August 25, 2006
Brattleboro Vermont Teens are Nude in Public and it’s Legal
Nothing wrong with public nudity in Brattleboro Vermont. Here on the banks of the Connecticut River, in the busiest parking area of a downtown peppered with bookstores and coffee shops, more is meeting the eye than some people want. Spurred by complaints, the town’s Select Board will consider changing that, although no changes are expected soon. In the meantime, some pedestrians avert their eyes. Some youths cheer on their naked friends, and a few adults are so offended that they become nearly hysterical.
A politely rebellious collection of teenagers passing time in the Harmony Parking Lot this summer has taken to disrobing. Seemingly on a whim, they shed clothes and soak up the sun, nude.
What began as a lark or an ode to youthful exuberance has now turned into a municipal quandary, because public nudity is permissible in Brattleboro.
In the words of Town Manager Jerry Remillard, if you’re naked in public, and you’re minding your business, you’re legal.
“We’re quite a bit different than a lot of places,” Remillard said.
If the two-dozen or so youths, 16 to 19 years old, are seeking to make a social statement, the manifesto needs some work.
“We just thought it’d be a little fun,” said Charles Corry, 19, who said he stripped to nature’s own Friday and hung out for about 45 minutes with five like-minded friends as shoppers, diners, and walkers made their bemused way through the lot. “I don’t see it as a serious statement.”
Serious or not, the teenagers have made nudity something that can show its pale or sun-burned self with no warning. Rachel Brooks, who works at Everyone’s Books, sees some of the action on the sidewalk outside the shop’s rear door.
“Personally, if I wanted to be naked, I wouldn’t sit around in a dirty parking lot,” said Brooks, 22. “I wouldn’t want to get cigarette butts on my butt.”
The nudity began in earnest this year, Brooks said, when one young woman decided she wanted to bare her chest in public, just like her male friends.
Since then, the no-clothes fashion has gained popularity and has expanded to include group bike rides, skateboarding, hula-hoop contests, and a grass-roots music event that the group dubbed the Brat Fest.
One girl even sat partially nude on a newspaper vending box in the middle of downtown. I could see her boobs and stomach easily wherever I walked in the park.
“I think most of Vermont wants Vermont to be nude,” said Hannah Phillips, 15, who added that she has not disrobed. “People have a basic human right to be naked if they want to.”
Nearby, older teenagers sat on the sidewalk, fully clothed, their backs propped against a brick wall, munching on a pizza they found in its box. A car belonging to one of the group was parked nearby, a skull-and-crossbones on its hood and the words, “Chaos Infiltration Squad,” on a side door. On the opposite side of the lot, the Back Side Cafe looked down on the scene.
Although members of the group said they don’t intend to offend anyone, one woman has filed a complaint with the Select Board.
But the wheels of legislation grind methodically here, and the board must hold two public meetings, followed by a waiting period of nearly a month before a ban on public nudity can be implemented and enforced.
Vermont does not forbid public nudity, as Massachusetts does, but some liberal communities in the state have banned it. Remillard said that outsiders should not begin to think of Brattleboro as a haven for the behavior. It’s just that Brattleboro never had cause to ban nudity before.
“I would suspect that if it were OK, you’d see it in Boston,” he said.
Andrew Wdowiak, who works at Everyone’s Books, said that he’s not put off by the nudity, but that the act has become a little tired. “I think it was more for the shock value,” he said. “They weren’t flagrant about it.”
But last week, when about a half-dozen naked teenagers congregated outside the store, “it was like they were baking a cake, and they really frosted it,” Wdowiak said. “All the men were naked, and the women were topless. I needed about three drinks to erase that vision.”
One patron of the bookstore let loose with hysterics of Academy Award proportions, he added.
If the town passes an ordinance this year, cool weather will have begun to settle in this slice of the North Country.
But Remillard, for one, doesn’t think the bracing air will accomplish what Brattleboro’s laws have been so far unable to do.
“That isn’t necessarily going to bother this group of people,” he said of the cold.
nude in public (132) nude wome (92) public nudity (70) nude teens in public (55) public nudes (54) NAKED IN PUBLIC (36) nude teens (35) topless in public (34) legal nudes (32) teens nude in public (32) vermont nudes (32) men nude in public (30) brattleboro nude (25) walking nude in public (24) teen nude in public (23) teen nudity (23) going nude in public (21) guys nude in public (18) nudeinpublic (18) teen public nudity (17)
Related Posts
No related posts.
Nature Lover
09/05/2006 at 8:39 am
I cannot see anything wrong with teenagers being nude. If they feel like enjoying nature let them enjoy nature. I am not a teenager but think more people other than teenagers would also like to nude or partially nude. Wome have to suffer wearing tops in hot weather whilst men can go bear. Women would enjoy being topfree for a change and I welcome the idea of teenage nudity. Congratulations to the authorities of Vermont well done on keeping an open mind. Enjoy nature
Hawkeye
08/24/2009 at 2:59 pm
In the first part of the 20th century, men (like women) were required by law to wear tops. One hot summer the men said enough is enough and, en masse, began a little topless civil disobedience. Laws and social attitudes were adjusted.
If women as a whole want the same rights to go topless, they will have to work for them. In many places now it is already legal for women to be topless (e.g. NY, Oregon), but few ever exercise their rights. I suppose few women are aware of their rights, and of those, even fewer are willing to face the difficulties of being a pioneer and exercising their rights. Those who do will undoubtedly encounter push-back from the general public, and law enforcement personnel who may be ignorant (or simply intolerant) of the “liberal” nudity laws. Even mothers discretely nursing in public are hassled, and many more states specifically protect this in statute.
Bjørn
09/05/2006 at 4:26 pm
I don’t think the “inconvenience” of seeing nudity should be a weighty enough reason to ban public nudity. A society that outlaw everything that some people dislike, will in the end be a terrible place to live in.
(Although here in Norway, public nudity is patently unhealthy, at least in winter…)
Billy Joe
09/05/2006 at 4:44 pm
Dear Mr. British(?) Nature Lover,
Apparently you are not aware of the untested areas in our new Federal statute, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. In this country, federal laws supercede state laws (or lack of them), and so if someone wants to criminally complain under the Act that a nude, 18-year old Vermont female teen was causing sexual exploitation of their minor child by appearing nude in public, it is likely the FBI will follow up on it.
Further, and I quote from a website that concisely summarizes these “gray areas”, “the law also includes provisions that require almost any picture of a nude person posted on line be tracked and that secondary producers keep personal information on the model and person(s) posting for government reference. Within the structure of the law artworks that include nudes, family photographs of semi nude and nude children, and personal blogs that contain these become legitimate targets for Federal government interference, and the possible accusation, and conviction of individuals not associated with child pornography in any way. Thus the law as written by Congress and signed by this President purposefully conflates artwork and individual personal photographs with child pornography, murder, and serial killers.”
You guys think that you are over-regulated. Just look at the abomination we have here. Though I like to look at a naked woman as much as the next guy, I don’t pesonally believe in nudity “in the streets.” That being said, we rebelled against you guys 200-years ago for your government’s over-regulation and paternalism. Now, we have our own home-grown version. I say we IMPEACH anybody who supports THIS PORTION of the act, as it is clearly in violation of the First Ammendment. The single most important reason is the onerous legal trouble US free, law-abiding citizens are likey to face due to this provision of the Act. As a rule, our Federal government is incapable of distinguishing between a nude, “nothing showing” two-month baby picture (that Americans have been taking for 100-years) and hard-core porn. We are running deficits in the billions. Congress, concentrate on what you are supposed to do, or get the hell out of my country.
Joe
02/01/2008 at 2:00 am
Who do you think you are? This is not your country! It is the country of the people. Everyone has their rights as an American citizen, including a person’s freedom of speach to be naked. If you think a nude body is porn, you are insane! The human body is the most beautiful thing in the universe that God has created.
Nature Lover
09/07/2006 at 6:19 am
In response to Mr. British, I also do not approve of violence, rape or sex in public. However if a teenager or any other person feels like enjoying nature fully nude it should be done in restricted areas such as parks, beaches, their homes, backyards and dedicated entertainment areas. I think women should only allowed to be topless where men are allowed topless as I cannot see anything wrong with a women walking topless to a cafe or shop or even driving topless. I do however think that they should not be fully nude under these circumstances
Ed Gillette
10/04/2006 at 5:50 pm
I see (ahem) little reason to be upset by nudity in public.
Victorian approaches to all things sexual has likely created
many more problems than has nudity.
However, UGLY is a real problem that should be concealed with all the dilligence of a modern day elephant man. It is a known fact that exposure to too much ugliness causes nightmares in small children and psychoses in adults. Show me a cute breast any day!
James Gegner
02/24/2008 at 1:32 pm
On 10/4/2006, at 5:50 pm, Ed Gillette wrote:
Quote:
I see (ahem) little reason to be upset by nudity in public.
I agree. We have American soldiers dying everyday in Iraq, and a few outspoken whiners are more concerned with a group of teenagers congregating in the buff in a downtown parking lot? Talk about misplaced priorities!
Mr. Gillette goes on to say the following:
Victorian approaches to all things sexual has likely created
many more problems than has nudity.
However, UGLY is a real problem that should be concealed with all the diligence of a modern day elephant man. It is a known fact that exposure to too much ugliness causes nightmares in small children and psychoses in adults. Show me a cute breast any day!
Again, I agree with you, but only up to a point. It’s certainly true that the laws of this country as well as the attitudes of the citizens need to change before nudism becomes more widely accepted by society as a whole. Nudism isn’t about sex at all.
As to your comment on ugly people, not all of us look like or have supermodel-style bodies. Nudism is about being comfortable in your own skin, and not being concerned with what others may think. Most nudists don’t care what you look like on the outside, but how you are as a person.
James
Ken Savage
10/24/2006 at 9:25 pm
Amazing that this is still going on in this weather.
Ken Savage
11/02/2006 at 11:04 pm
hahaha funny
Ken Savage
02/26/2007 at 12:44 am
any nude pics from Maine of New Hampshire?
KEN K
03/17/2007 at 3:20 pm
WHO TOLD US TO WEAR CLOTHES ANYWAY, GOD DID NOT MAKE US UGLY TO LOOK AT, WE DID IT TO OURSELVES BY EATING AND DRINKING ALL THE JUNK WE PUT IN OUR BODIES PLUS NOT EXCERISING. THE BODY IS A BEAUTIFUL THING…BESIDES SEEING ONE PAIR OF BREASTS YOU HAVE SEEN THEM ALL….BIG,MED,LARGE,AND EXTRA LARGE..JUST LIKE PENIS, SMALL MED, LARGE, AND EXTRA LARGE. AND THIS TAKES IN ASSES ALSO. IF PEOPLE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THEIR BODIES LIKE THEY TAKE CAKE OF THEIR CAR WE ALL WOULD LOOK LIKE HALLY BERRY,SHAINA TWAIN,JUST TO MENTION A FEW. SO PEOPLE LETS GET WITH THE PROGRAM GET IN SHAPE AND TELL THE POWERS TO BE WE REFUSE TO WEAR CLOTHES……BESIDES THE FRESH AIR, SUN AND THE BEACH IS BETTER FOR YOU ANYWAY……….
sikandar
03/18/2007 at 10:00 pm
i wish new jersey new york had the same legal nudity in public. it is innocent refreshing not a crime has nothing to do with sex , natural and liberating , i love to go out in the buff i wish.
M
04/16/2007 at 1:49 pm
It’s a beautiful thing.Relaxed,tolerant environments like this are exactly what this repressed,body-phobic society of ours need more of.
Lukas
04/19/2007 at 3:01 pm
While laws like this may be on the books, we in Vermont do not embrace this point of view. Don’t get your hopes up. Public nudity is still frowned on here. No, most of us DO NOT want to be nude.
Kevin
08/21/2009 at 8:08 pm
Maybe since most of you are too unpleasing to the eye as it is with clothes on. Vermonters aren’t exactly the best looking crew. I lived there for seventeen years and have been to many states and none have the same weathered look as Vermonters. Well maybe Maine.
M007
05/05/2007 at 4:28 pm
It’s one thing to be ashamed of your own true physical appearance ;
It’s rediculous to try to force your shame on everyone else.
(The sin was the shame of there bodies….now who’s in the wrong–huh?)
sari
05/13/2007 at 7:08 am
i think it’s cool 2 be naked in some places people who don’t want 2 see naked bodies”don’t go there”
i loved it and i wich if there’r places like this where i live
Kimberley
05/18/2007 at 6:10 am
Awesome! Casual nudity is no big deal..it’s very sensual and lots of fun, but not sexual, so there’s no need to consider it immodest or anything else negative.
James Gegner
05/18/2007 at 2:09 pm
Are there any more photos of the nude girl in the second picture (the one walking through the public park with the two guys standing around her)? I think she’s a cutie!
Jim
06/03/2007 at 8:46 pm
Personally there have been days where I would have like to walk around town naked and be confortable. It should be no big deal. Nudity is not about sex. There have been those who tried to confuse the two. One should be able to wear clothes one day and none the next.
Also if someone is broke they could sell their clothes so they can eat. I would like to find someplace where I could wear nothing and walk around a town and doing everything a clothed person does, including working.
People should not be ashame of their bodies. If someone is lewd and doing lewd acts that is one thing, however if they are behaving themselves just going about their business wearing nothing but a smile I might just join them.
Mikey
06/08/2007 at 9:52 am
I find public nudity refreshing — not because it’s titillating, but because it’s one of the most definitive statements of personal freedom an individual can make in this oppressive society.
This is a society where, not only will Wal-Mart not develop your photo of Baby naked on a bearskin, they’ll report you to the police for taking it in the first place — where nudity equals sex, and sex is always prurient, unhealthy and wicked.
As times become more uncertain, society becomes stricter and more regressive in an attempt to recapture the sense of security it feels it has lost. God damn the bluenose busybodies who hate our freedom, and God damn the spineless lawmakers who consistently sell our freedom for the votes of whoever screams the loudest.
Norman Tahoe
06/15/2007 at 12:36 am
I feel that nudity should be considered just another clothing choice. If anything should be made illegal, why not put an end to those hideous Christmas Sweaters! I do not want my eyes assalted by red and green raindeer!
If anything there should be more nudity. What’s with people and trying to eliminate diversity? People should have more freedoms to experiment with society and culture. The people of Brattleboro should embrace this already established unique characteristic of their town.
I’m a much stronge believer in the idea of people moving into their ideal environment than individuals trying to change the environment they live in to match thar personal ideals. Someone who hates the snow does not try to change the climate of the area, they either move or adapt.
99.9% of the towns in America already made nudity illegal. Why not leave a few places for those who cherish freedom?
aaron palmer
06/18/2007 at 5:26 am
I’m from Brooklyn New York and right now I’m giving those kids in Brattleboro a standing ovation! Too many young people have body image issues nowadays. Maybe going nude will make people less materialistic as far as clothing goes and make them focus their attention on their bodies. That’s what going to nude beaches in Gunnison NJ and Haulover beach in Miami did for me, I’m in the gym at least 3 times a week now. I’ve been to strip clubs here in brooklyn where some ladies walk the floor all night scared to show a nipple. I put those corny strippers in the same categories as the clothed gawkers who walk through the beach, PRUDES! For some reason I can’t explain people with the courage to be naked in public are the coolest people I have ever met.
adilia williams
06/27/2007 at 7:15 pm
Please tell us more about the city and nudity in public places. I would like to hear more from the nudists who are expanding our personal freedom. It should be legal for any one under twelve years of age to be naked in public. And for the older population there should be parks and public spaces set aside for naked recreation. I do object to the open display of pubic hair. All men, women, boys and girls should remove all of their pubic hair if they wish to display their genital in public.
bryan
11/07/2009 at 1:15 pm
AS THE VERMONT CITY OFFICIAL SAID THAT SIMPLE PUBLIC NUDITY IS NOT OBSCENE OR ILLEGAL IN THEIR CITY HOWEVER LEWD SEX IN PUBLIC WILL CERTAINLY GET SOMEONE IN ALOT OF TROUBLE. WE NEED A MILLION PEOPLE NUDE MARCH AND STAND UP FOR OUR FREEDOM THAT SO MANY DIED FOR. IF THE GOVERNMENT DEFINES OUR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM FOR US AND WE ALLOW IT THEN THE CASUALTIES OF WAR WOULD HAVE DIED IN VAIN. THEY DESERVE BETTER. NUDITY IS NOT SEX!!! RECLAIM OUR RIGHTS AND LIFT ALL BANS ON NUDITY IN PUBLIC. TEACH YOU CHILDREN THE PROPER DIFFERENCE SO THEY GROW UP WITHOUT THE HELLISH ISSUES OF THE REPRESSED PERVERTED SOCIETY WE LIVE IN THESE DAYS. GO NAKED FOR FREEDOM SAKE!!!
FJ
07/01/2007 at 11:16 am
Being nude in mixed company on a beach, in a park or in your back yard with other like minded people is very relaxing. You just have to respect each other.
yasir
07/02/2007 at 4:26 am
i think public nudity should be allowed..if somebody is minding own business wats wrong with it…we all will eventually get used to naked bodies.as far as,the issue of ugliness is concerned that is totally ridiculous ..yes but cleanliness needs to addressed in this regard.i would prefer that a nuder must place some piece of clothing on his seat whenever sitting on any public place plus smelly bodies should not be allowed also..i m saying this caz the psychology that i understand behind just being nude is to feel NATURAL and cleanliness is part of NATURE!
Live &let others live
FJ
07/06/2007 at 7:10 pm
July 5, 2007
Boston Herald page 23 under “News in Brief”
“Man’s Nude Dance Earns Arrest – Brattleboro Vermont – A man charged with a sex crime for dancing naked has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was given a one year deferred sentence. Police say the man crossed the line in May when he was seen dancing naked and pulling a piece of clothing between his legs. He pleaned guilty to a misdemeanor.”
This is an example of how something can be ruined for many by the action of one. How can those of us who like to be nude in the outdoors expect to be condoned by non-nudist if behavior such as listed above occurs?
True nudist and naturist do not want to offend anyone (that’s what I believe).
So if you have the right to be nude in public, do in a place like a park of beach – not in a down town and always have a towel with you.
If you are not a nudist then if you have to focus, get closer, or concentrate to determined if someone havs clothes on – then don’t complain.
Ken Savage
07/17/2007 at 11:22 am
So he did a strip tease dance instead of just being nude. Sounds fair to me.
M
07/17/2007 at 2:26 pm
What’s going on in Brattlesboro is wonderful,they’re really showing the world that nudity has a place in mainstream society.Only two types of people can screw this up:Pervs and Prudes.Pervs who want to turn this innocent situation into something sexual or prurient for their’ own enjoyment,and Prudes who think that EVERYONE is a perv,and that this should be banned “for our’ own protection”.If both of those types can find a way to just back off,they’ll never have a problem.
Hawkeye
07/12/2009 at 9:12 pm
Prudes are just Pervs in the closet.
Trevor Johnson
07/18/2007 at 1:38 pm
I heard more news today (July 2007) about more nudity in Vermont (link below). I think the only ones acting mature about this are the teenagers. Youth is very good at seeing hypocrisy and reflecting it back in our faces. Thank goodness we have a limited life span. If you’ll note, it is the older generation that is getting excited and going into hysterics. We’re learning much more about those who are reacting to it than those who are nude. Nudes are in famous art dating back centuries. Yet now, we apparently can no longer deal with our own form. Nude art has been covered up in the Capitals and Churches across this nation. Folks, this is evidence of growing immaturity and regression, not progress. Get a grip. Once you ban the human body, I don’t want to hear anyone boasting anymore about this “free” country. You’ve removed that privilege. There are no two ways about it.
trevor100a@yahoo.com
bryan
11/07/2009 at 1:26 pm
king david danced naked before the ark . god told Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot as a sign to a nation and a king. the whole nation left the land walking naked and barefoot. nudity is not sin either. sexual immorality on the other hand got a couple of cities destroyed by fire so the difference is EXTREAMLY clear. social nudity should be a freedom for everyone and NOT a crime.
John Prodimus
07/19/2007 at 9:24 am
SHOCKING! If God had meant us to be walking around naked, we would have been born that way!
Kelly
07/20/2007 at 1:35 pm
Reply to post#29…We ARE born naked, so with your logic, we should walk naked.
I completely agree with the nudists’ point of view here. So long as no one is acting in a sexual manner, public nudity should be allowed. Why does the law provide a method in which the few who object to stop the actions of the many? It seems that democracy is failing here, whereas the nudists and general public that don’t mind it, are the majority, and the whiners who do object seem to have the voice to the laws. I used to be very self-conscious of my body, and now having been nude a few times in public, I must say that my self esteem has grown. I now exercise more often to increase my build, and I feel happier about my physique.
Nudity, rock on!
Ken Savage
07/20/2007 at 2:09 pm
I have a theory about nudists. It seems to me from what I hear and see on TV is that most are 45+ years old and white that don’t have anything else going on.
Call me wrong but it’s just what I see.
Hawkeye
07/09/2009 at 1:21 pm
Try visiting Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos. You’ll get a very different picture.
Norman Tahoe
07/24/2007 at 2:42 pm
Ken, many statistics do say that nudists are, on average, older — however, I have to question how accurately that portrays the reality of nudists.
That statistic, as I understand it, is derived from people who are registered members of such organizations as the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and the like (There are more, but I cannot remember them at the moment). A lot of younger nudists are not members of such associations for several reasons: cost of membership, being unaware of their existence, not having much personal value to them, not wanting any sort of commitment, etc. Most nudists, however, practice nudity in independently — at home, skinny dipping at a pond, sunbathing in their back yard, going to a nude beach, etc. It’s difficult to really come to an accurate estimate about the average age of nudists.
However, I do feel that many people do not really become involved in nudism until later in life. Young people feel a lot of pressure to fit in, and nudity may not be common among one’s friends. People who have advanced in age tend to begin feeling less afraid of what others think, and begin to act more in line with what they feel to be good and true. This is not universal among all older ones, but it can be common enough to be a factor.
Another reason many nudist may be older is because they joined when they were younger — when the world was in an age of innocence. I don’t think (and this is mere speculation) that sexuality was a big of a concern in the 1940’s and 50’s — as it was not prominently seen in public society. Many people today may be more concerned about sex because it is perceived as being, perhaps, more prevalent than it really is — with it being featured in movies, tv shows, music, in advertising, on talk shows, in the news, on the internet, etc. However, sex is a part of life — not all encompassing, but merely a part. I don’t think that people, on average, is really having sex too much more frequently than they have in the past, but the perception of it has changed. Some people, out of fear of ruining their reputation, avoid things they may consider iffy.
Some people also seem to have the belief that without clothing there would be nothing to control human behavior — assuming clothing has some magical effect that inhibits otherwise uncontrollable “animal instincts.” That line of thinking, however, is utterly ridiculous as nudists are NOT more prone to losing self control — in fact, I believe the opposite effect occurs (greater ability to cope with the human body.)
Zaman
08/25/2007 at 1:44 am
Who would like his mother, wife and sister nude on the street? Wud you like hundreds of elephantine girls walking around nude, most girls are large, very few sexy girls seen around. Think, clothing is essential.
ann
11/14/2009 at 11:23 pm
The point isn’t to be sexy. That’s what you have porn for, which you can look at in your own free time. The people that walk around nude and don’t bother anyone certainly have a right to it. The world has become so touchy when it comes to anything having to do with nudity. There’s a huge difference between nudity and sex. As most people know, the word “SEXY” -if you look in a dictionary- means, “to have sex appeal” or “to be sexually exciting”. True nudists don’t walk around trying to seduce people. They aren’t trying to be “sexy”. It’s almost like telling someone they can’t wear something they really like. Everyone is born naked. If God didn’t want it that way, then we would have been born with clothing. Personally, I think if someone wants to walk around nude, they shouldbe allowed to do so as long as they aren’t doing any lewd sexual acts out in public. If you don’t want to see someone naked, you have the ability to look away. There’s nothing saying you HAVE to look! Everyone gets so up tight about being offended! If you minded your own business, you wouldn’t be offended. If you were a little more open minded, you wouldn’t be offended.
CITIZEN
09/09/2007 at 3:03 am
world is gradually marching to a nude culture and gradually it will be turned into nude village . but this nudity should be treated as eco friendly measure–not as a revealation of desire of sex—– the brain programming has to be changed –for such behavioural change ,there is urgent need of EDUCATION for all –the intellectuals among nudist /naturist have to propagate through acceptable / convincing argument – that NUDITY can bring peace /tranquility divinity/and eliminate suffering – and aim at prosperity and growth of mankind
Caitlin
09/25/2007 at 6:04 pm
I don’t agree with most of you all, how can you walk your child around these place.I personally live in this town and feel it should be banned!!!!!!….IT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!im writing a essay right now in school on y it should be banned if you lived here too you would feel the same way!!!!! Nudity will be banned very shortly!!!!! SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alexis
10/13/2007 at 6:57 am
We see nothing wrong with it at all. We moved out of the city and into the country in the middle of 45 acres so us and all our kids could enjoy living completely naked. It is quite nice to walk out your front door naked and not worry about it. Why bother buying, wearing and washing clothes when you can go naked for free.
North Texas Nudist
tim
01/23/2008 at 1:21 am
wow where did you move to I won’t to move there
Christopher (AANR) + (TNS)
10/20/2007 at 11:37 pm
Hi all you naturist and freedom fighters out there, I am a lifelong nudist and believe that all towns and cities in America should have a designated building and land usage for all people and families that like the cloths free lifestyle. Example, your local YMCA or YWCA could have one day a week for singles, couples and families to participate together in swimming, running, vollyball, tennis or just relaxing and reading while there. Also a town could make a fenced off area set aside in the park (from clothed people that might be offended) to offer sunbathing, bike riding, swimming, skate boarding or roller blading in the nude. You could even take your dog for a nude walk together- but bring the pooper scooper! It could even be monitored by a police officer to make everybody feel safe. This would bring peace to all.
Hawkeye
07/09/2009 at 2:52 pm
Collins Beach on Sauvie Island, and Rooster Rock state park in Oregon are two examples of parks with designated nude areas. The right to be nude in public is part of the Oregon constitution, and has been this way for many decades. Almost nobody exercises this right outside of officially designated nude-zones, however. Except in the city of Eugene, where young women are sometimes seen topless.
Even in Portland, one occasionally sees a woman breast feeding in public, however. Most who do are discrete, and unless you are very close, you won’t know they are nursing. But these women are specifically protected by Oregon law, and cities may not ban public breast feeding.
Problem is, most folks are ignorant of the laws protecting public nudity (including some law enforcement personnel), so it is still very rare. Occasionally you hear on the news about some young girl who peels off her top on a hot day, but who is asked to put it back on by a police officer. With that kind of intimidation, most folks won’t stand up for their legally protected rights, even if the law is on their side. Law enforcement knows how to use FUD to bluff their way. That is how they get people to waive their Fourth Amendment rights during routine traffic stops, and perform most vehicle searches (the State of Washington is notorious for this kind of abuse).
I think, in the end, it is less about what the law allows than what society expects. Oh, you’ll get the occasional young person testing the limits, as we see in this article, but it is a novelty to them. It’ll get the prudes in a tizzy, which will delight the teens. But in the end, not much has changed. So long as we maintain our prudish (and immature) outlook on nudity, this kind of foolishness will continue, mocking freedom all the way.
bryan
11/07/2009 at 1:40 pm
police officers that protect nude areas and events should be allowed to patrol in the nude with an arm band for a badge so nude people would feel more comfortable with the presence of police . it would give officers an understanding of the freedom the are there to protect.
James Gegner
10/24/2007 at 12:48 pm
In response to Caitlin who lives in Brattleboro, public nudity already is illegal in most places in the United States. It’s called indecent exposure. Even though I myself am not a nudist, I agree with most of the people here who believe that a person’s decision to not wear clothes should be a matter of personal preference and neither the government’s nor anyone else’s business.
In addition, studies have been done that show that children who are exposed to nudity at a young age or who are raised in nudist families actually grow up to be more well-adjusted than children who aren’t. Also, more and more people are trying the nudist lifestyle, and the nude recreation industry is now a $400 million a year business, according to the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR).
Jen
11/27/2007 at 2:01 pm
“#13
Lukas Says:
April 19th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
While laws like this may be on the books, we in Vermont do not embrace this point of view. Don’t get your hopes up. Public nudity is still frowned on here. No, most of us DO NOT want to be nude.”
I know this was a while ago but I just hate it when people talk for large groups. I’m from Vermont and I embrace so let’s start getting those hopes up people!
Chem
12/10/2007 at 10:50 pm
I like naked girls as much as the next guy. But the problem here is not that someone will be inconvenienced by having to see someone naked. The problem is that it creates a situation the encourages much more serious crimes.
Hawkeye
07/13/2009 at 2:20 pm
A lot of folks take this view, but it is simply not supported by the facts. Sex crimes are not greater on nude beaches, at nudist resorts, or in societies where mix-gender social nudity occurs. In fact, the opposite is true. Social nudity is commonplace in present day Germany, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Greece, some Caribbean nations, for example, yet in these countries the reported cases of rape (and actual rape convictions) are low (much lower than the US). Murder and violence is also less of a problem. Now, and throughout history, sex (and violent) crimes are highest in prudish societies. The US has about the worst sex and violent crime rates of the first world countries.
A couple of studies report that the upbringing of sex offenders is usually sexually repressive, that they often have an overtly religious background and hold rigid conservative attitudes toward sexuality (Conyers & Harvey, 1996; Dougher, 1988). It is interesting to note that within three months of coming to power, Hitler outlawed public nudity in Germany. Other tyrants like Mao, Stalin and Pol Pot where also prudes, repressing the traditional social nudity which had been in their societies. Under each of these four “men,” public nudity was violently repressed, rape and genocide became commonplace, and rape was often sanctioned by the state (e.g. many Jewish women were forced into prostitution).
In general, throughout history, native peoples who practiced social nudity were almost always described as peaceful (one reason why tyrants were easily able to enslave and exploit them).
Even in mythology, social nudity was the norm in the Garden of Eden, where everything was peaceful. God never told them to cover up. That was man’s idea. Only after man was cast out and started wearing clothes did crimes like murder and rape debut.
Gargansarian
01/13/2010 at 5:00 am
A couple of points:
When the communists took over in East Germany, they banned public nudity, associating it with the Nazi party – which seems to conflict with Hitler banning it. But the people refused to accept this, so it was adopted as a point of difference from the West (which was now also swinging into more modest mode). Since reunification, some attempts have been made to get East Germans to cover up: beaches are divided into clothed and unclothed areas – but the people are just ignoring the signs.
W.r.t the Garden of Eden: with only two inhabitants, the opportunity for rape and murder was somewhat limited, so we mustn’t read to much into their absence..
James Gegner
12/12/2007 at 2:15 am
40
Chem Says:
December 10th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
I like naked girls as much as the next guy. But the problem here is not that someone will be inconvenienced by having to see someone naked. The problem is that it creates a situation the encourages much more serious crimes.
Chem,
That’s true to a certain extent because there will probably always be a few rotten apples in the basket who want to spoil it for everyone, but this alone should not be enough to ban public nudity entirely.
I do agree with you that I also like to see naked women as much as the next guy, but banning public nudity solely on the basis of the argument that “it creates a situation that encourages much more serious crimes” is simply not convincing enough, IMO.
As I see it, this issue isn’t even about whether simply being naked in public leads to more serious sex-related crimes at all. To me it’s about whether or not a community
has the right to ban a particular behavior simply on the basis that a small group of individuals somehow has the right to decide for everyone else what is and what is not acceptable because they’re somehow offended by the behavior in question.
Just my two cents worth.
James
Bjørn
12/12/2007 at 3:54 am
“The problem is that it creates a situation the encourages much more serious crimes.”, writes Chern.
Well, according to the same logic, wearing clothes should also be forbidden. If noone wore clothes, it would be far more difficult to shoplift. It would also be more difficult to get guns unnoticed into a bank to rob it. And it would be terribly difficult to smuggle weapons into airplanes to hijack them.
On balance, I believe wearing clothes creates more dangerous situations than being nude. Luckily for people who insist on wearing clothes all the time, nudists will not ban clothing any time soon…
M
12/17/2007 at 12:00 am
Are these kids crazy?A relaxed and civilised attitude toward the human body in a society leads to less violent and sex-related crimes,less incest,bad perversions,infidelities.All this has been proven!Isn’t downtown Brattlesboro boring enough?What are they thinking?!?
Chem
12/20/2007 at 2:14 am
M, you’re mostly right. A relaxed and civilized attitude in general leads to a lower number of sex crimes. However, it looks to me like people are just using this for an opportunity to go streaking.
M
12/21/2007 at 1:50 pm
Streaking is one of many things that loses it’s power to shock and titilate in a relaxed and non-puritanical society.By all means,get yer streak on!In Brattlesboro,they’re proving it wont kill a person!
James Gegner
12/27/2007 at 2:19 am
I just read on the message board of the site Naked in Brattleboro, Vermont that on December 4, 2007, the Brattleboro Selectboard passed, by a 4-1 vote, an anti-nudity ordinance that effectively prohibits both skinny dipping and nude sunbathing within the city limits of Brattleboro. Violators would be subject to a $100 fine. Brattleboro is now the eighth city in Vermont to ban public nudity.
This sucks. Yet another piece of personal freedom goes down the drain, thanks to a few loud whiners crying over spilled milk.
James
Lord Ramage
04/30/2009 at 7:35 pm
All trouble starts with an honest, concerned citizen starting a movement to BAN something he or she doesn’t like, is afraid of, or annoyed at. We did that once already: We BANNED ALCOHOL! And we all know how THAT turned out. DUMB IDEA!
Let’s NOT ban things except for true crime. Yeah, make CRIME illegal… Hmm! Oh, We DID that, didn’t work, did it?
Seeing a naked teenage girl is not going to ruin a child for life. If THAT was true Hugh Hefner would have been banned long ago. And if someone doesn’t LIKE it guess what: DON’T LOOK!
Your freedom to swing your fist ENDS at the bridge of my nose. My freedom to BAN things I don’t like, ends with your list of favorite things to do. Hitler banned Jews, and that ended up with MILLIONS of innocents dead worldwide.
Tell you what…let’s NOT ban Anything, let’s just try teaching the kids COMMON SENSE instead. Hmmm? Why in HECK did they name it COMMON sense??????? Think about that instead…
Besides, all those Evil Hippies that hung out in the 60’s… OH! US! Yeah, and we turned out pretty good, even if our parents DID want to BAN Free Love, long hair and Rock and Roll on us…
If you remember the 60’s. you weren’t there… Here is an idea: Let’s NOT be like our own parents and do to OUR kids what ours did to us. Try it! you’ll LIKE it.
Mr Logical
06/01/2009 at 9:05 am
You people want to talk about fair? What about the majority of people (and I will even go as far as to say a vast majority) who oppose this? What about being fair to them? I myself and not offended by nudity at all and could care less either way. But knowing that 99 out of 100 people are offended by this I would have respect enough for these people not to do it. If you really want to do whats fair, how about having a nationwide vote on the subject. Letting the entire population speak is fair right? Sorry but you would lose by a large margin. Again, I am speaking from an unbiased viewpoint but thinking logically about how we should all be acting around each other. And a few of you who spoke about the pervs and prudes, sorry but those catagories include most of the AMeriocan population whether you like it or not. That is just the reality, deal with it.
Hawkeye
07/10/2009 at 3:26 pm
“how about having a nationwide vote on the subject. Letting the entire population speak is fair right? Sorry but you would lose by a large margin.”
Not necessarily so. Most national surveys show that more than half the US population have partaken in some kind of mixed-gender social nudity (e.g. skinny-dipping) at least once in their lives, and three quarters favor setting aside designated areas for social nudity. Given such national trends, it is unlikely that said referendum would “lose by a large margin.” It might not even lose at all, depending on how it was worded. Probably certain parts of the country (e.g. The Bible Belt) would be resoundly opposed, but other areas (e.g. West Coast) would be highly in favor. And no doubt there would be a lot of fear mongering from those who are irrationally afraid of the sight of a naked body.
bryan
11/07/2009 at 2:00 pm
Well now i live in Missouri the buckle of the bible belt and yes this is SUPER PRUDES FORTRESS OF REPRESSION not to mention one of the highest sex crime rates of all time. However I agree with public nudity because it strips away peoples false images of self and shows them who they are on the inside. Most people, that 99% , can’t handle having their true self exposed. Like I said , King David danced naked before the ark and that was a VERY public event.
Bjørn
06/02/2009 at 1:38 am
Mr. Logical: This is an interesting line of argument. In a democracy, should the majority be allowed to restrict other people’s freedoms, based on “being offended”?
It is not obvious that it should be so. Others would argue that “being offended” is a personal matter, which should not be brought into the discussion about what should be legal and illegal in a society.
Personally, I would (and do) argue strongly that things I find offensive should nevertheless be allowed. For instance, there are people in my country who hold marches saying that gays should not be allowed to marry. Their slogans are offensive to me, but I think they should be allowed. (But at the same time I do, of course, support gay marriage, which is legal here.)
So: is there any basis for outlawing nudity except that some people might choose to be “offended” by it?
M
06/02/2009 at 3:45 am
Everyone-EVERYONE-is offended by SOMETHING! There is NO SUCH A THING as a society wherin NO PERSON is EVER offended.
Mr Logical: 99 out of 100? That statistic is INSANE! I’m in a generous mood,so I’ll grant that,just maybe,25-35% of mainstream American society is genuinely offended by full nudity.If you take a ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ poll,just a strictly ‘yes’ or ‘no’,you’ll pull in about 80% who will vote ‘no’,even though most of them aren’t actually OFFENDED,they just don’t personally care for it. 20% WILL GO WITH ‘YES’,let the kids do it if it makes ‘em happy,even if it isn’t THEIR cup of tea. If your going to disrespect 20%,keep something in mind…the population of African-descended,or black,people in this country is about…20%! Should we ignore THEM,too? Should there be no blacks in downtown Brattlesburo on the chance it might offend someone?
Tom Terrific
06/07/2009 at 5:12 am
It is encouraging to see so much passion over this issue.
I am in heartfelt agreement with the proposition that there is nothing wrong with nudity, that there is nothing inherently sexual or shameful about nudity, and that taboos of this nature are artificial and tend to create psychological and social problems.
That being said …
There is a fundamental tension involved whenever people resolve to live in community with one another. The clearest examples may be the criminal laws, e.g., if we’re going to live in the same area, then you mustn’t steal from me — and you agree to accept whatever punishment the law prescribes if you do. Laws concerning property transfer, taxes and the settlement of personal disputes are additional examples.
Not so clear, perhaps, are prohibitions against behavior that lis likely to cause public uproar, or “disturb the peace.” Human beings are not robots; we have emotions, and emotions are good things to have. Nevertheless, they sometimes lead to problems. Take, for example, the freedom to wear the color red. If you lived in a community which, for whatever reason, had a huge taboo against wearing the color red, would it be prudent to stand on your “natural right” to wear the color red? Would the community be justified in banning the wearing of the color red?
“Natural rights” are surrendered when people decide to come out of the “state of nature” and live in community. A wise society will seek to preserve as many natural rights as possible; but the rights that exist within a society are political rights, not natural rights. This may not sound like what you were taught in high school; but it is so. “Life,” “Liberty,” and “the Pursuit of Happiness,” may be invaded by the government, given sufficient cause. They are no longer absolute; they are tentative.
The real question regarding public nudity isn’t whether or not people have a natural right to it — of course, they do — but whether it is wiser for the law to preserve that right or to invade it. In such an analysis, competing interests must be weighed, e.g., how much of a sacrifice is being asked of the average citizen by banning public nudity vs. how much of a public uproar would be caused by not banning it. When looked at in that light, it’s easy to defend such a ban.
The law frequently tries to characterize mere nudity as sexual or “indecent,” inferring some sort of moral depravity attends it; and this is stupid. But it is also easier for legislators to take this route than to cite the actual justification, which most people probably wouldn’t grasp, anyway (including themselves). The simple fact is that a significant number of people are perceived to be threatened by public nudity, and this feeling of being threatened is a legitimate basis for the prohibition *unless* the countervaling interest — the “natural right” — outweighs it. This is the decision the law must make.
It may be asked, “Well, does this mean everything that offends someone can justificably be prohibited?” If you’re asking this question, you haven’t read what I’ve written carefully enough. There is a balancing test involved. Competing interests must be weighed against one another.
Take, for example, the American Nazi Party petitioning to march through the Jewish neighborhood of Skokie, Illinois. The local authorities prohibited it, for reasons which should be clear. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the American Nazi Party must not be discriminated against — not because “everybody has a right to march,” but because what they wanted to do was “political speech,” and unrestricted political speech is arguably the most important form of expression there is for purposes of preserving freedom. The Court weighed the horrible offensiveness of what they wanted to do against the freedom to express political opinion in a public place, and found the freedom to express political opinion more important.
Public nudity, however, is a different matter. While it could be political, in the right context, it’s basically a personal activity engaged in for private reasons. That makes it much easier to justify its prohibition.
Do I think people who want to ban public nudity are morally superior? No. Do I think they are right when they say that public nudity is “wrong”? No. Do I think they are wise to encourage its prohibition? It depends. I heartily and steadfastly reject the right, or assumed privilege, of those who wish to impose their values on their neighbors; such behavior is reprehensible and despicable. But some people are so frightened of nudity, and sex — which, in their eyes, is inseparable from nudity — that allowing public nudity would be like gasoline on a fire. And for any society to do that would be stupid and suicidal.
If we want to live with our neighbors, we must live with their faults and shortcomings as well. This may mean mowing our yard regularly, submitting to zoning restrictions and even wearing clothes out of doors. Will I be glad when we all have the freedom to be naked in public? Certainly. I’ll be glad when mere nudity is no longer automatically associated with sex — when, when you meet someone on the street, whether they are wearing clothes or not is something you hardly notice, or don’t notice at all. That day will come. Until then, we must put up with some degree of restriction, to keep our neighbors from going nuts. It’s a price we pay for the benefits of living in community.
Hawkeye
07/13/2009 at 4:54 pm
The arguments against public nudity are generally either: 1) It will offend somebody, or 2) will lead to “more serious crime.” I have already deconstructed #2 above and shown it to be false. As for #1, the “offensiveness” of pubic nudity is no more offensive than the American Nazi Party incident you cite; it is only a matter of perspective whether or not one is offended.
The fundamental question is does your right not to be offended trump my right to behave in a natural manner? While the question may be debatable, one must consider that in virtually all instances, taking offense to something is a learned behavior, and what is learned can be unlearned. Not many decades ago in the USA, many people were offended if blacks rode in the front of the bus, used the same public drinking fountains or restrooms as whites, etc. We even had laws enforcing such segregation. While race relations are still far from ideal, far fewer people are offended by integration now.
The whole notion of what we call “nudity” is very subjective anyhow. A woman wearing a bikini is not naked, whereas a woman wearing a long skirt but no shirt is (even though she is covering far more of her body than the former). An otherwise fully clothed woman with her shirt unbuttoned and breast-feeding is “showing nakedness” (even though the bikini woman may be showing far more of her body and/or breasts). And why is it okay to show any part of the female breast except the areola? Clearly these are arbitrary notions and standards; learned behavior.
Up until about the 1990’s, it was considered perfectly acceptable for pre-pubescent girls to go topless. That is no longer the case in the US. It seems so ridiculous to me to see girls five years of age wearing a bikini style swimsuit. When i was growing up, we never saw such a thing. Those girls would have been dressed just like the boys: wearing swimming trunks and nothing else. I wonder how long it will take before we start seeing pink bras on infant girls? Can’t let folks see female areolae, don’t you know?!
In the first third of the 20th century, a man walking around without a shirt in the US was considered naked and subject to arrest. Only after a mass revolt one hot summer did the standards change, and men without shirts were no longer “naked.” So what was considered offensive early in the century subsequently became socially acceptable. The only thing which changed was social attitudes (i.e. learned behavior).
To my mind, we need to protect only the right of those people who take offense to something like social nudity to unlearn their prudish behavior. Society (and its laws) should not be catering to nor coddling their foibles. Those taboos need to go the way of segregation; we need to expunge this kind of thinking from our society.
Martha
07/15/2009 at 3:39 pm
I came across this after seeing some more recent articles about public nudity. Trend seems to be growing. Good discussion so I wanted to chime in. I wouldn’t have said this when I was younger and uncomfortable about my body. Now that I am older I see it differently. It is a natural and healthy expression and should be shared and enjoyed while you have it. I think it is wonderful these teens are comfortable enough with themselves to undress as nature intended and allow others to enjoy their presence. If I had as beautiful a body as these teens when I was young and the confidence I have now, I would have gladly undressed like a flower and soaked in the sunshine of admiring eyes during my short presence here on earth. These teens are allowing themselves the joy and bringing joy and the pleasure of their beauty to others while they have it to give. Sex as also a beautiful and natural expression so it is sad that it too cannot be openly enjoyed in the same way by participants and nature lovers alike. Beautiful, healthy, young bodies in the act of natural sex in our gardens and parks would be a wonderful thing to see and enjoy.
Barbara
07/24/2009 at 11:31 am
It is about time teens are comfortable and no lot ashamed of their bodies. Any nudist will tell you that there is no better way to ensure this than walking around naked. Interacting with people and having normal conversations while they are naked is brave and I support their right to do this and enjoy it any way they please. We all need to stop judging each other by our bodies and look each other in the eye and at what’s inside.
Barb
Christi
11/09/2009 at 1:58 pm
Going naked feels great. When we come home from going any where the first thing we do when we walk in the door is to strip down and go naked. We are mostly home bodies on he weekends and it just does not make sense to dress to go no where. We wake, shower and go naked all weekend and since we live way out in the country we also can go naked outdoors. It is quite nice to be able to walk out the front door of your home completely naked and not care or worry about it and we dress for no one. UPS, FedEx and other delivery people have never had an issue with it and see it simply as the way we enjoy living. We should not be forced by law to wear clothing is we choose not to and if it is going to be that way special dwelling places should be set aside for those of us who choose to go naked. I would love to be able to run out in the summer naked and do my weekly shopping or to just run up to the corner store for smokes and beer.
Hawkeye
11/10/2009 at 9:31 am
Ever hear of the naked town of Cap d’Agde? Folks go to the post office, shops, banks, gas stations, restaurants and bars in the nude.
Christi
11/10/2009 at 2:49 pm
Yes Hawkeye,
We have heard of the famous naked city Cap d’Agde and if times were not so different then before 911 we would love to go but because of our kids we enjoy the freedom we have living out in the country. We are in the middle of 45 acres of our own land with a huge pond to swim in plus a swimming pool, sun deck and many other things to enhance naked living such as a hot and cold running outdoor shower. I just wish the simple life could be enjoyed in public here in the USA. We are in North Central Texas and it does get quite hot in the summers. When I go out in public during hot weather short shorts, a bikini top and flip flops are not much body covering but it is still not the same comfort as being completely naked. A group of Dr. wrote a book a few years back called “Dressed To Kill” It was about how unhealthy it is for us to be wearing clothes and the effects of underwear, bras and tight fitting clothing.
Hawkeye
11/10/2009 at 10:50 pm
It’s certainly nice you have such a large spread and are able to enjoy it as you see fit. I live in the city and, while it would be technically legal for me to be naked in my backyard, it would put the neighbors in quite a tizzy. Better for me to just find a nice naturist club to move to rather than agitate the neighbors and put up with that grief. It’s all so artificial, getting upset over someone else’s nudity. Children are born nudists and have to be taught shame; they reflect the truth that humans came into existence nude (whether you believe in Genesis or evolution), and we all lived happily naked until we adopted a most unhealthy shame of our bodies.
Yes, i know about “Dressed to Kill.” Wearing a bra all the time increases a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer by something like a factor of 200:1 (i.e. 20,000%). It all makes sense when you think about it: Breast cancer is a cancer of the lymph nodes. The lymphatic system, the body’s other circulatory system, is responsible for draining toxins from the body. Unlike the cardiovascular system, it has no central pump. The lymphatic system depends on body movement for its pumping action. It is also near the skin, since it excretes its toxins via sweat glands, so the slightest pressure on the skin (e.g. from an elastic band) will constrict its flow. Bras are a double whammy because they not only employ tightly fitting bands which severely constrict lymphatic flow, they also immobilize the breasts, the natural bounce and sway of which would create a substantial lymphatic pumping action. As if that weren’t enough, most women wear antiperspirants under their arms, which plug up the majority of the sweat glands around the breasts. The end result is that toxins build up in the lymph nodes of the breasts.
By going naked, or at least topless, and using deodorants instead of antiperspirants, a woman substantially decreases her risk of breast cancer. The breasts are moving freely, swaying, bouncing and jiggling as nature intended, pumping the toxins out, and her skin is receiving sunlight and converting cholesterol into vitamin D, all of which will help to prevent cancer.
So stay naked, and stay healthy!
Christi
11/11/2009 at 4:56 pm
Hawkeye,
That is one of the reasons we left the city. We had a private backyard with an 8 foot board over board privacy fence and all the homes in the area were one story homes so no problem going naked in our backyard. One weekend we were having a BBQ and pool party and everyone of course was naked and enjoying them selfs. Some new neighbors had moved in with kids who could hear all the noise of the party and people splashing in the pool and climbed a tree in the alley to see what was going on. Upon seeing everyone naked they went and told their parents who called the police. Upon arrival and inspection and seeing we were in a completely private backyard and finding out the kids had climbed the tree they issued citations to all of them for being peaking toms which did not go over well with the parents. In court and judge enforced the fines and said we were within our rights to be naked in our private backyard. The family moved and of course the story was out we were nudist and we met many other nudist in the area because of it. Then there were the busy bodies who all wanted to gossip so we said lets just go where we will not have to worry and here we are out in the country and loving it.
As for the book and after reading it all my bras and underwear went to the trash and now I look and feel much better. If a woman is worried about sagging that is taken care of with good exercising and as for sweating it has become very light. Also flip flops have taken the place of enclosed shoes and at the end of the day my feet are not tired or cramped.
If more people would try loosing their clothing for one weekend at home I think they would be hooked.
Hawkeye
11/16/2009 at 3:17 am
Christi,
Your anecdote about the peeking toms is so funny! LOL! I daresay those kids were kinda stupid. When i was a kid, if i had climbed a tree and found the neighbors partying naked, well that would have been like hitting a vein of gold (we didn’t have the InterNet in those days). I would have staked a claim to that tree, and sworn anyone who knew about it to secrecy. I doubt my parents would have called the police had they known, but the tree would have been made off-limits to me.
Our social taboo on nudity only serves to inflame a curiosity in young minds, and provoke asocial behavior in adults (e.g. righteous indignation, leering, gossip, etc.) Children brought up in a nudist environment are some of the best adjusted and least neurotic. And nudist parents don’t usually suffer angst over talking to their children about “the birds and the bees.”
I think you’re right that if folks would only try losing their clothes for a weekend, they’d get hooked. That’s what happened to me. In my early twenties i learned, quite by accident, that one of our local parks had a designated clothing optional zone. That sparked my voyeuristic curiosity. But i told myself: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when i got to the nude beach, i walked its length, found a sparsely occupied area, and stripped. I think i was naked for only five or ten minutes when i had decided i’d had enough “sun” for one day. But i was back the next weekend, and spent several hours this time. I was hooked. I had no idea how wonderful it would feel to have the sun and the wind caress all of my body. Nor how freeing and joyful being nude outdoors was. It didn’t take long to lose all the inhibitions which had been instilled in me my entire life. I felt perfectly comfortable being nude in a mixed-gender public environment, and enjoyed socializing with others who felt the same. I quickly realized how silly and artificial those inhibitions were; i had no more use for them. Over the years since then, i introduced many people to social nudism. All, except for one, embraced it and became hooked. Many, perhaps most, were curious, but none ever expected to become hooked.
I think it just comes down to this: There is nothing in the world more natural than being naked. We are all born that way. We have to be taught to feel shameful of our nakedness. And that shame is an invisible burden. Once lifted, we see just how contrived it really is, and few of us are willing to put its shackles on ever again.
The downside of this emancipation is the realization of just how truly insane our society is. We may even begin to realize just how dangerous that madness can be. I could only shake my head in disbelief over the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” debacle. It is chilling that grown people could become so upset and work themselves into a tizzy over that. Truly scary.
As for the fear of sagging, the irony is that wearing bras will actually accelerate it, not slow it. The breast has a built-in support structure which exercise and movement strengthens, but external immobilization (e.g. wearing a bra) will weaken. So wearing a bra is not unlike wearing a cast or sling, which leads to atrophied muscles. After a cast comes off, one needs to exercise to strengthen their muscles.
Some women complain that “they are too large” and their breasts hurt when they take their bras off; they can’t imagine going braless all the time. But this pain is usually the result of an atrophied breast. Their bras are actually the cause of the pain! If they begin to go braless and build back up their internal support structure, their pain will go away in time.
I know a middle-aged – and very busty – woman who has the unusual habit of running a few miles buck naked each morning. When she runs, her breasts are bouncing all over the place. She says they never hurt, neither while she runs, nor at any other time. She never wears a bra, yet her figure is still very fit and nice. Conventional thinking would have her nipples knocking against her knees by now, or dragging on the ground. Of course “conventional thinking” says one should be ashamed of their nakedness too.
Nature Lover
08/24/2009 at 9:09 am
Nudity is on the increase and it has many advantages such as these below:
1. The body will be less prone to diseases if exposed to sunlight on the bare body as the skin will produce Vitamin D3 which is a miracle healer and heals most incurable diseases such as Asthma, Heart Disease, Eczema, impotency, Skin diseases, bladder and genital infections.
2. There will be less need for clothing and washing thereof which would help with reduction of carbon emissions and global warming.
3. People will have the opporunity of feeling free and one with God and Nature.
4. People who have never gone nude in public should try this in their backyard first and then comment as I have
Hawkeye
08/24/2009 at 3:06 pm
Did you know that the process of sunshine hitting the skin producing vitamin D is actually converting cholesterol into vitamin D? So you can add “helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels” to your list!
Hawkeye
08/24/2009 at 3:09 pm
Oh, and i forgot: Vitamin D has been shown to help prevent many cancers, including melanoma.
bryan
11/07/2009 at 2:24 pm
It’s true about the healthy benefits nudity. I have been a nudist all my life. I go nude and barefoot in almost any weather and I don’t get sick EVER! A sheltered person is a vulnerable person. I don’t catch colds or flu. I no longer suffer with asthma. Swine flu didn’t come near me. I recommend nudity as a way to prevent sickness. It really does work. I’m the only nudist in my family and the only one with immunities like this. Try going nude in colder temps for as long as you can stand it. Two or three times a day of 10-20 minutes nude will start to build your immune system up. If you try this for a few months and it seems to work for you then please let me know.
Hawkeye
11/09/2009 at 7:21 am
Yep, Vitamin D is a great immune system booster.
I once went to a nude beach in March. The day was chilly, the wind was blowing strongly. The kind of day to make you zip-up your jacket. The beach was deserted. Despite the cold, i decided to strip off my clothing. To my surprise, i was warm when totally naked. I walked around in complete comfort for about a half hour. Only when i put my clothes back on did i feel cold once again. It defied my expectations. Then again, you have to realize that humans started out naked; clothing is a relatively recent invention.
Christi
11/11/2009 at 4:59 pm
Bryan,
Your words are so true and the younger you start going naked the less you will get ill. Mankind is destroying its self with clothing and shoes.
Martha
08/25/2009 at 12:15 pm
I hadn’t though about the health factor in nudity. This certainly adds more reason to encourage and support these teens to roam naked, not repress them. It helps them learn to be comfortable with themselves and enjoy their bodies. Onlookers can enjoy their bodies too while they learn so everybody wins. I believe that healthy habits need to be instilled early and practiced often to ensure they stick. The teen years are so important for establishing healthy habits of the body.
.
martheb123@yahoo.com.
Ken Savage
08/27/2009 at 12:07 am
Creepy!
Hawkeye
08/27/2009 at 12:32 am
Creepy? Which part? Being healthy, looking good, or having self-confidence?
bryan
11/07/2009 at 2:54 pm
I was a public nudist as a teen . I went to grocery stores ,convenience stores. arcades, friends houses, always naked and barefoot. I never got in trouble for it. Even a city police officer saw me and kept rolling. At age 15 I kept all body hair (which wasn’t much)shaved off and that made me look 9 or 10 years old. No one ever seemed to care that a naked boy was in the checkout line buying snacks and stuff. Life was heavenly back then. I was never harassed by pervs or prudes or police. I stopped wearing clothes anywhere exept at school. So I was a teen public nudist and I’m not at all ashamed about it. Vermont teens keep up the public nudity and be proud of it!!
M
11/21/2009 at 7:53 am
When I first started contributing to this conversation,in April of 2007,the LAST thing I ever thought I could contribute was a report from the actual scene of the “crime”,but guess what? I was in Brattleboro last July!!! A friend of about 2 years asked me if I wanted to tag along with her to her best friend’s house for a visit,we would stay for the weekend. The friend lived about 5 hours from us,in Vermont(were in PA.).Sure enough,this friend and her family lived right outside Brattleboro! I couldn’t believe the serendipity!
Needless to say,while chatting in the living room on the second night of our 3 night stay,I brought up the nekkid teen controversy. The opinons they expressed were,they told me,typical of the locals.
“It wasent a damn controversy untill the media and CNN and Dr. Phil and everybody started making a big deal out of it! That was going on for a while and NOBODY CARED! All of a sudden,the media turned it into a circus!” They went on to say that they felt bad about the enacting of the law because of an older gentleman-a local retiree-who likes riding his bike nude in the horrifically brief summer.The LOCALS never had a problem with him,but the new anti-nudity ordinance meant that he couldn’t ride his bike within city limits anymore if he wasen’t wearing anything. They felt bad for the old codger and they resented the media for making a national frenzy out of something that the locals just shrugged off.
The people I’m talking about here(man and wife,mid-30s,16 yo daughter,9 yo son) are NOT nudists! In fact,my wonderful hosts took us all to a lake in New Hampshire the next day,and mother and daughter wore the most UNFLATTERING and ULTRA-COVERING bathing suits you’ve ever seen! They’re NOT into it,but they had NO PROB with anyone who WAS. Sounds to me like it was perfect harmony ’till it exploded in the media,and people who had NEVER BEEN THERE started formulating opinions(I was one,granted). According to life-long Brattlesboro residents,everything was fine until the rest of the country who had never been there started having an opinion.