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.

Weighing in on the San Onofre Beach Issue

N Magazine published Part 1 of a comprehensive feature article on the battle for continuing clothing-optional access to San Onofre State Beach in the Spring 2010 issue. Coincidentally I happened to sign on to the forums at the AANR website last evening and learned that quite a few nudists are extremely upset that AANR did not in their opinions do enough in helping The Naturist Society in the battle to preserve the rights of nudists to continue using San Onofre as a clothing-optional beach. I for one am not in the camp of those ready to take AANR to task over the issue, in spite of the fact I think I can understand and sympathize with the frustrations that other nudists feel about this particular issue. Yes, it may be true that AANR did not do much in the way of saving San Onofre and certainly they did not partner with NAC in the legal battle. But I think for several reasons, anyone who had the expectation that they would doesn't really understand the history of AANR.

AANR is the Conservative Nudist Organization

The fact is, AANR has pretty much always been and in my estimation will continue to be a very conservative nudist organization. It is not an activist organization in any way, shape or form. The strategy of the organization is primarily to work within the framework of public relations to cast nudism in the most favorable and non-confrontational light possible. The leadership believes that this approach is the best approach to gaining the favor of non-nudists and eventually gaining wider acceptance of nudist culture within the broader culture. Confrontation is simply not the style of the organization and I am sure is seen by the leadership as counter-productive to their strategy.

Rank and file nudists have frequently disagreed with the AANR approach which some have even gone so far as to label appeasement. Many nudists believe that AANR cares about nothing but the member clubs and sits idly by without lifting a finger when nudist rights are threatened on any other front. Actually that is to a great degree the truth and it really should not come as a surprise to anyone. In fact, disagreement with the way AANR does business is the very reason that The Naturist Society came into existence.

TNS is the Activist Organization

TNS through its political adjunct, the Naturist Action Committee has always been the nudist activist organization. Proactive and confrontational when necessary, NAC is the organization that sees its mission as advancing and protecting the rights of nudists to access and use public lands for responsible nude recreation. Personally I think NAC did an otstanding job trying to save San Onofre despite the fact that in the end the efforts failed. If you read the article in N Magazine I think you will readily understand that the refusal of AANR to join the legal action was a non-issue.

The loss of clothing-optional access to San Onofre State Beach, at least superificially, is simply attributable to two things. Currently the California Department of Parks and Recreation is headed by a director, Ruth Coleman, who is nothing more than a figurehead. She permits DPR to be run by her underlings and she has no real input into the policies of DPR beyond rubber-stamping the decisions made by those beneath her.

The N Magazine article clearly revealed that Ms. Coleman's minions intercept written communications intended for her, withhold information and largely insulate her from any policy making decisions. Others within the department decided that the long-standing Cahill policy would be ignored and that clothing-optional access to San Onofre would no longer be permitted. As long as Californians, especially California nudists suffer an ineffective political appointee to "run" DPR who is obviously either unable or unwilling to lead the department, the future prospect of any clothing-optional beach access in the entire state is in serious doubt.

The Real Reason Behind the San Onofre Debacle

Instead of laying the blame at the feet of national nudist organizations, nudists in this country need to wake up to the fact that the responsibility for advancing and protecting the rights of nudists to access public lands lies not with the national organizations but with individual nudists. I find it alarming and more than a little disturbing that nudists seem content to sit back and expect the national organizations to fight the battles and then simply hand over the victories while the average nudist does little or nothing. I have a few questions for the nudists who are so critical of AANR is the San Onofre issue, especially those who live in California.

• How many letters have you written to governor giving your opinion about the lack of leadership in DPR?


• How many letters have you sent or phone calls have you placed to your local government representatives to convey the truth about nudism/naturism and how important you feel it is that our culture be permitted equal access to public lands?


• How many personal visits have you made to the offices of your elected government officials where you have stated politely but firmly that you will not support or vote for representatives who show themselves to be unfriendly towards naturist issues?


• How much have you contributed to organizations like NAC and the Body Freedom Collaborative?


• Are you a dues paying member of AANR or TNS?

The truth is, nudists are an invisible subculture in this country to large extent. So much so that it is actually a miracle that we have any access to public lands and what little we have is due to the generous past contributions of those like the founders of the Free Beach Movement. We can continue to sit on our collective duffs and indulge in the fantasy that the national nudist organizations are going to do all the work and then we can watch our freedoms being eroded and taken away until the legacies of people like Lee Baxandall are nothing more than footnotes in nudist history.

The withdrawal of clothing-optional access to San Onofre need not stand. If it is a battle important enough to nudists to win, then they can take back the beach. The image above is that taken April 6, 1997, of the demonstration by Australians to secure clothing-optional access to Belongil Beach, Australia. The same tactics that work in Australia will work here. Instead of relying on backroom, handshake deals too easily broken, like the Cahill policy to secure our freedoms, nudists need to organize, demonstrate and become a noticeable thorn in the side of backward thinking politicians and political bureaucrats until we get what we deserve. A failure to do that in essence means we really deserve nothing more than what we got with the San Onfre decision.

In conclusion, look at the past histories of minority cultures in our nation. None of them were ever given anything. Those that were successful decided what they wanted, chose their priorities and their battles and they got involved. No longer content to be pushed aside by the government or society, they suffered indignities, lost jobs, made sacrifices and faced the threats of fines and arrest. In the end however, they got what they wanted, that which was rightfully theirs. Until nudists and naturists are willing to accept personal responsibility for their own destinies, San Onfre will be the rule and not the exception. If that is not a priority for us then we might as well get used to being cloistered behind the protective walls of AANR resorts until those too are taken away. San Onfre will either be a wake up call, or it may very well be the death knell of naturists rights.

Where AANR Membership Dollars Go

An interesting piece written by AANR President John Kinman and published in the March 2010 edition of the AANR monthly publication, The Bulletin, provided an interesting partial breakdown of how AANR uses the dollars generated from annual membeship dues.

How Annual Membership Dues are Used

According to AANR, it takes...

• 1 member's yearly dues to pay for the printing and postage for one kit of legal resources
• 2 member's yearly dues to pay for the average expenses for a volunteer to travel to a state legislature to testify on a bill
• 3 member's yearly dues to defray the costs of lapel pins and brochures for about 30 lawmakers at a legislative conference
• 8 member's annual dues to pay fees for one hour of a quality attorney's time representing or researching a nudist issue
• 50 member's yearly dues to film, edit, and copy training DVDs that assist clubs in dealing with media
• 66 member's yearly dues for one month of a typical lobbyist's services
• 215 member's yearly dues for a one year subscription to a service that monitors legislative bills in the 50 states
• 1,666 member's yearly dues for one year of professional public relations firm services to generate favorable stories on nudism

As mentioned, this is a partial breakdown, representing the dollars generated from the annual dues for about 2,011 of AANR's estimated 40,000 members.  Still the information does serve to underscore the importance of having a national nudist organization to help promote nudism in a positive way and to help protect the rights of nudists through representation at the various levels of government.

Organized Nudism

 I've never made a secret of how important I think it is for nudists to be members of one or more of the national nudist organizations and personally I hold membership in both.  I do think it is a great idea for AANR to inform members about how the organization uses the funds generated from dues since I think it is part of what is needed to convince nudists that organized nudity has great value.  Dues paying membership in AANR has recently been on the decline which is a disturbing trend.  Without national organizations who are able to marshall the necessary resources to oppose legislation aimed at restricting the practice of nudism, we can expect further erosion of things like the right to use public lands.  On the individual level, we simply cannot accomplish the same things that can be performed on our behalf by a strong, visible national nudist organization.

The Relevancy of National Nudist Organizations

North America is served by two naturist or nudist organizations; the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS). While it seems that many nudists and naturists have a rather apathetic attitude towards membership in those organizations, I make no apology for the fact that I am a staunch supporter and member of both. In fact I at every opportunity encourage others to join one or both organizations. While I allow that it isn’t likely necessary to be a member of both, I choose to be because I think there are some differences between the two organizations that cause membership in both to have value for me and others who enjoy social nudity. Another thing is that both offer excellent periodicals and I wouldn’t want to forgo receiving either of them. AANR publishes a monthly newspaper, The Bulletin and TNS publishes quarterly, a full color magazine, Nude & Natural, often simply referred to by naturists as N.

What do these organizations do besides collect dues from their members? In a nutshell, AANR is primarily responsible for the oversight of nudist clubs and resorts. They have core values such as associated organizations must provide an environment that is family friendly and free of any sexual atmosphere. They promote positive body acceptance. AANR also by committee does become involved in issues where governments or other entities attempt to infringe on the rights of people to engage in responsible social nudity.

You could say that AANR is the “nudist” organization and is most concerned about the more urban practice of social nudity. TNS on the other hand, has the more naturist type philosophy and is primarily concerned with the preservation and expansion of the rights of naturists to responsibly utilize public beaches and other public lands for nude recreational purposes. I think it fair to say that TNS is the “green” organization as they promote responsibility in interaction with nature and the environment. TNS is also active in protecting nudists and naturists from those unfriendly to social nudity. They have a legal adjunct called the Naturist Action Committee which regularly intercedes when federal, state or local governments raise issues designed to restrict the use of public lands by naturists.

Recently I submitted an article to the editors of Nude & Natural for their consideration. In part that article encourages all naturists and nudists to unite under the umbrella of a national coalition by becoming active and participating members of AANR, TNS or both. In the article I drew a comparison between naturists and nudists and gun activists, citing the effectiveness of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in shaping legislation that affects a citizen’s rights to own firearms. I see some compelling similarities in mission between the NRA and the national nudist organizations. While it is the mission of the NRA to protect and preserve what they view as the rights granted under the Second Amendment, both AANR and TNS seek to protect and preserve nudist rights from a First Amendment issues perspective.

While I’m not going to give away the whole of my proposed Nude & Natural article since that wouldn’t be fair to TNS until they make a decision about whether they will publish the article, I would just like to expound a bit more on the idea of how naturists could benefit from following a model similar to that of the NRA. The NRA is consistently rated by members of Congress as the most powerful lobbying organization in the country. NRA members are noted for registering to vote, showing up at the polls, calling their congressmen and holding their representatives accountable for the kind of legislation they introduce or support. NRA members support their organization through dues, donations and active participation in volunteer activities and recruitment. In 2004, the annual revenues of the NRA were about $240 million. Yet no matter how large NRA becomes (estimated now to have more than 4 million members), they remain true to their heritage as a grassroots organization that very effectively serves the interests of their membership.

The biggest successes I find in the NRA model are there ability to grow and retain their membership base through active and aggressive recruitment and their ability to attract additional revenues in the form of donations, allowing them to finance court challenges when necessary and support the bills and politicians that they believe are most aligned with their member’s interests. Big money and a large membership of individuals standing together, ready and willing to engage in the political process are the secrets of the NRA’s success.

In comparison, the two largest nudist organizations combined have an estimated dues paying membership of less than 100,000. While I have no figures on their annual revenues, certainly it would pale in comparison to the NRA simply by virtue of the huge difference in numbers of members. This is not to say that there are only 100,000 or so naturists in North America, as I am certain the number would easily surpass a million or more, yet that doesn’t count for much when they haven’t banded together to present a united front. 4 million members and about $240 million in annual revenues get people’s attention on Capitol Hill and in the various statehouses. That to me is a lesson that naturists must not only learn but emulate if we are ever to win the battle for respect and legitimacy that we have been fighting for since 1929. Since that time it seems we have vacillated between trying to “fly beneath the radar” and escape the notice of non-nudists or else we have been engaged in a war for the hearts and minds of clothed society through diplomacy. Neither of those strategies has brought us much success. My personal belief is that we are never going to enjoy becoming a part of mainstream society and gain at least tolerance from non-nudists until we become, to borrow a phrase from Al Gore, an “inconvenient truth” that the political forces in this country are forced to reckon with. Individual naturists need to look deep inside and find the will to become participating parts of a vital and effective united group and our nudist organizations need to discard the old ideas that haven’t worked and look to new and innovative ways to attract broad support from those who embrace naturist principles. If we could learn to shape public policy and legislation in the manner the NRA does so effectively, I think we would then be light years ahead of where we are now.

Much of the hostility and depreciative attitudes we get from a large segment of society is because we are viewed as being a fringe group of questionable morals, character and I suppose intelligence. Those kinds of opinions must be dispelled along with all the ridiculous misconceptions that many people harbor about who nudists are and what we are about. Our culture, our philosophies and our practices are good and noble and demand the same respect as those of any other alternative lifestyle. Gaining that respect is an achievable goal if only we will take a united stand. Instead of being perceived as a group of weirdoes who are always fighting city hall, let’s plug into the system and learn to use it effectively to achieve our purposes and secure the rights that are due us. As Confucius reportedly stated, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” We may be facing a proverbial thousand mile journey but we can and should start taking those steps now. If the “almost” 100,000 members of the AANR and TNS would individually commit themselves to convincing just one other confirmed nudist they know over the next 12 months of the importance of membership and help to encourage them to join, one year from now the memberships of those organizations would be double their present size. Yes, 200,000 is still a far cry from 4 million but it’s a start, a first step on that thousand mile journey; a step towards the expansion of rights and access; a step towards respectability and viability of our lifestyle, beliefs and practices.

Shock and Awe Part 2: Overwhelming Power

To most effectively employ this point of strategy, I think where we would get the biggest bang for our buck is through standing together under the umbrella of one or both of our national nudist organizations, either The Naturist Society or the American Association for Nude Recreation. Become a member, encourage other nudists you know to become a member and get active. Writing a check and putting another membership card into your wallet or purse is not enough. Seek opportunities to get involved within the framework of one of the national organizations. As I’ve said before, I’m not the activist type in the sense that I’m not likely to join in a public nudity protest and risk being fined, arrested or imprisoned. I think those who do engage in this kind of “in your face” activities do have their hearts in the right place and have the best of intentions, but I think these kinds of demonstrations are really counter-productive to our cause. They offend people and really only serve I think to make nudists look like a bunch of wild-eyed, extremist nut cases. Extremism has never been well tolerated in American society. Even though patriotism is foundational to the American experience, even extreme displays of patriotism are likely to garner public criticism and even the negative attention of governmental agencies. But when any group stands together in large numbers and presents a unified front, people take notice. One need only look to history and see how effective was the Civil Rights Movement and the Gay Rights Movement to see why naturists and nudists need to bid a speedy farewell to our past failed strategy of individualism and get it together as a group. This means not just those that have the desire to engage in social nudity but home nudists as well should secure membership in TNS or AANR.

As far as getting actively involved, there are many less extreme things we can do than participating in public nudity demonstrations. Both TNS and AANR offer free printed material that can be handed out or posted in public venues. You can support organizations like the Naturist Action Committee and the Naturist Education Foundation with your checkbook. You can get involved with the national organizations by offering, no demanding some innovative changes. For one thing, when you look at the web sites of both TNS and AANR you find an awful lot of stuff, but I can tell you from personal experience, if you are interested in joining, you really have to look hard to find membership information. It’s almost as if they are apologetic for offering memberships. I think they need to make some changes to their own models of doing business. Membership should be the most stressed and highly visible part of their web site presentation. Not only information about how to join but why it benefits you to join. Join one of the many nudist social networking sites and use the forums to post cogent and well articulated arguments for why being a national nudist organization member makes good sense for all nudists. If you are open about your status as a naturist or nudist and given to public speaking, you could contact local non-nudist social and fraternal organizations and offer to serve as a guest speaker at one of their meetings where you would have the opportunity to present naturism and nudism in a positive way to groups largely ignorant of what our lifestyle is all about. I think you might be surprised by how receptive some of these groups might be to such overtures. Not all of course, but some. If you are a member of The Naturist Society and regularly receive their excellent magazine, Nude and Natural, you could do something as simple as leaving your copy in the reception area of your local dentist or doctor’s office or other public area after you have finished reading it. Yes, perhaps it might be thrown out as soon as it is discovered but perhaps a few people might read too.

If you are a business owner, you could consider if appropriate, including AANR and TNS printed materials in your product packaging, providing low or no cost product rebates and discount coupons that AANR and TNS could use as a membership benefit or premium, provide links to AANR and TNS on your business web site, donate a product or collectible for use in AANR and TNS recruitment campaigns, make a cash contribution to help TNS and AANR fund membership development through direct marketing and web outreach or donate advertising space in magazines, catalogs, web sites or on any television show you produce or are associated with. Come to think of it when is the last time you saw a television ad for TNS or AANR? Think never! Both organizations could easily come up with tasteful advertisements that could be acceptable and non-offensive to anyone that could help get our message out and likely it is lack of financial resources that prevents them from doing so. Yes, the Internet is largely taking dominance when it comes to advertising these days but there is still plenty of room for effective outreach through television and radio spots. Doesn’t it seem obvious how this could really boost a more mainstream perspective for naturists and nudists? I admit to being more than a bit enamored with the effectiveness of the National Rifle Association model for furthering their Second Amendment rights agenda and they employ many of the same methods I have just suggested to wildly successful effect. We as naturists and nudists could do far worse than copying their model to further our First Amendment rights agenda. In summary the keys to successful employment of Overwhelming Power is organizational membership and active participation. Similarly to the real “Shock and Awe” battlefield concept, imposing this overwhelming level of power against the adversaries of social nudity on an immediate and sufficiently timely basis could allow us to seize the initiative with respect to public opinion and so paralyze and overload our adversary's perceptions and understanding of events that they might be rendered incapable of resistance at the tactical and strategic levels.

Next Installment - Shock and Awe Part 3: Dominant Battlefield Awareness

Nakations

To many, the mention of nude recreation conjures up images of isolated beach scenes or hippie-style gatherings in a secluded, rustic campground or R.V. park tucked away in the woods. While those kinds of offerings do exist the real boom in nude vacations is coming at the high end of the travel industry, as upscale hotels and resorts, and even some luxury cruise lines, have begun to see the economic potential of the clothing optional crowd, particularly with respect to those who want to shed their clothes but not their pampered lifestyles.

The $300-per-person all-inclusive Hidden Beach Resort, a nude-only luxury hotel that opened in 2003 along Mexico’s popular Mayan Riviera, greets guests with Champagne upon arrival. Beach butlers hand out towels and reading materials to guests relaxing in the nude, while they themselves walk around in discreet uniforms of buttoned-down shirts and khaki pants.

Closer to home for US residents is The Terra Cotta Inn, a luxurious yet affordable clothing optional resort and spa located in Palm Springs, CA, with room rates ranging from $149 to $189 per night, double occupancy. The Terra Cotta Inn which pampers and spoils guests with such amenities as al fresco breakfasts, catered lunches, afternoon hors d'oeuvres, spa services and wonderful mountain views, has been named a favorite couples getaway by Los Angeles Magazine and one of the top four resorts in Palm Springs by the San Diego ABC television affiliate. In addition to clothing optional specific resorts like The Terra Cotta Inn, several mainstream hotels, including Caesar’s Palace and the Mirage in Las Vegas, have introduced topless pools in the past couple of years.

In 2008, a New York Times article estimated that nude recreation represented a $440 million a year industry, up from $400 million in 2001 and $200 million in 1992 and it’s still growing, says the American Association for Nude Recreation, which promotes au natural vacations as “nakations.” AANR also publishes an annual, North American Guide to Nude Recreation, which offers information on more than 200 clothes-free and clothing-optional resorts, clubs and RV campgrounds throughout the United States and Canada.

The types of nude vacations available have expanded too. Vacationers can now roll out a mat at all-nude yoga retreats, share banana bread with other guests at clothes-free and clothing optional bed-and-breakfasts, gear up for nude mountain biking in California’s High Desert and saunter around the decks of cruise ships chartered specifically for nudists. In Germany, a travel operator has even arranged for an all-nude charter flights to nudist vacation destinations. The naturists take off and land fully clothed, but shed their clothes once airborne. The flight attendants and crew, however, keep their uniforms on.

A number of travel agencies have sprung up, like Bare Necessities Tour & Travel that specializes in booking nude travel. Most nude vacationers say that what they enjoy most is liberation from the typical pretenses of society. According to nudists, when a person doesn’t have any clothes on, you don’t know if someone is a judge or a doctor, a lawyer or a mechanic. People are simply who they are.

Nude recreation, of course, goes back at least to the ancient Greeks, who competed in the Olympics while nude but it wasn’t until the dawn of the 20th century when nudism became organized in America. Kurt Barthel, a German immigrant, the acknowledged founder of American nudism, on Labor Day in 1929 led a small group of individuals to picnic in the buff in upstate New York and organized the first official nudist club, the American League for Physical Culture (present day American Association for Nude Recreation), where nudists paid dues to gather to swim, socialize and relax in the nude.

The one problematic issue with nude vacationing as I see it, is that many of the upscale resorts available to those seeking clothes-free or clothing optional vacation venues, are couples oriented, meaning that single nudists are effectively excluded unless they can find someone to partner up with. This is due primarily to the desire on the part of many resorts to distance themselves from the hedonistic “adult alternative” resorts where it is recreational sex rather than mere nudity that is the focus. Still increasing numbers of locations can be found with a little due diligence on the part of singles who desire to avail themselves of the opportunities for nakationing.

Many speculate that American’s increasing interest in health and wellness may be one contributing factor to the rise in popularity of clothing-optional vacations. But it is also likely that many people are traveling to nudist destinations for simple ultraistic reasons such as the achievement of harmony with nature. Naturist travel is a form of self-expression that dates back to Walt Whitman and John Muir, as well as Thoreau, all of whom advocated being as true to yourself as possible and the truest you can be is taking off those clothes.

A First Social Nudity Outing

All of the clubs and resorts associated with such organizations at the American Association of Nude Recreation (AANR) aim to provide a stress free, relaxed experience for first time visitors. AANR affiliated clubs and resorts are the perfect choice for those who have developed an interest in nudity and feel ready to move beyond simple home nudity to a first social nudity experience.

You can easily locate a club or resort near your home by referencing the helpful AANR Club Listings web page. You will find a map on the page and you simply click on your own or a nearby state and you will then be taken to a list of AANR clubs and resorts for that specific area.

One important thing to know and understand is that there are two types of nudist clubs. The first is a “landed club”. A landed club, often referred to as a resort has its own grounds and facilities. Landed clubs range from the very posh and luxurious to those that are more related to nature and rustic. Landed clubs are my recommendation for a first visit and first social nudity experience. It is not necessary to be a member of a nudist organization like AANR or The Naturist Society (TNS) before visiting a nudist resort but members of these organizations do receive discounts on fees and often on lodging as well.

Most clubs and resorts have web sites and you will find links to those on the club listing pages. Check out the web sites of those that are of interest to do a little preliminary research to find out general information about the club and the atmosphere you can expect if you choose to visit. It is always best to plan a head and to understand the type of club you will be attending and to familiarize yourself with their rules and regulations.

Most if not all require that you call ahead of time and make a reservation so that they will be expecting you. This is a good time to ask any questions that you may have and to put yourself at ease over anything you might feel uncomfortable about. Be sure to let the club representative know that this will be your first visit to a nudist club. The representative will then do his/her best to make sure you understand all you need to know about their club.

Here are a few suggested questions to ask:

• What are the club’s admissions policies?
• What are the fees involved?
• What recreational facilities does the club offer?
• If you are planning on more than just a day visit, you will want to ask them what type of accommodations they have to offer if any. Some offer standard motel rooms and nearly all have camping facilities to accommodate both RVs and tents.
• Ask if there is an adjustment period before first timers are expected to take off their clothing. AANR affiliated clubs are very sensitive to the fact that a first time visitor is going to feel a bit nervous and uneasy at the prospect and generally will allow you to remain clothed while you are given a tour of the grounds and make up your mind about staying. There are “clothing optional” and “clothes free” resorts so make sure you understand the policy of the specific club or resort that you select. Clothing optional clubs allow and encourage nudity but full nudity is not required except when using pools or hot tubs. Clothes free resorts on the other hand have a clothes when necessary (inclement weather) but nude when possible policy. Some clubs have different rules based on gender, appreciating the fact that women are sometimes more ill at ease when visiting a nudist club for the first time than men. So women may be allowed “clothing optional” while men are expected to be nude. Still, it is pretty much a common rule with all that full nudity is required for those who wish to use the pools or hot tub.
• If you intend to take pets for an overnight stay, make sure to inquire about pet policies. Many nudist clubs are very family oriented and pet friendly and do allow pets but expect that you will have them on leash when in the common areas.

There are a few things you will want to make sure that you take along for your first visit;

• Photo identification.
• A couple of towels as nudist rules of etiquette require that a towel be used for sitting on any furnishings for personal hygiene reasons. It is nice to have a second towel to use after swimming or showering.
• Sun block to prevent sunburn on areas where you normally don’t get sun.
• Camping equipment if you will staying overnight and are not renting a room.

Every club or resort has its own rules but here are some rather common ones that you might encounter;

• Sitting on towels is a common courtesy and expected.
• Always ask permission before taking photographs if cameras are allowed.
• Use of vulgar language or any other unseemly behavior is prohibited.
• Parents must supervise their children at all times.
• Body acceptance is the theme at nudist clubs and resorts and everyone is encouraged to be nude most of the time but it is not mandatory at all places.
• No overt sexual activity is permitted. No sexual propositions of any kind allowed. Basically, any behavior that might cause others to feel uncomfortable is forbidden.
• Piercing jewelry below the waist is usually not permitted.
• Overuse of alcohol and any use of illegal drugs is not tolerated.
• Politeness and respect for the property of others is expected.

As far as costs go, most resorts charge a “day rate fee” and there are additional charges for lodging or camping. Many offer special rates and discounts to first time visitors so be sure to ask about them. Day rate fees vary but tend to range from $ 20 - $30 per day.

A History of American Nudism – Part II

Modern naturism had its beginnings during the late nineteenth century. During this time, the medical community had neither explanation nor cure for the debilitating diseases that were commonly believed to be the result of living in the crowded and unsanitary cities, tenement housing, restrictive Victorian clothing, and oppressive working conditions in evidence during this “Golden Age” of industrialization. Some medical practitioners concluded that what people needed was exposure to the natural healing elements or fresh air, sunlight, and water preferably in the absence of clothing. So if you were under the impression that nudists were produced by the sixties movement, you were mistaken. Certainly the turbulent sixties was an era where a rigid culture, unable to contain the demands for greater individual freedom, broke free of the social constraints of the previous age through extreme deviation from the norm – even an era of great irresponsible excess and flamboyance. Toward the later half of that decade, younger generations rebelled against the conservative norms of the time, disassociated themselves from mainstream liberalism, turned away from the high levels of materialism which was so common during the era and created a counter-culture that eventually turned into a social revolution throughout much of the western world. The counter-culture movement was marked by drug use (including LSD and marijuana), psychedelic music, “free love” and yes, a good deal of nudist expression. Still this was not the roots of nudism/naturism. Public nudity was simply a vehicle used during the sixties as one more dissociative act of rebellion against “the system.” This actually rather pointedly makes the case for how strong the Puritanical and Victorian opposition to nudity still was in America during this period of history as it was seen something worthy of rebelling against.

The modern nudism movement continued in America patterned on the similar naturist movement in Europe when Bernard MacFadden, an early pioneer of health reform, began to promote natural living in his Physical Culture magazine and at his Physical Culture City, as did William Call in his Common Sense Club. In 1929 the first real nudist outing in American was organized by a group of German-Americans who were familiar with European naturism. Led by Kurt Barthel, they rented a piece of remote property over the Labor Day weekend and enjoyed a pleasant weekend outdoors celebrating nudity. The following spring, Barthel formed a regular club, The American League for Physical Culture. A year later, the American League for Physical Culture opened a permanent site near Spring Valley in Rockland County, New York, named Sky Farm. Over 200 new members joined that first year. Police raids soon followed as word of Sky Farm spread. When the case came to trial at the end of 1931, to everyone’s surprise, the judge acquitted the entire group. He ruled that not only were they doing all they could to maintain their privacy they were not guilty of any lewd behavior. This unexpected victory gave the nudist movement a tremendous boost and the publicity alone attracted many new converts. What had started as an attempt to stop American naturism instead nurtured it and helped it to grow.

Within a short time, American minister, Ilsley Boone, wrested control of the nudist movement away from Barthel. Boone would transform the American Nudist Movement and lead it off in a new, more daring direction. Rev. Boone fought successfully to win official recognition for the First Amendment rights of nudist publications. Immediately after assuming the presidency of the American League for Physical Culture, Boone renamed the group The American Sunbathing Association. Boone preferred to call his members “nudists” to differentiate them from the European term “naturist.” He began chartering new clubs affiliated with his own across America and by the mid 1930s there were eighty-one nudist camps across America.

By the mid-1980’s, the national organization Boone had founded, the ASA, grew to its peak of over 50,000 members throughout the United Sates, Canada and Jamaica. One last name change occurred in 1995 when the ASA became the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) – to better reflect the purpose and goals of the organization. The “Golden Age” Nudism in America soon followed the favorable 1958 Supreme Court decision which ruled that nudist (and men’s skin magazines) were protected under the First Amendment. In 1959, The State Supreme Court of Michigan ruled that nudists had the right to practice nudism within private resorts. Many of the post World War II primitive “nudist camps” were replaced by newer locations featuring swimming pools, clubhouses and restaurants. Nudists were no expected to “rough it” in order to enjoy nude recreation. They began to enjoy comparable luxuries to those enjoyed by their clothed friends at their summer resorts.

-- To be continued