Young Naturists America » DejaNude’s Blog

Nudist Children – Kids and Nudism

Jordan Blum — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:28:17 +0000

Nudist Children & The War Against Nudist Youth Camps

Guest Post By: Chet Kresiak

Nudist Children - America has been stunned recently by the horrific allegations about child abuse at Penn State University. Scandals involving sexual molestation of children have rocked many of our most revered institutions, such as the Boy Scouts, the Catholic Church and in our schools. It’s clear that child abuse is a societal problem, not restricted to any particular organization or institution. Even the naturist population has been victimized by those who would exploit children for sexual purposes, although it is very rare.

Nudist Kids

Any person or group planning naturist activities must be aware of the current cultural climate, which is becoming increasingly intolerant of any activities involving children who could be misconstrued as being inappropriate or harmful. Naturists believe that people of all ages should be able to participate in nude recreation, that rejecting shame when it comes to the human body is beneficial to physical, mental and sexual health. The presence of children is a necessary component of the philosophy, and to remove them from naturist activities would significantly redefine the modern movement which began in Germany in 1903.

Morley Schloss, board member of the Naturist Action Committee, operates a nudist youth camp at Sunsport Gardens in Florida, and debunks the notion that children are somehow at risk in naturist settings. “From what I read, children are safer at naturist resorts than in scout camps, church groups or malls. Most nudist resorts are gated communities. Members and guests are screened for criminal activity. Children have many people looking out for them, adults and other children. Since naturist children are generally comfortable with their bodies, they would not be hesitant to report any approaches to them with which they are uncomfortable. For these reasons, children are quite safe from abuse in naturist venues.”

In January of 2010, acting on an anonymous complaint, The Florida State Department of Children and Families paid a visit to Sunsport Gardens. Mr. Schloss welcomed them in, showed them photos of children having fun at the youth camp, and the officials left satisfied that Sunsport offered a safe, caring environment.

Still, overzealous politicians or prosecutors are always looking for “hot button” issues with which to stir public sentiment in their favor, such as in 2003 when U. S. Representative Mark Foley (R) Florida read an article in the New York Times about an AANR nudist youth camp at Lake Como Resort in Land O‘Lakes. Foley was running for Senator at the time and felt he needed a “family values“ issue to take attention away from rumors swirling around that he was gay, so he seized the opportunity to began a crusade against the youth camps, accusing them of “exploiting nudity among minor children to make money.”

The story about the youth camps went nationwide, with Foley appearing on Fox News, and Time Magazine running an article asking the question “are they any place for kids?” The firestorm had begun.

In Florida, naturists took action, meeting directly with Congressman Foley, and gradually the issue faded away, certainly due in part to the political strength of the naturist population in Pasco County. Governor Jeb Bush’s office released a statement saying that “The rights of parents to impart their values in their children and raise their children as they see fit are sacred.”

Nudist Children

At about the same time, since the Times article mentioned that a young naturist camp was also being held in Arizona and future camps were being planned in both Texas and Virginia, anti-camp bills were quickly introduced in those state.

There were also ultimately no political consequences in Arizona, but in February of 2004 the Virginia House of Delegates voted 98-1 to require parental supervision at camps for young nudists, later approved by the Senate 40-0. The single vote was against the act because the bill did not go far enough. In 2005 a bill was introduced to modify the language in the nudist camp legislation, which would have effectively banned children from all nudist and naturist venues, but that legislation was tabled for future consideration.

In Texas, a county prosecutor succeeded in banning children from the Hippie Hollow clothing optional park, and State Rep. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) authored a bill which would have outlawed nudist youth camps, even though there were none operating in the entire state. Hughes called the camps “magnets for pedophiles”, perhaps seizing upon a portion of the original New York Times article which referred to “COGs – creepy outside guys” trying to get inside the camps, or peek through fences. Efforts by the NAC killed the legislation, but the Department of State Health Services amended the Texas Administrative Code rules on General Sanitation to read “a youth camp many not allow campers or staff to be nude, except when bathing, showering, changing clothes or receiving medical care”. This code effectively banned naturist youth camps in Texas.

All of this hysteria grew out of nothing more than ignorance, outright prejudice and unwarranted suspicions about nudism and naturism, and was a waste of time and public resources. There was absolutely no evidence that any harm was being done to any child. If anything, teens attending textile camps were found to be having sexual encounters, with others incurring physical harm from sports and other activities. Children attending nudist camps were happy, healthy and safe.

Bob Morton of the Naturist Action Committee wrote in the March 2004 Nude and Natural Newsletter that in “the case of the Virginia legislation, losing means a significant abridgement of the parental rights of naturists and the unmistakable message that social nudity is somehow unhealthy or unsafe for children.”

Bill Williamson wrote in the AANR Bulletin of May 2004 that “this Virginia initiative just further proves that we have a lot more work to do before we can enjoy the peace and tranquility of our serene environments without the constant overshadowing threat of unnecessary government intervention.”

In the May 2005 AANR Bulletin, Williamson wrote, “Obviously these are no longer isolated political attacks on nude recreation, but a concerted strategically planned effort to separate the family from social family nudism. These social conservatives believe that if they can prevent our children from sharing our wholesome participation in social family nudism, they can then designate nude recreation as simply another part of the adult entertainment industry instead of the most rapidly growing sector of the travel and resort industry.”

Nudist and naturist organizations continue to work with policymakers to advocate for nude recreation for all ages.

In 2006, Mark Foley left Congress in disgrace over his “sex-laced” emails and instant messages to teenagers serving as pages. The hypocrisy of his campaign against youth camps angered nudists and naturists everywhere, still struggling to restore reputations, mend family differences, and recover from loss of business. There was little vindication in Foley’s fall, just bitter memories.

Still, Morley Schloss is optimistic about the future of naturist youth camps. “I don’t see a crisis”, he said, “Naturist camps that have had problems have taught the children that they must be careful and distrustful, that naturist resorts are unsafe. Let’s be proactive. In words and photos, we must portray children and their families having fun at naturist resorts and naturist youth camps.”

Stephane Deschenes of Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park agrees. “We certainly must not give up on this point. Some naturists/nudists believe that we should keep quiet so that there won’t be any scrutiny. In fact, many people criticized AANR for running the (2003 New York Times) story about children’s camps in the first place. I disagree. When you keep something quiet and people find out, they are more likely to be shocked because it is a surprise. If we keep talking about it, then it normalizes the situation. That’s why I make sure that there are always lots of pictures of happy children on all our marketing materials.”

Although Rep. Mark Foley’s attacks failed in Florida, Texas was successful in banning the youth camps, and in Virginia, the requirement that parents or guardians always be present effectively killed them in that state, too. In addition, according to Paul LeValley of the Professors and Researchers Special Interest Group of The Naturist Society, the numbers of children overall at the youth camps has “plummeted“. The only exception is at the Sunsport Gardens Youth Camp, where attendance grows every year. Only two other camps took place last year (2011) in the United States, one was at Juniper Woods in New York, and the other was at Shangri La Ranch in Arizona.

This controversy over the youth camps is a clear illustration why nudists and naturists need strong representation from national organizations. While Foley failed in Florida, his demagoguery was damaging, and lasting. It’s perhaps just a matter of time before another “Mark Foley” comes forward to attack naturists, and all of us need to be prepared to push back and fight for our parental rights. When the attacks come, they will be at the children, not just on the youth camps issue, but on their participation in general.

Nudist Children

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

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Topfree – Go Topless for Top Free Equality and Topfreedom

Melissa — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 14:08:53 +0000

TopFreedom And Top Free Rights ! Lets Go Topless !

(Guest Blog By Melissa DejaNude)

GoTopless.org

Topless Equality - “Free your boobies and free your mind!” “Put the tits back in Constitutional!” These chants ring out loud over and over in my mind in reflection to the recent Go Topless parade held in Venice Beach, California back on August 21, 2011. For months I had planned to experience this rare thrill in my life, the plan to experience the sensation of feeling the wind and sun against my breasts on a public beach in LA County, the plan to experience the feeling of true equality as a woman vs. a man within the physical realm of social expectations. Finally was I given the chance to Go Topless…or shall I say topfree?

The parade began marching promptly at 2 pm near Elm Street as scheduled. I showed up a few minutes late and found myself jumping right on in and scouted out for people who were holding onto the nipple pasties and electrical tape. Before I found someone, that person found me and my top came off quicker than the speed of light.

Go Topless Parade 2011

Even while this was a day of equality, I could not help but feel myself standing out with the other women amidst the crowd mostly populated by men. There were people all around us shoulder to shoulder who were either marching with us or were taking photographs of us. In a way, I felt like a celebrity. Never before had I imagined that marching for freedom would create such a huge spectacle. Generally, I am not one to shine for the spotlight; however, I found myself marching alongside these liberalists with a smile ear to ear. It was a true smile of happiness and liberation while soaking those hot sun rays into the skin of my bosom. I thought to myself that this must be the same sensation that men first felt when liberated from their suppression sometime after the Victorian Era.

In the early 1900’s and prior, Western culture deplored nudity of any degree including bare-chested male swimmers at beaches or swimming facilities. At this time, men took great pains to cover themselves both below and above their waste. Up until the 1960’s men were fined for removing their shirts in Central Park, NY and gradually permissiveness grew towards the acceptance of partial male nudity; however, has yet to fully cross over gender lines with upper female anatomy acceptance.

Interesting enough, an international bill of rights for women was adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly called The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which came into force on September 3, 1981. Ironically, the United States, whose national anthem contains the phrase “land of the free and the home of the brave” is the only developed nation that has not ratified the CEDAW. The only laws in place within the United States protecting gender equality are those with regards to employment and politics. There is nothing guaranteeing a women’s freedom to be treated just like our fellow man.

This valuable bit of human rights history is not found taught in school classrooms; however, you may just find the GoTopless movement to one day become a large part of history just as they teach us in textbooks about women suffrage and gender equality in the workforce. The reason our freedom march differs from the men’s freedom march in the early 19^th century is simply because we are fighting for equality.

My thoughts suddenly refocus back onto the parade…we pressed forward through the long narrow strip of Venice Beach. Several unexpected bi-standers who were trying to make their way through the crowd ended up finding themselves getting pushed back against the escorting police in front of our banner that shouted “EQUAL TOPLESS RIGHTS FOR ALL OR NONE”. The Huffington Post later reports on this incident that men were pushed away with their hands out hoping to “cop a feel” in altercation to the actual events that took place.

The parade persisted its way to the end on Ocean Blvd where it came to a halt; little did the gawking crowd know that the protest had actually just begun…

Topless Equality

Topfree Rights & Go Topless Day los Angeles

TopFree Rights

Topfree at Go Topless – The parade persisted its way to the end on Ocean Blvd where it came to a halt; little did the gawking crowd know that the protest had actually just begun. A soap box was instantly rigged as a stage where our main speaker, James Rich, shared with the public the reasons why us, women, were celebrating this random radical act of public display for topless freedom. There were several reporters present who recorded the event and held private interviews including a statement from me. I was interviewed by Anna Almendrala, with the Huffington Post and was referenced in an article titled “Go Topless Day Protest at Venice Boardwalk (WARNING: NSFW)”, an article that was not much in favoritism of what we were doing. In a way, I sort of felt as though Anna was setting me up for sabotage to be the latest news laugh. I ended up saying what my heart felt was necessary as an expecting mother, seven months pregnant, which was slightly misinterpreted in the photo caption, “I’m told that at I’ll have to breastfeed at a restroom if it comes down to it, in some places,” she says. Ralph continues: “I don’t want to have to take my child into a dirty restroom when it’s more of a dining room situation. You don’t bring your own food into the bathroom, so why should a child have to feed in the bathroom?”

My purpose was not to promote the Raelian religion, neither was anyone else’s purpose who sacrificed their image to be subjected to who knows what websites our female bodies would be posted on. All we knew and expected was what we wanted…equality.

The energy level of the rally increased the more the speaker spoke into the microphone. A few women found themselves encouraged to share with the crowd both their talents and their minds. One woman wearing nipple pasties did a gypsy dance with her baton. Then without notice, the microphone was handed to me “ Boobies are for Babies ! ” I shouted. The crowd suddenly got silent…it was quiet for a moment followed by a boisterous cheer. To this day, I don’t know if they truly understood what I actually said. All they must have known was that they enjoyed watching me say it.

After the chanting, dancing and ranting, I felt the urge to go up one last time to release to the crowd what I call my “Sublime spiel”. It is a Sublime remix I came up with on behalf of GoTopless.org.

My mission was complete!

Two activists for Topfree Equality

Not too long after we collected several signatures for our Go Topless petition, the crowd dispersed along with many of the topless women. Several single men with fancy cameras managed to stick around at the end to take photos of the girls who stayed behind, including myself. This other girl and I stood side by side most of the time and decided we wanted to stick it out as long as we could because we did not want to put our shirts back on.

Men hesitantly approached us in request to take our pictures with them. One man approached me, hands shacking dramatically in apprehension and told me he had never before seen a pregnant woman topless. This reaction I received in response to my action was one of the greatest influences I had ever experienced in my life. I managed to change this man’s impression of not just women, but pregnant women while I stood there as not just an advocate of change but a taboo.

The protest finally ended three hours later. It was at that particular time I was forced to make an extremely radical decision while standing there all by myself with no other topfree women supporting my choice… Should I put my shirt back on?…

Go Topless Parade

2011 Go Topless Parade held in Venice Beach, California. Several men and women march along the strip of Venice to protest the right for women to be equal to men in topless freedoms. Women wish to go topfree wherever a man is a

After the GoTopless Parade

walking around topfree in Venice

The GoTopless topfree parade and protest finally ended three hours later. It was at that particular time I was forced to make an extremely radical decision while standing there all by myself with no other topfree women supporting my choice… Should I put my shirt back on? My decision ended up being ruled more in favor of myself than the spectators who gazed upon me in disbelief and/or utter astonishment. There was no possible way that I was about to let this moment end. So I proceeded to walk back by myself, down the Venice strip, in the opposite direction that I had previously marched earlier with a large group of other women. If you ask me how I did it, my answer will be…”I just did.” I walked just as though I usually walk with or without a top on, except I found myself still carrying on that ear to ear smile.

Close to half way down the strip, I met up with some good guy friends of mine who showed up way to late to support the cause. They decided to just march along with me while catching the glances and rude statements of onlookers whom I passed on by. It was not until my friends commemorated me for my bravery that I learned people were saying some really mean things about me. I suppose my tunnel vision got the best of me, relieving me of any undue anxiety from others discomfort or offense. I just simply did not care; my intent was not to try to be that “tourist attraction” to the general public clothed or topfree. I was actually doing something for myself no matter what the social consequences were.

Our first stopping point was the public restrooms and I have to tell you these lines make you not want to wait, but I had to go; after all, I am pregnant. I found a single line which I thought to be the fastest and waited patiently. While doing so, I was more observant of my surroundings and noticed that no one was staring at me nor taking photos of me, to my knowledge. It felt completely normal to be standing their topfree, well up until I exited the rest room stall and some women felt compelled to cover her son’s eyes after gazing upon me. There was another reaction I received from a little girl who just looked at me as though I was crazy. She was just as confused as some of the other people I passed on by. At this time of the day, very few people knew about the march for topless equality, while most others assumed it was a special mardi gras event. That suggestion just made me want to run into someone carrying around beads just for fun.

While 7 months pregnant, with or without a top on, it is truly difficult to not stand out with my stomach showing. In fact, I learned that people were more inclined to approach me with questions about my baby than they were to directly question my motives for being topless. Not once before did I ever encounter a random person asking me how far along I was or what I was having until this day that I let it all hang out while walking around proudly as a newbie mom. Those particular people actually seemed interested in me as a human being rather than a public image.

Standing Next to Random Topless Guy

Shopping in Venice

The day was coming close to an end so my friends and I decided to savor this experience with some photo memorabilia. Along the way we came across a random guy who was loitering on the strip topless. We managed to get a snap shot of this “rare occasion” with me standing right beside him. Shortly after, we went shopping for art and apparel. While browsing through the t-shirts, some guy tried to sell me a shirt that was just way too big for me, as if I needed a top. After our shopping expedition, we found a small hole in the wall café to dine in which did not have a sign posted “no shirt, no shoes, no service.” After all, I was seeking equality, not special recognition as a female. There was no possible way I was about to step out of my boundaries and try to get away with walking into an establishment that prohibited such.

The day finally ended and so had my experience in topfreedom. From then on, the closest moment that I came to baring my breasts in a social setting has been at either a public clothing optional beach or a private nudist resort which is just not the same. One day, hopefully sooner than later, I shall find another day like this one. Until then, I plan on breastfeeding my baby boy whenever and wherever I am for his personal well being and a little bit of mine.

Go back: Part 2 of this 3-part series about the Go Topless Parade - Topfree Rights – “Boobies Are For Babies!”

Young Naturists & Nudists America

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Body Image And Anorexia

Jordan Blum — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 05:36:40 +0000

Body Image Struggles And Anorexia

( Guest Blog By Melissa Dejanude )

Body Image And Anorexia

Body Image – I have always been self-conscious about my body. Growing up, I had developed eating disorders, both anorexia and bulimia. The symptoms of these disorders began back when I was a teenager. I believe I was in either eighth or ninth grade at the time. I was also involved in the sport of competitive gymnastics too, which really did nothing but provide fuel for the eating disorders. I had a very realistic goal of going to the Olympics and actually competed against Marylou Retton back in the 1980s. Involvement in such a sport makes you constantly obsessed about what you look like. What you weigh is an obsession you wake up with every morning. Needless to say, I ended up developing a distorted body image of myself and other people as well. The very idea of becoming fat or unpleasant looking was just not acceptable in my eyes. My father was also a violent alcoholic while I was growing up as well. He used to scare me half to death just about every day of my life and was always telling me how worthless and stupid I was, which of course also lead to the self-esteem issues. My self confidence went right out the window.

When I went to school, I used to try and cover my upper body up with a big sweater or I would wear double shirts to try to conceal my waist as I thought I was totally fat and disgusting. I did not want anyone to see any part of me let along let anyone to see me nude. In gym class, I refused to change my clothes in front of the other girls and would hide in the bathroom to get out of having to take a shower and be naked in front of anyone as I did not feel comfortable doing this in any way whatsoever. Keep in mind that at the time all of this was happening to me, I was at a weight of about 93 pounds. When I looked at myself in the mirror, all I could see was areas in need of improvement. Once reaching the age of 18, I suddenly had a boyfriend somehow, but that ended quickly since there were sexual issues on my part. These issues with distorted body image and low self-esteem went on for about 15 years until I reached the age of 30.

When I look back at it all now and look at pictures from back then of myself or others, I cannot believe how thin I looked. My mind was really messed up back then. No doubt about it.

Body Image

Young Nudists Naturists America YNA

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Nudist Comedy – REAL Naked “Nudist Comedy”

Melissa — Wed, 30 May 2012 04:00:51 +0000

Nudist Comedy – Naked Funny ?

Nudist Comedy – If you’ve seen them once, you have not seen it all…especially not when we were all naked. The “Nudist Comedy” makes a move to Long Beach, this coming June, for an exclusive REAL Naked show hosted by Timothy Chizmar Productions. This will be their second performance naked and fourth show overall, but besides an additional comedian and some new stand up acts, there will be something a wee bit more noticeably different at this show than any other…Everyone will be naked!

For those of you who are asking about this new sensation that hit the southwestern nation, “Nudist Comedy, what?” let me tell you about them. It all started at Olive Dell Ranch Family Nudist Resort when both nudist and non-nudist comics came together to form a pact under the association of “Crack-A-Smile Comedy”. This show, hosted by Young Naturists America and Timothy Chizmar Productions, drew quite a large crowd for its first performance. Spectators showed up from afar to not just celebrate the New Years at Olive Dell, but to get a glimpse as these professional, non-nudist comics, who stripped down to their bare bones the very first time in public for their stand up comedy act. Nudbie comics Kevin LaHai and Heather Schmidt were the bravest of them all, considering it was New Years Eve and they were practically the only ones naked. We may be naturists, but we are not stupid right? I mean common’ it was cold!

Katie Hall, lead actress from Act Naturally the Movie, proved herself to be quite a real live natural comedian on stage with her act. Heather Schmidt sang her debut in tune with an Ukelele. Kevin LaHai cracked a joke about…Umm, sorry! I am not here to spoil the jokes for ya! Come see it all yourself!

No sooner after the show ended did it all just begin. The YNA Bare Times Launch Party left a birth mark on these particular newbie nudists, opening doors for them to share this first timer story in the mainstream media at the Hollywood IMPROV for two nudist themed shows; however, it was still not the same. The most skin shown at these two Hollywood events were the posters that passed around to promote it up until now…

The “Nudist Comedy” takes off once again…its clothes that is, along with the entire audience at the Berubians Theater in Long Beach for its first REAL NAKED show in LA County!! Dress code: Naked (mandatory).

Timothy Chizmar Productions is bringing back:

*Katie Hall
*Kevin Lahai
*Heather Schmidt
*Tim Chizmar

But wait! There is one more…
*Drew Mercury (newbie nudist comic)

The cost of admission is only $15.00 plus handling charges if purchased directly through the Young Naturists & Young Nudists America website. For those of you who are planning on attending, it is strongly recommended to buy tickets in advance online and arrive early so you can properly warm up your seats. Oh! And don’t forget to bring your towel.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW THROUGH YOUNG NATURISTS AMERICA!

LEARN MORE…Event Info

www.NoPantsCast.com

Nudist Comedy

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

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Facebook Targets Breastfeeding Moms

Melissa — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:59:04 +0000

Facebook Targets Breastfeeding Moms

Melissa Ralph feeding son Ashley

Facebook Targets Breastfeeding - Women across the globe find themselves fighting for liberation and equality once more, not just in public but online in social networking sites, particularly Facebook. After nearly over a decade of struggling back and forth with Facebook regarding what is appropriate and what is offensive, Facebook finally opens up to the public stating that its policy allows moms to post their breastfeeding photos only of babies actively nursing. They further acknowledge that they do their very best to go by this policy and there may be a time when errors are made only because the item is flagged as inappropriate.

Facebook has clarified its policy when it comes to photos of breastfeeding: only photos of babies actively nursing are allowed. Everything else is considered nudity and will be taken down if reported.

Now how did this battle start you may ask? Well simply put, Facebook moderators deleted images of women breastfeeding under their “no nudity” clause even while it is not illegal to breastfeed your child in public. Too many women got fed up with their photos being deleted or had their profiles suspended just because they showed breast or partial nipple while nursing their babies without a covering. When push came to shove these mom’s decided it was time to fight back through means of protest. A group formed on Facebook which accumulated close to 5,000 members “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding is not Obscene!”. Last Monday worldwide events were coordinated by this group, that encouraged mom’s to congregate with their children at Facebook headquarters. (View List of Locations) This group also started a Facebook page that currently contains over 6300 likes.

A similar rivalry further falls off of the Face of the Book in a situation that occurred at Target when a woman was harassed by 3 employees for feeding her child in a discrete location of the store while covered. In protest of this event, women across the nation staged a “nurse in” at their nearest Target store. Watch this ABC video for more details:

As a member of WIC (Women Infant Children), I’ve learned the importance of breastfeeding my child to insure that he meets all the nutritional needs that formula may not provide. Why? Because it is natural! Breastfeeding is a vital asset to human survival and has long been way before the days of formula. So how could we have come this far to shun the naked body and not accept the human culture within? For starters it’s the degradation of the female anatomy where man places a label on the female breasts claiming them as sexual organs for lust rather than reproductive organs for human development. Anteresting question arises: sex and reproduction…those are the same, right? Not entirely. The female breasts are only considered reproductive organs during the parenting stage of reproduction; however, in most classifications breasts are not considered to be part of the female reproductive system. For one thing, my man does not consider my lactating breasts sexy so it hard for me to understand why they would be censored as pornography unless certain men are afraid they are going to find themselves having an adult baby fetish. Breastfeeding is beautiful and beneficial, not entirely sexy.

Dont shy away from breastfeeding

While visiting WIC’s Long Beach facility, I discovered a poster in their bathroom stating “Embarrassment? Don’t shy away from breastfeeding”. WIC could not have placed this poster in a better location as though it was there to tell women who were hiding themselves away while “nature took its course”. This phrase should not be mistaken to reference excretion of bodily wastes which is what one does in a bathroom, but rather the feeding of essential bodily nutrients to a young child. Breast milk provides antibodies against pathogens and has been associated with reduced morbidity and mortality from gastrointestinal, respiratory and other diseases. Do you see the irony in feeding a child in a restroom? How many of you would eat your meal on the toilet?

Even while breastfeeding is encouraged by doctors, pediatricians, the State Department of Health and other public nutrition affiliations it is hard to understand why women would even feel embarrassed about feeding their kids in any public setting and/or would not be able to share with other women this important part of life on Facebook. It is also a greater wonder why society in general would cause such a ruckus at the sight of child attaching its lips to the breasts of its mother.

According to a report on ABC “Health experts agree that “breast is best” for growing infants : About 75 percent of new moms in the U.S. start breastfeeding their newborns, but only about 13 percent continue to breastfeed after the baby is six months old, according to the CDC.

When I think about these statistics, I try to think to myself why these women would waste this valued source of nutrition and substitute for something of lesser nutritional, unnatural quality. It is possible that most women find it extremely time-consuming and stressful to have to pump her breasts just to feed her baby while on the go. Others may be too embarrassed to do it around friends, strangers or even their own families. In some instances, possibly even most, women fear their men may find them less attractive and thus allow their milk to dry out and revert to formula for their child. All of these excuses are selfish, just as all those people who make it difficult for women to breastfeed are selfish through an opinion or other form of action.

Melissa breastfeeding son at the Getty Museum underneath a medieval painting of a women breastfeeding her child.

I am proud to say that I somewhat participated in this Target bf awareness just last weekend when I found myself feeding my 3 1/2 month old child in a local store, not really for the means of protest, but out of respect for the need to feed. Other places I fed my son without concealing the matter were in Babies R’ Us, Toys R’ Us, Getty’s Museum at the Getty Center, The Observatory at Griffith Park, Venice Beach. Santa Monica Pier, San Onofre State Beach, Glen Eden Nudist Resort, Olive Dell Family Nudist Resort, Deer Park Nudist Resort, and all other social family and friendship meet-ups including a formal dinner at a Korean restaurant. Basically, I feed him anywhere and everywhere I go instinctively. Every time he wakes up he wants to feed and every time I eat he wants to eat. The content look of love in my child’s eyes is far more important than the head shake of disapproval from others who can’t accept the way God made us.

I suppose it would make life easier on all of us women if men looked at the female breasts as less of a tool and more as an asset for the better well-being of our children. The only way this way of thinking could become the norm would be if women were able to go topfree just as men do. Then again that is a whole entire battle on its own.

Thank you to all the moms who are out there under the spotlight to bring positive recognition to make the better changes for our sons and daughters!! Go Moms!!

Young Naturists America

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Nudist vs Naturist in my opinion

Jordan Blum — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:06:14 +0000

Nudist vs Naturist (By Melissa Dejanude )

Nudist vs. Naturist

My Opinion for the use of the terms…

Nudist Vs Naturist – The clothed minded world uses terms that describe the free world: nude, naked and undressed, erratically and synonymously. But in the debate between the terms “nudist” and “naturist“, we need to use our terms precisely and accurately; when describing participants in the clothes-free lifestyle, “naturist” should be the preferred term. Both terms carry a mindset and by using either one, you agree with the mindset of the term. “Nudist” carries a negative connotation of a person who joins a colony who lives without clothes. A naturist, on the other hand, believes that clothes-free places have a purpose; that good, social nudity is to be so commonplace that there is no need for any location to be specifically dedicated as a naturist or clothes-free area, simply because the mindset behind the purpose for clothing needs to change. We (as naturists) should be working to make the whole world clothes-free just as Christians are commanded to make disciples of all nations; however, we should not give up the habit of meeting together at public clothes-free venues for they show how far we’ve come.

If we want the whole world to at least be exposed to freedom, we must not only congregate amongst ourselves in resorts, at conventions and on nude social networking sites. We must go out to the legislatures of various states, exercise our freedom where it is legal and mix with others. We not only have the freedom to be naturists, but also the responsibility to defend our beliefs. For if we can’t defend our beliefs, (beyond ‘it feels good’) we can’t hope for our beliefs to reach everyone effectively.

The same also is true when we turn to the terms “topfree” or “topless“. “Topfree” should be used because people, especially naturists, are free not lacking something. We are whole human beings without clothing. “Topless” has a sexual connotation, which is why this term needs to be avoided as often as the term “nudist”. One day, hopefully soon, clothed minded people will realize that the clothing made by man is not better than the clothing given by God.

Nudist vs. Naturist

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

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