Efforts of individual naturists are essential to revitalizing naturism
More than the efforts of existing naturist organizations and clubs are needed to reverse the declining participation in naturism.
Summary: Naturists should learn more about the best ways to refute respectfully the many objections to naturism that non-naturists have. That understanding should help naturists become much less reluctant - and more motivated - to make the effort. Individual naturists and naturism itself will benefit from learning the most effective techniques.
Many individual naturists are reluctant to reveal their enjoyment of naturism to family members, friends, and acquaintances. Most people who aren’t naturists know very little about non-sexual social nudity, so they have many reasons to be leery of it. Unless a naturist understands the many prevalent misconceptions and misunderstandings, there’s little chance of interesting others to try naturism themselves.
I hope what’s here will help you explain naturism to others and interest them in understanding it. I’ll assume you’re already knowledgeable about naturism - even if you might struggle a bit to explain why you enjoy it. It’s OK if they don’t share your enthusiasm. The point is to respect how you feel about it. Maybe a few will then try it themselves. Or, at least, accompany you to observe naturist activities.
Here’s a (surely incomplete) list of at least some of the main misunderstandings.
Fear of violating existing laws. Are normal naturist activities likely to be illegal in a particular state or some part of it where one lives or visits?
Fear of disrupting personal relationships. Would important friends and family members become less close? Would some consider simple nudity to be immoral or “indecent”?
Fear that negative attitudes towards naturism might affect how others think about oneself. Would important people in one’s life consider participation in naturism improper and cause for criticism?
Fear of sexual associations. Would people think that a naturist is mainly interested in sexual activity?
Fear of improper behavior and sexual harassment. Would acquaintances or strangers be likely to consider a naked person a natural target for unwanted sexual attention?
Concerns by women about participating in social nudity because of possible sexual harassment or damage to their “reputation”?
Concerns about personal body appearance. Does one consider their body to be unattractive or unpleasant in the eyes of others?
Concerns about the possible effects of naturism on one’s partner or children.
Fear of adverse effects on employment. Would employers be likely to fire or demote someone known as a naturist?
Prevalent religious teaching. People with strong religious beliefs might consider social nudity or even private nudity sinful or likely to encourage sinful behavior in others.
Dislike for the appearance of naked bodies. Does one find the appearance of certain body parts - their own or those of others - unpleasant or distracting?
Concerns about sanitation. Could lack of clothing be unsanitary - for oneself or others?
Going to a naturist resort, non-landed club, or nude beach for the first time can be intimidating, because of uncertainty about the behavior of oneself and others there.
Most naturists know good arguments to refute misconceptions and to quell concerns like these. But that’s just an essential minimum of what’s required. In addition, knowing how to address these issues respectfully and non-confrontationally is very necessary.
What are good ways to encourage people to consider making opinion changes - especially about naturism?
Psychologists and sociologists have theorized many ways respectfully to persuade others to change particular opinions. A recent book (2022) presents a good summary of practical approaches to encourage changes of mind about issues where a difference of opinion exists. The book is How Minds Change, by David McRaney. I haven’t yet written a review of it, but I want to acknowledge that the techniques I’ll discuss here are based on the book. McRaney is a science writer, not a credentialed psychologist or sociologist. However, his book is based on extensive discussions with experts, and it provides examples of how reasonable and non-confrontational methods of persuasion can be used in practice. No arguing is necessary - just empathizing and explaining.
Legitimate persuasion of opinion change is not a matter of expounding one’s personal opinions as more valuable than a differing opinion someone else holds. After all, people differ for many reasons - family background, personal experiences, influences from diverse sources, cultural and national differences, or even the most recent arguments they may have had with others. Above all, don’t even think of offensively saying to someone “Look, you’re absolutely wrong!” It’s best to start by learning why someone has concerns or misunderstandings that seem responsible for the disagreement.
Almost at the start, McRaney notes “the idea that facts alone could make everyone see things the same way [is] a venerable misconception.” Indeed, what constitutes a particular “fact” may be exactly what a disagreement is about. That’s especially true when “facts” may be much of what’s responsible for disagreements about complicated social issues - such as naturism. Disputing “facts” is appropriate mainly when the scientific method can be employed to prove or disprove something. Especially in fields like psychology and sociology, new issues seem to arise whenever more extensive studies are done.
Where naturism is what’s under dispute, what matters most are attitudes, beliefs, and personal values - where variable emotions play a large role. So I’ll specialize to naturism the steps McRaney outlines in more general - but similar - situations. The following applies only when addressed to just one other person. I’m talking about a naturist who wants to explain and promote naturism to one specific person. (Or possibly two who think much alike, e. g. a partnered couple.) Any small or large group of others comprises a variety of people, most of whom have varying attitudes, beliefs, and values. So what follows doesn’t apply in that case.
Usually, a different subset of the fears and concerns related to naturism listed at the beginning of this article will be relevant to the person you’re talking with. You’ll probably have to deal with each issue separately. You need to discover the significant issues, so you don’t have to deal with all of them.
Try to establish rapport initially. Of course, this shouldn’t be hard if the other person is a friend or relative, with whom you probably already have some rapport. Make it clear that you don’t want to shame or criticize the person for their current attitudes, beliefs, and values. Be clear you just want a cordial conversation and exchange of ideas. You simply want to learn about the other person’s opinions about naturism and have a chance to offer your own point of view.
Most opinions have different strengths, so learning the strength of a specific opinion is important. This will show your interest in understanding each opinion and allow you to better empathize with the other’s way of thinking. One way to do this is to ask them to rate how strongly they hold the opinion, on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the strongest). The chances are that most people haven’t tried to quantify the strength of their opinion, so they might think you’re a pollster. Assure them you aren’t, and only want to understand better. Also, it might be easier for some to use a scale of 1 to 5. Numbers somewhat below the top of the scale suggest a person’s opinion isn’t quite strong and may be easier to change.
After that, you can show the conversation isn’t going to be one-way by telling a story about someone you know who’s dealt with a particular issue. For example, maybe you know someone who’s shown an interest in naturism, but initially was reluctant to participate because they felt their body wasn’t “good enough”. However, that person eventually became an enthusiastic naturist and stopped worrying about their body’s appearance. Another example would be someone afraid their spouse would object if they engaged in naturist activities - but later realized the spouse saw little problem with naturism and maybe got into it also.
The next step is to learn whether the story you’ve just related might have changed the strength of their opinion. So ask again whether there’s been any change, and if so, how and why. In the best case, the story was one they could personally relate to. If the strength of their opinion hasn’t changed, you might know of a different story that might seem more relevant.
Only once the other person seems fairly confident about the strength of their opinion should you ask what reasons they have for the opinion. Encourage them to offer the main reasons, not just the first that comes to mind.
When they’ve given you the reasons for their opinion, rephrase them in your own words to show you’ve understood them correctly. If they indicate your phrasing isn’t quite right, repeat the process until they’re satisfied you understand.
Next, ask whether their current opinion and the reasons for it have changed from how they felt earlier in their lives. If there have been changes, ask why they changed each time. Show that you want to understand how and why their opinion has evolved. Make it clear you have a sincere interest in understanding. Just don’t let the conversation seem like an unpleasant interrogation. Summarise the main points in your own words to show you understand.
Tell your own story of becoming involved in naturism. Offer the main steps and reasons for your involvement. If the other person seems interested, feel free to offer as much detail as needed to satisfy their curiosity - but no more. Emphasize that you only want the other person to have a reasonably clear picture of your position, but don’t let the conversation become argumentative.
Conclude by asking whether the discussion has resulted in any additional change in the other person’s opinion. If it’s been a positive change, that’s great, but in any case, thank the person for their time and the opportunity to exchange each other’s points of view.
Naturally, there will be some or many times when such conversations don’t result in a favorable change in someone’s opinions about naturism. But at least you’ve tried. Hopefully, you’ll understand the fears and concerns others have about naturism, so you’ll be able to think of better ways to discuss it with a skeptic and achieve better results in the future,
What specific points can be made about often-mentioned fears and concerns?
The most important fact to keep in mind is that naturists generally interact amicably with others regardless of whether or not they’re wearing any clothes. (An exception is that naturist parks almost always require nudity around pools and spas.)
As naturists, we know about most of the fears and concerns listed at the start of this article - and we’ve learned some ways to assuage them. Addressing those issues clearly and confidently is essential. A long essay could be written about each one, but to get started, what you’ll find below will help to discuss the issues in your own words from your own experience.
There are various fears and concerns to deal with. So let’s briefly review some of those and suggest “talking points” to use. Although they deserve more in-depth examination, we can only scratch the surface here. Start with the following points. There’s much more to say about each of them, of course. If you don’t know a lot about a specific issue, you can learn more from Internet searches, or ask experienced naturists about the issue.
Legality of nudity. In some countries, such as England, Spain, and several in northwestern Europe, non-sexual nudity is generally legal in most places unless deliberately offensive to others. In the U.S., of course, the situation is much less tolerant, and the legal details vary a lot from place to place. Only in Arkansas is naturism strictly illegal, except (maybe) in private homes. However, in Utah a woman was charged in 2020 with “lewdness” simply for being topfree in her own home around her stepchildren. There are few U.S. places where people can be naked outdoors in populated areas. (But in some San Francisco neighborhoods various local businesses welcome naked customers.) Summary: Naturist nudity is legal in naturist parks and private homes and yards (if you can’t be seen from outside and don’t reside in Utah). It’s also legal on most Bureau of Land Management and National Forest land. (This isn’t professional legal advice, so consult officials or a lawyer if uncertain.)
Judging people’s bodies. Judging the appearance of one’s own body or someone else’s is hard to resist - whether naked or not. A healthcare professional’s job is to advise about body health, so they have to judge body appearance sometimes. But others shouldn’t be judgmental. We’ll naturally also be concerned with what others think about our bodies. Suppressing that urge does take a little effort, but it becomes easier with increasing naturist experience. When we do wear clothes, like anyone else we generally try to choose clothes that won’t make a bad impression on others. Naturists, by definition, uncover their whole bodies when comfortable and acceptable, since doing so is life-affirming, healthful, and (most of all) pleasurable. So when we’re naked (in appropriate circumstances) our appearance is just whatever it is - and we trust others to accept it. For someone new to naturism to fully enjoy it, they need to learn that making judgments about the naked bodies of themselves and others should be avoided.
Sexual issues. A basic characteristic of naturism is that it’s non-sexual. Naturists don’t accept openly sexual behavior in naturist activities - including naturist parks, on clothing-optional beaches, in outdoor locations where legal, or in friendly gatherings in private homes. Naturists enjoy sexuality only when and where any other sensible person would. Naturists don’t pay special attention to parts of their own or others’ bodies that are associated with sexuality - there’s no more focus on such parts than there’d be on hands, noses, or knees. No sort of sexual harassment is acceptable. Naturists firmly disapprove of excessive staring, suggestive or disparaging comments on others’ bodies, uncomfortable attention by strangers, and (especially) unwanted physical contact. Naturist establishments usually do background checks on new visitors and will require anyone guilty of harassment to leave if and when they learn of it.
Issues for women in naturism. In addition to fears and concerns about how one’s body may be judged and those related to sexuality, other factors are specific to women. The largest problem, certainly, is that the ratio of men to women in the U.S. who participate is very high - frequently around 9 to 1 or more. During the early days of U.S. naturism - up to about the 1970s - the ratio was much closer, sometimes nearly even. But when, as now, the ratio is so 1-sided, that women are pretty reluctant to participate is hardly surprising. Besides that, there is what Cambridge Univerity professor Victoria Bateman has termed the “female modesty cult”. In recent years and many phases of life, women tended to dress more “modestly”. For example, even in Europe many women no longer go topfree on beaches, even when doing so is perfectly legal. However, there’s a simple solution. A woman who’d like to participate in naturism should do so with one or more others. The others could be a spouse, domestic partner, or good friends - either male or female. These companions usually wouldn’t have to get naked, as long as they don’t mind being with naked people.
Issues for children in naturism. Children’s participation in any naturist activity can involve various concerns and fears. Toddlers generally enjoy being naked and feel nothing unusual about it. Others, at least up to their teen years, can usually handle nudity pretty well - unless they’ve been cautioned against it by family or peers. In naturist families, children who are accustomed to nudity also find it natural (again, at least up to their teens). Most naturist resorts are alert for possible pedophilia. Even so, children must, of course, have trustworthy supervision for naturist activities outside the home. Parents are best for doing that. But when that’s not possible, good alternatives are willing and trusted adult siblings or grandparents of the child. They just need to be OK with nudity at naturist venues, clothing-optional beaches, camping or hiking trips, etc.
General fears of participating in naturism. For a non-naturist or even for someone who’s only been naked at home, visiting a naturist resort, naturist event, or clothing-optional beach for the first time can be a scary experience. In general, naturists are lenient and understanding with apparent first-timers. Their fears of new naturist experiences or admitting being new to naturism should be assuaged. Most naturists will be understanding of first-timers and try to put them at ease. Knowing one or more experienced naturists to accompany one initially can be very helpful - especially for women. If judging experience by appearance is hard, just have a conversation with someone who’s well-tanned. Among the possible issues:
Will I be welcome and not subject to intimidating scrutiny or suspicion of improper behavior?
Will others pay unwanted or excessive attention to my nudity?
Will I be embarrassed because of the appearance of my naked body?
Do I need to worry about sexual harassment or unwanted sexual requests?
Will I get in trouble for violating rules, customs, conventions, or simple faux pas I’m unaware of?
Problems in personal relationships. Naturism is widely misunderstood in the U.S. (and many other countries). Attitudes to it are often negative. So naturists can’t ignore potential problems with spouses, domestic partners, other family members, relatives, and social friends who don’t understand naturism. Ideally, a naturist should be candid before entering any long-term relationship. Often, however, interest in naturism arises years after forming a relationship. If the relationship is strong, a partner probably can be persuaded that naturism is healthy - and (hopefully) something to enjoy together. The same is true with general friendships. However, every situation is different. The best approach is to understand the important issues, and to use the techniques for changing others’ minds explained above
Potential problems of employment. Problems - unfairly - may affect naturists in professions (like teaching) that work with children or adolescents. Genuine naturists should be OK, but prevalent misunderstandings of naturism could cause unresolvable problems. The same might occur in almost any line of work, especially if a business owner or hiring manager knows very little about naturism (as is typical). However, there should be much less concern in manufacturing jobs and professions requiring higher education or formal credentials (like physicians, nurses, scientists, lawyers, technologists, etc.) And anyone self-employed should be fine.
Religious concerns. Generalizing about all religions is impossible. Some have little or nothing to say about nudity. A small number have insisted on nudity for followers. Examples include Christian Doukhobors and Digambara Jain monks. But those are exceptions. Most contemporary religions tend to regard even non-sexual nudity negatively. Some make wearing extremely “modest” clothing a requirement (especially for women). However, in modern Christianity, many believers are active naturists. Some are even ministers or priests. Still, “don’t ask, don’t tell” is the norm. Many believers who do enjoy naturism aren’t necessarily much more secretive about it than non-believers. Of course, naturists in general may be scretive for reasons unrelated to religion. (See this Wikipedia article for more information on nudity in religion.)
Sanitation issues. There’s very little problem at all regarding sanitation at landed naturist clubs. Showers (and soap) are usually available near pools, spas, and saunas. And naturists habitually use towels when sitting on chairs, lounges, benches, on the ground, etc.
Why should individual naturists make an effort to change the minds of others about the reasonableness and value of participation in naturism?
Participation in naturism in the contemporary U.S. has been declining for some time - since 2000 or earlier. That’s also been true in many other countries where naturism has been practiced, although usually to a lesser degree. Naturism is a lifestyle for some, and at least something that’s often enjoyed by others who’ve tried it. Any further decline would be most unfortunate. Organizations and enterprises - frequently several - have been established to promote and support naturism in most countries where naturism is practiced to more than a minimal degree.
These organizations provide a variety of services, such as websites, magazines and newsletters, assistance to non-landed naturist clubs, online discussion forums, publicity and advertising in news services, assistance with the establishment and operations of naturist venues, legal defense of naturist activities and clothing-optional beaches, supporting charitable organizations, organizing regional gatherings and local events, operation of naturist libraries, promotion of naturism to the general public, lobbying with national and local government to protect naturist beaches and recreational opportunities - to name just some of what they do.
Unfortunately, however, these organizations' varied efforts haven’t been enough to reverse the decline of naturism where it’s occurred. More support from individual naturists in the form of paid memberships would be most welcome. But that still hasn’t been enough. Individual naturists themselves need to do more on their own initiative.
What should individual naturists be doing?
Begin or continue supporting naturist organizations by paid membership. If possible, contribute time and effort to organization activities.
Come out of the closet and promote naturism to your family and friends. Learn about and use the techniques described above to change minds about the value of naturism as a legitimate and enjoyable activity - or even a lifestyle.
Patronize existing naturist clubs and resorts so they can upgrade their facilities.
Invite your open-minded friends to visit with you a naturist park, nude beach, or elsewhere naturists may be found - assuring them they can keep their clothes on.
Let the responsible public officials in your state and local area know that naturism deserves to be supported - rather than suppressed - and is of value to those who wish to participate.
Hi Charles - you wrote a wise and thoughtful article that makes intelligent recommendations. My experience of nudism in England has been of steadily increasing illiberality and I was aware of growing prudishness in the USA, but I did not know that nudism is illegal in Arkansas nor that a woman can be arrested for going top-free in her own home in Utah. The observations you make about the present situation suggests that regaining acceptance of the freedom to be naked in Western countries needs a revolution rather than a gentle PR exercise...
Happy Wednesday