Practicing Nudism

Practicing Nudism - Nudism or Naturism is also practiced around the world to various degrees. Doctors in France and Slovenia advocate for nudism as part of their treatments and Germany boasts a particularly strong naturist culture called the FKK – “free body culture.”

Many overseas tourist attractions capitalize on the nudist movement by offering nude beaches and nudist resorts. Some of what we would see as “nudist communities” are actually cultures where nakedness is a simply a way of life. There, being naked has never been an issue.
Religions such as Wicca advocate going “sky clad” to be closer with nature. Some tribes in South Africa forgo clothes as a matter of tradition and limited resources.

It’s safe to say that nudity is complex issue and the world won’t be agreeing on it anytime soon. History has shown us that attitudes are ever-shifting when it comes to nudity (especially social nudity) and that still holds true for modern culture.

Regardless of the reasons, nudists and naturists everywhere are gaining exposure and more widespread mainstream acceptance. There may come a day when our children will look back on our obsession with modesty and wonder, “What was the big deal with clothes?”

Many naturists join a nudist / naturist community to enjoy nudist activities with other like-minded individuals. Naturist communities also free their people from the judgment of society. Detractors claim that nudists are objectifying themselves by exhibiting their bodies in public. On the other hand, nudists argue that practicing nudism takes confidence and self-respect to bare their naked body in public, despite society’s disapproval.

In most nudist communities, no one is judged on superficial qualities such as age, weight, or body type. The naturist movement also objects to the argument that nudity is an inherently sexual state. For this reason many nudist communities and clothes-free beaches accept and even welcome young couples with children.

Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

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Nudist Websites

Information about nudism and naturism is certainly accessible online. That said, it seems like the nudist industry has been quite slow to adapt to an increasingly digital world. Most of the nudist resorts and naturist clubs have websites. The problem is that they look like they were designed back in 1995. This is one of the main reasons nudism has such a bad image problem.

These nudist websites may also be hard to find in a basic online search. It sounds hard to believe, but some nudist clubs are just now setting up a Facebook page or don’t even have one yet, let alone pages on other social networks like twitter!

How are young people going to find these nudie friendly places? Furthermore, what will they think and how will they react once they see these poorly constructed and designed nudist websites? If you’ve stumbled across one and thought you fell into a time warp to the past, don’t worry; rest assured you’re not alone.

Through our own website, we are trying to give nudist resorts and nudie friendly businesses more exposure. Through our YNA nudist clubs affiliates program, we publish real reviews, and information. On a bigger scale, we organize young naturist gatherings at clubs that are open to hosting us.

Businesses can also purchase a site-wide ad for even greater exposure and consistent increase in traffic. Last but not least, we offer services in social media, web design, SEO and more. We hope to help nudism further adapt to the online world and to make the nudie lifestyle more accessible, attractive and accepted to / by young adults of the digital age!

What we have come to realize is that the nudist movement today has an image problem. The reality is that when most people think of nudists, they think of people who are in the twilight of their lives, for the most part overweight and not too much fun to be around.

YNA aims to change that perception and so far we have feel that we have been doing a pretty good job. But we need your support if we are to succeed. Putting together all this information takes time and money so feel free to sign up and become a member of Young Naturists and Nudists America YNA. We could use all the help we can get! So if you have some time, and are a responsible, dedicated person then why not volunteer and lend a hand? We could always use interesting articles, personal stories and a helping hand with managing our online presence.

We hope that some day soon, most nudist business owners will begin to think like business owners. Once this will happen, we hope to see nudism expand and grow :)

In the meantime, check out our website. Here you can find a wealth of information about nude beaches, nudist websites, nudist and clothing optional resort reviews, nudist blogs, naturist articles and so much more nudie-related information and events.

Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

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Gloria, Director of AANR East

It came to my attention that AANR-East is changing their approach. So with that in mind, I reached out to Gloria who is the person spearheading this new endeavor.  Let’s find out more about Gloria and the new AANR-East initiative!

How long have you been a nudist?

Now, if I tell you how long I have been a nudist I will be giving away my age! But that is OK with me because I am OK with ME. So with that said…. I have been a nudist for 38 years and have loved every minute of it.

When did you actually become a nudist?

I became a closet nudist, if I might use that term, when I was 18 and in college. But my love for social nudity began much earlier.

When I was a child, I loved skinny dipping. I was actually allowed to go skinny dipping as long as I did so at night. At the time, I thought it was strange that it was OK at night but not during the day… But since I was allowed to go, I never questioned it.

When I was about 26 years old, I went to my first nudist club in Pennsylvania. To be perfectly honest, I was scared to death! I had the same inhibitions that most women do. I had my share of insecurities about the way I looked and was afraid of what other people might think or say.

What was the most difficult part of your first nudist experience?

The worst part of that first experience was removing my shorts. I sat at a picnic table for at least an hour, talking with a few people that were nude. But I still couldn’t bring myself to take everything off – I felt terrified at the thought of removing my bottoms.

Finally, I got a rush of courage and decided that it is now or never! I stood up, got completely undressed and walked down to the pool area. I sat in a lounge chair by the pool and slowly began to feel more comfortable (not to mention really hot while I was sitting and baking in the sun).

Then, I finally got the courage to stand up. I made my way towards the pool, all the while trying to make it look like I didn’t notice all the other people that were there.  That first moment, as I entered the water, I knew that being a nudist was going to be for ME!

How long have you been active in the nudist movement?

It is difficult for me to say exactly how long I have been active in the nudist movement. For a long time I didn’t even see it as a movement. I was going to clubs and having a great time but never considered the aspects of WHY I was allowed to be a nudist just as long as I was behind those gates. 

When I became a director for AANR-East (quite a few years back) I realized that we needed to change.  I couldn’t pinpoint the specifics at the time, but there didn’t seem to be much cohesiveness to what we were doing.

About 6 years ago, I ran again for a director’s position. This time I was much more aware of what I believed needed to happen in order to change the opinions of the world around us.

About two years ago, I came to the realization that a major overhaul was needed if we want to continue being around. Therefore I began, with the aid of a few great people from AANR-East, to develop a new strategic plan to make that happen. 

So to answer your question, I have been somewhat active approximately 10 years now, and very active for the last six.

We believe that nudism is just about the nudity while naturism is about a certain value system. What are your thoughts on this issue?

As you know, naturism is a philosophy that dates back to the 19th century. It is one of health and fitness through the concept of returning to nature.  In Germany it is called the “free body culture” / FKK.

Nudism is about the nudity. But it is, in my opinion, much more than just being nude.  Nudists are able to experience and enjoy body freedom by accepting our own physical appearance and we reject the mainstream view that nudity and sexuality are one and the same.  We (those of us who consider ourselves nudists) must be accepting of people. Body types, sexual orientations, religions and so forth are far less important than the essence of who each person is.

I believe that defining the terms is important. It is a goal that needs to be addressed and accepted by a vast majority of people who enjoy being clothes free.  (I hate the word “lifestyle.”) Defining the terms will help identify who we really are and what we are about.

In today’s society, nudity and the naked body is quickly associated with sex. As nudists, we must actively challenge these notions and work together to define our terms and goals. The ambiguity of the terms makes it very difficult to defend why we choose to be nudists.

Personal aesthetics and sexual appeal are key factors in the mainstream cultural norm. Therefore, I believe, that as nudists, we must rise above the superficial and demonstrate to the world that we can live openly without fear of oppressive conformity while having the ability to accept people for who they are and judge them based on how they behave rather than what they look like.

We recently posted an article about nudist clothing (the lingerie article). What are your thoughts on the subject?

I believe that lingerie is totally unacceptable. Women in society feel it is necessary to wear something to be attractive or feel sexy. Women have been taught that their social status is based mostly on what they wear and how they look. This is why girls feel overwhelming pressure to be attractive, to be perfect.

Since we are nudists, I feel that such attire should not be allowed at any nudist venue. We should be raising the bar and not feel the need to accessorize in order to feel good about ourselves. That is what acceptance is about.

Body acceptance and self-worth allows women to find freedom. It allows them to break away from the oppressive cultural norms that have dictated our lives for years. Being a nudist allows women to accept themselves as human beings for who they truly are.

On a side note, I don’t think it makes sense going to a nudist location just to wear clothing. There are enough and even more places where people can go and enjoy being clothed. Don’t you agree?

What is the relationship between AANR-National and AANR-East?

AANR-East is a region within AANR. While they are two separate entities, we are part of the national association. The actual relationship between AANR and all the regions vary for a variety of reasons.  Basically, AANR sets the ruling documents (by-laws and procedures) which the regions use to set their own by-laws and procedures, however if there are any discerning differences, then the AANR ruling documents take precedence. That said, all regions have a lot of free will to act in the best interest of their region.

AANR National is predominantly a vendor-driven organization (by vendor-driven, I mean selling memberships). AANR-East believes that we should be more of a movement and as such, we set our goals and objectives based on that notion. 

Our own members lack the understanding of the nudist movement, its history, missions and achievements. AANR-East believes that it should not be about selling memberships.  By focusing on nudist issues, it does away with the mindset of “what does AANR for me.”

Becoming a movement driven organization affords us the opportunity to focus on information and activism. By becoming an educational and issue driven organization, we enable our members to be proud of their nudist practices and beliefs. AANR-East believes that we can contribute to social change by promoting body acceptance through social nudity.

While AANR is primarily vendor-driven, I personally believe that most of the top officials, committee chairs and trustees all want what will best serve social nudity and nudists.

YNA gets a ton of love from AANR’s regional groups but AANR National is not that fond of YNA. Do you know why?

I do not know why the relationship between YNA and AANR is not strong. I can however, make an educated guess that it is simply a matter of communication.  Communication involves many aspects and one of those aspects is the ability to listen. Sadly, many people are not good at communicating or listening.  But when the intentions are pure then all the conflicts can be resolved.  That said, it takes two equally devoted partners to work out differences.

Recently we participated in a young nudist meeting. YNA had the only current group leaders in attendance. Other group leaders either couldn’t go or boycotted the meeting, and due to the storm TNS was unable to attend.  Since the “summit” we have not heard of any developments. Can you tell us if AANR (National or East) are working on expanding their following to younger people?

I am aware of the summit meeting that was held at White Tail Resort in Virginia. But I am not aware of any results or continuations of the meeting, as I was not tasked with overseeing it.

As one of 8 directors for AANR-East I am team leader for many different projects. These projects consume a great deal of my time and therefore I try to focus on the tasks I was given. Not because I have no interest, but because there is only so much one “older than dirt” brain can consume. 

Having said that, one of the AANR-East goals is to involve young people in every way possible. Since we are all nudists, we should all share a common bond, core beliefs and values. If we are to remain strong we must build sustainable relationships that will be there after people my age are no longer around.

We hear AANR-East has been working on an exciting new approach. Would you be willing to share this new approach with us?

Yes! Over the last two years, a small team of people has been involved in developing a new Strategic Plan for AANR-East.  It is has been a long process as we examined where we were, where we are and where we would like to be. 

It was determined that we must stop being a vendor-driven model and become a movement (as our forefathers developed originally). 

The Eastern Sunbathing Association (or ESA as it was informally called) came about due to some very forward thinking people.  Somewhere along the way we slowly drifted away from the thought processes of our forefathers.

AANR-East is a political and cultural movement promoting and supporting social nudity.  We have been, and will continue to live, plan and work together. Our beliefs challenge many assumptions of the world around us. These include presuppositions about human sexuality, social life, privacy, transparency and morality.  Our predecessors worked and fought for the privileges nudists enjoy today. But the struggle is still far from over for our nudist way of life.

Our mission statement clearly tells everyone what we as AANR-East will do.  But our Guiding Vision is the force that will drive us into the future of social nudity. 

Here are the main thoughts and ideas that will be guiding AANR-East:

We envision AANR-East to provide settings where people can expect harmony, respect and freedom:
•    Harmony involves the recognition that movements benefit from clear and tangible missions / goals.
•    Respect involves holding all people in high esteem.
•    Freedom means that all persons are at liberty to make choices.

Our mission is:  “To promote and support societal acceptance of social nudity in our region”

We recognize that social nudity challenges current social views and values as they pertain to the human body. These norms include erroneous myths, prejudices and preconceptions. These issues stand in the way of greater interpersonal understanding, self-acceptance, and acceptance of others. 

These social norms are unfortunately reinforced by restrictive laws, political barriers, conformist opinion and massive textile advertising efforts. Our movement actively challenges these patterns of misconception and restriction. 

We are also aware of the sexual innuendos associated with nudity. We will challenge these issues by bringing our sexuality out into the open. By talking about sex and sexuality and the power of these topics to intimidate will be greatly diminished.

Nudists can control their own sexuality and so can others.  Through this understanding, nudists lose the fears of their bodies that are associated with sexuality.

Our Guiding Vision points the way to the future we desire.  Our Mission Statement clarifies what business we are in.  Our Strategic Intent clarifies what AANR-East MUST accomplish in order to realize the Guiding Vision and to fulfill our Mission. 

Our Strategic Intent is to:  “Make Social Nudity Cool”

The Strategic Intent provides a specific point of view of our future aspirations.  It conveys a sense of direction, provides an opportunity to explore new possibilities and stimulate a sense of discovery.

This is a very brief overview of our new future. It provides a clear understanding and one that I am committed to fulfilling in order to propel AANR-East forward.

—–

Thanks Gloria!  By the way, as part of their new goal to “make social nudity cool,” AANR East is one of the sponsors of the upcoming Naked Painting Party!

What do you think of the current nudist movement and of AANR-East’s new initiative?

Young Naturists & Nudists America

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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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YNA – Love, Freedom, Acceptance!

We would like to announce some changes to our YNA members and followers. As you are probably well aware, we (Felicity and Jordan) have been investing every waking moment of the day as well as every last penny we have in creating this wonderful community of amazing people. After two and a half years, and with little support, we are proud of what we have been able to accomplish thus far. We have been perceived as the black sheep of the nudist movement almost from day one and while there have been many people who have done whatever they could to squash our efforts, we are still here. We had hoped that the naturist movement as well as nudist businesses would welcome this new mainstream approach but we did underestimate just how un-evolved the movement was and still is.

The core issues, that we are constantly faced with, are that nudist leaders and business owners:

• Don’t understand how the internet works
• Don’t believe in spending any money to attract new business
• Are afraid of the “outsiders”
• Are closed minded when it comes to innovation
• Don’t take constructive criticism well
• Can’t communicate effectively and don’t respond promptly
• Are not open-minded enough for the current way people think
• Are uncooperative and extremely secretive
• Lack the skills and willingness to learn how to reach more people
• Are not willing to actively support other businesses and collaborate

Since we simply can’t force people to change, we feel it is time for us to accept the facts. Till today, everything we have done was geared toward bringing more focus to everyone. We are sad that here, in the U.S., the main organizations and businesses are not willing to truly listen and evolve the naturist movement. We will continue to work with nudist clubs and organizations, but we realize that it is not up to us to ensure their survival. There are reasons why organizations are not doing well and why clubs are seeing a diminishing number of members (especially younger ones). But we can’t force people to think long term, and we now realize that we should not even try.

So with that in mind, we have decided to do what is best for us: we will be scaling down our operation. Over the next few days / weeks we will begin to implement our new approach.

Here are some of the things you can expect to see happen:

Due to the overwhelming amount of general emails that we get, we will now be responding to the majority of them once a week. If something is urgent then please make note of that in the subject of the email. We will also be publishing content less frequently.

We will no longer be doing mostly pro-bono work. If you want us to help, then we ask that you place value on our time. Up to today, we have been spending our personal savings to drive out and speak with people. Most resorts and clubs still charged us day fees even though we were there to help them. We also have done work for people / businesses at no charge.
With that said, we will continue to offer many services at very affordable rates. The benefit of working with us is that YNA knows this niche market and we already have a substantial following and presence. As outlined on our website, we can offer help and consultation services in the following areas – website optimization, design, online marketing, social networking, blog marketing, niche marketing and outreach, event creation and promotion. We even can optimize pay per click campaigns (for Google) so that businesses will end up paying far less per click while achieving a higher ad placement. And the list goes on and on.
While our rates are a fraction of what it would cost in “outside world,” we still need to be able to make something. So we ask that you be understanding and respectful of our needs, if you do choose to work with us.

We have been getting a tremendous amount of emails mostly from the U.S., Canada, Australia and England. People really want to YNA to do things in their area. This has previously been achieved by creating chapters in different areas. Chapter leaders were responsible for blogging, organizing events regularly and maintaining various social media. The idea was actually to create self-sustaining groups that could generate their own funds and provide a source of income for whoever was in charge.
It was a lot of work, and it proved to be too much for those leaders. Aside from NY / NJ, we haven’t found people who are able and / or willing to invest the time and energy needed to cultivate a substantial following.

So, we are creating a second tier – the “YNA associate group.” The groups will be made up of one main individual who will be the group’s manager. This person will be in charge of assuming any and all responsibility for that group. While the group will receive support from YNA, the requirements will not be as demanding as they were for the chapters. The groups will basically be as active or inactive as the leader wants it to be. If people in the group want more, then it will be up to them to make their voices heard or even to take over and / or assist in the management of that said group.

Groups are expected to abide by and enforce the regulations and manner of conduct both online and offline.

Groups will receive support from YNA in the following ways:

• Access to the YNA website for publishing content – this is key to broadening the exposure of any group.
• Access to the YNA email newsletters – To inform people of what they are doing.
• YNA will use our social networks to launch the group – we will add people that we know from that area and announce the formation of the new group online.

Groups are expected to:

• Behave according to the manner of conduct that is outlined on the YNA website
• Respond to YNA when we contact them
• Inform YNA immediately of any issues that arise
• Remove any people who misbehave

We will soon begin to close down many of our other chapters, but that does not mean that we are no longer present. It just means that we are not responsible for creating the actual community nor will we be actively and aggressively seeking to develop the group’s membership and following. That is up to each and every group to decide.

Please note that YNA is a structured movement. We do have checks and balances and people can’t just do whatever they wish whenever they feel like it. The most valuable asset we have is our reputation, and that is something we are not and will not be willing to jeopardize. We have no issue with closing down any group at any time or revoking any of the privileges if we feel that it is necessary.

We will be implementing these changes in the near future, but will continue to do as much as we can to grow our YNA movement and to make a positive impact on naturism.

As always we welcome your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Young Naturists & Nudists America

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Bodies and Souls: The Century Project by Frank Cordelle - Age and other factors that change the body can feel like a blessing to some people, but, more often than not, for many it feels like a curse. Puberty is a frightening prospect along with physical blemishes, and the thought of reaching old age. Though such fears affect both genders, girls and women seem to be the prime recipients of these anxieties. It takes a special person to help alleviate the potential insecurities that females feel.

Enter photographer Frank Cordelle, who has received praise and recognition for his daring photos of females of all ages. What has really given his work attention is not that it’s women of all ages, from birth to old age, but that they are taken in the nude. But these aren’t super models. These are women with blemishes and disabilities, from the very young to the very old and wrinkled. Some are fat and some are thin. And a substantial body of his work has been comprised in a book entitled Bodies and Souls: The Century Project.

© 2006 by Frank Cordelle Mary-Age 94

Bodies and Souls is a most stunning piece of work, filled with women from all walks of life.

The book starts out, just as it states, with a birth. We then move on to children, to teens, to young adults, to middle age, concluded by a ninety-four year old lady. While some women would fit into society’s definition of attractive, there are a lot who wouldn’t. Some are missing breasts, some have scars, some are obese and aside from the physical features, some have emotional baggage in which they are weeping in the photos (This process, it turns out, helps them heal). Many of these young girls and women have also written their testimonies in the book, stating how such a project has been beneficial and helpful to their emotional well-being. Some of the stories are funny and lighthearted, others heartbreaking, but all of them express a profound sense of gratitude to Cordelle for letting them be a part of this project.

Many people have been taken aback and surprised to see such candid photos of real women. Some have a hard time handling it. How often is it that society is asked to accept the body of an obese woman, naked no less, or of a nude woman in a wheelchair?

Stripping away the clothing actually does help the viewer to see and accept them as real people.

Therefore, the nudity in this book, far from being degrading or a cheap gimmick, helps the viewer to see women and girls as they really are, as living breathing beings, worthy of respect and admiration. I’ve often been disgusted with the way women are treated in society. Derogatory comments, pornography, and other unhealthy ways we treat women are not good for their self-esteem, nor is it good for society. It’s imperative to remember that they are our mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. Bodies and Souls does much to help sweep away unhealthy views that men have of women and that women have of their bodies. By stripping these women with blemishes, naked and bare, the photographer has been able to help us identify with them more, as well as the models identifying with them.

Naturists, who are often advocates in the philosophy of “everybody is beautiful,” will find much to appreciate about this fine work of art as it reinforced their already aforementioned convictions. Every naturist should have a copy of this book in his or her personal library. Cordelle has given the world a wonderful gift with this book full of hope and understanding. I can only hope that more people will peruse its pages, reading the beautiful messages of hope from females of all ages and all walks of life.

Read their stories on The Century Project!

Bodies and Souls

Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

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Well, it is officially the beginning of a new (nude) year!  We thought it would be nice to look back at 2012, and at 2011 too, since this is our first “Year in Review.”  We wish you all a happy, healthy new year filled with love!  Check out our gallery and list of memorable moments below (click the linked words to see the articles).  We look forward to more good memories with wonderful nudie friends in 2013!!! 

[slideshow gallery_id="3"]

(*The gallery might be glitchy – if so, try clicking through them on the bottom)

2011

✯ YNA held their first outdoor young naturist gathering at Rock Lodge Club – a very memorable, positive event with over 60 people and activities like nude yoga, body painting, and outdoor movie screening of Act Naturally. 

✯ Felicity and a few other YNA’ers participated in a naked art performance on Wall Street called Ocularpation by Zefrey Throwell. Felicity was falsely arrested for being top free, along with two male participants. All charges were dropped.  Felicity sued the city on top of that and just won her case!

✯ Chiming in on a viral video trend, Felicity produced a funny video called “Shit Clothed People Say To Nudists.”

✯ YNA had a Top Free Day in Central Park to celebrate National Go Topless Day & women’s right to go topfree in New York!

✯ We co-hosted our first Naked Painting Party in NYC, which drew in over 500 people for a night of body painting!

✯ We had our first charity cocktail fundraiser to benefit a women’s shelter with some creative nude photography. 

2012

✯ YNA participated in another naked art performance: we played strip poker in a storefront window in Chinatown –what a blast!

✯ Felicity and friends got body painted completely nude in Times Square by artist Andy Golub

✯ In a partnership with Bare Naked Bake Sale, we managed to raise over $1,000 for lupus research through our Naked Costume Halloween Party.

✯ We had our first young naturist gathering at Juniper Woods in upstate NY, which was a great success! 

✯ We launched our official YNA Membership and Affiliates Program to give clubs and resorts more exposure while making them more accessible to young naturists!

✯ We launched three (yes three!) new YNA chapters this year: Wisconsin, Oregon and Upstate New York. Meanwhile, YNA NJ (& NYC) is still going strong! 

✯ We decided to broaden the scope of YNA’s mission and further develop our “people positive” philosophy, which involved tackling more social issues, like bullying and fat shaming. 

AND, we thought you might like to see our most popular blog posts and articles of 2012, so here they are!

Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2012

1. Is Nudism Good For Children?

2. Naked Yoga: A Story of Transformation

3. Nudist Celebrities

4. Jordan Rants: Internet Pornography & Children

5. Shit Clothed People Say to Nudists Video Premiere

6. Nude Outdoors – First Time Naked Outside

7. Hurricane Sandy News Alert

8. Nudism and Sexuality

9. Amanda Todd – The Death of Innocence

10. Review of White Thorn Lodge

Young Naturists & Nudists America

The post YNA’s Nude Year in Review: Memorable Moments from 2011 & 2012 appeared first on Young Naturists America.

Performers Of Oh! Calcutta!

Before we try to understand censorship, we must first understand the basic foundation used by censors today as guidance. So with that in mind, I will start off by listing the terms that censors use as justification for deciding what should be censored and what would be considered “safe” or “public worthy.” The use of these terms in this article will be based on their legal definitions, listed at the end for your reference. Click on any term below to jump to its definition. 

The key terms that will be referred to are:

1. Censor
2. Censorship
3. Nudity
4. Osbcenity
5. Lewd
6. Pornography
7. Erotic
8. Sexual

The Issue Of Censoring Nudity

Is Nudity A Crime?

So now that we have listed and defined the basic terms, let’s explore the issue of censorship and how it pertains to nudity and the naked human form.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is the guideline used by the legal system, in the U.S., for freedom of speech. This is where we will begin:

The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Some might argue that today in the U.S., the issue of censorship has been spinning out of control. Mainstream Broadway shows, TV shows, art, books, articles, websites and many more have been forced to change or cut out parts in order to abide by the censorship standards set forth by the powers that be. For the most part, the reasons given for censoring materials vary but in its essence, it usually has to do with the morals and ethics set forth by the country and its courts (in a democratic society).

Not all censored information would be considered controversial. There are many instances where censorship is used by government agencies as a vital part of national security. They do not tell the public what they are doing because it could compromise their ability to carry out a mission, thus putting innocent people’s lives at risk. (An example of this would be if the FBI got wind of terror cell’s intent to carry out an attack. By broadcasting intent to apprehend the terror cell’s members, they run the risk that those terrorists will simply run away before they get caught).

But not all cases are so cut and dry as is the case with artistic or “simple” and / or “innocent” nudity. To understand why nudity is censored today we must first understand when it began. The naked human form was not always seen as a threat. The ancient Greeks and Romans had no issue with nudity, hence the many nude figures depicted in their various forms of art. Both empires created statues and art depicting the naked human form in a celebratory manner, with many of the nude figures standing tall and proud. They obviously did not have an issue with public or social nudity since the original Olympic Games were conducted (by men) in the nude, and the people who frequented the public bath houses were all nude. Bath houses were a meeting place for social interaction and some of them were even unisex, as was the case with the bath houses that were unearthed in Bet Shean Israel.

The Origins of Censoring the Naked Human Form

So one might wonder, when did everything change and why? Well, the first methodical attempt of censoring the unclothed human form occurred with the rise of Christianity and the Catholic Church. Once Christianity became an established religion we see a dramatic shift in attitudes towards the naked human body. The Church’s perception of nudity and the naked human body changed the nude figure in art from a positive image to one of shame. Once the Church began viewing sexuality as a primal sin, the artistic representation of nudity began to change as well. The nude artwork that was produced during the medieval time period began depicting nude figures that were guilt-ridden or even worse – forever damned.

Hans Memling’s The Last Judgment

It’s important to note that the risk of “eternal damnation”, for true believers, can be a powerful motivator and will inevitably become a driving force that fuels the crusades of people who seek to implement ideals based on religious beliefs.

During the early Middle Ages, the Catholic Church tried to control the depiction of nudity and the human form. Under the guidelines set forth by the church, nudity in art was only to be allowed when depicting classical mythological themes, but not allowed when depicting religious or simply random ones. The church’s efforts to suppress and censor the portrayal of nudity were extremely successful and their policies were the law of the land for many years to come. In fact, it was not until the Renaissance that we start to see a shift back towards a more accepting and positive depiction of nakedness and a revival of the classic, more accepting view of the naked body.

The Renaissance ushered in a “new age.” Works of art such as Michaelangelo’s “David” and Raphael’s “The Three Graces” began to challenge the notion that the naked human body should be synonymous with shame. Their works depict naked people in a glorified manner, devoid of negative connotation.

Michelangelo’s David

Subsequent pieces continued this trend of celebrating the human form but as the decades passed, things did not get easier for artists whose work dealt with the sensitive topic of nudity.

Raphael – The Three Graces

Censored Nude Human Forms in Art, Media and Shows In The U.S.

Some of the most revered artists from the not-so-distant past have encountered issues with the enforcement of censorship laws. One of the best examples is Modigliani. Modigliani’s art was deemed pornographic, and his only one-man show was shut down by the French police after the first day (you can read more about this in Felicity’s blog post about nude art).

But all those things happened years ago, and some even took place in distant countries. Here in the U.S., we have the first amendment, and U.S. citizens live in a society that is open to new ideas as well as art – right? Well if you really believe this to be true then you are sorely mistaken.

The implementation of censorship laws has run amok, and if you doubt this to be true, take a look at what Felicity went through during her performance in Ocularpation Wall Street By Zefrey Throwell; a piece that has been deemed significant enough to be shown in one of the most respected art museums in the world – The MOMA.

Felicity Arrested On Wall Street

Censoring Oh! Calcutta!

Or better yet, have you heard of the Broadway show Oh! Calcutta! ? This show opened in 1969 and by the mid 1970’s became the longest running show on Broadway (at the time). It incorporated scenes written by well-known celebrities and icons such as Samuel Beckett, Sam Shepard and John Lennon. It became so popular that in the 1970′s it began touring worldwide.

One would think that a Broadway show would be considered a legitimate form of artistic expression. Unfortunately, some people did not agree.

Oh! Calcutta! Poster

In 1991 the producers of Oh! Calcutta! tried to bring the show to Chattanooga, Tennessee. There were just two municipally-owned theaters in town that were capable of staging such a production. But when producers inquired about booking one of them, the city said no, claiming that the show’s full-frontal nudity violated the city AND state’s “public indecency” laws and that the show was legally “obscene.”

Let’s take a moment to think about this. A world renowned Broadway show was too obscene for Chattanooga, but okay for pretty much the rest of the world? Does that sound logical to you?

Public indecency laws are in place to protect citizens from the so-called negative effects of being subjected to unexpected nudity in public settings. But would a theater be considered public when people have to take action in order to gain entry? Unless someone wants to attend and buys a ticket, he or she cannot be subjected to the “horrors” of seeing a naked person live and on stage.

The city officials claimed to be protecting their fellow city inhabitants from a threat to the people’s morals and ethics. But was their censorship legally justified? Did they have the legal right to censor this production and ban it from being shown?

The city of Chattanooga had unsuccessfully sought to ban the play Hair in 1971, but this time they felt empowered by a 1991 Supreme Court ruling in the case of “Barnes v. Glen Theatre” in Indiana. In this infamous case, the Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s ban of naked barroom dancing as part of the general “public nudity” law. The reasoning behind the ruling put the world of art AND constitutional law on edge because it could be easily interpreted and applied to theater, as well as art, if one so wished.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the time was William Rehnquist. When announcing the ruling in the Barnes case, Justice Rehnquist explained that while nude dancing was indeed a form of artistic expression, its sole purpose was to sexually and erotically entice. He went on to say that the state’s minimal requirement of G-strings and pasties would not deprive the dance routine of its erotic message and would only make that message a little less graphic. He also noted that public nudity laws were part of “our” history and can be traced back to the “Biblical story of Adam and Eve “(please note that I placed the word our in quotation marks because he is implying that we, as a nation, all believe in the historical merits of the Bible. Since the entire population is not Muslim, Jewish and / or Christian, the totality of the statement is simply wrong). While the ruling was in favor of censoring nudity, Justice Rehnquist’s reasoning was supported by only two other people in the court – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy.

Now back to Oh! Calcutta!

The producers of Oh! Calcutta! decided to take the city of Chattanooga to court. The presiding judge, R. Vann Owens, decided to impanel an “advisory jury.” Though a jury was not required in this case, the judge thought it was important for the community to be able to weigh in on this sensitive topic.

After four days of listening to expert testimony, watching videos of the production and hearing the different opinions of the parties involved, the jury came to their conclusion. They said that while the show itself was in fact offensive, it had serious artistic value / merit, and therefore it should not to be perceived as obscene. In essence, they disagreed with the censors and believed that show should NOT be banned (even though they might personally disagree with show’s content).

The judge agreed and went along with the jury’s recommendation. However he felt the need to supplement the ruling with his own distaste for the show’s content, with its “presumably” overall theme of promiscuity and relaxed attitudes towards sex. 

Censorship Case of Lady Chatterley’s Lover

While there will always be judges, or people, who disagree with the message or idea behind an art piece, opinions such as judge Owens’ above are not cause to determine whether or not it should be censored. In the overturning of the ban on the D.H. Lawrence inspired film “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” Justice Potter Stewart explains that the Constitution protects all ideas and freedom of speech -regardless of whether those ideas are accepted by the majority. The film was originally banned because New York City’s censorship board disapproved of its message – adultery.

Justice Potter Stewart wrote the summation:

“The first amendment’s basic guarantees of freedom to advocate ideas.” He goes on to explain that the City of New York had no legal case to censor or ban the film because: “the motion picture attractively portrays a relationship which is contrary to the moral standards, the religious precept, and the legal code of its citizenry. This argument misconceives what it is that the Constitution protects. Its guarantee is not confined to the expression of ideas that are conventional or shared by a majority. It protects advocacy of the opinion that adultery may sometimes be proper, no less than advocacy of socialism or the single tax. And in the realm of ideas it protects expression which is eloquent no less than that which is unconvincing.”

Censorship, The Bible and the Separation of Church and State

This issue of censorship, as it pertains to the portrayal of the naked body, was originated by the Catholic Church. But the U.S. was founded on the idea that people should be free of religious persecution and that a clear distinction between church and state must be upheld. So why is the Chief Justice of the United States quoting the Bible as part of his justification for a ruling?

The issue of censorship affects the lives of us all. The powers that be are the ones deciding what is considered acceptable, and many of them revert back to the Bible for guidance. So where does that leave the citizens? Do we just have to sit there and accept it? Why must we all have to live by the rules set forth hundreds of years ago by the Catholic Church? Does the church have the sole right to decide what is good and what is not?

The ancient, biblical laws used as justification for censorship are not only applied to art, but to our everyday freedoms as well. Nudity at one time was accepted as part of everyday life, until the Church changed that (as previously described). But as U.S. citizens, none of us signed up, as a collective, to live under the rules and laws of the Bible or Catholic Church. But we are. 

We may have legalized certain “sins” like adultery and sodomy, but there are still plenty of other laws that can be traced back to religion; not the Constitution.  So why are we letting the Bible override the Constitution to determine our basic freedoms?

The recent case of the San Francisco nudity ban in the Castro is one such example.  Ambitious politicians aside, this kind of law succeeds because people don’t realize they are being told what they can and can’t wear based on taboos set forth by the Catholic Church ages ago. The same thing holds true to gay rights and marriage. If the US were not geared by the bible, then why can’t two law abiding citizens get married? Is it the governments job to decide who is marriage worthy? And if so, why use the bible as a guide? Why not the constitution?

There is no logic in these laws without taking into account religious doctrines. Laws cannot be made based on what someone find purly “offensive” (think of how much would be outlawed if they were!).  

As far as lewd behavior, there are already laws to address those. So, as was the case in the Castro, why must the people be forced to start wearing clothing after so many years, and why now specifically? Is it a fact that naked people are crossing the lines of social behavior and if so, how? Why not fine just those individuals that are abusing the right to go nude? Where is the justice in punishing everyone for what a handful of people might or might not be doing? 

Adverse Effects of Seeing Non-Sexual Nudity?

This is a short paragraph because there are none. It has now been proven, time and time again, that children and / or adults do not suffer from any adverse effects from exposure to “simple” nudity. But with that said, censors continue to subject the general public to their archaic and religiously motivated / interpretive rules.

YNA and Censorship

Effects or benefits of nudity aside, the censorship of nudity when there is a substantive message is simply unjust. Based on the legal precedence, such censorship should not be permitted as long as there is a substantive message to support it. 

YNA is a classic example of an organization that is being unjustly censored by companies such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and others (not to mention the city of New York who arrested Felicity for no good reason – hence her recent civil suit victory against the city).

Because our content and activities incorporate nudity, YNA’s endeavors are unjustly deemed obscene, lewd, “adult” and / or pornographic in nature. As a direct result of this mindset, our ability to reach people has been greatly diminished. Facebook continually closes down pages, Google Plus has shut down our first profile and pages, Instagram has banned us and many online avenues for generating revenue have been closed to us. All of these issues are because our content includes nudity and thus society deems that it must be pornographic and should be immediately censored and / or banned completely.

These companies are acting as judge and jury when it comes to the censorship (especially when is comes to nudity). Not only are they going against our personal constitutional right to put forth ideas, they are also removing “good” or “healthy” content, which in turn results in the abundance of truly sexually explicit content online today.

YNA has been fighting for the simple right to advocate for more tolerance and compassion through the use of social nudity, but we can’t do it alone. We need more people to voice their opinions and to continually post substantive and erudite content. It is up to all of us to send letters to our elected officials, companies and representatives if we have any hope of reversing this upsetting trend of unjustified suppression of our basic right to freedom of speech.

The terms and sources used in the above censorship article:

The basic terms used in censorship and their definitions:

Censor:

A censor is defined in the dictionary as: An official who examines books, plays, news reports, motion pictures, radio and television programs,letters, cablegrams, etc., for the purpose of suppressing parts deemed objectionable on moral,political, military, or other grounds.

Censorship:

The literal definition of the term “censorship” is: The action of censoring material / information

Censorship is a broad term which encompasses many different facets of society. Here we will focus mostly on censorship and how it relates to nudity. So with that in mind here are some of the terms and their literal and / or legal definitions:

The literal definition of Nude:

1. Having no clothing; naked.
2. Permitting or featuring full exposure of the body

Nudity:

The literal definition of the term Nudity: The state of being without clothing or covering of any kind.
Nudity is often equated with obscenity so it is extremely important to understand both the literal and legal definitions of the word “Obscene”.

Obscene:

1. Offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved.
2. Causing uncontrolled sexual desire.
3. Abominable; disgusting; repulsive.

The legal interpretation and definition of obscenity is as follows:

“Obscenity is the character or quality of being obscene. It is also an act, utterance, or item tending to corrupt the public morals by its indecency or lewdness.

Obscenity is a legal term that applies to anything offensive to morals and is often equated with the term PORNOGRAPHY. Pornography, however, is a more limited term, which refers to the erotic content of books, magazines, films, and recordings. Obscenity includes pornography, but may also include nude dancing, sexually oriented commercial telephone messages, and scatological comedy routines. U.S. courts have had a difficult time determining what is obscene. This problem has serious implications, because if an act or an item is deemed obscene, it is not protected by the First Amendment.”

Lewd:

The term Lewd is defined as crude and offensive in a sexual way.

Pornography:

Pornography is a term that is used often but the way it is applied to nudity is often misguided and even misleading.

The literal definition of the term Pornography is that depiction of erotic behavior or material (such as books and film) intended to cause sexual excitement.

Legal definition of pornography is:

The representation in books, magazines, photographs, films, and other media of scenes of sexual behavior that are erotic or lewd and are designed to arouse sexual interest.

The literal definition of Erotic:

1. Of, devoted to, or tending to arouse sexual love or desire.
2  Strongly marked or affected by sexual desire

The literal definition of the term Sexual:

Implying or symbolizing erotic desires or activity.

Sources used in this censorship article:

Please note that all the legal definitions that I reference were taken from:
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/

The literal definitions were taken from online dictionaries.

The reference to public baths was taken from the information given out to visitors of the ancient ruins of Bet Shean:

The city of Bet Shean, located in Israel, was one of the 10 Roman cities of the Decapolis, east of the Sea of Galilee. It was destroyed by earthquake in the year 749 AD. This ancient city was only discovered in 1986, just like it was left, after the quake. There is astonishing detail — frescos, paved streets, columns, well- defined rooms, mosaics, buildings and a large public UNISEX bathroom that could accommodate at least 45 men & women at any given time.

Other print sources used:

Sex, Sin, And Blasphemy by Marjorie Heins

The Constitution of the United States Of America – As published By Barnes And Nobles

Nudist Society by William E. Hartman Ph.D, Marilyn Fithian and Donald Johnson

Foolish Fig leaves? Pornography in and Out Of Court – by Rishard H. Kuh

Censored Nude

By

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

The post Censored Nude Bodies appeared first on Young Naturists America.

Blog by: Logan Green (The Oregon Trail Nudist Blog)

It has dawned on me that within the declaration of independence it states that we are all created equally and with certain unalienable rights among which is the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To what degree do we take this statement? In San Francisco they passed a law that prohibits nudity in public except during specific celebrations, does this infringe on our rights?

To put the answer simply, yes; however it is much more complicated than that. I heard it often said that people should wear clothes because it would infringe on their rights to not see someone’s genitals, or someone’s rear, etc. If we could take that statement a step further, my right to clean air is constantly infringed upon from smoking, overuse of gasoline, etc. Should we then make those illegal because they infringe on my rights? The problem with this argument is that people will then use, “Majority of people are okay or at least tolerate smoking, overuse of gasoline, etc.” It is a very unfortunate argument for the main reason individualism disappears and each person is only seen as important as the amount of people that support him or her. This deeply saddens me.

What should be done about it? If It doesn’t create harm physically or emotionally to themselves or others, why should it be wrong? Nudism does not create physical nor emotional harm as some people would like to believe, it in fact does the exact opposite, nudism benefits everyone both emotionally, physically and can affect people spiritually too. Some individuals are naked because they feel closer to their deity, should we prevent them from being close to their deity? I do not believe so.

We should have the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and it should be unalienable just as we are all created equal. I thereby believe that nudism whether done in private or public should be allowed. I do believe clothes have their purpose such as, cooking (especially greasy things), fire-related when it can burn us or catch us on fire (such as skin and body hair) and overall other safety purposes. Another common rule should be followed is sitting on a towel when nude for hygienic purposes. We are nudists, naturists, nudies, etc and we do have standards and I hope in the future we will not be treated differently and our way of life will be at the very least tolerated and seen as non-sexual. 

Young Naturists & Nudists America

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Morley Schloss Heads A Debate About Nudism

Is there more to being a nudist than hanging out naked?

Below I have assembled comments from some of the most influential people from the nudist / naturist community. During the recent events in the Castro with the San Francisco nudity ban, the label “nudist” has been tossed around a lot. Many people voiced all kinds of opinions about what a “nudist” is or should be. Some believe that any person who enjoys nude recreation should be considered a nudist, while others feel that the term implies more than just enjoying some naked time. So it got me thinking and as always, I like to rely on people who have been around awhile and understand the inner workings of nudism in the United States.

This was the question that I posed:

“Is anyone who takes part in and / or enjoys nude recreation a nudist / naturist ? Or is there more to it than that? ”

Below you will read how this all-star celebrity cast of influential people define the term Nudist / Naturist (I value these individuals opinions and thank them all for taking the time to weigh in on this somewhat ambiguous topic):

1. All Nudist – Of the Widely read and followed All-Nudist Blog
2. Tom Mulhall - Owner of the Nudist Resort – Terra Cotta Inn in Palm Springs California
3. Paul Rapoport – Of the Federation of Canadian Naturists
4. Morley Schloss – Of Sun Sport Gardens Nudist Resort In Florida
5. Stephane Deschenes – Owner Of The Bare Oaks Nudist Resort In Canada
6. Chet Kresiak – Long time blogger and publisher of Nudism And Naturism Daily News
7. Mr. Sandy – Of Rock Lodge Nudist Club In New Jersey And Long Time Nudist
8. John Andersen – Nude Recreation Advocate
9. Dan – The current president of the Long Island Travasuns

All Nudist Author Of All-Nudist Blog:

Is anyone who takes part in and / or enjoys nude recreation a nudist? Or is there more to it than that?  Is a streaker a nudist?  Is someone who frequents Hedonism a nudist? 

Of course not.  So yes, there’s much more to social nudism than just ‘having fun naked.’  If in doubt, try telling any nudist/naturist that they’re no different than a naked Textile!  Those who agree have a lot to learn about nudism/naturism; the rest will provide an earful of differences.

Tom Mulhall of Terra Cotta Inn:

Churchill said when talking about Brits and Americans: “Americans and British are one people separated only by a common language.”

Brits say spanner. We say wrench. They say bloody for something shocking like “bloody hell.” We say bloody to mean someone or thing covered in blood.

They say boot for the trunk of a car and bonnet for the hood. They say canteen, we say cafeteria. They say caravan, we say travel trailer or towed trailer. The list goes on and on.

Brits say naturist, we say nudist. The word nudist comes from the Latin word nudus and has been in use since the 1500′s.

Now in America, some people try to make naturists seem to be superior to nudists. Me, I don’t care which word you use. 

Some people get all hung up about who is a “true” nudist or naturist. Me, I really don’t care about labeling people. I remember about 10 years ago a Florida TV station was at Haulover beach asking nude sunbathers, “Are you a nudist?” Every single group of people asked said no, they just liked to sunbathe nude. Only 1 old guy by himself said he was a nudist.

Some people think nudists have to be this or that; I just say they need to be nice people.

Tom

Paul Rapoport from the Federation of Canadian Naturists Fcn.ca:

Historically, there’s still that divide too, between people who think nudism (or naturism) is having your clothes off, for just about any purpose or no purpose, and those who think more is involved. Officially, the old INF statement certifies that more is involved. It’s general enough not to require people to do much or not to do certain things. There’s nothing in it about smoking, alcohol, meat, exercise, etc. However, subjects like those have been discussed by various nudist groups over the past hundred years, all under the consideration of health.

That’s where I think many people would agree: that nudism is about better health, mental and physical, and emotional and spiritual if you wish, without going into specifics. That doesn’t mean that better health is automatic when you remove your clothes, but that doing so with some understanding is an important component of good health, deeply considered, in the right context, i.e. with the right attitudes, whatever those are.

Morley Schloss – The Owner Of Sun Sport Gardens Naturist Resort:

I think that “nudist” applies to anyone who takes part in or enjoys nude recreation.

In general, the terms nudist and naturist are interchangeable synonyms.  However, for me, a naturist is a nudist with more. 

A naturist is a nudist who feels at one with nature, who is ecologically sensitive.  For me naturism involves a values system, while nudism is enjoying being nude with others.

Stephane Deschenes – Owner Of Bare Oaks Nudist Resort:

The short answer is no. Nudism / naturism is a philosophy and you have to accept at least some of its core principles (non-sexual nudity, acceptance of self & others, etc…).  For example, streaking could be defined as nude recreation. But in their actions, a streaker is not necessarily accepting any of the naturist/nudist values. (They could be doing it because they have exhibitionist tendencies.) Similarly, swingers may do their activities nude but the nudity there is clearly for sexual purposes. Naturism/nudism is a mindset which means that while a person’s actions are important, the biggest defining characteristic is their motivation. For a longer answer see:

http://www.blog.bareoaks.ca/2012/11/ethical-naturism.html

Chet Kresiak Publisher Of The Nudism And Naturism Daily News:

Unfortunately, we are stuck with the terms “nudist” and “naturist”, as used by AANR and The Naturist Society respectively. Lee Baxandall adopted the more European term “naturist” when he founded TNS in 1980 specifically to divide his organization from what was then the American Sunbathing Association.

Since then cooperation between the two foremost American organizations has been rare, often being at odds with each other even though their purposes seem to be essentially the same. Other organizations have adopted terms like “clothes-free” or “FKK” which only serve to further divide people on the basis of terminology.

While AANR tends to stress “nude recreation” and TNS promotes “body acceptance“, the idea of being without clothes in social situations remains at the heart of “nudist” philosophy. Whether or not people take off their clothes on beaches or hiking trails, in resorts or in their back yards, the benefits are essentially the same, that we become more comfortable and accepting of our own bodies, and the bodies of others.

Sometimes people take off their clothes in protest, such as at the World Naked Bike Ride, or for the sake of art, such as in the Spencer Tunick installations, or in the Fremont Solstice Parade, and sometimes they bare all just for fun, such as in the San Francisco Bare to Breakers event.

Ultimately it all comes down to body freedom, which is the single most unifying philosophy between all these seemingly divergent groups and events. I would like to see AANR, TNS, YNA and every other group adopt a central theme of “body freedom” as a symbol of unification and common purpose. You can achieve body freedom through nude recreation, artistic expression, social nudism, and political protest. Finding and expressing this common bond of “body freedom” can help to unite and heal the divisions we have between the organizations, and clarify the singular purpose we all have of liberating our minds and bodies.

So, when one is asked if they are a nudist or a naturist, they can simply respond that they are a body freedom advocate.

Mr. Sandy Of Rock Lodge Nudist Club:

First of all, I think being a nudist/naturist is a self-diagnosed condition. There is no precise check-list of attributes, and I can’t describe anyone else that way unless (s)he makes it obvious. Not too many years ago, any American who got naked for anything other than sex or showers would have been considered a nudist. (For simplicity, I’m sticking to Americans.) Now, college kids have naked parties, and some of them  streak once a year wearing nothing but pumpkins on their heads; people go to Europe and undress appropriately at nude beaches; people go to all-over-body-painting parties; people do naked yoga; people are buck naked in the World Naked Bike Ride (OMG even in Philadelphia!); but neither they nor I would necessarily consider them nudists/naturists – they’re simply comfortable being naked with other naked people when that’s what the occasional situation calls for. (Most Europeans would consider that a totally normal and healthy attitude, not deserving of any label. I do too.)

 I consider myself a nudist/naturist because the ability to be clothes-free, sky-clad, naked, is important to me. It doesn’t interfere with the textile segments of my life, but being a nudist/naturist is on the list of characteristics with which I would describe who I am. Will I drive extra miles to get to a nude beach rather than stop at a textile beach? Will I go to a good deal of trouble to get to a place or an event where I can feel the spiritual comfort of being naked with other naked people? Do I find myself thinking, in some textile circumstances, “Gee – it would be nice to be naked”?  Will I support any nudist organization or event that helps make the point that social nudity is ok? Do I encourage people to give it a try? Am I conscious of being a healthier and happier person because of the inclusion of social nudity in my life?  All these, and more, get “yes.” Is this obsession/compulsion? I don’t think so. Nudism/naturism doesn’t dominate my life – it’s simply one significant part of it.

So my own opinion (which I don’t lay on anyone else) is that there is, in fact, more to being a nudist/naturist than just taking part in, and/or enjoying, nude recreation. It’s a question of whether or not it’s important. How important? I don’t know. You decide.

Mr. Sandy

John Andersen Nude Recreation Advocate:

That’s a loaded question in part because the key words in the question can carry such a wide variety of meaning and connotation for different people. For many, even the choice of nudist vs naturist carries with it almost a religious fervor and like religion there are as many variants of belief but also many commonalities.

There’s also been a lot of discussion around the use of the word “recreation.” For some, sex is recreational so how does that impact the term “nude recreation”? Aside from the vagaries of the English language I see two parts to your question. One is, “What does nudism/naturism mean to me?” and the other is analogous to asking “If I visit a church/synagogue/temple does that make me an adherent to that particular religion?”.

In my opinion it’s perfectly alright to have a variety of opinions about what nudism/naturism means, and it’s perfectly alright to just visit without buying into whatever philosophy is being promoted as long as you aren’t a threat to the community.

I think the question we really have to grapple with is what defines a threat to the community aside from bad behavior in one’s presence and maybe that even varies with the local community. We can likely all agree that a pedophile represents a genuine threat, but other characteristics can vary significantly in terms of “threat factor” depending on the prevalent views of the community (as I know YNA is painfully aware of).

These issues aren’t unique to the nudist community, but are universal social issues which brings us full circle to the idea that nudists are just like everybody else, except they often prefer to be without clothes. Does that answer your question? Probably not, but hopefully it’s food for thought.

Dan, President of the Long Island Travasuns:

I go naked at Lighthouse Beach and at Travasuns events, but I do not think of myself as a nudist or a naturist. I got involved with the Travasuns because I liked the parties and the people and one thing led to another. Since becoming the president of the Travasuns, I joined AANR and TNS. That’s it.

—–

We’d like to take a moment and once again thank everyone for their time and willingness to help us define the term “nudist.” All the above are, in my opinion, the most influential and vocal group of individuals. They are all supporters of YNA and most are participating affiliates of the YNA membership program. So PLEASE click on the links to their respective websites / blogs and do your best to visit their resorts and blogs often. They are all good people who have devoted much of their lives and time to promoting the ideals of nonsexual nude recreation, body acceptance, equal rights and social nudism. To that we owe them all a debt of gratitude and appreciation! Without your hard work and dedication we would not be able to keep doing what we are doing!

Lots of love to all of you from YNA!

So that wraps up our panel with these fine people, but now it’s you, the readers’, turn to weigh in!  What do YOU think defines a nudist or naturist?  Do you consider yourself a nudist / naturist and why or why not?

Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

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BN Youth Officer from 2008-2011 (this was originally posted on the Bare Times 1/7/2012)

Young British Naturism

Leah Thomas, our Youth Officer for British Naturism (and leader of YBN) for the past 3 years, has now resigned from her official position, to enjoy a more laid back role in the world of YBN.

So now has come the time for Leah to hang up her official flip flops, and pass the baton over to another member of the YBN team.

For the past 3 years BN has had the honor of having Leah for a ‘Youth Officer’ just as YBN has been graced with a fantastic leader and keeper of the youth.  Leah has dedicated her time helping create many more happy times, memories and events for hundreds of young naturists all around the UK.  During her role as Youth Officer Leah has guided us with her wisdom, led us with her strengths and got drunk with us all, – on many occasions…

We can’t forget all the hard work, energy and enthusiasm that have been put in by Leah for the past few years, or from Debbie & Joel before that, nor our very own YBN founder Ben Rose, all shaping and creating the youth group we call YBN today.  It would also not have been possible for those carrying that lead the group without the help and passion of many other people behind the scenes.

Young British Naturism

Being the Youth officer for British Nudism entails a substantial amount of hard work and politics, not just organizing events and making sure we are all safe and happy, but going to several BN meetings every year, answering thousands of Emails, networking with hundreds of influential and important people, dedicating nearly all of their spare time to making sure YBN is what it is today, so that we can all sit back and enjoy the benefits of having such a fantastic youth group.

Leah has dedicated these valuable years of her life to not just us the members, but to the great cause for Naturism in general and to all young people nationwide, making sure that the opportunities to-be socially nude in a safe and welcoming environment are there for all.

Young British Naturism

Taking over the official position for BN and helping to lead the way with YBN for the next 2 years is Daryl Jones, who was co-opted in by the Executive Council at the last AGM on the 16^th Oct 2011.

Hi from the new Youth Officer…
“Hello, I’m Daryl Jones the new YBN representative. As of the close of the AGM on 16^Th Oct, I have been co-opted by the BN executive council as the Youth Officer for British Naturism for the foreseeable future (or until someone else steps up to the challenge).
For those of you who don’t know or haven’t met me yet, I’m an enthusiastic member of YBN, with many ideas and good prospects for the youth group, and can’t wait to get stuck in!

About me…
I believe I will make a good candidate for the role of ‘Youth Officer’ for this elective term of 2 years, to represent BN and YBN for the following reasons:

I am a somewhat organized, fairly well spoken and can be an adequate undressed member of the BN youth community, with the self-confidence and motivation to complete even a whole pack of sugar doughnuts without licking my lips…

I have run my own business as a self employed kitchen-fitter for many years now, entailing all sorts of administrative roles, not only co-coordinating my own time and finances, but many others around me. Showing good time keeping, bookkeeping, organization and planning skills I feel I can co-ordinate my time more easily and give myself wholly to YBN…

London World Naked Bike Ride

Within the past 2 years of my time being a part of YBN, I feel I have integrated well with the group in general – beating everyone at twister and monopoly, and made a good impression at visited clubs – well, the ones that will have us back anyway. (Sorry again Telford Naturist Club).
Also being involved internationally for the past 2 years in the European Youth Committee (ENY) and not falling asleep at their AGM!
I have many ideas and practices I would like to see put in place for the future, to help our youth naturist community grow and prosper in the times to come and I have only the best intentions for the youth group, members of YBN and the BN organization itself, present, pissed and future.
Starting with an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to rectify the damage already caused to long-standing YBN members…

Right, – now the official political stuff is out the way,
let’s talk YBN…

What actually is YBN…?  And why do we need it…?

Young British Naturists – creating an environment for young nudists alike to have a place in our organization to call their own.

It is still a real challenge for young teenagers of today to feel part of any organization without creating specific activities or events that appeal to them, normally away from their parental control & supervision.  This is a key reason why YBN was first created, as it’s the safest and most fun way to carry on enjoying naturism through and past your teenage years.

BN Mag

YBN is a group that was formed over 10 years ago for the members of BN under 30, to help bring together the age minority and to help make friends more easily with each other nationwide.  We are a social youth group of naturists, which can benefit all young adults in one way or another in their journey through life.
Being able to socialize with like-minded people of a similar age within our organization can create an environment with more trust and understanding, more so than they may have in their everyday ‘clothed’ lives.
YBN is also a halfway house and integration point for your naturist kids growing into teenagers and young adults, to help bring them sensibly and more communicative into the big and magical world of British Naturism, (Or in short, we as a group together help to teach each other how to integrate, socialize and drink responsibly with other naturists, away from their home ;-)
YBN is good for individuals on so many levels, not just for the fun on the weekends away that we have, but as well as getting members involved in sports, cooking, camping, socializing, travelling internationally and many other useful skills in life.  It’s also well known that naturism can be a huge confidence-booster and a great networking tool. And no-one leaves YBN without learning how to cremate a good BBQ!

Daryl Jones
‘New’ BN Youth Officer

Please visit their website: http://ybn.org.uk/

Young British Naturism

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

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(A Guest Blog)

Nude Outdoors

I have always heard of nudism and naturism but never really gave it too much thought. I have to admit that when I first saw a news report on a local nudist resort, I was the only one in my family not to say “what weird and perverted people.” But the truth is that I was I actually envious of them. They were walking around, completely naked, in what they were born with, and none of them seemed to mind what the world thought of them. They all seemed perfectly happy and none of them seemed to have any body image issues what so ever.

So I figured I would see what it felt like to go about my daily routine nude. So when I had the house to myself, I would get naked, and do everything from cleaning to homework. To my surprise, it felt great to be that way. I was surprised to discover that it did not feel sexual at all… it was a simply a feeling of just total freedom.

As the years went by, I got my own place and moved out of my family’s home. I used to go to the beach a lot, and always wondered what it would be like if I just dropped my swimming trunks and jumped on in but it was not a nude beach and I knew it was not the place to try skinny dipping. 

The changing area at the beach was without a roof. I heard a lot of people comment on how they would freak if a helicopter or a plane flew by. It was far enough from the local hotels, that no one on any of the floors could see in. I remember just undressing and wondering what would happen if I left the booth before putting on any clothing. I kept thinking about how great it would feel to be naked outdoors.

Things just moved on from there. I mentioned, one time, to a close friend about my fascination with being naked and he thought I was crazy. I think he told some of my other friends, which explains why they wouldn’t hang out at my place to drink beer, eat pizza or play x-box anymore.

Then, to make it worse, the girl I was dating at the time found out. From that point on, she kept pestering me why I was so interested in a “nudist” lifestyle. I told her my reasons, but she took it to mean I was looking to become a “swinger” and that it was a “perverted” lifestyle. Needless to say, we broke up soon after. I never once had a physical intimate relationship with her, but to this day, she probably speaks of me as nothing but a pervert. But just to play it safe, for about year and a half, I stayed quiet about the subject.

Then, at the local community college, I was taking an art class. Naturally, at some point it came time to draw a nude model. We drew two models, one male and one female. They stood there with such reserve, calmness and didn’t seem to care what others thought of them. I asked a few classmates about the models and they told me that it was a paid position, but that they were just your “everyday people.”

So I put out an ad, and asked if anyone wouldn’t mind modeling for me at home. Behold, my ad was answered. Her name was Rachel (named changed to honor privacy). I told her that I wanted to draw a nude model, in a home setting, doing everyday things, but nude. To my surprise, she said “no problem.”

The day came for the sketch, and first I thought an ice breaker session would be good. She was from Canada originally and she moved with her family to the USA a few years earlier. She even told me they had been to nudist beaches and at times spent family time in the nude. She was a great model and did some basic poses. To my surprised, to her, it all felt completely natural.

I took a photo first, and sketched her next. I offered her a robe to wear in between sketches, but she didn’t want to put it on. She even walked away to the kitchen to get a drink and went to the bathroom, all nude. I told her of my “secret” desire to have a nudist lifestyle free from judgement. She decided to challenged me to pose in the nude with her for the last photo. I took her up on her suggestion and after seeing the image, I was astonished at how natural we looked, like we didn’t even notice we weren’t wearing clothes.

I knew after that, I had to find out more. I was scoping areas for a good long time for the upcoming spring. I knew of this church I went to a long time ago with my friend and his grandmother. It was way out in the sticks and behind the church, the property ended at a ditch. From that point on there was a field, then a meadow and beyond that there was nothing but wooded areas for miles. There was only one street light on the road, and the only other light was the light from the church’s shed. I had my plan – In spring I would go past the property and try outdoor / social nudity for my very first time!

Then, as if just for me, it happened. We had a very unusual warm streak of weather for 2 weeks in January. The first night, I drove to the church and noticed that the residence near the church had their lights on, even late at night. This put me a little bit on edge because I knew they could see me pull in the parking lot. Once you past the parking lot and drive on the grass, you can’t see pass twenty feet . It is that pitch black except for the moonlight but on that first night, I couldn’t go through with it.

The next night, after work, I decided to drive past and see how I felt. At twelve thirty they only had their living room light on and I could still see movement but I decided that it was the right place. I needed some coffee, so I drove to a convince store where I had a cup of coffee and listen to the radio for a while. Then I decided I would drive back and see if these people were the type that left their lights on all night. It was now close to 2:00 am. The lights were all out so I decided that this would be it.

I went to a local Walgreen’s (15 minutes away) and purchased a small flashlight. I drove back and waited in the lot. I waited for 30 more minutes. Not one person, car, or even cat went past. It was only filled with the sound of the of the leaves of rustling in the wind. I drove my car past church on the grass and all the way to the ditch, where I knew the property ended. I waited another 10 minutes. The neighbors didn’t hear me at all. I looked around and realized I was “safe”. I went behind the car away from the road, and began my phase one of undressing. I took off my boxer shorts and T-shirt and only wore my sneakers, pants and hoodie. I decided the less clothes the better. I started walking,  jumped over the ditch and walked down till I was about 10 feet from the woods. I looked back and saw the road, but I knew, from my earlier drives past, that if anyone came down the road, they wouldn’t be able to see me. 

Nude Outdoors

I found an area where the tree branches would not get in the way and began to undress. First my shoes, then my hoodie and then I paused. Underneath my work pants I wore nothing. I took a deep breath, slid them off, folded them neatly and placed them on a nearby tree branch. I was totally nude, outside and I wasn’t scared, ashamed or anything. In fact I wanted to give a shout of triumph but decided not to press my luck. I walked away from my clothes, which had my wallet, keys and everything else I needed in the real world. I was going to use the flashlight, but the moonlight was enough.

Before I knew it I had to be at least 100 feet into the woods and a good way from my clothes. It was great. I hiked nude and for a few moments, I thought I was being followed by a small animal. But that was not the case. I felt like the “natives” who first settled the land.

Before I realized it was an hour later and I knew I had to go back. I used my light to find my things but oddly enough, I actually decided not to put them on. I wanted to feeling to last forever and was not ready to give it up!

I walked all the way to my car naked and got dressed there. I did it! I spent time nude outdoors like a real naturist.  I went back the next two nights.

If you are still deciding if to try it or not then I say go for it. The freedom and the feeling of being yourself is simply amazing! 

Young Naturists America

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Traducido por (Translated by): Randybej

Los Nudistas

El nudismo es la filosofía por la cual la gente cree en los beneficios de estar y vivir desnudo. En la actualidad, es la creencia o la practica de ir sin ropa en privado o en público. Frecuentemente refleja la elección familiar o personal de un estilo de vida que también puede ser llamado como “naturismo“. Lo que es interesante acerca del nudismo es el hecho que es facilmente aceptado a través de muchas culturas, especialmente aquellas descendientes de Europa, incluyendo Alemania, Francia y Polonia. En el siglo pasado, el nudismo ha llegado a ser cada vez más aceptable en Estados Unidos. Por ejemplo, en 1995 se estableció La Asociación Americana para la Recreacion Nudista ( AANR = de sus siglas en Inglés), que incluye cerca de 100 centros de recreación y 150 clubles nudistas para diversion.

¿ Por qué Nudismo ?

Si bien algunas personas aceptan el nudismo como derivado del naturismo (con creencias centradas en la naturaleza , el medio ambiente, la alimentación saludable, la forma física, y la yoga, para nombrar unos pocos), otros practican este estilo de vida basados en factores personales, familiares o sociales. Lo que atrae a la mayoría de los individuos al nudismo en estos días, es el sentimiento de libertad y la sensación de tranquilidad que acompaña el desprenderse de la ropa. Además, con el creciente número de personas que practican el nudismo hoy en día, hay una gran cantidad de lugares orientados a los nudistas emergentes y practicantes, en los que se incluyen las playas nudistas, campos recreacionales nudistas, centros de vacaciones de “libre atuendo” y eventos de ciclismo. De hecho, en la actualidad, hay un Día Mundial de Jardinería al Desnudo, celebrado en mayo de cada año, así como un Paseo Mundial en Bicicleta al Desnudo y Fiestas de Año Nuevo al Desnudo que se celebra anualmente.

Al abrazar el nudismo, es probable que un individuo o un grupo experimenten reacciones tanto positivas como negativas de las diferentes comunidades. Cuando se practica el nudismo en la intimidad del hogar, en terreno, piscina, charca, o club privados, se genera la mínima cantidad de críticas y especulaciones de los forasteros. Al practicar el nudismo en espacios públicos, como playas nudistas y parques, podría generar algunas críticas de personas con mentalidad cerrada. Obviamentese debe considerar estos factores al decidir cuándo, dónde y cómo adoptar un estilo de vida nudista.

Idealmente, a los individuos se les debería permitir vivir en un mundo libre de prejuicios, de ser juzgados, de expectativas sociales, de restricciones y de inseguridades personales. Si este fuera el caso, los individuos podían practicar nudismo, tanto en la comodidad de sus hogares y como en sus comunidades locales. Dado que este no es el caso, a las personas que buscan adoptar el nudismo, deben aprovechar su propiedad privada, o encotrar determinados destinos que son amigables con los nudistas, para disfrutar de su práctica. Estos destinos pueden incluir playas nudistas sancionados, clubes, eventos, hoteles, y otros países europeos, cuya práctica del nudismo está convirtiéndose fácilmente en la “norma” en lugar del extremo.

Quienes practican el Nudismo

Los nudistas son personas que disfrutan de liberar sus inhibiciones y ser uno con la naturaleza. Parte de esa experiencia incluye actividades escénicas al desnudo. El comportamiento naturista tradicionalmente no tiene nada que ver con el sexo. Sin embargo, siempre hay un pequeño grupo de personas que eligen incorporar el sexo en la experiencia. Muchas familias disfrutan de estar desnudos juntos e interactuando juntos en un ambiente nudista. Hay varios centros turísticos que se adaptan a esta experiencia liberadora. Además, hay varios sitios recreacionales que atienden a parejas y adultos que optan por interactuar al desnudo, para renovar la sensualidad en sus relaciones. Cada una de estas experiencias serán exploradas en este Blog Nudista. Sin embargo, es importante comprender el origen de los nudistas y los naturistas.

En las playas e instalaciones nudistas se encuentran personas de todos los ámbitos de la vida. Las personas son de todo tipo y condición física. Mientras que la mayoría espera que estos sitios estén llenos de gente divertida, jocosa y alegre; cuerpos bien formados que se ven como modelos, este no es el caso. Asistiendo a éstos lugares y tirados en la playa, se encuentran personas de toda clase, que se sienten cómodos en su propia piel. El estilo de vida naturista se trata de sentirse seguro de sí mismo al respecto de su cuerpo y de ser honesto con uno mismo. Esta es también una lección: que no todo el mundo es perfecto. Las personas que pueden aceptar a otras personas mientras están desnudas, también son capaces de aceptar a una persona como un ser completo. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las personas se sienten tan acomplejados por la experiencia de su propia desnudez, que luchan por la perfección de su cuerpo para sentirse más seguros. No obstante, este no es el punto de vista del estilo de vida naturista.

Blog de Nudismo de YNA

Este blog nudista está diseñado para crear una conciencia de la desnudez y la práctica de la desnudez en público. Muchas personas sienten que los individuos entre más se expongan a la desnudez, ésta será cada vez más común. Las personas se excitan menos y se controlan más en ambientes nudistas. Algunos se aventuran a creer que el nudismo, con el tiempo, dará lugar a menos crímenes sexuales, como lo ha hecho en Europa. Los hombres y las mujeres que están preocupados por la excitación potencial que puede ocurrir, podrían considerar la experiencia como condicionamiento que permitirá a las personas a que se acostumbren y acepten el nudismo.

El nudismo es una forma de vida que es abrazado por un número cada vez mayor de la población mundial. Muchos centros turísticos y playas nudistas serán exploradas en este Blog Nudista. La mayoría de los sitios son orientados a la familia y vigilan a todos los huéspedes que se alojan en sus instalaciones contra la Ley de Megan. La mayoría de los centros vacacionales no permiten cámaras o grabadoras de vídeo en las instalaciones, a menos que estén haciendo una sesión promocional. Algunas personas pueden considerar la experiencia bíblica y relacionarla con la experiencia de Adán y Eva, antes de que la gente tuviera conocimiento del bien y del mal. Estas personas simplemente desean volver a la forma en que la naturaleza o Dios los entregó a La Tierra. Algunos simplemente se sienten más cómodos al estar desnudos. En cualquier caso, estos ambientes están diseñados para permitir que los individuos se sientan cómodos.

Jóvenes Naturistas & Jóvenes Nudistas de America ( YNA ) buscan educar a la gente sobre los recursos disponibles para aquellos que buscan seguir un estilo de vida nudista. Periódicamente, los artículos serán publicados en el blog nudista para explorar el estilo de vida y las opciones vacacionales para los nudistas. El blog nudista tiene como objetivo liberar a las personas de su estigma y borrar la ignorancia asociada con los individuos que se sienten cómodos al caminar en los alrededores al desnudo. Las personas se liberan de sus prejuicios e inhibiciones a medida que exploran ésta forma de vida alternativa, que muchos encuentran absolutamente natural. Considere nuestro Blog Nudista como una abundante fuente de información en su viaje para entender el naturismo.

Algunas razones de por qué la gente practica el nudismo:

• Están en un ambiente más relajado y en contacto con su “alma interior” cuando están desnudos.
• Se sienten “bien” cuando están sin ropa, y no tanto cuando no la tienen.
• Se sienten menos inhibidos en este estado, ya que las barreras de clase social desaparecen. Un médico, un rey y un mendigo, se reducen a su estado más puro y real, cuando se ven sin la ropa propia de sus oficios y profesiones.
• Todos somos iguales en carne y hueso. Algunos nudistas dicen que estar sin ropa libera lo real de ellos mismos, y que la ropa les suprime de eso.

Nudismo

Jóvenes Naturistas & Jóvenes Nudistas de America (Young Naturists & Nudists America) YNA

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The Bible And Naturism

The Bible and Naturism - The Bible is a great book because it gives us examples of what to do or not. If it does not give us examples of what to do or not, there are numerous principles that are applicable to our situation. For the case of nakedness, we have both examples and principles. There are specific examples of good nakedness (Gen 2:24, 1 Sam 19:24, Isa 20:1-3). In each of the preceding cases, the nakedness was either called good or commanded. Neutral examples of nakedness would be Peter at work (John 21:7), gardeners in the field (Matt 24:18) and numerous examples of people ripping their clothing as a sign of mourning including Jacob and Job. Those examples are neutral because the nudity there is just observed. Nothing else, good or bad, is said about the fact that they were naked. There are also cases of bad nakedness including David and Bathsheba (2 Sam 11), Noah (Genesis 9:20-7). The reason that the two above cases display bad nakedness is because sin is involved: David lusted in his heart, while watching Bathsheba, and acted on that lust; Noah was drunk and Ham dishonored his father by having homosexual relations with him. Scripture most definitely does show something like what we as naturists practice: Jesus with the disciples (John 13:8) and David dancing in the street at the return of the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam 6:9-17).

In addition to examples of nakedness, we have principles involving our freedom as Christians, including Romans 14. In Christ, we have been given much freedom; we are not to use that freedom as a license to sin (Gal 5:13). However, the principle that we must remember is 1 Tim 4:3-4, which states that God made everything for our thanksgiving and enjoyment and should not reject any of it. The most important principle is that God has called our unclothed bodies good and it would be bad for us to say otherwise. (Isa 5:20)

In Genesis 3, (the Jewish Old Testament) the clothing that Adam and Eve wore was purely for physical protection and for no other purpose. Their clothing would protect Adam and Eve from the thorns & thistles that God placed in the ground in v.18. In the New Testament, we are commanded to give clothing to people who have none. The distinction must be drawn between making a choice (naturism) and clothing the naked people. The people with whom we are commanded to share clothing lack capability to make the choice. In Mark 7:20, Jesus said that it is from the heart that our lustful, and other sinful thoughts, arise and not from external sources.

In fact, Paul said, “these rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person’s evil thoughts and desires” (Col 2:23). This means that clothing has no effect when it comes to dealing with our thoughts.

In conclusion, God called the naked body good and clothing was only given to protect us against a cursed world. The Bible also says that we should thank God for what He has given us; we don’t have the authority to call our bodies what He did not call them. Originally, clothing was given to protect Adam and Eve from the physical environment and the purpose of clothing today is still to do that. Clothing does not have the power to conquer our sinful lusts. Jesus Christ is the only one who can deal with our sin.

The Bible and Naturism

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

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(Guest Post By Melissa DejaNude)

Nudity In The Bible

Biblical Nudity – The Bible tells us about the origins of our world and why it is the way that we see it today. In the first 2 chapters, we read that God created the world and then called everything that He created very good. We know that Adam and Eve were nude at this point and that it was God’s intention for them to be nude. God gave them 1 prohibition: “Do not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”; He told them the results of eating of the fruit as well: they would die.

In chapter 3, the Father of lies convinces Adam and Eve that God was wrong and so they violate the prohibition. They notice they were nude and so they clothe themselves. God wants to fellowship and Adam is hiding because he was afraid because he was naked.

God did not clothe them at that point, verse 9; God clothes them after he curses the ground, Adam’s punishment, v.18; God does that for their physical protection from The Curse. With that as background, simple nudity is mostly neutral, stated as a observation without judgement.

Although simple nudity has been presented in a positive light, with Saul  and Isaiah, simple nudity has never been presented in a negative light; when it is cast in a negative light, another sin like homosexuality (Noah, Gen 9) or incest (Lot, Gen 19) or lust (David, 2 Sam 11) is present. The Bible may not present any specific examples of the simple nudity that we practice, but we know that evil thoughts come from our minds, not external sources (Mark 7:21-3) and that God created our bodies to be received with thanksgiving (1 Tim 4:4)

The crucial question about this lifestyle is did God’s view of His creation change at the fall?  If it did, then there is a moral reason for clothing. If it did not, then the reason for wearing clothing is only to protect us from getting hurt, in many cases by the environment. God can’t tempt us (James 1:12-15) and He commanded Isaiah to go naked (Isa 20:2); so that means that being naked is not a sin. So that means that we have the liberty in Christ to be nude.

Biblical Nudity

Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

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Young Nudists

Young Nudists

Young nudists are becoming increasingly more common in the latest years. These types of nudists are commonly young adults that simply enjoy being one with their natural selves. Nudists are welcome to visit a variety of resorts and beaches that cater to this lifestyle, welcoming all who are interested in becoming a nudist and showing their bodies whether it is simply their preferred lifestyle or are doing so as a social movement to defend social nudity in both private and in public. While many nudists prefer to go without clothing whenever possible, the younger generation may not always be comfortable with being nude around certain individuals. Some nudist resorts now cater selectively towards younger individuals that prefer to be naked around those who are their own age.

About Young Nudists

While the literal definition of a nudist is one that practices going naked whenever possible, this is not always the case. Some enjoy being nude, but do not do so in a way that is harmful to others. Young nudists who are new to this lifestyle may prefer trying out this way of life by first visiting a nude beach to see if it is right for them. Young naturists that are certain that this lifestyle is the right choice can choose to visit nudist clubs and meet others their own age who believe in the same practices that they do. Some young nudists also choose to show their bare skin as a political movement in practicing and advocating social nudity, whether it be in private or in public.

Interests in Social Nudity

Many young people are interested in social nudity because it allows them to show their true selves without any hiding. In nudist resorts, judgments that others typically make seem to be stripped away and forgotten. While many young people deal with the hardships of being judged on a daily basis, whether it is for what they wear or what they look like, becoming a nudist allows them to be themselves and not be judged for what they do or look like, but for who they are. When nude, beauty becomes more obvious rather than being hidden behind clothes that do no justice for your shape or personality.

Struggles and Issues for Young Nudists

There are many issues that both young and older nudists may face on a daily basis. One of the most common is that some believe that nudity is a controversial issue and should not be taken outside of your own home. While stereotypes of nudists and the human body still exist today, there are many different locations that specifically cater to nudists and offer the ability to be nude whenever and wherever they want while on the property. Young adults are typically underrepresented in the nudist community, sometimes making it harder for younger nudists to feel accepted. This can be one of the biggest challenges that young nudists will face.

The Ideal Nudist Lifestyle

In a perfect world, others would not judge one another for preferring to show their naked bodies. Nudists young and old would be welcome among others who may prefer to wear clothing. In the coming years, we can expect to see a rise in nudity and a more accepting attitude towards this lifestyle among others.

Young Nudists – Established nude social gatherings typically include a large number of people over thirty, as well as families with children. It may seem like young nudists & individuals in the 18-30 range are missing from these venues. However, being a young nudist fits in perfectly with the beliefs and values of peoples in this age range.

Being a young nudist allows you to enjoy all that nudism has to offer. So why be a nudist? Nudism (or naturism) provides the opportunity to free yourself from clothes and accept and enjoy the body you have. The absence of bodily shame and the presence of others comfortable in their own skin allow you to enjoy outdoor activities like you never have. Free from these restrictions, it’s almost like being a kid again!

Those interested in becoming a young nudist may have never been in a naturist environment. If you have ever enjoyed skinny-dipping, that freedom is close to what it’s like to be a nudist. If you think back, swimming without the confines of a bathing suit was refreshing. Your body absorbed the sun in the absence of a clinging, uncomfortable bathing suit and you could feel the water lap against your skin. This is just a taste of what it’s like to be a young nudist. Nudism extends that freeing experience to other activities, including kayaking, sports, hiking, camping, or just walking on the beach. These activities enjoyed by young nudists are the same as those enjoyed by young people all over the country. Enjoying these fun pastimes without clothing simply enhances the experience.

Areas of the country that are most welcoming to a young nudist are also areas that young people frequently visit and enjoy. A lot of nudist groups exist in southern states, where it is warmer. This is where individuals can enjoy the feel of the sun on their skin, engage in outdoor activities, and stay warm in the absence of clothing. College students already flock south during spring break, so why not spend your time at a nudist resort?

Although exposing your body to others may seem intimidating, how many college students do this already? An entire business has been made of spring breakers “flashing” cameras. Rather than doing this on video while inebriated, why not enjoy the experience in a private and welcoming setting? Spending some time as a young nudist will let you enjoy your body, rather than sharing it with others during drunken moments. In a space where everyone else is nude, you can feel comfortable and simply enjoy your regular activities with other young nudists, rather than feeling like you are the one on display.

One factor that might influence someone interested in pursuing nudism is the fear of making permanent lifestyle changes. However, nudism does not have to be all or nothing. A typical individual that identifies as a young nudist spends his or her days attending college or working in professional areas. When they want to get back to nature and the relaxing experience of enjoying life clothes-free, they can spend a week or two at a nudist club.

There is a place for everyone in a nudist club, including young people. Engaging in everyday activities without clothes is freeing, enjoyable, and natural. While it may be something you never would have considered, once you have experience nudism, you will want to experience it again.

Young Nudists

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

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Hello, Fellow Naturist / Nudist!

Nudist Advertising On YNA – We at YNA have found that the interest in nudism and non-sexual nude recreation is strong. So why are some nudist resorts struggling? The nude beaches are some of the most popular destinations for people of all ages and yet, memberships at nudist clubs and organizations are on the decline. In our opinion this is a direct result of the inability to reach the target audience.

Clothing optional resort owners and organizations have not been able to keep up with the recent changes in technology and who can blame them? In the not too distant past, all people needed to do was to place an ad in a magazine and they were done. But the Internet has changed the way people interact, act and search.  Just having a Facebook page or a Twitter account is not enough. Having a website is important, but knowing how to use it is vital. For any business to survive they must quickly adapt to the ever changing world we live in.

For years, nudist organizations have been the go-to source for the information people wanted. But in today’s world, social online presence is the key to success.

We at YNA are here to help. We are looking to create a relationship with any nudist resort, club or organization that is willing to work with us. We are passionate about promoting nudism and we do it well. So with that in mind, we are hoping to work with as many groups and resorts as possible.

What we can promise is that we will do our very best to increase the visibility of your business. But it does take an equally dedicated partner to make a true impact.

The following, are different nudist advertising and online promotion packages what we offer:

•  Online Advertising on the YNA Website – for only $40/month your business can obtain an ad on the YNA website. YNA receives a lot of online traffic and is constantly mentioned in articles by the mainstream press. $40 a month is not much to ask for having such great exposure to your target demographic.  Click Here to purchase or see ad sizes or click on one of the available ads.  (Please note: Once you purchase an ad, it will not be live on the site until we approve it.  We reserve the right to deny any request for an ad without explanation.)

• Affiliate Program – If your resort, club or product is willing to offer discounts to members of YNA, you will get listed on our affiliates page. Those who chose to work with us more closely will have the right to place a YNA banner on their site to show that the business is part of our network. This option is free of charge and you would need to offer the same discounts to our members as you would offer with any other organization. For our younger members (under age 35 for example) we would insist on giving a bigger reduction. This is part of the long term goals of making naturism an accepted way of life and to increase memberships in the future as well as the present.

Advertisers & affiliates will have access to our events calendar. By adding your event, our members will get notified and most events will be included in our email newsletters (this added email feature is currently free of charge so take advantage of it).

The following are some additional services that we offer.  If interested in any of these services, contact us:

• Social Media
• Web Design
• Event Creation / Promotion
• We would also like to try and create an online secure database of people who might be considered problematic. Having this information accessible for resort owners 24/7 is important for the protection of our members and clubs wherever they may be.
• Tracking online visitors to your website.
• Online advertising management.
• Blog creation and maintenance.
• Search engine optimization and key word research.

For all the above services, we will do our best to keep prices low and to make our services as affordable as possible while not compromising the effectiveness and quality of our work! We will also work closely with you to ensure that your posts and efforts are done correctly. By optimizing every single page and post (based on google’s current requirements) you will be able to rank much higher.

Like any other new venture it will take some time and dedication to see results. This is why we ask that you stick with it for a minimum of 1 year.

YNA is also one of the biggest promoters of social acceptance in the U.S. today. Not accepting people because of gender, sexual preference, race, religion and body art / jewelry is a huge issue that hinders the ability of our movement to grow. We would like work with resorts on their exclusion policies because nudism for us is about more than just being naked. We understand a lot of the issues with inclusion / preclusion policies, but we need to be able to make the naturist lifestyle as accessible and affordable for as many people as possible. Barring entry to any YNA members without good cause may result in cutting ties with that specific nudist destination. YNA, like any other organization or business needs money to survive, but we would rather close our doors than compromise on our morals and ethics.

Resorts would also need to adhere to privacy requirements. Example – it is nobody’s business what goes on behind closed doors and between consenting adults. Picture taking and posting can only be done with the permission of the individual that is in that image. And so forth.

Each nudist resort is unique and therefore we would need to tailor our efforts for each naturist club’s needs.  However do keep in mind that creating a mutually beneficial relationship is vital for any partnership to succeed. Communication and voicing opinions and concerns is crucial to our efforts so please make sure that you are ready to answer any questions in a timely fashion. Also, having a person on site that is assigned to working with us would be the optimal situation.

If you are looking for a miracle to happen overnight then we might not be the best fit. But if you are willing to work hard and keep an open mind then we feel we could have a significant and positive impact on your business.

At the end of the day we want you to understand that we can’t make any promises or guarantees. All we can do is put our hearts and souls into making your business more successful.

So if you are ready to work for a better nudist friendly tomorrow then please contact us as soon as possible!

Nudist Advertising

Young Naturists America

YNA Email: youngnaturists[at]gmail.com

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Guest Blog by: Melissa Dejanude

Alex, event organizer for Naked Tea Party. Founder of Naked Vegan Cooking

Teenage Nudist - Tweets and Facebook shares hit the online walls like graffiti on a billboard about a Channel 4 video called “My Daughter the Teenage Nudist”, a nudist documentary film carrying a message about body acceptance, well more so the message within the message.

The movie title suggests this film would primarily be about a teenage nudist; however, it is in fact about a journey to recruit more young people into nudism. Mollie and Alex and Daryl “who are part of a growing group of teens and twenty-something’s embracing the world of public nudity and social nakedity – a contemporary phenomenon that’s been driven by social networking sites such as Facebook as well as niche websites like “Naked Vegan Cooking”.

They are on a quest to normalize social nudity, question the media’s obsession with the body beautiful, and encourage other young people to liberate themselves by simply going naked – in the streets, in cafes or at art shows.”

“The perfect body is one you’re happy with” says Daryl Jones

This film starts off with Mollie, 18 year old girl in the title, riding her bike in The London World Naked Bike Ride just after learning of social nudity by randomly googling World Naked Bike Ride, a worldwide public protest against CO2 emissions. Her mother conveys that she is less thrilled about her daughter parading herself through the streets of London no more so than her posting her bits on Facebook after collecting footage of herself and her friends. The WNBR was the doorway that led the pathway into this world of naturist freedom for Molly as it is for most others; however, she later on reveals that she does not want to be a full on nudist and is quite happy just doing it with herself and with her friends.

Alex, founder of a website called Naked Vegan Cooking, shares this similar feeling while expressing her desire to not be labeled as a nudist. Alex and her friends never dreamed of joining any naturist clubs until they first learned that clubs were not necessarily centered around older people playing sports just as most media makes out naturism to be. Daryl Jones, youth leader of Young British Naturists, helps shed some light within the cracks of nudism by introducing Alex to a nudist resort to experience it for herself.

All throughout the movie, Daryl pushes the movement of naturism forward in manners most conventional to the standard social settings of society. Such ways included passing out fliers to attract new people to an Naked Art Project, an equal collaboration of artists, naturists and activists on mass-nude body-positive art projects. This exhibition aimed to explore themes of non-sexual nudity, feminism and body positivity. While soliciting for prospects, Daryl and Alex found themselves in quite of a predicament when they both decided to go topless for the sake of nudity.

“My Daughter the Teenage Nudist” is a great film to watch for all ages, which can be most commonly understood by naturists and nudists alike. Given the lack of diversity with shapes and sizes in the gender of women, it may not necessarily relate to women or men who are not familiar with the benefits of naturism. This film will give mixed signals to outside onlookers because it is centered on the life of the main cast who have “perfect bodies”. Other scenes include gawkers and voyeurs portraying nudists to be more like exhibitionists than freedom makers. All and all the struggles these leaders face is a perfect example of the hard work young naturists battle with in order to encourage growth in the movement. The efforts of public outreach that both Daryl and Alex display are noteworthy as an inspiration for anyone who wants to dedicate their life to leadership in order to live in a free world where nudity is looked upon as something natural, the way God intended it.

“Everybody’s beautiful together because somebody is different. Nobody’s perfect. It’s such a liberating feeling” ~ Mollie

Original Air Date 12th January, 10pm on Channel 4

Teenage Nudist

Young Naturists & Nudists America YNA

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Sexualization of our young girls

Girls Sexualization

So here we are, supposedly a civilized people. Many nudists and naturists have really strong issues about protecting our children and rightfully so. Our children are our future and we SHOULD do everything possible to protect them from predators, so we make rules and laws and policies at nudist resorts and clubs….we don’t allow our kids to be nude in public, we tell them to be secretive about their way of life at home, we do not take photos or allow photographs to be taken at many resorts or activities, and we allow the textile-dependent societies to teach that nudism is immoral, inappropriate and dangerous. BUT are we really protecting the children?

We need to realize that nudism is not the problem and predators infiltrate the textile-dependent society and gain access to our children in the worst ways possible…. WITH PERMISSION FROM PARENTS AND SOCIETY as a whole. How many times have you watched a 4 or 5 year old girl on you tube singing a popular song and think “Oh that’s so cute”? She is innocent and has no clue of the meanings of the words and connotations or even the way she mimics the dance moves she has seen in the videos. We watch as she thrusts her thighs and crotch in a manner that imitates sexual intercourse and repeats words that should make adults cringe. This video is seen by millions of people INCLUDING pedophiles who get sexual gratification from it. Swimwear manufactures design “thing bikini” suits that can obviously only fit pre-pubescent girls, Abercrombie and Fitch (an extremely popular clothing brand) has even marketed a specially padded bra for 8-10 year old girls to make them appear to have breasts and make the breasts of 10-12 year olds look like upper teens. Downtown Disney has a store called Studio 365 that dons hair and heavy makeup for little girls to look like princesses. Parents and society accept this sexualization of our children as appropriate.

Child Beauty Pageant

BUT FOLKS, it gets worse…… CHILD BEAUTY PAGEANTS! Remember Jon Benet Ramsey? Was she protected by anyone? I think not….in fact the shocking story here is intended to make us all think about where our true priorities SHOULD be and shouldn’t be.

Many beauty pageants such as “Little Miss Universe” take girls ages 4-16 and literally exploit their femininity for the public to see. All without any nudity whatsoever, the girls are taught and trained to be sexual and provocative in order to attain the honors of the crowns. They are taught by their parents, peers and society as a whole that their self worth is determined by how well they perform and the awards that they receive. Many girls “retire” by 16 as their bodies change and they become more in need of finding their own identity, but most (according to the American Physiological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls) reports problems with self-acceptance, struggle with relationships, have feelings that self worth only comes from being sexually active, bothered by the fact that they are only wanted by boys and men who are interested in them sexually, not personally. In many reported cases, these girls have been reported to even become involved in preteen and teenage prostitution in order to maintain their need for confirmation that they are “wanted”.

Many pageants are so hyper sexualized that the girls are even taught that by being sexually provocative in movements, dress, and the “runway walk”, they have a better chance of attaining the crown. Many girls, even as young as 4 years old, are professionally taught by instructors on the “proper walk”. This includes going to the end of the runway and giving the judges and camera a provocative wink and “booty pop” as they turn to return to the starting point.

Nancy Irwin, a Los Angeles California Psychotherapist, was quoted in an issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine as saying “These little girls are being trained to look and act like sexual bait” in order to get higher votes and camera popularity and that “mothers who have had inferiority issues are exploiting their own daughters and using them as tools to fulfill desires for their own fame and recognition.”

Stacy Ditterich, a former Ashland Ohio detective is also quoted as saying “in many cases of pedophilia cases nationwide, the perpetrator has possession of large quantities of pageant material from public media sources and even LIVE videos taken while they attended an event. Much of the material includes young girls scantily dressed, walking and flirting seductively for the camera, and at the determined moment, provocatively pulling her top down off her shoulders to expose her upper chest and shoulders to the judges and camera.  Then she turns and lifts her dress to show her thighs and panties to the camera. These actions always get the ooohs and awwws of the crowd and in many cases (although not admitted by judges) are deciding factors in the final outcome of the vote. THEN to top it all off, the names and resident cities, as well as the schools they go to and churches they attend are always up for public access and many times announced for the media.

Child Beauty Pageant

Although I must admit, there have been rare cases where a pedophile was discovered at a nudist event, there is NO legal organized crime prevention organizations that target nudists, nudist resorts or nudist communities and clubs; however, nationwide there are literally thousands of law enforcement organizations that are set up to deter exploitation of children. ALL of these organizations can confirm that pageants and beauty contests, child modeling agencies and similar activities all have one thing in common….. They are a prime source for exploiting little girls and putting them in direct access to pedophiles.

One question in closing……. Why do we as a society accept the exploitation and sexualization of our daughters and continue to promote and watch as our daughters are put on display as sexual beings at the ages of 4-18, and yet brainwash ourselves to believe that we are keeping pedophiles away from our kids because we ban nudity in public for persons OVER 11? Go online sometime and research this one item: the national sex offender’s registry. Just look at how many convicted pedophiles live within ½ mile radius of an elementary school. Then think of the fact that only 12% of all pedophiles even get caught! Ask yourself before you send your daughter to a school beauty pageant or county fair or organized pageant….”Who is in the audience?” And “Do I want MY little girl to be the next victim of rape?”

If this story breaks your heart, stirs up emotion to really look into the truth, then I have done my job here. If not…..I pray that your child will be protected by God, because you obviously aren’t doing your part to stop the exploitation. Pay attention to what your child watches, reads, and the music they listen to…. It’s important. If you want your child to perform, let her perform at church and praise God. Teach her to respect herself and her body and not be sexual bait for those who do not have the ability to respect her.

Information attained from: Good Housekeeping Magazine, The Center for Missing and Exploited Children, The American Child Psychology Digest, Department of Child and Family Services.

Girls Sexualization

Young Naturists And Nudists America YNA

The post Girls Sexualized appeared first on Young Naturists America.

(dies wurde von Google übersetzt – seien Sie nicht auf uns wütend bitte)

Junge Nudisten und Naturisten FKK

FKK Nudismus und Naturismus:

FKK ist die Philosophie, mit denen Menschen glauben an die Vorteile des Seins und Lebens nackt. In Wirklichkeit ist es der Glaube oder die Praxis gehen, ohne Kleidung in privaten und / oder öffentlichen. Es spiegelt oft eine Familie und / oder persönlichen Lebensstil Wahl und kann auch als “FKK” bezeichnet werden. Was ist interessant über Nudismus ist die Tatsache, dass es leicht ist in vielen Kulturen, insbesondere jenen europäischer Abstammung akzeptiert, nach Deutschland, Frankreich und Polen gehören. Im Laufe des letzten Jahrhunderts hat Nudismus in den Vereinigten Staaten zunehmend mehr akzeptabel. Zum Beispiel, im Jahr 1995 wurde die American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) gegründet, welche umfasst fast 100 Kurorte und 150 Clubs für Nudisten zu genießen.

Warum FKK?

Während manche Menschen FKK sich aus Naturismus (Überzeugungen rund umfassende Natur, Umwelt, gesunde Ernährung, körperliche Fitness und Yoga zentriert um nur einige zu nennen) zu umarmen, üben andere diesen Lebensstil weg von persönlichen, familiären oder sozialen Faktoren. Was zieht die meisten Menschen, ist FKK in diesen Tagen, ist das Gefühl der Freiheit und ein Gefühl der Leichtigkeit, mit der Ausscheidung von Kleidung kommt. Zusätzlich mit einer wachsenden Zahl von Menschen praktizieren FKK heute gibt es eine Fülle von Annehmlichkeiten in Richtung Schwellenländer und Üben Nudisten gerichtet, um FKK-Strände, FKK, “kleidung free” Ferienzentren und Radsport-Events beinhalten. In der Tat gibt es derzeit ein World Naked Gardening Day im Mai eines jeden Jahres statt, sowie ein World Naked Bike Ride und Nude Years Eve Parteien findet jährlich statt.

Wenn umfassenden FKK ist eine Einzelperson oder eine Gruppe wahrscheinlich sowohl positive als auch negative Reaktionen aus verschiedenen Gemeinden zu erleben. Beim Üben FKK in der Privatsphäre der eigenen Wohnung, privaten Grundstück, Pool, Teich oder Clubs generiert die geringste Menge an Kritik und Spekulationen von Außenstehenden. Eingriff in Nudismus in mehreren öffentlichen Arenen, wie FKK-Strände und Parks, generieren könnte einige Kritik aus geschlossenen Gleichgesinnten. Natürlich sollte man diese Faktoren bei der Entscheidung, wenn man bedenkt, wo und wie man seine nudistlebensstil umarmen.

Im Idealfall würden Personen erlaubt, in einer Welt frei von Vorurteilen, Urteil, gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen, Einschränkungen und persönliche Unsicherheiten leben. Wenn dies der Fall wäre, könnte Einzelpersonen Nudismus in sowohl den Komfort ihrer Häuser und ihren lokalen Gemeinschaften zu praktizieren. Da dies nicht der Fall, sollten die Betroffenen versuchen, FKK umarmen Vorteil ihrer persönlichen Eigenschaft oder bezeichnet nudie friendly Destinationen zu nehmen, ihre Praxis zu genießen. Diese Ziele gehören sanktioniert FKK-Strände, Clubs, Events, Hotels und anderen europäischen Ländern, deren Praxis der Freikörperkultur ist leicht immer die “Norm” als die Spitze.

Wer praktiziert Nudismus

Nudisten sind Individuen, die befreien ihre Hemmungen genießen und eins mit der Natur. Ein Teil dieser Erfahrung umfasst Tätigkeiten in der nackt. Der FKK-Verhalten hat traditionell nichts mit Sex zu tun. Allerdings gibt es immer eine kleine Gruppe von Menschen, die Sex in der Erfahrung zu integrieren auszuwählen. Viele Familien genießen, nackt zusammen und Interaktion zusammen in einer nackten Umwelt. Es gibt mehrere Orte, die zu dieser befreiende Erfahrung gerecht zu werden. Darüber hinaus gibt es mehrere Orte, die für Paare und Erwachsene, die in der nackt interagieren, um Sinnlichkeit in ihren Beziehungen zu erneuern wählen gerecht zu werden. Jede dieser Erfahrungen werden in diesem FKK-Blog erkundet werden. Allerdings ist es wichtig, den Ursprung des FKK und Naturisten verstehen.

Personen aus allen Bereichen des Lebens wird auf FKK-Strände und FKK-Resorts. Personen sind auch auf allen Ebenen der Fitness. Während die meisten erwarten, dass diese Orte, um mit Spaß, fit Menschen, die wie Models aussehen gefüllt werden, ist dies sicherlich nicht der Fall. Menschen aller Typen, die wohl in ihrer Haut fühlen werden in diesen Resorts gefunden werden und liegen auf FKK-Strände. Living the FKK Lifestyle geht darum, selbstbewusst über Ihren Körper und ehrlich mit sich. Dies ist auch eine Lektion, dass nicht jeder ist perfekt. Personen, die eine individuelle akzeptieren können, während sie nackt sind auch in der Lage sein, das Individuum als Ganzes Wesen zu akzeptieren. Allerdings werden die meisten Menschen fühlen sich so selbstbewusst über ihre nackten Erfahrung, dass sie nach Perfektion ihres Körpers bemühen sich sicherer fühlen. Dies ist jedoch nicht der Punkt des FKK-Lifestyle.

YNA der FKK Blog:

Das FKK-Blog soll ein Bewusstsein von Nacktheit und die Praxis der öffentliche Nacktheit zu bauen. Viele Menschen glauben, dass die mehr Menschen zur Nacktheit ausgesetzt sind, desto mehr alltäglich wird es. Einzelpersonen werden weniger erregt und mehr in Umgebungen von Nacktheit gesteuert. Einige Venture zu glauben, dass im Laufe der Zeit Nacktheit zu weniger sexuellen Verbrechen führen, wie es in Europa hat. Männer und Frauen, die besorgt über die möglichen Erregung, die auftreten können, kann prüfen, die Erfahrung als Konditionierung, erlauben es Einzelpersonen, sich daran gewöhnt, und die Annahme von Nacktheit wird.

FKK ist eine Art zu leben, die von einer wachsenden Zahl der Weltbevölkerung umarmt wird. Viele Orte und FKK-Strände in diesem FKK-Blog erkundet werden. Die meisten Resorts sind familienfreundlich und Bildschirm alle Gäste in den Ferienorten gegen Megan-Gesetz. Die meisten Resorts nicht erlauben Kameras oder Videorekordern auf das Gelände, wenn dabei eine Werbe-Shooting. Einige Personen können prüfen, die Erfahrung biblischen und beziehen sie auf die Adam und Eva Erfahrung vor Menschen hatten Erkenntnis von Gut und Böse. Diese Personen einfach wünschen, um die Art und Weise, dass die Natur oder Gott ihnen geliefert auf die Erde zurückkehren. Einige Personen einfach nur wohler fühlen in der nackt. Was auch immer der Fall ist, werden diese Umgebungen konzipiert, dass der Einzelne sich wohl fühlen.

Junger Naturisten & Young Nudists America will Menschen auf den zur Verfügung stehenden Ressourcen für diejenigen, die einen FKK-Lifestyle zu verfolgen versuchen zu erziehen. In regelmäßigen Abständen werden Artikel über die FKK-Blog, um den Lebensstil und Urlaubsmöglichkeiten für Nudisten zu erkunden geschrieben werden. Der FKK-Blog will freie Menschen ihrer Stigmatisierung und löschen Sie die Ignoranz, mit Personen, die bequem zu Fuß zu ertasten nackte verbunden. Der Einzelne wird von ihren Vorurteilen und Hemmungen befreit werden, da sie diesen alternativen Lebensstil, dass viele finden absolut natürlich zu erkunden. Betrachten Sie unsere FKK-Blog als eine Fülle von Informationen auf Ihrem Weg zum Verständnis Naturismus.

Einige Gründe, warum Menschen der Praxis FKK:

Sie sind in einer entspannten und in Kontakt mit ihren “inneren Seele”, wenn sie nackt sind.

Sie fühlen sich “richtig”, wenn sie keine Kleider an haben, und nicht so ausgewogen, wenn gekleidet.

Sie fühlen sich weniger gehemmt in diesem Zustand, da die Klasse Barrieren fallen weg. Ein Arzt, ein König und ein Bettler an ihrer reinsten und wahres Selbst reduziert werden, wenn ohne die Kleider ihrer Berufe angesehen.

Als Fleisch und Knochen sind wir alle equal.Some Nudisten sagen will, dass ohne Kleidung löst die realen ihnen, und dass die Kleidung wird diese zu unterdrücken.

Nudismus

Junge Naturisten & FKK Amerika YNA

The post FKK Nudismus Naturismus von jungen Nudisten appeared first on Young Naturists America.