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As the current news
illustrates,
public nudity on
beaches, college campuses, ski slopes, and
elsewhere has been the subject of quite a bit of
activity recently, both pro and con. In some cases
(e. g. Australia and Wisconsin), nudity has won
explicit (or at least tacit) approval, while in
others (e. g. Florida and Hawaii), some officials
are still fighting against it.
Although the
legitimacy of social nudity on private property
was settled long ago (in most U. S.
jurisdictions), opponents continue to devise new
avenues of attack. And nudity in suitable public
locations remains a subject of considerable
controversy, as it has for over 30 years in North
America.
Victories on
behalf of clothes-freedom do not come about
automatically. Secure, pleasant locations for the
enjoyment of nudity don't just "happen". In almost
all cases, the efforts of many people have been
required. Though there are many different specific
actions required in each case, there are also a
number of general steps people who like to be
naked can take to promote the way of being that
they prefer. Here's a short list. I won't explain
each item in detail - each could be the subject of
an essay in itself. In most cases, the purpose and
benefit should be obvious.
- Join The
PureNudism.com Naturist Society. (There's
strength in numbers.)
- Contribute
generously to the Naturist Action Committee.
- Tell your
friends and family you're a naturist. Persuade
those who have open minds to join you.
- Write to your
local paper whenever some naturism-related issue
comes up in the news.
- Write to
government officials whenever some policy issue
affecting naturists is being decided. (Such as
the Honokohau Beach issue.)
- Put up your
own Web page about naturism. Tell the world what
it means to you.
- Get involved
with local projects like a beach cleanup,
efforts to discourage gawkers at the beach you
like best, or activities to promote naturism in
your community.
- Network with
other naturists over the Internet, using things
like mailing lists, the Web, chat rooms, IRC
channels.
- Learn all you
can about the history of nudism/naturism and the
factors that affect it.
- Work for
responsible standards of personal behavior at
any naturist beach, club, or event you visit.
- Treat fellow
naturists with the fullest respect any honest,
responsible individual deserves.
OK, that's more
than 10. And more could be added. But it seems
about right as a place to start.
Remove Your Clothes!
If you've just
been waiting for encouragement to get naked from a
mainstream source, especially if you are female,
now you have it. The May issue of Mademoiselle
has an article on "nude-o-phobia" which (very
briefly) analyses the common fear of being naked,
and offers a 5-step program to overcome it. The "5
steps to a more naked you:"
- Expose yourself. (Get comfortable being nude
alone.)
- Get to know your body. (Pay attention to
your body's sensory signals, especially when
unclothed.)
- Look at yourself. (Become familiar with -
and accepting of - how you look without
clothes.)
- Move on to semipublic nudity. (In commonly
acceptable circumstances, such as a locker
room.)
- Graduate to social nudity. (The real thing.)
The feature, of
course, is about body acceptance. The message has
been repeated often enough, that people (women
especially) are needlessly unhappy due to fears
their bodies are somehow not "right". But this
time the way to overcome the problem is stated
very clearly. As the magazine's editor-in-chief
herself says, "Go find a nude beach. Remove all
your clothes."
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