**UPDATED** Nudity In Adverting - The Nude Statesman

In modern media, images of partial and full nudity are used in advertising to draw additional attention. In the case of attractive models this attention is due to the visual pleasure the images provide; in other cases it is due to the relative rarity of images of nudity.

The use of nudity in advertising tends to be carefully controlled to avoid the impression that the company whose product is being advertised is indecent or unrefined. There are also (self-imposed) limits on what advertising media such as magazines allow. The success of sexually provocative advertising is claimed in the truism “sex sells”. However, responses to nudity in advertisements have been more mixed; nudity in the advertisements of Calvin Klein, Benetton, and Abercrombie & Fitch, to name three companies, have provoked much negative as well as positive positive

We want to document, celebrate and question the most imaginative, interesting, funny and even thought-provoking advertising campaigns that feature nudity. And that is why we started The Nude Statesman website, have a look and tell us what you think.

The Nude Statesman
The Nude Statesman (TNudeStatesman) on Twitter

The Naked Truth Is, We're Used To Public Nudity

I was laughing over the clever and quirky new ads for Zappos.com -- the ones that feature seemingly nude models jogging, hailing a cab and riding a motor bike -- when I realized something:

Nudity isn't shocking or surprising or passion-provoking anymore.

It's no big deal.

Or, as Michael Bernacchi, a University of Detroit Mercy professor and marketing expert, said: "Nudity is tired."

CONTINUE READING

SOURCE: freep.com

**A BLAST FROM THE PAST** Playboy's Naked Yoga Video Puts Hindus In Difficult Position (October 26, 2010)

THE attempts of "Playboy" publisher Hugh Hefner to cash in on the benefits of naked yoga outraged Hindu leaders, who say that the porn king had exposed the practice for "mercantile greed."

For centuries, India’s Hindu sects espoused the benefits of nudity, with holy men trekking for miles across the subcontinent wearing little more than a smile as they strive to uncover their true divine nature.

A video from Playboy featuring Sara Jean Underwood, a former Playmate of the Year, performing yoga poses, has angered Hindu elders, in what they see as the latest in a string of attempts to commercialise an ancient and spiritual practice.

“Hindus are upset over what is the misuse of the age-old and revered system of yoga by Playboy for mercantile greed, and we are urging the organisation to withdraw all its yoga-related products,” said Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism.

“Yoga is one of the six systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy and it is highly revered in Hinduism. It is a serious mental and physical discipline by means of which the human soul can unite with the universal soul.”


The criticism is the latest salvo to be fired in what some dubbed the yoga wars, a series of disputes over the alleged hijacking of yoga for profit.

The yoga industry is estimated to be worth $6 billion a year in the US alone, where recently-invented variations include yoga for pets and hot nude yoga.

Money-making yogis scandalised yoga’s purists who believe that the true goal should be the attainment of moksha, a blissful release from the endless cycle of rebirth and death.

India, the birthplace of the art, is striking back at what it calls yoga theft by those who claim techniques that may date back thousands of years as their own inventions.

“Yoga deals with spirituality,” said V. K. Gupta, the head of India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, a government-funded database that is in the process of recording hundreds of yoga poses to ensure that foreign gurus cannot patent them.

“Attempts to trademark the ancient property of humanity are offensive - they hurt,” he added.

SOURCE: news.com.au

NOTE: i-Naked.info has found the videos in question online and after watching them, doesn't consider them to be exploitive. However, that's maybe because I'm looking at them thought the eyes of a naturist and choosing not to take any notice of Playboy's involvement. Have a look for yourself and please tell me what you think in the comments below.

André LW
Editor/Founder of i-Naked.info

PS" Please also take note that i-Naked.info does NOT in any way endorse or is sponsored by Playboy.

SEE VIDEOS

Some Nudists Stay In The Closet, Others Do Not

! was talking once to a couple who was visiting Paradise Lakes about an incident in which they were on their way to Cypress Cove (a well known clothing optional resort in Kissimmee) for a weekend visit. On their way, they were pulled over by a deputy for a traffic violation.

They said they were mortified that the deputy might have asked them where they were headed, because they were Christians and someone might have somehow found out about their interest in the Nudist lifestyle.

As if the deputy cared and as if he would tell someone they knew if he did...

CONTINUE READING

SOURCE: landolakes.patch.com

Stripping Our Way Through The Jungle Of (UK) Equality Laws

Roni Fine of British Naturism tries to find a path for naturist clubs through the new Act.

I suspect we have all heard about the “Equality Act 2010” but do we all understand how it might affect us?

Whilst it ought to be enough to think before we speak and respect one another, we now have to be reminded to do so by a law and if we forget our manners, or have no conscience, we pay for it in the courts when we are sued. Maybe we deserve it? But it could be that we just don’t realise we are doing wrong, though that excuse would not be accepted in court.

Laws are frequently written for the workplace and are often not applicable in other areas but restrictions are constantly changing. Private members clubs, (deemed to be so when they have 25 or more members and a selection process for membership) which some naturist clubs are, used to fall outside the area of many rules but are now included along with other associations, so we must all be familiar with current legislation and be ready to make changes to keep within the boundaries. The law protects both club members and those employed within naturist businesses.

The law is a minefield for most of us and what is worse is the fact that politicians seem to forget where they laid their mines, because when you try to find a map of their explosives you find yourself in a maze of references to schedules, sections, paragraphs and dates but never one piece of straightforward advice in everyday English that answers the particular question you presented to them!

Here is my attempt to rectify that! First, you must be aware of the protected characteristics for “Private clubs and other associations”.
These are: race, disability, religion or
belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender
reassignment and pregnancy & maternity.

Race: this includes ethnic or national origins, colour and nationality.

Disability: this is perhaps the easiest one to understand. Having a disability must not affect the way you are treated or your access to places and work. Businesses and service providers need to make “reasonable” adjustments to cater for disabled people such as replacing steps with ramps for wheelchair access, providing specific equipment and allowing “working dogs” into premises.

What is deemed “reasonable” will depend on factors such as practicability and the cost of making the adjustments.

We at Blackthorns have included a disabled accessible toilet (with a wider door and suitably placed grab handles and an emergency alarm pull cord), when we built the extension to our clubhouse and we have drawn up plans to replace existing steps with a ramp to access the static caravan we have for hire.

Religion or Belief: a person must not be made to suffer for their beliefs and it should make no difference to how they are treated. Their needs should be met where possible; if a person of a certain faith asked for a quiet room in which to conduct their prayers and there was one available, it would be deemed reasonable to allow its use.

Sex: Males and females should be treated equally. The obvious example is perhaps equal pay for equal work, or the right for women to vote. Golf clubs can no longer have days on which the ladies cannot play but the men can. However, sporting events can be segregated by gender because the physical strength, stamina or physique of an average woman would put her at a disadvantage compared with an average man. This means we can continue to have separate teams for Petanque and Miniten tournaments, if we choose to.

Sexual Orientation: it must make no difference whether you are heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bi. One’s personal view on this should remain just that and the people involved treated the same as any other. Paternity leave for either parent is now happening in the work place and it would apply to same-sex parents too.

Gender Reassignment: those making a switch from one gender to another must not be persecuted. Suitable facilities such as changing rooms and toilets must be discussed and agreed upon. At least in the naturist community it would be clear who was what, as it would be unlawful to discriminate against someone because they are thought to be transsexual when they are not!

Pregnancy and Maternity: it should make no difference to how women are treated unless there is reasonable belief that it is done in the interest of her, or the baby’s, health and safety. Sick leave from work that is pregnancy-related should not be held against the person or affect their work record. Whilst breastfeeding will be more acceptable in public places, or restaurants, there is no automatic right to do so in the workplace. I think this is one aspect that would be totally acceptable within a naturist club as we are already body-accepting so no-one would be shocked at the sight of a breast or nipple!

british-naturism: this is one more category but it is only in effect within the workplace and not in clubs or businesses who sell services unless, of course, the club or business employs people. A civil partner elsewhere, treated less favourably than a married one, could bring a claim under sexual orientation discrimination.

The Equality Act includes provisions enabling introduction of a ban on Age discrimination by private clubs against their members, associates and guests but these have not been brought into force yet. The Coalition Government is currently considering further how these provisions can be implemented in the best way for businesses and others affected. Things such as child bus tickets and Senior Citizens discounts will have to be considered. It’s been common practice for car insurance to cost more for young males than young females as they are known to have more accidents and cost the companies more in pay-outs, but it might become unlawful to differentiate unless they decide to make exception due to the recorded proof of this fact. There are so many examples that would become unlawful if not carefully considered and allowed for. Clubs can, for the moment, offer concessions where they see fit, but be prepared for change!

There is also, of course, the category of Harassment The law says that“Businesses which provide goods, facilities or services must not allow their customers to be subjected to harassment.” The Equality Act 2010 names two main types of harassment, “unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic” and “unwanted conduct that is sexual in nature”. “The conduct must have the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them”. Harassment only occurs when the conduct is unwanted.

This can involve something directly or indirectly aimed at a person but in hearing it, they can make a claim of harassment.

There is something called “Positive Action” which is done specifically to help someone who has a protected characteristic, such as being underrepresented in an activity or a type of work. I have seen the Fire Brigade advertise for recruits saying “applicants from female ethnic minorities would be favoured” and this would be acceptable if their records showed an under-representation in that category. Of course, all other conditions for the vacancy would have to be equal, such as qualifications and experience. If a golf club has fewer lady members, they could hold an open morning exclusively for women to try the sport. Whilst Positive Action is allowed, it is entirely voluntary. It follows that naturist clubs that have a plentiful supply of single males could also use this proviso and run an advertising campaign to attract single females to balance the numbers. Of course, this would need to be supported by evidence so they would need to consult their records and have facts and figures ready if challenged. They too could hold an open day to welcome women and encourage them to embrace the naturist lifestyle.

Throughout the documents the most common examples refer to a golf club and I do wish naturist clubs were held in the same esteem, but I think the day will come; it’s up to us to portray naturism as a respectable pastime and then maybe we will be used as an example in future!

I think we are all aware there is either a real, or perceived, problem regarding the number of single males in naturism and that is the main area you might need to rethink. So many clubs complain that there are too many single males asking to join and some clubs have, in the past, flatly refused to accommodate them. Private Members Clubs could do this, but always at the risk of being challenged and taken to court where you would have become the test case and the outcome would have depended on who the judge was on the day and what they thought of naturism. Now that there are “Quick Start Guides “ for “Private clubs and other Associations” and for “Businesses who sell goods and services” there really is no excuse to break the law and it would be unwise to think you could get away with it.

Refusing membership to single males will no longer be acceptable. Of course, you can refuse membership for other reasons which you deem will make them unsuitable but it must not involve any of the protected characteristics. (Single membership is not necessarily a reference to marital status but the alternative to a joint membership for two people).

It appears that you could refuse membership for people of single status, as that is not a protected characteristic but it would have to cover both males and females and although the majority of single applicants seem to be male, it would be a shame to turn away single females, but that is for individual clubs to decide.

It also seems you could lawfully recruit within a specified catchment area, but it would have to apply to every member.

Hopefully clubs will allow all genuine, decent, well behaved naturists to join and take the protected characteristics in their stride and not see the new law as a problem, after all, you have nothing to fear if you are on the right side of the law and treating your fellow man, I mean woman, no......I mean people, fairly!

This is my own summary of the Equality Act 2010 as I understand it but I do advise you to view the sites from which I have quoted as they give further explanations and examples:

www.equalities.gov.uk from the GEO
(Government Equalities Office)

www.equalityhumanrights.com

None of the information contained in this feature constitutes legal advice.

**NEW i-Naked.info PROJECT** Nudity In Adverting

According to Wikipedia:

"In modern media, images of partial and full nudity are used in advertising to draw additional attention. In the case of attractive models this attention is due to the visual pleasure the images provide; in other cases it is due to the relative rarity of images of nudity. The use of nudity in advertising tends to be carefully controlled to avoid the impression that the company whose product is being advertised is indecent or unrefined. There are also (self-imposed) limits on what advertising media such as magazines allow. The success of sexually provocative advertising is claimed in the truism "sex sells". However, responses to nudity in American advertisements have been more mixed; nudity in the advertisements of Calvin Klein, Benetton, and Abercrombie & Fitch, to name three companies, have provoked much negative as well as positive positive response..."

We at i-Naked.info like most people believes that Sex Sells, but sometimes the advertising agencies do create some imaginative, interesting, funny and even thought-provoking advertising campaigns.

So to highlight the best that the advertising agencies have created, i-Naked.info has started to document any adverts that use nudity. We hope this could start a wider debate about nudity in mainstream society and maybe find new methods of how we could promote non-sexual nudity to the masses.

To get started here is a nude video Commercial by the Ministry Of Sound

Ministry Of Sound Commercial - The funniest videos clips are here

The Ministry Of Sound pushes advertising boundaries back in 2001 to promote their The Annual - Spring 2001 album. You can watch the censored version of the same advert on YouTube or another nude version here.

QUESTION: How do you feel watching this video? Would you be offended to see these images in this on normal TV? Can nude advertising be creative and inhibiting, or is it sometimes inappropriate? Watching it as a naturist, I see nothing wrong, just young people (maybe young naturists) enjoying the music. But I can see from another viewpoint that some might see this as just using sex to sell a product. Leave your comments below:

Nudity In Adverting: Ladies Get Naked in Public for New Zappos Campaign

Zappos wants you to know it sells more than shoes. So, in new ads from Mullen, the online retailer shows women wearing … only shoes? Yes, the creative approach here—showing naked women to illustrate how un-naked you can make them—is a bit gratuitous. But I suppose we are writing about it, so it must have worked on some level. Somewhat humorously, The New York Times's story about the Zappos ads quotes American Apparel's director of online marketing, who (not surprisingly) thinks it might not be a great move for Zappos. "Are they doing it because they want to get attention from blogs and Web sites that will write about it?" he asks. "Or are they doing it because it's the ad campaign that speaks most truly to who they are and what they want to sell?"

Written by Tim Nudd









SOURCE: Adweek

However, this is not the first time Zappos has used nudity to promote one of their products:

Why Do We Give Children Such Confusing Messages About Their Bodies?

Last week, during one of the hottest Easter holidays on record in the UK, my three children and I went to the local park.

It was sweltering, and after an hour or so of running about with a football, my daughter, Phoebe, who has just turned 11, had turned into a sweaty, par-boiled lobster and desperately wanted to take her T-shirt off to cool down. But she didn’t.

When I asked her why on earth not, she said in an exasperated voice, as if I didn’t understand anything, ‘Mum, I can’t take my top off in a park. People will stare and point!’

Once I’d picked my jaw up off the grass and tried to make sense of what she’d just said, I realised to my utter dismay that her fears were probably completely justified.

Where boys often take their tops off in the hot summer months, many girls, even as young and totally undeveloped as my younger daughter, already feel that they ‘shouldn’t’ expose their top halves in public. Because their nakedness is somehow . . . wrong...

CONTINUE READING

SOURCE: Mail Online

Pride and Fighting Prejudice

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

Is Nudity Appropriate In Any Of These Ads?

Is Nudity Appropriate In Any Of These Ads?... Read More.

TEXT SOURCE URL: http://thegloss.com/fashion/nsfw-is-nudity-appropriate-in-any-of-these-ads/gallery-page/1/

Nudity on stage – but how about off?

A 'clothing-optional' performance in Toronto suggests theatres should reach out to non-traditional audiences – naturists included

You've probably heard this piece of advice dished out to a nervous performer before: to relax, picture the audience naked. Last week, however, actors Maev Beaty and Erin Shields went one step further – and actually performed in front of a naked audience. In what may be a theatrical first, they held a special clothing-optional performance of their play Montparnasse at Toronto's Theatre Passe Muraille... Read More.

TEXT SOURCE URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2011/apr/04/nudity-audience-toronto-theatre

Can people unlearn their naked shame?

Once we were all happy to walk around naked, now we're not. But can an experiment in nudity help us understand why we are so embarrassed by being seen in the buff and help shed our inhibitions?

It's a classic anxiety nightmare - you're standing in front of a room full of work colleagues, your boss is there, maybe even that new colleague you've been trying to impress. And you're stark naked. Ouch.

Why are we so ashamed of being seen naked? Is there something deep in human nature that finds naked skin abhorrent? Some prudishness inherited from our Victorian ancestors?... Read More.

TEXT SOURCE URL:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7915369.stm

Busybody Density

Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that getting stopped in a business for being barefoot is pretty much random.

There are those who say that it is your demeanor. If you slouch around as if afraid of being caught, they say it increases your changes, but if you stride about as if you owned the place you will not be stopped.

I am not convinced... Read More.

Naturism is not a spectator sport

Roni Fine of British Naturism asks: “Can clothes be a choice?”

How many times have you been caught up in the old argument amongst naturists regarding whether places should be naturistonly or clothes-optional? Would it attract the voyeurs or entice the hesitant person to take part? In an ideal world, it shouldn’t matter who is clothed and who isn’t, but we are not there yet!

Which side of the argument do you take and have you considered it from all angles?

Public beaches that allocate us a sectionwhere we can undress, without being marched off to the local police station because someone stopped to look and then got embarrassed by what they saw, are very pleasant. What better pastime than to laze on the sand, take a leisurely naked walk, fresh air caressing the skin, to the water’s edge? Ah, but some beaches attract the local “meerkats” and the tranquillity is broken by their antics. The few, but nuisance, rogue males who haunt the dunes and pop up and down peering at naturists have been reported to actually position themselves within close proximity to others, even families, and do things to themselves that I think should only be done in private!

This behaviour gives true naturists a bad reputation and frightens away many a reluctant female when her partner had been keen for her to try it out. If naturist beaches attract the “wrong sort” of person, who is taking the opportunity to view the human body with a little more enthusiasm than seems comfortable, then maybe they should not be allowed to share the same areas. We need to protect these beaches, as the local councils will decide to close them to naturism for the slightest of reasons. Even the police can seem to be ignorant of the law and tend to think removing the naturist is the easy option, as not many of us dare to fight back.

Holiday destinations, especially in warmer climes, are popular but beware of the more liberal-minded resorts that permit quite extraordinary antics on the beach! I am not totally against such behaviour, but we advertise naturism as a safe family lifestyle and a non-sexual nudity, so it harms our reputation to have swingers and promiscuous behaviour taking place under the guise of naturism. Let’s segregate ourselves from them for our own protection.

Naturist swimming events at public pools seem to work best when they involve membership, as I often hear open events are overcrowded with men, especially those that make women feel uncomfortable as they seem to be there to look rather than swim. Naturist women don’t object to men; it’s only their behaviour that might worry them, not their presence.

I believe clubs are the best place to practise our lifestyle, as they provide uswith a safe and comfortable atmosphere.

Where else can you strip naked and feel at total ease? We are all there for the same reason and the correct one: to relax in a naked state without upsetting or offending a single soul. It follows then, that no one should be upsetting or offending us either! We are in the age of “equality”, are we not?

I am sure we are like many clubs in that we encourage people to attend Blackthorns hoping they will gain confidence and understand why we do it, but if they flatly refuse to try, then why would they want to continue attending? I’ve heard many say they don’t object to us being naked, but it is not for them. But why would we accept this? You don’t join a golf club and walk round the green dragging a set of golf clubs, but never using them! You walk elsewhere.

You don’t join a weight-watchers group and go along each week munching away on pizza, chocolate cake and ice cream whilst watching the others step on the scales trying hard not to be tempted by these tasty foods! You go to a restaurant.

Naturism is not a spectator sport and though I don’t want to appear paranoid, I feel uncomfortable if people turn up to watch us rather than join in. I would question their intentions. Wouldn’t you?

We get quite a few men with reluctant partners and these men are the ones who wish it was a clothes-optional club, so that they could bring their partner and she need not undress and I do understand that. But, (and there is nearly always a “but”, isn’t there?), this is a situation that can easily get out of hand.

Don’t forget, whilst both sexes might not object to a few clothed women attending, clothed men do not seem to be so readily accepted by either sex.

With today’s equality acts governing all aspects of our lives, if we allow men to bring non-naturist women then we could not refuse women bringing non-naturist men, and how comfortable would we be with them sat on our patio, gleefully enjoying the view? We have to remember we can no longer legally make exceptions. We have to treat everyone the same!

We couldn’t say it’s all right for couples to be clothes-optional, but not allow single people the same choice so we could be inundated with clothed males: again, I am drawing on my experience of membership requests at Blackthorns. We have few single women join, but many single men and a fair amount of single men apply who seem to want to view rather than participate. (If any of you are long-standing BN members you might recall my article campaigning for the acceptance of single men, so please don’t think I am anti!) I am all for anyone joining, just so long as they are naturist-orientated and not thrill seekers!

Try as I might to accept it, I know I feel uncomfortable if there are clothed people amongst us, and my ability to relax is disturbed by those who do not understand naturism and whose views are reflected on their judgmental faces.

It isn’t that we don’t sympathise with nervous prospective members, and we give them ample time and understanding and a little privacy to try it out at their own pace, and very often they take to it and wish afterwards that they had done it sooner!

Strangely enough, it is often the clothed person who feels out of place if they attend on a particularly sunny day when everyone else is naked! If that doesn’t make them undress, then maybe nothing will!

We also welcome friends and relatives to evening socials when we are dressed and always hope they see the normality of naturists and overcome their initial doubts and fears!

We make allowances for the children, as they are brought to the club by their parents; all we ask is that they are encouraged to enjoy the freedom that this lifestyle brings and most of them do. It is then for them to decide if they wish to join in their own right, as naturists, when they turn eighteen.

Like it or not, we have to be realistic and accept that there are always the few proverbial rotten apples in the barrel and there will always be people who try to join clubs for the wrong reasons.

The erratic British weather is another consideration. Isn’t it funny how many times we are asked, “Isn’t it cold in the winter?”, but we mustn’t take it for granted that they know what we do, as it is usually done behind closed doors! I am not of the old brigade that insisted members stripped on entering the gate and remained undressed until they left, whatever the weather!

People’s tolerance of temperature varies and whilst some are wearing jumpers when others are in t-shirts we would expect them to undress when the sun is shining and temperatures are in the eighties! Likewise, when people insist they cannot undress as they are fair-skinned and burn easily, we point out they need not sit in direct sunlight, but can enjoy their nakedness under the shade of tree or parasol. To sit in the sun fully clothed, complaining of the heat seems a little weird in a naturist environment.

So do you really feel there is a need for naturism to become clothes-optional?

Please think about the consequences!