Is the AANR on our side?

The big news as of late is that the AANR (the American Association for Nude Recreation) has withdrawn from the INF (the International Naturist Federation). This really doesn't come as a big surprise to me, as I've had my questions about the AANR for some time. I'm probably not going to make a lot of friends with this post but it's important to me that the voice of naturism is doing us a good service, so let's take a look at what the AANR has been doing for us lately.

The AANR has always been presented to us as THE organization of nudism. They are the official voice of naturists and nudists, and they seem to have written the book on what is expected of such a lifestyle. AANR membership means you're a real nudist now, and a club or resort with an AANR affiliation is seen as a clean and wholesome place to practice clothes-freedom. When the media wishes to speak with nudists, they can speak to the AANR and get the official response to any pressing issues. Obviously this is a good thing, but lately I've wondered if the AANR is really on our side on some of the big issues that are important to us, and on some of the things that we need to help us gain popularity and acceptance among the general public.


First there's the battle of San Onofre beach. That was a fight that I joined, even though I live over 1300 miles away. I joined the fight because we are united as nudists, and we all need to fight to have our space to enjoy our lifestyle. California Parks removed the clothing-optional status of San Onofre after years of allowing people to safely enjoy nude recreation. So what did the AANR do when our lifestyle was threatened? Pretty much nothing. In an official statement, the AANR stated only that, "California Parks is stressing that this change in managing nudity in its parks is being limited to San Onofre." Wait a minute, seriously!? Our nude beach is being taken away, and as the official voice of nudists, you are only concerned that this is the only beach they are attacking? Thank goodness all our beaches aren't under attack, but how about you stop worrying about stepping on someone's toes and you promote the hell out of nudism and fight to keep San Onofre clothing-optional? Am I asking too much of the official organization of nudism?

Then there was the incident in Arizona in which a mother and stepfather were arrested for practicing nudism in their home around two young boys who said they were uncomfortable with it. As it turned out, the parents did not practice nudism in their home and the boys had only seen them in the nude by accident. Regardless, I find the AANR's statement to be a timid attempt to appease the public. "If a child seems uncomfortable, parents should let the child's views dictate their plans." Well this for one, is crap because kids would run the home if parents let children decide what's best for them. But the point really is that AANR is just trying to sound good, not trying to help nudism. This media incident makes nudism look like a shameful thing that should be practiced by adults behind closed doors, and the AANR did nothing to change that perception. I would have preferred they say something like this:
"While nudism is a healthy family lifestyle that promotes positive self body concept and encourages free thinking, it is important to accomodate all members of the family to ensure comfort in the household." That sentence pushes nudism while acknowledging that we're not a cult that forces nudity upon people. Why the heck can't the AANR come up with a statement like that? Maybe I should get a job as the voice of AANR.

Then there was the issue of the nude man making coffee in his kitchen one morning who was spotted by his neighbour. It was early in the morning, the man was in his own home, and instead of asking him to cover up or close the blinds, Police arrested him. Unbelievable, really. And what did the AANR do? Yes they commented on this issue, and they did it by labelling this guy as one of them and then calling him irresponsible. Wait a minute, who knows whether or not he is a nudist? Why the heck would the AANR again make us look bad by saying this guy is a nudist when they cannot possibly have the answer, and then blast him by saying he should have had the drapes closed. This story doesn't even have anything to do with the AANR, yet they decided to open their mouth and again make us look like shameful people who should hide from the public. Even if it is 5:30am and nobody should be looking into our windows.

Lately AANR has also been bombarded with reports of some of their affiliated clubs and resorts catering to swingers. AANR's denial of this information confirms that it does not support this behaviour, and yet it still supports these resorts. I don't even need to say any more about this, the writing is on the wall.

Oh and then of course there's the issue of the topfree section of the beach in Asbury Park, NJ. This was a bad idea from the start because it supports the concept that women's chests are different from men's, and thus they should only be revealed in a segregated area of beach. This topfree beach goes against everything nudists believe in by denying equality and promoting segregation. However, the AANR supported the idea!! Unbelievable! Are they just not doing their research, or are they just getting involved in all the wrong ways? They blast healthy nudity, and they promote negative nudity!

And my last rant is regarding this year's World Record Skinnydip attempt. This is a very special event because it is a chance for nudists to promote healthy nudity to the world in a fun and harmonizing way. And this is why I am stunned that the AANR did such a poor job of promoting the event this year. This event is our chance to bring healthy nude recreation to the masses, and the AANR went and blew it. The only reason I knew about it was because of the blogs and forums I'm on. None of these forums or blogs are seen by the general public, so it would seem the event was only promoted within our own nudist community. Unfortunately it would appear that AANR's blatant fail has hurt the cause too. I know attendance was down at my own Wreck Beach, along with a number of other resorts in the US. I don't know what this will do to the final count, but at this point it would appear that the AANR's lack of promoting this awesome event may have allowed the record to slip from our grasp this year. Seriously, one of the biggest mainstream nudist events and they let it slide on by.

I don't know how to wrap this post up other than by saying, "what the heck is the AANR doing these days?" I would like to say it's about time they stood up and fought for our rights, and promoted the crap out of the nudist lifestyle, but I think it's too late for that. Their withdrawal from the INF just tells me that I'm right in believing the AANR is following a path all it's own and has no interest in being a part of the greater naturist community. They continue to distance themselves from their fellow naturists, and ultimately the people they are supposed to represent and support.

Perhaps they are just trying to be diplomatic and not overstep boundaries. Unfortunately nothing ever changes if you don't say a few off-the-wall comments and push your cause hard, like you actually believe in it. They are acting like scared pansies who don't want to say the wrong thing, when in fact they should be telling the world that we are good people and the lifestyle is great. At this rate, nudists will always be labelled as outcasts, and the only time the public will hear about us is when someone gets in trouble, and then the negative image just gets reinforced. Come on AANR, the rest of us are breaking our backs pushing this thing to the masses, don't leave us alone in the cold.

Shame

I made a startling realization today, one that has been right in front of me ever since I started on this naturist journey, but one that I hadn't thought much about until today.

I work in the health care field, and that's the kind of job in which you see a lot of simple nudity during the course of a normal day. Helping patients change, assisting with medical procedures, nudity just happens. Since I have become a nudist, I don't even give it a second's thought. In fact I've noticed myself staring at times; not gawking at anyone, I was just simply in another world and not at all affected by the nude body in front of me. I'm so comfortable with nudity that I barely notice when someone else may have a problem with where I'm looking. I've chuckled at my own comfort level before, but today I noticed what it can be like for others who don't share my feelings.

I was to assist a patient in taking a shower, and I was alarmed by his bashfulness. He was so afraid of being nude that he tried to shower with his gown on. After that was removed for him, he kept his underwear on and showered that way. There were people in the room, but nobody else in the shower and nobody watching him. I guess I really take it for granted that I am unashamed and comfortable because this man's attitude towards simple nudity really impacted me. After all, this was a professional setting with trained health care professionals.

What I realized about this is that nudists and naturists don't only shed their clothing, but they also shed their shame. They are freed not only from the restriction of clothing but also from the feeling that their bodies are unsightly and need to be hidden. I spend a lot of time thinking about the benefits of naturism but I don't seem to pay much attention to how restrictive shame can be. I found it sad that this gentleman had such a hard time removing his clothing in front of professional nursing staff; he made it look like the hardest thing he ever had to do. I wouldn't have given it a thought, and what that means to me is freedom. The shift in my attitude towards nudity has blessed me with the freedom to not find my own body shameful, to not find other bodies shameful, and the freedom to be happy with myself and who I am regardless of where I am or who I am in front of. Think about that for a second. That freedom is priceless.



Shame can be so terribly suffocating. All you nudists out there ought to be thankful for the wonderful freedom you enjoy; not just freedom from clothing, but freedom to love yourself and not find it shameful. Your body is a wonderful blessing given to you and only you. Love it, find it beautiful, and feel no shame.

Are Children Unsafe in a Naturist Setting?

This is a very important question, and one that was asked of me at one of the local nude swims this weekend; aren't children more at risk of being victims of predators when they are nude?

The argument made was that if you take your children to one of the family nude swims or the World Naked Bike Ride, your child's nudity will encourage the presence of pedophiles. I obviously disagree with that, but only in regards to naturist events, not when it comes to public events. Let's talk about naturist events first.

When you take your child to a genuine naturist event, I argue that they are likely safer than most public events. At nudist resorts or a nude swim, nudists form a bond between each other that creates a very tight security net. Children are always under watchful eye by not only their parents, but by every other genuine naturist there. I don't want to sound like naturists are more paranoid, but they are definitely aware of what is going on around them. Any inappropriate behaviour is always dealt with swiftly and usually ends in the suspect being removed from the premises. I don't think a pedophile would have much of a chance at a real nudist event. I also question how often a pedophile would make their way into such an event in the first place. Most resorts screen people, and the smaller events mean that it's hard for someone with ill intentions to go unnoticed.



Now when it comes to public nude events, I may not be quite so in favour of bringing children there. It's a little sad and unfortunate for those children who have been raised in a naturist environment, but public places like the World Naked Bike Ride are probably not places for children. The only reason I say this is because of the number of textiles staggeringly outnumbers the nudists at an event such as this. The nudist security net cannot possibly be present at such an event, and thus it is probably not the safest place for a child. And while a parent may feel they have an adequate eye on their child, photography is something that cannot be regulated at such an event, and nobody wants to think that nude photos of their child may be used inappropriately. It's too bad this is the case because family friendly naturism is really what we want to portray to the world, and often the WNBR is the only event textiles may see when it comes to naturism.

That all being said, the world has bad people out there, and we all know it. These people might be at the textile beach, they might be at the mall, they might be outside the school! We have to be watchful of our youngsters anywhere we go, maybe even more so in the textile world, since pedophiles can blend in easier there. I think those who believe children are more at risk at a nudist event are still relating nudity to sex, which of course isn't what nudists do. Yes, a pedophile definitely relates nudity to sex, but those intentions are easily easily spotted by a true naturist.



It is important that we continue to keep nudist resorts and events family friendly. Age discrimination only supports the perception that nudity and sex go hand in hand. That of course, is not true and healthy family-friendly nudity is beneficial to both adults and children. Children should be allowed to practice healthy nudity with their families, and families should feel safe when this is practiced in a true naturist setting.

Cover Up For The Children

Andrea Simoneau as many of you know, is a student and topfree activist in Farmington, Maine. She will be rallying with others on April 30, 2010 in an effort to get people exercising their rights and to try to make topfreedom a little more normal. I support her efforts but I'm going to leave those comments to all the other nudist blogs out there. I want to comment on what others have said about her.

Andrea was live on Coast 93.1fm this morning talking about her rally, and she spoke of the reactions she has received from others. And here's what pissed me off: She says the most negative reactions were from people who consider her actions morally wrong, and those who think her behaviour is bad for the children. As I write this my blood is beginning to boil so let's hope I can stay on track here.


Let me say that I am a Christian and while I don't follow a lot of traditional stuff, I still have faith and believe that we should do good as the big guy wants us to. Well my faith is where I turn for the moral grounds on which I practice nudism. And wouldn't you know it, there's nowhere in the Bible that mentions the human body should be covered, and nowhere in the Bible that mentions the human body is morally wrong to show off. Instead the Bible refers to human bodies as beautiful and wonderful and nothing to be ashamed of. I mention the Bible because I don't know where else these people are getting their 'morals' from. Yes there's what your parents teach you, but are you really going to tell me that your parents told you your body is shameful and you should hide it? Did they tell you that the child they created is ugly and should be hidden? I think the confusion lies between morals and societal expectations. If you're telling me that a woman exposing her breasts is morally wrong, I think what you really mean to say is that it's societally wrong, and that is a very different thing. Yes that behaviour is societally wrong, but it should not be morally wrong and that's why people like Andrea are out there trying to change our perceptions and fight for equality. Heck, it's not even about equality, it's about people calling human bodies shameful and that societal expectation needs to change.


And that leads me into the comment about exposing children to toplessness. Are these people seriously going to tell me that seeing a woman's breasts is going to scar a child emotionally? Really are you going to condemn the human breast to that degree? It's a part of your body, for crying out loud, it's like you think you were born with two evil demons on your chest and making reference to them makes them angry. You know what that does to kids? Deep down inside it tells them that their bodies must be hidden, nobody wants to see them, and they should be afraid and ashamed to have people see their bodies. Then comes the negative body concept and then comes another generation of people who hate themselves and their bodies and that leads to a whole host of other problems. Sad. I talk about this time and time again, and I will continue to push this. We are continuing to cater to negative body concepts because we are ashamed of ourselves.

If Catherine Zeta-Jones Says It's Normal...

I've come to a bit of a realization about our culture; we love our celebrities. I guess that's not really a revelation but I think it's an important realization for the advance of naturism into mainstream society.

Lately there has been a whole host of celebrities confessing to the press about how much they love to be nude. Headlines such as these are popping up everywhere:

Celebrities back plans to expand naturism on Hampstead Heath

Naked celebrities: Why we'd all rather go nude

Zeta-Jones misses nude lifestyle


I've read these before and didn't give it much thought; either because I don't really care about celebrities or maybe I just thought it was all for publicity. My thoughts on this changed yesterday however, when I realized just how much impact these articles can have on people. Here I am playing roller hockey with my friends, including my buddy K who is probably one of my most prudish friends and doesn't even give me the time of day to talk about my nudist experiences. Well he rolls up beside me and says something about what a gorgeous sunny day it was and then he says, "it's a great day to get naked". I almost fell over backwards in amazement! I agreed, then asked him to elaborate. He told me how he had read about some celebrity who had mentioned that she always liked to be nude at home, and how K thought that was a great idea.

Right there I realized that no matter what I said about nudism, it meant nothing to him, but if some celebrity he respects promoted nudism, then that's all he needed to make it acceptable in his mind. And I can only imagine just how much impact that celebrity had on him in order for K to come up to me and suggest enjoying the day in the nude. That's a complete 180 degree change from his thinking only a few days prior.

So what's the deal with nudist celebrities? Well as much as I don't want to admit it, our society is in love with famous people. We want to hear every juicy piece of gossip and we want real-time Twitter updates to keep us informed about every detail of their days. Most of it is trash and I surely don't follow it, but I think it's a little different when we're talking about nudism. It's not written the same way as typical tabloid trash, and I think this is why celebrities can do a lot for naturism. Most articles I've read involving a celebrity who confesses to enjoying the nude lifestyle is written in a positive way. The articles don't condemn nudity or the lifestyle, and more often than not, it makes naturism sound good. And clearly this is a good thing for the promotion of naturism, and this is apparent with my friend K, who has obviously gone through a complete change of opinion thanks to a celebrity who says that nudity is healthy and natural. I think celebrities have a powerful ability to change a lot of minds about simple nudity.

You know there's some irony in that. Celebrities are constantly blamed for inflicting negative body concepts upon people; especially young women. The fashion, the unrealistic bodies, etc. Well since nudism promotes a positive self body concept, these celebrities are perhaps helping the body concept movement for once.

So to all the nudist celebrities out there, I hope they keep on telling the world about nudism because apparently in our society, the word of the celebrity is supreme.

Body Concept at the Beach

When people ask me about my experiences with yoga, swimming, or going to the beach, all while I'm nude, they often say the same thing, "I could never do that, I'm too [fat][skinny][hairy][small]etc..." And I can never get it through to them that an environment in which everyone is nude is probably one of the most positive places you'll ever find for your body self concept. It's a tough image for people to understand until they've been there. I know for me it wasn't the allure of being naked that brought me back to Wreck Beach, it was the amazing feeling of acceptance among an entire shoreline of people, who were all different yet all the same in their nakedness.



I don't go to clothed beaches much anymore now that I've found Wreck Beach, but my friend M was telling me about how she ended up at one of the local beaches last year with some of her friends. She doesn't usually go to regular beaches either, but I guess her textile friends forced that visit upon her. Anyway, she told me about how she felt so much more aware of her body and her image, and how she felt like everyone was judging her there. She was constantly checking her bathing suit to check for coverage. Feeling the critical eyes of those around her, she began to worry about her image. I know what she's talking about; textile beaches are uber-critical places. You're supposed to be fit, have the right balance between revealing your body while staying legal, and your outfit must adhere to society's fashion standards for the season. Are polka dots in this season, stripes, etc? Seriously I take my favorite beach for granted sometimes until I'm reminded by M that we have it so good when we are among other nudists.



So in response to all those people out there that say "I could never be nude in front of others because I'm too [insert negative self concept adjective here]." I say you're wrong!! I know it's going to be like pulling teeth to get you to try the lifestyle, but I promise you'll notice it's much more positive and healthy for your self image. Those crazy nudists are open and accepting of all, so give it a go. I'm thankful to live next to one of the most famous nude beaches in the world and I vow to not take it for granted and enjoy it as much as I can, while trying to show others what a gem we have available to us; not just the beach, but the whole concept of nudism is available to all of us to enjoy ourselves and our bodies naturally without criticism. We are all beautiful just the way we were made, and we all need to realize that and believe it.

Live Clothes-Free, Help the Earth

I don't like to repost things I find as I would rather share my own perceptions and impressions, but I really enjoyed this article and have to share it. It's all about how much energy you can save by living naked, and the article has a real nice positive view. You don't even have to be a nudist, just reduce the amount of clothing you wear when you don't need to, and it will help out. Words of wisdom for all of us!

What does "being green" mean?