Part II: The Demise of Organized Nudism?

In Part I, we examined anecdotal evidence like declining membership in AANR and the declining numbers of nudists in evidence at local nudist clubs and resorts as potential signs that organized nudism as it has been known since the American Nudist Movement first came on the scene is on the way out. Anecdotal or not, it seems rather clear that the declining numbers at traditional nudist clubs and steep decline in membership with arguably the most prominent national nudist organization do seem to indicate that interest in organized nudism is certainly waning. There are of course endless possibilities for why this is occurring but I think we can fairly easily identify some of those reasons. What is not so clear is whether the trend can be reversed.

The Role of AANR

Based on comments I have received right here at TEN, discussions I have participated in at various forums including the one at the official AANR website and private discussions with other nudists with whom I am acquainted, it is quite evident that there are a great many nudists today who are very unhappy with AANR. Dissatisfaction with the organization's actions or inaction, depending on which side of the argument one chooses to take, on the recent San Onofre Beach Issue was merely the most recent example of criticism leveled by nudists at the national organization that bills itself "the credible voice of reason on issues relevant to nude recreation."

In the interest of disclosure, I remain a current member of AANR and am still of the opinion that the organization does accomplish some positive things on behalf of nudists. Yet I have to admit that personally I feel that the organization has increasingly become somewhat of an apologetic for social nudity and seems to have become entrenched in an apparent willingness to accept the status quo with respect to where nudism is deemed "appropriate."

It is very difficult to mount a reasonable defense for AANR against those who have the opinion that the organization has ceased to become an effective agent of change with respect to debasing society in general of the unhealthy attitudes towards the naked human body and seems all too willing to defer to those who find nudity offensive by accepting the relegation of social nudity to the out of sight, out of mind, walled AANR member clubs and resorts. Just as people find it difficult to affect real change as they age and become entrenched in established habits and behaviors, the same is true of organizations like AANR. Even when the evidence is quite clear that a model of operation is not working or meeting key organizational goals, the path of least resistance is to simply stay the course and continue with a business as usual approach.

Personally I think that if AANR desires to be a credible voice for nudists rather than to continue to devolve into little more than a nudist club accreditation body, the time has come for the organization to begin agitating against the existing laws in this country that unfairly criminalize mere nudity and to adopt an activist mindset when it comes to demanding more equal access to public beaches and lands on behalf of this country's nudists. I think it has become strikingly evident that nudists are expecting more from their membership dues than discounted club grounds fees and a monthly newspaper and many are apparently voting with their feet by refusing to renew their memberships.

The Role of Local Clubs

In response to Part I of this discussion, Rick, who writes and publishes the very excellent MojoNude Blog, I think made a most insightful observation that for the most part, the "mom and pop" style local nudist clubs have fallen woefully behind the times. I could not agree more with his assessment. Most still offer the same circa 1940 activities today which are lacking in appeal to many. The resorts that continue to enjoy success and a strong membership base like Lake Como in Land O' Lakes, Florida, are successful because they have been willing to change with the times and move beyond volleyball, horseshoes and Pentanque.

As an example, Lake Como offers scheduled health screenings, fitness classes like Yoga, Chinese Wand Exercises and water aerobics, special interest groups like their computer club, live entertainment and a full-service restaurant. In addition, the club is involved with the community by sponsoring various volunteer services which brings them visibility and credibility rather than members cloistering themselves behind private walls. In comparison, the activities available at my own local clubs center around the same old Friday night potluck dinners, Saturday night DJ dances, water volleyball tournaments and vegetating around the pool.

You always hear a lot of talk about "we have to attract younger members" but in the absence of any real changes or willingness to provide the kind of activities that might accomplish that purpose and legitimately compete for recreational dollars, it seems fairly obvious that local clubs and resorts will become increasingly irrelevant and year by year, more and more of them are likely to have to shutter their facilities.

The Role of Individual Nudists

Nudism has been described as a movement, a culture and as a lifestyle. Most accurately, social scientists would term it a sub-culture. Those attracted to sub-cultures tend to be highly individualist and non-conforming. Many are attracted to nudism because it represents a higher form of freedom than can be found in general society.

Our very nature then as nudists is likely one of the biggest threats to the continued existence of organized nudism. As important as it is to educate society about what non-sexual social nudism really is about I think it is equally important to educate nudists about the importance of standing together as a group rather than standing alone as a group of disjointed individuals. Consider for a moment a world with no AANR and no Naturist Society. The shutting out of nudists from public lands as was the case with San Onofre Beach would soon become common place. Lacking any national organizations, threats to remaining clothing optional beaches would be left to the defense of small, local groups lacking numbers, organization and resources. While there is no guarantee that any AANR-style clubs would survive in such an environment, any clubs that did remain would no longer be subject to any traditional nudist standards and one would be as likely to find themselves in a swinger-type environment as in a wholesome, non-sexual environment if they chose to visit a club. At some point if we want our way of life to continue and prosper we are going to have to divest ourselves of our dogged individualistic ways and band together.

Perhaps neither AANR or TNS are the organizations to lead nudists into the future. We do not need organizations satisfied with the status quo. We need a leadership with goals for expansion rather than organizations that stand by impotently while the few rights won by past generations of nudists are stripped away one by one by our increasingly paternalistic government and increasingly conservative society. Perhaps a new coalition capable of organizing nudists into a credible political force and willing to forcefully lobby for our civil liberties is what is needed.

Frankly I have long since tired of so many in general society viewing nudists as eccentric, odd, voyeuristic, exhibitionists, sexual predators and pedophiles. We are simply normal, everyday Americans who refuse to buy into the prudish culture of body shame, extremist modesty standards and nudity as a societal taboo. One would think that society would over time evolve away from the neurotic, Puritanical ideas about the nude human form, but in many ways I feel society is even more repressed and entrenched in Victorian ideals of modesty than every before and it is high time that changed. I for one am never going to be satisfied with being cloistered behind the walls of a private club, forced to practice my healthy lifestyle in my own backyard while all the while living in fear that some prudish neighbor peeking over the fence is going to file a criminal complaint against me or being made to feel that I can only enjoy nature, naturally on public lands by doing so clandestinely having to be ever watchful that I don't inadvertently encounter someone who would be offended by my nudity.