Ten Things You Can Do to Promote Clothes-Freedom Environment

Ten Things You Can Do to Promote Clothes-Freedom Environment

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.

   1. Join in any Naturist Society. (There's strength in numbers.)
   2. Contribute generously to the Naturist Action Committee.
   3. Tell your friends and family you're a naturist. Persuade those who have open minds to join you.
   4. Write to your local paper whenever some naturism-related issue comes up in the news.
   5. Write to government officials whenever some policy issue affecting naturists is being decided. (Such as the Honokohau Beach issue.)
   6. Put up your own Web page about naturism. Tell the world what it means to you.
   7. 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.
   8. Network with other naturists over the Internet, using things like mailing lists, the Web, chat rooms, IRC channels.
   9. Learn all you can about the history of nudism/naturism and the factors that affect it.
  10. Work for responsible standards of personal behavior at any naturist beach, club, or event you visit.
  11. 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:"

   1. Expose yourself. (Get comfortable being nude alone.)
   2. Get to know your body. (Pay attention to your body's sensory signals, especially when unclothed.)
   3. Look at yourself. (Become familiar with - and accepting of - how you look without clothes.)
   4. Move on to semipublic nudity. (In commonly acceptable circumstances, such as a locker room.)
   5. 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."