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MystrD's avatar

People really are indifferent to nudity. I can’t help feeling that the only people perpetuating the idea that nudity isn’t generally accepted are nudists themselves.

I swim naked at a regular beach most days. Yesterday the beach was crowded, the tide was right out so I had to walk quite a few meters to get in and out of the water.

There was a time when this would have put me off. What I’ve come to realise is that people don’t actually care.

They either choose not to see me or totally ignore the fact that I’m clearly naked in very plain sight.

I can’t help feeling that the naturist dialogue over the last decade or more hasn’t really progressed beyond fear mongering and wishful thinking.

As I’ve probably said many times before. It’s not everyone else that needs to change their perceptions of nudity. It’s naturists and nudists themselves that need to reset their perspective.

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Eric Darwin's avatar

I go to a resort in the Caribbean with a long naturist beach, maybe 2-3km long. I haven't measured its length, but it takes 90 minutes to walk its length and back. The resort also has a textile beach. Like most vacation resorts one ends up talking to other guests, I mention the naturist beach and then wait for the bombardment of questions. The curiosity is obvious, coupled of course with a disclaimer they could never do that.

Last year I gently talked two retired ladies -- my age too -- into walking with me. With many giggles the tshirts came off after about 500m of walking, and after 1km one shorts came off. We took some pic on the beach and the ladies sent them off to spouses who were not on the trip. Getting a positive response the next day they sent off ones posing with me. At the bar that evening listening to their conversation it seems they shared the pictures with other family members, and found everyone to be encouraging. You go, mom! Way to go , sis!

Will they ever go to a naturist beach or event another time? Who knows, but there is more likely to be a positive comment next time the subject comes up. It's gentle evangelizing.

I also note our home city club is, post covid, back to renting municipal pools 2x a month for naturist swims and are seeing a significant surge in first timers and new members.

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