Diary of a Nudist

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-29-12

2012-01-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-28-12

2012-01-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-27-12

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-26-12

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-25-12

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-24-12

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-23-12

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-22-12

2012-01-22T08:40:00.002-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-21-12

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-20-12

2012-01-20T12:49:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-19-12

2012-01-19T16:27:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-18-12

2012-01-18T19:52:00.000-05:00

Taking the Wrong Approach on Parental Rights of Naturists

2012-01-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

Michael Beals of the American Naturist Families Association (ANFA) has posted an article on The Bare Times entitled "The Legal Sexualization of our Daughters". There is no doubt that the sexualization of people of all ages is a problem in our society, with the media promoting unrealistic body images that are causing unhealthy self-image.

But Mr. Beals in his zealousness on the issue has chosen to attack child beauty pageants as "shocking" events which only serve to destroy self-worth, cause relationship problems, and ultimately groom some of the young girls for "preteen and teenage prostitution".

The problem here is that Mr. Beals has a website promoting an enterprise called "Bare Scouts", a program for "naturist and non-naturist kids ages 8-17". Aside from the possible trademark difficulties with the name, especially when the Bare Scouts are openly compared to the Boy and Girl Scouts, there is the issue of hypocrisy in operating a naturist program for children which is subject to the same faux moral outrage from society at large as Mr. Beals directs towards child beauty pageants.

I'm not a fan of child beauty pageants, but the last time I checked they were legal, and there is even a reality television series "Toddlers and Tiaras" on TLC which has been on the air since 2009. In addition, there is no definitive study that any children are being harmed from their participation in these pageants, just some opinions here and there on both sides of the issue which are inconclusive.

Mr. Beals cites the case of Jon Benet Ramsey, who was murdered in her home, as an example of what can befall a child who participates in pageants, yet there is no evidence whatsoever that Miss Ramsey's beauty experiences had anything to do with her death. He also notes that some pedophiles are found with child pageant materials in their possession, but fails to note that these same pedophiles are also found with naturist photos and videos.

In an article which I wrote for Bare Times entitled "The War Against Youth Camps", I detail the various ways government officials in Florida, Virginia, Texas and Arizona worked to draft legislation to ban naturist youth camps, going as far as to try and ban children from naturist activities in general. There was no evidence that any children were in any danger emotionally, mentally or physically, but the arguments against the camps were very similar to the ones Mr. Beals now makes about child beauty pageants: that children were being exploited, and that they were magnets for pedophiles.

Mr. Beals then goes way over the top in his closing argument:

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?”

This is reckless hyperbole, and does nothing to further the cause of family naturism.

During the youth camp crisis of 2003-2005, one of the most positive government statements came from then Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who said “The rights of parents to impart their values in their children and raise their children as they see fit are sacred.”

Children are an essential part of the naturist philosophy, and have been for over 100 years of the modern movement. The societal hysteria over protecting children from just about anything and everything that even has a slight perception of potential harm is endangering their participation.

It is destructive for any nudist or naturist to express moral indignation over how other people choose to raise their children, unless there is clear and irrefutable evidence that there is real danger. An attack on the parental rights of others is an attack on the right to raise your own children in the manner you see fit.

Mr. Beals finishes by warning those who do not heed his message: "I pray that your child will be protected by God, because you obviously aren’t doing your part to stop the exploitation.". More irresponsible fear-mongering.

I have no reason to believe that Mr. Beals has anything but the best of intentions. His organization is non-profit and he works to support several charitable enterprises. What I do object to is his method of tearing down the free expression of others as a means of supporting his own. We don't need naturists acting like "Focus on the Family" which wants to impose its "Christian" viewpoint on the public airwaves, in movies, and in our bedrooms. These are the very people who potentially threaten nudism and naturism, who would equate it with strip clubs and pornography, and tell parents how to raise their own children.

There are many things in a free society which are distasteful to others. Everything is offensive to somebody. Family naturism must be promoted on its own merits, not by contrasting with something else that is controversial. Mr. Beals has made a mistake with his article, as well-intentioned as it is, and it only adds to the already widespread and over-hyped fear of "stranger danger".

Morley Schloss, who operates a successful naturist youth camp at Sunsport Gardens in Florida, strikes the right tone when he says: "Let’s be proactive. In words and photos, we must portray children and their families having fun at naturist resorts and naturist youth camps."

It's important to recognize the challenges faced by family naturism today, but it's equally important to remain positive and work to show society how safe and beneficial it can be for all ages. We cannot be "proactive" when we try and tear down the freedoms and parental rights of others.

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-17-12

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-16-12

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-15-12

2012-01-15T20:02:00.002-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-14-12

2012-01-14T22:34:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-12-12

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-11-12

2012-01-11T07:37:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-10-12

2012-01-10T07:24:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-09-12

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-08-12

2012-01-08T09:16:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-07-12

2012-01-07T07:37:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-06-12

2012-01-06T07:27:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-05-12

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-04-12

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-03-12

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-02-12

2012-01-02T10:10:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 01-01-12

2012-01-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-31-11

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-30-11

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-29-11

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-28-11

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-27-11

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-26-11

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-25-11

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-24-11

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-23-11

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-22-11

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-21-11

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-20-11

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-19-11

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-18-11

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-17-11

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-16-11

2011-12-16T06:58:00.001-05:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 12-15-11

2011-12-15T06:35:00.001-05:00

Birth Announcements of Life and Bare Times

2011-12-09T20:25:00.000-05:00

clothes-free, naked, naturism, naturist, naturists, nude, nudism, nudist, nudists, nudity

Google to Discontinue Shared Items

2011-10-22T08:26:00.001-04:00

Google is inexplicably discontinuing its shared items through Reader, which is how I generate all the news stories and other links in my "What I'm Reading Today" box on the right hand side of this page. I know many, many people read those shared items every day.

So, I'm ramping up my Twitter account to include more shared items, so please follow me there to keep up on issues relating to nudism and naturism.

Follow @nudiarist

Naturism: These images contain nudity

2011-09-19T17:42:00.001-04:00

Story about the Reuters visit to Bare Oaks here.

Getting Healthy in the Nude

2011-09-06T13:18:00.003-04:00

AANR profiles my road to better health through diet, exercise, and nude recreation. Link here.

Is nudism/naturism the answer to better health? Not entirely, of course. It takes some regular exercise and sensible eating. We made the conscious decision not to get a golf cart, which forces us to walk back and forth from our campsite to the pool, pavilion and bathhouse, pulling our cart filled with cooler, towels, chairs and whatever else is needed for the day. We drink moderately, and after watching two parents waste away from tobacco addiction, we don't smoke at all.

For my wife and I, it's not so much about weight loss as it is about feeling good and generally looking better. We don't own a bathroom scale and we don't count calories.

In mid-July I turned 57 years old. At Cedar Trails, when some friends learned that it was my birthday, they told both my wife and I that they would not have been able to guess that we were that old. Needless to say it's always great to hear a compliment, and when we got back home I began digging through photos of myself from a decade ago, and was somewhat shocked to see how much healthier I looked. That's what prompted me to write about this.

Naturist vs. Textile 08/08/11

2011-08-08T13:30:00.001-04:00

Young People vs. Nudist Resort Rules

2011-07-26T07:32:00.000-04:00

nudism, nudist, nudists, nude, nudity, naturism, naturist, naturists, naked, clothes-free

Naturismo Alentejo - Monte Barão - Reportagem 2009

2011-07-12T07:08:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 7/03/11

2011-07-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 7/02/11

2011-07-02T06:00:00.001-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 7/01/11

2011-07-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/30/11

2011-06-30T06:53:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/29/11

2011-06-29T06:31:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/28/11

2011-06-28T07:12:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/27/11

2011-06-27T07:06:00.001-04:00

UPDATE: Here's another good one

Naturist vs. Textile 6/24/11

2011-06-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/23/11

2011-06-23T06:00:00.001-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/22/11

2011-06-22T15:44:00.000-04:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 06/15/11 - Nudism Makes You Feel Like a Kid Again

2011-06-15T07:18:00.000-04:00

Poll

2011-06-14T17:33:00.001-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/14/11

2011-06-14T07:42:00.000-04:00

LAPD says nudity OK at World Naked Bike Ride 2011 in Los Angeles, CA

2011-06-14T06:32:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/13/11

2011-06-13T07:11:00.002-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/12/11

2011-06-12T07:21:00.000-04:00

Poll

2011-06-11T11:27:00.001-04:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 06/11/11 - Nude in Nature

2011-06-11T08:17:00.000-04:00

Vacation Naked; Episode 1B (part 2 of 2) Dominican Republic

2011-06-10T19:21:00.000-04:00

nudism, nudist, nudists, nude, nudity, naturism, naturist, naturists, naked, clothes-free

Vacation Naked; Episode 1A (part 1 or 2) Tampa,FL

2011-06-10T19:20:00.000-04:00

nudism, nudist, nudists, nude, nudity, naturism, naturist, naturists, naked, clothes-free

Naturist vs. Textile 6/10/11

2011-06-10T18:30:00.000-04:00

Poll

2011-06-09T20:36:00.001-04:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 06/08/11 - Don't Forget the Sunscreen!

2011-06-08T07:37:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/06/11

2011-06-06T07:15:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 6/01/11

2011-06-01T06:37:00.000-04:00

New Postings Coming Soon

2011-05-31T07:35:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the lack of postings lately, due to Google Blogger's technical difficulties, my computer burning out a power supply, and a very busy holiday weekend. Look for new posts beginning Wednesday, June 1!

Naturist vs. Textile 5/16/11

2011-05-16T11:01:00.000-04:00

Nudist Photos of the Day 05/14/11 - World Naked Gardening Day

2011-05-14T14:01:00.000-04:00

Ageing nudists looking for young recruits

2011-05-08T07:18:00.000-04:00

NAC Blasts AANR Over San Onofre

2011-05-08T07:04:00.001-04:00

Any regular reader of this blog knows that I have repeatedly supported the Naturist Action Committee and their efforts to save the clothing-optional status of San Onofre State Beach in California, while at the same time being aghast at AANR's appeasement of the California Parks and Recreation and refusal to join in on the NAC lawsuit.

In the latest issue of the NAC newsletter, edited by Bob Morton, an article proclaims that a total of ten dismissals and no convictions for defendants cited for nudity have been achieved with the help of defense attorney and NAC Board member Allen Baylis, who has insisted on jury trials for his clients. In each case, the San Diego County District has been unwilling to proceed to trial.

The NAC is to be commended for standing up for naturists at San Onofre, thus showing that they truly represent nude rights and are not merely presenting meaningless words on paper.

In the same article, AANR comes under fire.

NAC invited AANR to sign the petition for designation, but AANR refused. Forgetting AANR's own history of litigation on behalf of nudists, and overlooking the fact that AANR-West had donated thousands of dollars to support NAC's lawsuit, former AANR Executive Director Erich Schuttauf declared publicly that he didn't wish to be seen as "signing on to a petition presented by an organization associated with legal confrontation."

The California Department of Parks and Recreation desperately needs a nudist organization to endorse its fraudulent crime statistics and accept the shameful fact that nudists and naturists at San Onofre State Beach have been thrown under the bus. AANR is positioning itself to be the nudist partner that unquestioningly endorses the Department's manufactured crime statistics, while it quite noticeably turns its back on the naturists and nudists at San Onofre.

Meanwhile, the Naturist Action Committee is defending those who have been cited for nudity at San Onofre - and is winning those cases. Proactively, NAC is pursuing a petition that would result in statewide designation of clothing-optional areas in California state parks.

AANR's Government Affairs Chair Dave Graber wrote recently: "The Naturist Society and the Naturist Action Committee have a different philosophy than AANR and its Government Affairs Team."

That much is obviously true.

I've said many times that naturists at San Onofre have been "thrown under the bus" by AANR, but it's still a bit surprising to hear naturist leaders using the same language.

This does illustrate quite pointedly the deepening rift between the two major American nudist/naturist organizations, and the lessening likelihood that they will ever see eye to eye on major issues like that at San Onofre.

The Nude and Natural Newsletter May 2011 pdf

Naturist vs. Textile 5/07/11

2011-05-06T20:59:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 5/06/11

2011-05-05T19:58:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 5/05/11

2011-05-05T07:48:00.000-04:00

Naturist Society Owner Denies WSJ Quote

2011-05-04T11:40:00.000-04:00

Nicky Hoffman Lee, co-owner of The Naturist Society, denies that she made comments attributed to her by a Wall Street Journal article.

"I NEVER said "The whole lifestyle will just disappear unless we attract a younger crowd. NEVER!!!! I did say that most resorts are not geared towards younger people, because they aren't I DID NOT say they've become like retirement homes; they've sort of calcified. I don't believe I have ever used the word calcified in my life...The people who know me, know that I would never had made the above statements."

Hopefully Nicky will sue and get the WSJ to print a retraction. I have offered Nicky a chance to rebut the article on this blog, so we will see what happens.

Naturist vs. Textile 5/03/11

2011-05-03T19:40:00.000-04:00

Naturist Society Head Likens Nudist Resorts to "Calcified Retirement Homes"

2011-05-03T16:51:00.005-04:00

Nudists/naturists are notoriously inept at public relations.

In an article published in the Wall Street Journal, Nicky Hoffman Lee, co-owner of The Naturist Society, made the following comments about the state of organized nudism today:

"The whole lifestyle will just disappear unless we attract a younger crowd," said Nicky Hoffman, head of the Naturist Society, one of the two big organizations of U.S. nudists. "The problem is, most of these resorts aren't geared to young people. They've become like retirement homes; they've sort of calcified."

Nicky, Nicky, what on earth were you thinking? Your ill-advised comments are now the centerpiece of an article which skewers nudists and naturists, painting them as basically dirty old men that are best to be avoided.

John Whitehead, 22, visited the Sunsport Gardens resort for the first time last year. He enjoyed being naked until he spotted a man his father's age he knew from work, then spent the day avoiding him."It's not that I have anything against old people," Mr. Whitehead said. "I just don't really want to hang out with them at the pool."

The article is a disaster, outlining the history of nudism as a series of arrests and beatings, and defining nude recreation as "undressing in front of strangers". Even worse, the Spring Break Bash at Sunsport Gardens organized by Florida Young Naturists is painted as a segregated event to avoid turning the younger people into "eye candy" for older people.

This story has gone viral and has appeared on many prominent blogs and does real damage to the image of naturists and nudists everywhere. From Jezebel:

If people of all ages can't come together to enjoy the freedom of standing around and feeling cold and slightly awkward, perhaps it's time to accept that the younger generation's interest in public nudity is mostly limited to occasional bouts of drunken toplessness.

The Village Voice even proclaims that "people should just wear clothes."

The Miami New Times reports:

That Spring Break Bash, held at a resort on the edge of the Everglades, only attracted 55 people, and the group's Facebook page keeps getting shut down because it's tricky to run a group with both "young" and "nude" in the title.

But if you really want to lose your lunch, read the comments section of the Wall Street Journal article, where Robbe White of the Florida Young Naturists adds his two cents:

Great article. Thank You WSJ and Doug Belkin for shedding some light on the nudist/naturist community. Check out our website: http://www.FYNude.org

Great article? Really? Just because you got your name in print?

John Whitehead claims that his comments were twisted out of context, which is not a surprise considering the state of journalism today.

I am the John Whitehead mentioned in the article of all the things I said, they mention me seeing a guy from my work who I avoided the first time because he knows my dad. They seemed to leave out that I talked with him about it later on and then he said "Don't worry I won't say anything". Not only that but my second quote was explaining why I never went prior to the FYN event and I was saying I was glad about FYN because I could be around people my own age. I think they made me sound like kind of a jerk...I talked to the journalist for around 30 minutes. I said all kinds of things. Why of all things things that I said would you mention that I saw a guy from work. I casually mentioned that. I mostly talked about how great the event was and how I met a bunch or friendly and interesting people. Why couldn't you mention that WSJ?

The comments are filled with loathing for nudists in general, and Susan Weaver, President of The American Association for Nude Recreation, is smart enough to realize the negativity of the article.

It is unfortunate that this article makes a generalized statement about nudist clubs, campgrounds and resorts. Among the 267 that are affiliated with AANR, there is tremendous diversity. I have found them to be enormously relaxing and fun, and there has never been any criticism of my own body jewelry. The people I have met at AANR clubs are interesting people, much traveled, with fascinating hobbies and histories. The aanr.com website is much visited by people of all ages looking to discover where there is a club nearby to visit.

AANR has worked for 80 years to promote and protect nude recreation, and will continue to advocate for the rights of nudists for as many years as it takes to assure public awareness and acceptance of social family nude recreation as a joyful life experience.

Thank you, Susan, for showing some class in the middle of a disaster. There's not too much to salvage from this train wreck of epic proportions.

UPDATE: Time Magazine agrees with me that Nicky's comments were a total gaffe.

"The whole lifestyle will just disappear unless we attract a younger crowd," Nicky Hoffman, head of the Naturist Society, recently told the Wall Street Journal. "The problem is, most of these resorts aren't geared to young people. They've become like retirement homes; they've sort of calcified."'

With statements like that, we can see why young, vibrant Americans aren't clamoring to join ranks and take their clothes off.

Nicky needs to apologize for her disparaging remarks, or at the very least, she should explain that she was misquoted, or taken out of context.

Nudist Photos of the Day 05/02/11 - Signs!

2011-05-02T10:22:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 5/01/11

2011-05-01T16:01:00.000-04:00

Naturist vs. Textile 4/29/11

2011-04-28T21:59:00.000-04:00