participants, considering that they have been brought up in this very context, aren't often motivated in whole or in part by sexual desire.
Fair enough. To be clear, I have absolutely zero interest in getting on the bus or going shopping nude. It is completely a practicality thing, not impracticality.
And I don't think I can convince you otherwise, but for the vast majority of people, it is not a sexual desire.
Agree with this point, but still confused what OP means by "family friendly" in the context of nudist resorts. Families walking around in the nude with their children? Something seems horribly off about that.
In my twenties I went to Wreck Beach in Vancouver, which is a clothing optional beach. I got an unpleasant sunburn, and remembered why I normally wear trunks and shirt 90% of the time when I'm at the beach. Fun, but for the almost-translucent among us there are definitely logistical problems.
I've seen a surprising number of pale nudists. Shade, big hats, and plenty of sunscreen. People will also wear beach coverups with nothing underneath when in direct sun.
? but that doesn't count as clothing ?
A lot of places are clothing optional, not strictly nude. Even so, a thin coverup to keep the sun off of you isn't going to classify you as clothed.
one time i was there, an older gent (not wearing clothes) was selling little ziplock baggies of ....some kind of beverage.... out of a cooler : ) I politely declined that time. Maybe it was home made margaritas?
Wreck beach is the only place I've been where a stranger tried to give me hard drugs. I was halfway up The Stairs, and had stopped to briefly die. A guy running up the stairs came up and said, "bro do you want some cocaine? It'll make the rest of the stairs a breeze!" All while running in place.
I'm no expert on cocaine, but I don't think that's how it works; I demurred.
Coincidentally this is a discussion I had with my wife n kids the other day. My view is I don't care if in public you wear nothing, wear a space suit, or wear anything in between. Wear blue, yellow, tartan, or whatever the hell you want. I don't care. I have no patience for objections based on what I see as puritanical nonsense.
I care if you walk around with an erection wrapped in a swastika, and I care if you are forced in to wearing what you are wearing.
Otherwise I don't care.
One could argue that being required to wear clothing at all is being forced to wear what you’re wearing if you’d rather be unclothed — I’m curious how far you’re willing to follow that statement to its conclusion.
I guess context is everything.
Where I live it's either cold or for a few weeks of the year you'll get sunburned, so total disrobement is rarely an option most people would be interested in even if social pressures didn't exist.
Not sure where you live, but I live about 45 minutes from the Canadian border, in New England, so we get cold too. :)
It's not for me; I haven't had any positive experiences with those into nudism including the large overlap of the swinger community. But if that interests you, and you feel free because of it, who am I to judge?
There certainly is some overlap there. I liken it to drinking alcohol. Some people like to visit breweries and vineyards, enjoy the atmosphere, the view, the art/science of making the wine/beer. They'll show up with friends, kids, their dog, spend an afternoon sampling, and then head home.
On the other hand, there are people who want to go out and drink until they are blackout drunk, painting the town red.
These two groups have some overlap, and they both share a love for alcohol, but are two distinctly different groups. You could also be a member of both groups, and adjust your behavior based on the context of the situation.
I get what you are saying. Thanks for the reply.
I've only gone to a clothing-optional venue once that wasn't explicitly sexual (the other occasions were BDSM clubs), and I thought it was quite nice. Chilling in the sun naked and just having a casual chat with people was a much more normal experience than one might expect.
It's extremely normal here in Germany - a lot of beaches and parks have 'FKK' sections. Sometimes officially and sometimes not.
I always found it a bit funny that at a local lake where swimming wasn't allowed, the police would come through sometimes and get everyone (or at least those with cars blocking the road) to clear out. They were entirely unbothered by the mass of naked people hanging out.
Having moved to Germany i really appreciate the normalcy of nudist culture here. It's common enough that most beaches have a nudist section. While in comparison in Estonia, where i come from, public nudism is quite taboo and the handful of nudist beaches which exist in the countries are kinda seen as the domain of deviants and weirdos.
Though it seems to me another cultural aspect is that it's more of an "old people sport" in Germany, at least compared to the assumedly north american comments here. Something about puritanism in the US making it unviable until recently, and now all the young'uns discovering it, while in Germany it's been normalized since... maybe the '68ers? Or even before? Not quite sure tbh.
Yeah there's quite a few old people, who just don't care at all. But there's also a ton of younger people. In fact, I'd say it's becoming more popular among the 20-30 year olds and being topless for women is also increasingly allowed in public swimming pools.
But FKK/nudity in general has been part of the culture since the 1880's or so.
To each their own. It doesn't hurt anyone.
I'm of the opinion that people are too prudish in general. If seeing someone else nude bothers you, that's on you, not them..
I wouldn't do it myself but I have nothing against it just like I don't have anything against any other harmless activity.
Personally I find it strange and would never do it. I think it's fine if other people do it as long as they're doing it in a place where it's allowed and acceptable.
As an American, it would have seemed very weird to me. But I lived in Berlin for a few years. On the first day there I stumbled upon a nude area of a park smack dab in the middle of the city in a very touristy area. Once I settled into living in Germany, I randomly stumbled across various small nude parks while exploring the lake areas outside the main city. I quickly got used to seeing lots of nude people doing very ordinary things. Lots of them were just naked old people hanging out at the park getting lots of sun during the summer. My local park had lots of nude little kids running around during the summer.
I didn't get so acclimated that I personally hung out at nude beaches/parks, but otherwise it became super normal, largely because everyone around me treated it as super normal. I guess much of Europe has similar cultural acceptance/normality of nudity. Now I view it as both wholesome and a bit odd, and I recognize that it feels weird to me almost entirely because I grew up in the USA.
Nudity doesn't bother me one bit. I've been to nude beaches and clothing optional resorts, and I have partaken, and honestly it was really nice and comfortable. It's cool when everyone is on the same level, so to speak. It's cool to see "real" bodies, just being bodies. It's cool to have your body just be your body. No shame, no glamour. Just human bodies, as they are, as we are. We've all got weird lumps and bumps and rolls and hairs, blemishes and "odd things" that truly aren't so odd at all.
Maybe it's because I'm a millennial woman who grew up with the "must be a size 00!" social pressure, and/or maybe it's because I'm a bit stoned right now, but I actually really value my experiences at clothing optional venues - it's liberating to just be. I didn't find it creepy or sexual/lewd or uncomfortable at all.
So yeah. If one is comfortable and open minded, I definitely recommend it.
I'd never take part, but I believe you should be able to do whatever you want unless it hurts someone else, so if that's what you like to do, go for it!
I spend most of my time at home nude. I would be interested in going to a nude beach or something similar but I don't know if they have any near me. I definitely would be interested in getting to know more about the nudist lifestyle and how it works. I get sunburned easily so half of anything out doors for me would be putting on sunscreen.
What region are you in?
Alberta canada
Check out FNC's website for a listing of places near Alberta.
https://fcn.ca/Member-Clubs-Canada#alberta
I was on a nude beach only once and it was a surprisingly liberating experience. I felt slightly uneasy for the first half an hour or so and then something clicked and I started to feel really relaxed. Swimming without a swimsuit feels great. I was surprised that even for that first half an hour I did not feel embarrassed that people could see me naked - I was afraid that people will think I am staring at them. I would go more often but I now live in a landlocked country; no beaches. That one experience happened when I was on holiday in Spain and the fact that they seem to be relaxed in this aspect too is just another of many reasons why I love that country. Nudity at the beach feels natural and beautiful to me.
It's natural, but it's also weird because of social norms. And you can't really pretend it's not. People are going to be weirded out if they see it. And some will sexualize it. But I think it's fine to hold these kinds of events to get people more comfortable with something natural.
I don't personally like to be nude super often. And it's not like I hate how I look naked or anything like that. It's just I physically feel more comfortable with clothing on most of the time.
Also I understand people sexualizing something that shouldn't be sexualized. I actually do some nude photography and so many times when I tell people their reaction is that I must be trying to sleep with the models or that I'm using my photos as pornography. But that couldn't be further from the truth. People sexualize nudity (especially in the US) very often. It can be hard to break that notion.
It's not my cup of tea but if it's well-intentioned you do you and we can coexist.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't do a double take when I've seen individual naked people walking around, but some do that for reasons pertaining to a health problem (I've seen that a few times in Texas) while others do it for the coherent public statement of intentional freedom or liberation from clothing (which I've seen in Manhatten). I think it's fine given that the goal is the latter.
I think I fall into the majority of other commenters here. I understand how it might be appealing to some people, but it's just not for me.
I don't really know.
I think women should be free to go around shirtless the same way men do, but full nudity I don't really know.
This particular topic was never on my thoughts. I guess it is in the near end of my list of concerns.
I'm from a fairly conservative community and I remember the uproar when a mom saw the local pool had nude nights. They did it for years before without issue and it feels like a lot of the negative perception was fueled from ignorance and projection.
I do think there's an unhealthy stigma around the subject. Cruel pranks, media representation, morality warriors, unhealthy body image standards and associations to radical counter culture really distract from the fact that there are plenty of people who are just happy and comfortable being nude. I personally enjoy it in private and closed settings like Asian bathhouses and camping. But a public space would probably still have me being socially inept but just in the nude.
The outrage at nude swims always amuses me. The dirtiest part of a swimmer is their bathing suit. Nudist resorts typically have the cleanest swimming pools, as there isn't a lot of "junk" getting introduced to the water from dirty suits.
Whenever I see something about nude beaches on the TV or Internet, it's just a bunch of pot-bellied old men standing around looking disappointed.
You've just described every beach.
I look forward to every opportunity that I have to enjoy the experience, though strangely I’m less comfortable if friends or family are involved than if it’s just random strangers, mostly because of the stigma and the fact that I don’t know of anybody else in my life who feels the same as I do. To me, modesty is not defined by what I’m wearing and how much skin that I’m showing but rather my intentions and the consent of those around me. Luckily I live in a state with no [state] laws against public nudity (a few town ordinances, but only a few) and a rather liberal attitude towards it, so skinny dipping is rather common and if you do any hiking, kayaking, etc, you’re likely to encounter naked people at least a few times per year, so I don’t have to worry about enjoying myself while I’m out on the lake.
I’ve visited a fair number of nude beaches in multiple countries as well as quite a few visits to a clothing optional co-ed sauna in the US and after the first few minutes the first time it feels completely natural and the only time that there’s discomfort is if it’s legally gray — after that, it just feels so relaxing and natural — I’ve had conversations with well known TV news anchors, lawyers, artists, and others [cis, trans {at all stages}, gay, and straight], and to be honest I can’t remember what any of them looked like without clothes, but I do remember the wonderful conversations. The only person who I remember was a guy who was strutting on a beach in Spain, clearly there to show himself — I find it interesting that the people who were just there to enjoy themselves fade into the same kind of memory as I have of any person I’ve spoken to with clothes on — I don’t remember their clothes, and I don’t remember their skin.
My first memories of my preference to go without clothing started when I was very young — every time my parents would leave for a while and leave me home alone I’d wander the back of our large property naked and would lounge around the house naked too. Now, I do the same, but my yard is a bit too visible to the public, so I can only go out on the patio w/ curtains on the sides, but if it’s warm enough I almost never wear anything in the house.
It is interesting how people have different views on this. I'm with you, it seems easier to be naked in front of people you don't know, and will probably never see again. On the other hand, we have some friends who have been skinny dipping with us a few times, and insist that they could never go to a nude beach or resort, as they would't be comfortable. They said it was much easier for them to be naked in front of a small group of people who they knew.
Tbh, I couldn't care less about it. As in I could go to the mall and if there were to be nude people (aside from it being very abnormal) they would register the same as the clothed. Not something I am seeking but I have had my times of milling about my house and yard nude with "no fucks given".
I love being nude, I've been to a nude beach once, and I've a few times walked around in the woods naked (on private property in the middle of nowhere). I will say it's a short term thing going full nude, I get chaffing and the flopping can be annoying. However during the summer if it was socially acceptable to walk around in just briefs socks and shoes that's all I'd wear.
Wallking around shirtless with small shorts is pretty normal in my culture. A lot of people do it even if they're out of shape. More power to them I guess. I would probably do it if I had the body to show.
And yeah we're definitely not as puritan as US culture seems to be in that particular regard.
It would be nice if women had the same rights men have, but in reality very few would would use the liberty if they had it.
We have nudist areas but they're reserved and few. Maybe there's less of a need for those because people can be routinely more exposed already. No one really minds the nudist places. It's fine.
I don't see why's that so special but hey, to each their own. I kinda like clothes.
I'd like it to be more widely acceptable. I'm in the UK, where it's less frowned upon than the US, but more than in, say, Germany. I'd quite like to try it out in the home, but I'm worried about what my young children would say to their friends, and then about getting funny looks from other parents.
Meh.