Brian Taylor of British Naturism on how we can all argue for naturism
We should all learn to be proud of our Naturism, because there is much to recommend our way of life. The world would be a better place if everyone were to adopt our lifestyle and beliefs. There is evidence that sexual crime would reduce as well as teenage pregnancies, just for starters. This evidence comes from those nations where social nudity is far more widely accepted, Germany, Denmark and Sweden are all good examples, but are by no means the only ones.
My own experience and one I have heard many other Naturists agree with, is that stripped of the mask of our clothing we become nicer people; more able to relate to one another. The bin man can talk to the barrister without being aware of their different status in society and therefore without being intimidated by those differences. I was asked recently how I defined a Naturist. After much thought, I arrived at Naturists being people who are open and honest enough to simply be themselves. When you have no designer labels to hide behind, what else can you do?
It is with this sense of pride in the benefits of Naturism that I set about trawling through the prejudice shown by the media and some members of the public. Not all media reports are prejudiced and there are signs that things are getting better. A radio presenter I was talking to recently claimed to have noticed a marked improvement over the last five years.
There is still a long way to go and even when a press report is good, it often draws bigoted online comments from a highly prejudiced minority. We know it’s a minority because our survey ten years ago revealed that 88% of the public considered Naturists ‘harmless’ and only 8% thought us ‘disgusting’. It just seems as though that 8% are the most vocal!
An opinion formed without knowledge of the facts, is a prejudice. Here are some of the more common prejudices I encounter and some of the ways I attempt to use facts to counter them:
I don’t mind it myself, but think of other people...
This one is quite easy: If you don’t mind it, what makes you think others will? Our survey results, as mentioned above, are useful here as it shows that the vast majority of people don’t mind it. A variation of this is to say that older people might be shocked; I think it is safe to say that the majority of the older generation have seen it all before and know what a naked person looks like!
A further variation, and a particular favourite, is:
"Not in front of children".
This always warrants special treatment. Firstly I establish that children are not born afraid of nudity – why would they be? I point out how babies and toddlers revel in the freedom of their own nakedness and are completely unfazed by the nakedness of others, of any age. At this point it is always worth pointing out that it is parents’ and society’s prejudices that condition a child into being ashamed of their body and therefore shocked if anyone else reveals their’s. This shame can have very negative consequences in the form of eating disorders or demands for plastic surgery when these children become teenagers. In the course of my work as PRO I sometimes come across quotes that ring so true, I store them away for later use. Here is one of my favourites:
“It’s been shown that young boys raised in a puritanical environment have a greater interest in pornography. Girls raised in a puritanical environment tend to be more ashamed or fearful of their bodies. Children raised in a nudist family are comfortable with their bodies and the bodies of the opposite sex. They’re more likely to understand that the portrayal of the nude body in the media is hyped and false.”
This has lead to many a discussion when I have posted it on someone’s blog or in answer to a question on sites like Yahoo! Answers. Most are convinced by it. It also could give a clue as to why a prudish society might suffer a higher teenage pregnancy rate with curious boys putting pressure on insecure girls...
Whilst on the subject of children:
I’m a Christian, it’s against my religion
For this there is another quote, so useful that I am in danger of over-using it. Pope John Paul II wrote in his book The Theology of the Body:
“The human body can remain nude and uncovered and preserve intact its splendour and its beauty... Nakedness as such is not to be equated with physical shamelessness... Immodesty is present only when nakedness plays a negative role with regard to the value of the person...The human body is not in itself shameful... Shamelessness (just like shame and modesty) is a function of the interior of a person.”
Having said that, I didn’t use it once in all the replies I made to the recent debacle about Manchester Cathedral promoting the Christian Naturists group; surely, the very existence of a Christian Naturist group speaks for itself! I frequently refer people to their website.
Public Nudity is/should be Illegal
Firstly I point out that it isn’t illegal in the UK, although I have to sound a word of caution for Scotland where a more prudish attitude leads to an over-zealous application of the Public Order Act or common law of Outraging Public Decency despite published guidance south of the border that indicates it requires more than simple nudity to secure a conviction.
Another of my favourite quotes, this time from Lord Jenkins of Hillhead, a former home secretary:
“If you want to stop people doing something which they enjoy doing, which they believe is within their liberty of action, then you’ve got to have an overwhelming social case. If you’re going to stop them, you shouldn’t do it out of prejudice or out of habit, but only because you can show that a definite social evil results.”
I then go on to describe many of the social benefits evidenced by those nations where social nudity is more accepted and common and I challenge anyone to come up with a proven social evil. No-one ever has, of course.
All Naturists are old/fat/ugly
If the complainant is any of these things themselves, I sympathise with them over their very poor self-image and point out that Naturism is known to build body- confidence. If they are young, slim and good looking, then I point out that with their attitude they have a sorry life ahead of them as we all get old eventually, or at least the lucky ones do. Mostly I point out that Naturists are more representative of the population as a whole than the photo- shopped models in the media and that their view of humanity has clearly been distorted by that media.
Naturists are all voyeurs/exhibitionists
How then do you explain the joy of stripping off on a sunny day on your own in a secluded place with no-one else about? I suggest they try it sometime, to find out what I mean.
I could go on, but I will conclude by saying that I shouldn’t be a lone voice and would like to encourage all of you to refute prejudice whenever you come across it and have the pride to speak up for the benefits of Naturism. To those who do, I say well done and thanks. BN
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