Don't Judge the Demarees Based Upon the Police Report

Trish Kinney has read the police report on the case of the Arizona parents arrested for taking nude photos of their kids, and she has all but convicted them in her column today, even though she has not seen the photos herself, and the parents were cleared of all charges.

DO NOT judge these people based solely on a clinical and biased police report. Any image featuring a nude image of a child can be made to sound perverted when written like a script for a porn shoot. For example:

The image shows a nude baby boy looking into the camera. His penis can be clearly seen. He has his right hand on a woman's bare right breast, and he is sucking on her nipple. The woman is looking at the naked little boy with an approving glance. See the image here.

Another example:

The little girl in the image appears to be about 4 or 5 years old. She is on a public beach wearing no top. She has a coy expression on her face and her buttocks are thrust out in a suggestive manner. Her buttocks are nearly fully exposed by a dog who has grabbed her bathing suit bottom. The dog's right ear appears to be tickling her naked flesh. A fully clothed little boy has his right hand placed on the little girl's bare left buttock. See the image here.

Another:

The image shows a young girl about the age of 8 or 9 holding a little boy who appears to be about 1 or 2 years old. Both children are completely nude in the outdoors. The girl appears to have her right hand on the little boy's nude buttocks. His penis is not exposed. Part of the little girl's vaginal area is visible. See the image here.

And one more:

The image shows a seated woman, who appears to be approximately 20 years of age. Her right hand is pulling open her top to expose her right breast and nipple to the nine young children who are surrounding her. Seven of the children are completely naked, one is wearing some sort of fur, and the last child is mostly concealed except for a head and nude arm. Two of the nude children are climbing on the woman in what appears to be an attempt to get closer to the exposed breast and nipple. One of those children has his or her legs spread apart. Two other children appear to be kissing and are in a sexually suggestive embrace. See the image here.

I think you get the point.

British Naturism Seeks Equality Protection Under the Law

In a bold and potentially historic move, British Naturism has submitted a claim to the Government Equalities Office which contends that "devotees of skinny dipping and nudist campsites suffer prejudice equivalent to that experienced by gays, ethnic minorities and the elderly."

It is urging the government and other authorities to make “affirmative statements” in favour of naturism and combat the financial penalties endured by those who pursue clothes-free leisure pursuits. Entry to naturist nights at council swimming pools is often twice as expensive as admission on other nights...British Naturism’s submission was one of those selected for display on the website of the equalities office alongside work by Stonewall, the gay rights group, Age Concern and the Runnymede Trust, which campaigns for racial equality

The National Equality Panel report will be published in November.

In the United States, people who oppose public lands to be set aside for nude sunbathing often make the comment that the beaches should be for "everybody", and that somehow the presence of nude people suddenly makes a beach restricted. In fact, this argument is prejudicial, and a society which denies equal access to tax-paying citizens who merely wish to enjoy nature without the burden of clothing is guilty of discrimination.

Nudists and naturists should pay close attention to the British Naturism action, which could prove to be a model for other initiatives around the world.

The complete equality bill which was submitted in June 2009 can be found here.