Your point is valid one but of no use, as the society is a mix of all sorts of people. No one can stop such people labeling themselves as naturists/nudists even if their public acts don't fit into the true definition of naturism/nudism. We may just try to differentiate such people by ignoring them with our own public actions which are in line with the naturism definition..
Trying to find words that can't be co-opted or mocked is a lost battle. If they will not understand, they will not.
But there have been examples in history of words originally used as mockery being captured and embraced by the very people being mocked. Impressionist (the art movement). Queer. Even "Christian" was originally a mocking term, way back in the 1st century CE. So when we get enough people loud enough about who we are, we can recapture "naturist" and even "nudist."
Naturism is a broad concept. While there may be some commonality among most naturists, there are certainly many differences as well. In my opinion, you've already mentioned a solution to your personal concern. You could simply say, "I'm a nonsexual naturist," if you're worried that the term "naturist" might not be clear to someone, and you fear they might think you enjoy open sexual activities with others.
In my experience, when I tell people I'm a naturist, they often ask me about it, providing an opportunity for me to explain my personal beliefs in a conversation. If someone is unfamiliar with what a naturist is, they may be curious and open the door for further understanding.
Think about how we describe our religious beliefs. In a dialogue with someone, you might say, "I'm a Christian," when discussing religion. Today, many Christians prefer to provide more detail in an introduction, stating they are evangelical Christians, fundamentalist Christians, reformed Christians, transcendentalist Christians, orthodox Christians, and so on. Some people like to be even more specific, identifying as Mormon, Quaker, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Adventist, etc. According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there are currently over 45,000 denominations within Christianity.
Christians face more challenges than naturists when using a general term to describe their religion. Most religions have various sects. You might identify someone as a Buddhist, but they could be Theravada Buddhist, Mahayana Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, or even Secular Buddhist, among others.
I've found that keeping things simple works best. Often, I say, "I'm a naturist/nudist," depending on whom I'm talking to. If they want to know more, I'm happy to provide more details and hopefully have a good and pleasant conversation. Controlling how others use the term naturist would be difficult since the term has such a broad base of people who like to identify as naturist.
I have no issue identifying as a naturist and explaining my philosophy to anyone who is interested. What annoys me, disproportionately I accept, is other sexualised groups using the term naturism as a label for their activities. I don’t object to what they get up to, just call it what it is. Don’t call it naturism.
Well said. I have learned it is impossible to control other people. I don't even have all the self control I want! I am a naturist and I am a sexual being and I can differentiate between them.
I'm going to stick with Naturist although I would also take Clothes Optional. Anything but Perverted. Which a certain social media "service" has already called me and deleted me.
I agree about hue we are conceived by the public. I would love to invite some of the folk who think it's all sex and swinging at club events.. They would be so bored to see everyone just sitting around chatting and having a quiet drink together with probably less physical contact than your average club
I am right there with you. I have been a naturist all my life. I grew up in a body positive home, and as kids, our home was mostly clothing optional... especially the pool. There was never anything sexual about being naked. When our parents had "The Talk" with us, nudity was an afterthought. Unfortunately, the deviants among us have usurped our naming conventions. I have spent more years that I can recall correcting hashtags on Twitter; reminding people that if your photo is only of genitals or contains an erection, it is not a # nudist or # naturist photo, it falls under #exhibitionist! It usually falls on deaf ears, though. The same goes for the "Former" Naturist groups here in Los Angeles. LANG, CMEN, BMEN and the now defunct ones, too, all used to be Non-Sexual Nudity. Now, all of their social events will at least include a "Discreet Area", but most of them are basically just renamed orgies. It truly is sad!
A person would have to constantly be rearranging his vocabulary if he tried to avoid being labeled as belonging to a certain group. For instance, one of my big gripes is how we now have homosexual people calling themselves 'gay', and our society has seemingly adopted this word. Now it is common, and a person risks being understood if they use this in the original context. When we talk about the 1890's being the 'Gay 90's', we don't mean that to mean that it was a time of homosexuality. When an old book starts out saying that "we were happy and gay", the author didn’t mean that they were a family that practiced homosexual acts. I use these examples only to show how sometimes certain words take on different meanings. Instead of searching for something new to call a social nudist, just say that you practice non-sexual nudity, simple as that. Just because someone decides to practice a different form of nudism than you, is NO reason to be constantly changing what you call yourself. Just in case anyone gets the wrong impression of what I said, or examples that I used, I am bisexual, but ABSOLUTELY not 'gay' in today's usage of the word.
I accept that language changes and evolves, and I may be trying to fight a changing tide. I often use non-sexual nudity, but that doesn't really encapsulate the whole philosophy around environmental impact and respect that the term Naturist / Naturism accurately defines.
That's a shame. I've just had 2 days at a naturist spa and 1 guy there was massive, but everyone spoke to him and he felt fine and enjoyed it all. He was a lovely man.
I am sorry you feel unable to enjoy naturism in a social environment. I have met a few larger people at naturist events, who have found acceptance for who they are rather than how they look.
I agree wholeheartedly. I consider myself a naturist, and will stand up for it. I was very reluctant to venture into this lifestyle for fear of being bullied. What finally got me to open up was a bout with an illness. After that my body has never been the same. Being in my own skin helps me to feel comfortable.
Why should I have to be ashamed that I don't want to be sick, so others can behave in questionable ways? I want to be true to how I feel.
Concur, though I'm going to keep trying to defend and define the word nudism.
There are also a good number of people online who try to hide their sexual motivations as non-sexual nudism, which is a real problem. People should be honest about who they are and what they want instead of using us as a mask.
Back in the primordial mists of internet time, when Compuserve and AOL were the entry points and exploration routes, I was among those seeking the like-minded in the wider world. Right from the start the search terms “nude”, “nudity” etc racked up nine pornographic sites for every one that offered kindred spirits. Thirty years on nothing has changed.
I fear that, as you suggest, and form of words we try in order to separate ourselves from sexploitation will only be hijacked again. Perhaps I being unduly pessimistic? After 30 years of averting my eyes from the porn sites when seeking out the “acceptable” perhaps I’m just inured to it.
Your point is valid one but of no use, as the society is a mix of all sorts of people. No one can stop such people labeling themselves as naturists/nudists even if their public acts don't fit into the true definition of naturism/nudism. We may just try to differentiate such people by ignoring them with our own public actions which are in line with the naturism definition..
Trying to find words that can't be co-opted or mocked is a lost battle. If they will not understand, they will not.
But there have been examples in history of words originally used as mockery being captured and embraced by the very people being mocked. Impressionist (the art movement). Queer. Even "Christian" was originally a mocking term, way back in the 1st century CE. So when we get enough people loud enough about who we are, we can recapture "naturist" and even "nudist."
SAY IT LOUD
WE'RE NUDE AND WE'RE PROUD!
Naturism is a broad concept. While there may be some commonality among most naturists, there are certainly many differences as well. In my opinion, you've already mentioned a solution to your personal concern. You could simply say, "I'm a nonsexual naturist," if you're worried that the term "naturist" might not be clear to someone, and you fear they might think you enjoy open sexual activities with others.
In my experience, when I tell people I'm a naturist, they often ask me about it, providing an opportunity for me to explain my personal beliefs in a conversation. If someone is unfamiliar with what a naturist is, they may be curious and open the door for further understanding.
Think about how we describe our religious beliefs. In a dialogue with someone, you might say, "I'm a Christian," when discussing religion. Today, many Christians prefer to provide more detail in an introduction, stating they are evangelical Christians, fundamentalist Christians, reformed Christians, transcendentalist Christians, orthodox Christians, and so on. Some people like to be even more specific, identifying as Mormon, Quaker, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Adventist, etc. According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there are currently over 45,000 denominations within Christianity.
Christians face more challenges than naturists when using a general term to describe their religion. Most religions have various sects. You might identify someone as a Buddhist, but they could be Theravada Buddhist, Mahayana Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, or even Secular Buddhist, among others.
I've found that keeping things simple works best. Often, I say, "I'm a naturist/nudist," depending on whom I'm talking to. If they want to know more, I'm happy to provide more details and hopefully have a good and pleasant conversation. Controlling how others use the term naturist would be difficult since the term has such a broad base of people who like to identify as naturist.
I have no issue identifying as a naturist and explaining my philosophy to anyone who is interested. What annoys me, disproportionately I accept, is other sexualised groups using the term naturism as a label for their activities. I don’t object to what they get up to, just call it what it is. Don’t call it naturism.
Never let them co-opt your words. That's a psychological attack used against numerous positive groups in the USA.
I've started thinking that the roots of our movement is:
- naked means human.
- Unashamed of our natural state.
- sun club, especially since research supports us here
Well said. I have learned it is impossible to control other people. I don't even have all the self control I want! I am a naturist and I am a sexual being and I can differentiate between them.
I'm going to stick with Naturist although I would also take Clothes Optional. Anything but Perverted. Which a certain social media "service" has already called me and deleted me.
I agree about hue we are conceived by the public. I would love to invite some of the folk who think it's all sex and swinging at club events.. They would be so bored to see everyone just sitting around chatting and having a quiet drink together with probably less physical contact than your average club
I am right there with you. I have been a naturist all my life. I grew up in a body positive home, and as kids, our home was mostly clothing optional... especially the pool. There was never anything sexual about being naked. When our parents had "The Talk" with us, nudity was an afterthought. Unfortunately, the deviants among us have usurped our naming conventions. I have spent more years that I can recall correcting hashtags on Twitter; reminding people that if your photo is only of genitals or contains an erection, it is not a # nudist or # naturist photo, it falls under #exhibitionist! It usually falls on deaf ears, though. The same goes for the "Former" Naturist groups here in Los Angeles. LANG, CMEN, BMEN and the now defunct ones, too, all used to be Non-Sexual Nudity. Now, all of their social events will at least include a "Discreet Area", but most of them are basically just renamed orgies. It truly is sad!
A person would have to constantly be rearranging his vocabulary if he tried to avoid being labeled as belonging to a certain group. For instance, one of my big gripes is how we now have homosexual people calling themselves 'gay', and our society has seemingly adopted this word. Now it is common, and a person risks being understood if they use this in the original context. When we talk about the 1890's being the 'Gay 90's', we don't mean that to mean that it was a time of homosexuality. When an old book starts out saying that "we were happy and gay", the author didn’t mean that they were a family that practiced homosexual acts. I use these examples only to show how sometimes certain words take on different meanings. Instead of searching for something new to call a social nudist, just say that you practice non-sexual nudity, simple as that. Just because someone decides to practice a different form of nudism than you, is NO reason to be constantly changing what you call yourself. Just in case anyone gets the wrong impression of what I said, or examples that I used, I am bisexual, but ABSOLUTELY not 'gay' in today's usage of the word.
I accept that language changes and evolves, and I may be trying to fight a changing tide. I often use non-sexual nudity, but that doesn't really encapsulate the whole philosophy around environmental impact and respect that the term Naturist / Naturism accurately defines.
I have not gone to the local naturist club as I am one who is embarrassed of my obesity.
That's a shame. I've just had 2 days at a naturist spa and 1 guy there was massive, but everyone spoke to him and he felt fine and enjoyed it all. He was a lovely man.
I am sorry you feel unable to enjoy naturism in a social environment. I have met a few larger people at naturist events, who have found acceptance for who they are rather than how they look.
I agree wholeheartedly. I consider myself a naturist, and will stand up for it. I was very reluctant to venture into this lifestyle for fear of being bullied. What finally got me to open up was a bout with an illness. After that my body has never been the same. Being in my own skin helps me to feel comfortable.
Why should I have to be ashamed that I don't want to be sick, so others can behave in questionable ways? I want to be true to how I feel.
Concur, though I'm going to keep trying to defend and define the word nudism.
There are also a good number of people online who try to hide their sexual motivations as non-sexual nudism, which is a real problem. People should be honest about who they are and what they want instead of using us as a mask.
Back in the primordial mists of internet time, when Compuserve and AOL were the entry points and exploration routes, I was among those seeking the like-minded in the wider world. Right from the start the search terms “nude”, “nudity” etc racked up nine pornographic sites for every one that offered kindred spirits. Thirty years on nothing has changed.
I fear that, as you suggest, and form of words we try in order to separate ourselves from sexploitation will only be hijacked again. Perhaps I being unduly pessimistic? After 30 years of averting my eyes from the porn sites when seeking out the “acceptable” perhaps I’m just inured to it.