Naked Nudism has undertaken
an ambitious essay regarding the relationship between nudism and sexuality. I think that it's important for the nudism/naturism movement to engage in discussion, to constantly raise issues and work to resolve conflicts and promote the benefits of the nude lifestyle. Naked Nudism is a strong voice and deserves to be heard.
But there are some misconceptions in his conclusions, perhaps stemming from some lack of life experience. First of all, the nudism community is not "anti-sex". Even Christian Evangelicals are not opposed to sex (as long as it fits their definition). The general sensitivity of nudist organizations to overt sexual behavior is no different than attitudes you will find at most every social gathering in America, from the local church, school, business, or club. One would no more make an inappropriate gesture or remark at a naturist event than at a dinner party at the home of a friend.
Naked Nudism has made it clear that he believes that nudity is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, as it is a form of expression like speech. But this ignores the stark reality that nudity is not generally accepted by the vast majority of American society, that it is considered "indecent", and in most jurisdictions being naked in public will land you in jail.
And freedom of speech does not allow any person to say or do anything to anyone else. Social mores are developed over hundreds and even thousands of years and are not likely to fall by the wayside overnight. In our lifetimes, I feel quite certain that the right to be naked in public will not become the law or custom of the land.
The primary assumption in the argument is that others think nudity is wrong only because they link it to sex. It ignores the possibility (IMHO, the reality) that these people think nudity is immoral in its own right, regardless of whether or not it's sexual. Making the distinction does nothing to win them over, because they think nudity itself is wrong.
This is primarily a disease of the United States. Whether it's the result of years of Puritanism, Victorian morality or religious pressures on society, is a subject for more extensive debate. I tend to think that today's American attitudes towards nudity are based in popular culture, primarily in the sexualization of the female nude body in magazines like Hustler, Penthouse and Playboy, and in mainstream media like television and movies. The public is virtually never exposed to a naked body unless it's in a sexual context. As for the naked male figure, rampant homophobia has taken hold of many young men who hold the belief that the mere sight of another man's genitalia is a homosexual act.
Of course it's all more complicated than that. The bottom line is that Americans are in fear of nude people, having been conditioned to believe that a person who takes off his or her clothes in a social situation is either mentally ill, a pervert, or a sexual predator. This is a huge misconception to overcome.
So nearly all nudist resorts prohibit sexual behavior. This is done out or respect for those people who know and understand the the simple, normal and healthy act of being nude is not a sexual act, it is a sensual experience, it is fulfilling a basic aspect of just being human. Sexual behavior is also stifled to adhere to local laws and ordinances that would force the businesses to close down if identified as adult-oriented activities. And let's not forget the fact that children also come to the resorts, and I don't think there is anyone that would argue that the innocence of youth is something we all want to protect and preserve. Nudism is, in a large sense, an attempt to recapture some of that magic of being young, before the weights of the world rested on our shoulders.
If you believe that your "right not to be offended" by sexual activity is more important than the freedom of others to engage in it, then you completely abandon the moral authority to argue against someone who believes their "right not to be offended" by nudity trumps your freedom to be nude. To do argue otherwise just makes you a hypocrite.
Well, I guess that I am a hypocrite. The "golden rule" is always a good way to measure appropriate behavior - "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you". The fact is that society as a whole dictates what is offensve and what is not, it is not a simple matter of just declaring something to be OK and then expecting everyone else to go along. I do not have the right to be nude in public, that's what the law says, and the law is based upon the general consesus of the majority. Society does accept some nude beaches, nudist resorts, and certainly the right to be naked at home (as long as others cannot see you), but I must accept the fact that I cannot strip down and sunbathe nude in a downtown park. If enough people work to change public opinion and the law, then perhaps someday we will be a bit more like Europe with more designated nude areas, but this is not a given.
On a final note, it needs to be pointed out that it really is counterproductive for nudists to be anti-sex. Sexual expression is unquestionably the bigger taboo than nudity, so as society in general becomes more tolerant and accepting of sexuality, it follows that nudism will benefit from that. Sexual liberation helps nudism - so it makes little sense for any nudist to try to impede social progress in that area.
Well it seems that Naked Nudism just tied sexuality and nudism together in terms of public acceptance. The sensible way to promote nudism is to try and separate the two. Nudists are not anti-sex, but in social situations sexual behavior is not tolerated. When you go to work, or to Wal-Mart, or to McDonalds, you do not expect to find sexual activity, and the vast majority of people visiting nudist resorts do not want the experience complicated by open sex. Pure nudism is found in the acceptance and celebration of the human form as it is, that people should not be ashamed of any part of their body, and that the shedding of clothes in social situations is a means to find a more honest sense of self. As the slogan says above, "Nude, we resemble one another", we are no longer doctors, lawyers, construction workers, ministers, etc., just people.
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