From public nude beach closures to private nudist clubs "going textile", nudists (at least in the U.S.) have seen a marked shift in the social-nude-landscape over the last decade. This trend is fresh on our minds after the announced clothing-mandatory policy by DeAnza Springs Resort this week. Such changes signal a broader question in the nudist community: Is nudism shrinking? As commercial interests encroach on formerly clothing-optional spaces and societal attitudes fluctuate, the state of nudism and its public acceptance seems more precarious than ever.
This week's #UndressedThread explores these issues, seeking insights and perspectives from our community.
Have you personally experienced a decline in nude spaces or nudist activities in your area? Share your observations and thoughts.
What do you think are the major factors contributing to the perceived decline in nudism? How can the nudist community counteract this trend?
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Your experiences, thoughts, and votes on this pressing issue will help us better understand the changing landscape of nudism. Share your insights, and let's explore ways to ensure that the nudist community continues to thrive! 🪐
I voted 'definitely shrinking' but I ought to qualify what I mean by that. Naturism as I first discovered it was as a closed community activity - basically a social club where everyone was naked. It was not easy to gain admittance if you were a young lone male. I, and I suppose others like me, conducted our naked activities in nature - on beaches and the countryside - while at the same time there was a growing acceptance of nudity more widely in society. Now I find there are fewer unstructured opportunities. For example our regular swim at the University of London Olympic sized pool was terminated when it was redeveloped and I find now that there are fewer swims as providers change their policies. Beaches where I used to go naked (including places like Studland) tend to be closely controlled and even raided by the authorities. Yes we have naked bike rides in Central London, but one can't sunbathe naked in Hyde Park without attracting the wrong sort of attention. But there are other opportunities to be naked - spas, festivals and swinger-friendly venues - it's just that simply being naked with other people now seems to need to serve some other purpose (protest, commercial or sexual) than simply enjoying being sociable without clothes...
Thanks for sharing this perspective! From here in the US, naturism in the UK appears to be a shining example of something to aim for but I also see some larger trends against nudity in western culture in general
UK naturism is still strong, particularly in clubs with a family focus, but I think the problem is, as it always has been, an uneasy relationship in the public mind between nudity and sexuality. On the one hand we are, as a society, much more accepting about sex as something other people do but when it comes to us as individuals the old possessive moral strictures remain and are increasingly exacerbated by orchestrated moral panic. Even though BN, our national body, is excellent and campaigns very hard the power of our self-appointed moral guardians grows on the back of fear and social media. But I am a closet pessimist...
Are those clubs only open to families? Are single men allowed? Entrance? I know historically that is not the case, here State side, as many naturists believe the stigma about single men. But that is starting to change. One thing I noticed is many single men who frequent a club, would later bring their girlfriend, then wife, and later kids. I met a few families at the resort/club where I attend, where the man of the family started going by himself, brought his then girlfriend, later wife, and now are raising their children, bringing them to that very resort. The kids, some of whom are older (talking teens) enjoy it, and one can hope they take their future spouse and continue on the tradition.
All clubs now tend to be reasonably inclusive. The problem for those clubs that do have a large family membership is 'stranger danger' paranoia from outside moralising bigots who will always point the finger when they sense a soft target.
That is too bad. By "outside moralising bigots " do you mean the '"Moral Textile Police"? Because, if that is the case, with BN size I am surprise they are not standing up more. I follow BN on social media, and I bought a few copies of their magazine over the years, and they seem to have a stronger PR then AANR. I seen photos of them setting up booths are different public events. Though I do remember reading about a naturist swim at a public pool that some people tried to shutdown because, OMG they had children, OMG!
If you are referring to those in the clubs themselves, 'Solair" a club/resort, which I am not a member, but go to a few times a year in my area, allows single men, like myself, but they also conducts background checks and sex offender registry for all guest at entry, but I'm guessing being in the UK and having more international visitors, that might be a challenge?
Also, everyone knows the regular kids there (there are quite a lot of them), and the visiting ones usually hang out with their parents. If a single male were to hang around the playground, teen center, or follow a group of kids around instead of being with other adults, people there would react strongly. They would likely ask him to leave, and the police might be called. One's children are probably safer there then any textile resort.
With that said I do remember BN hosting an event earlier this year, that if I could, I would have flown out to take part in. It was some outdoor festival, and it seemed it was divided in away, where families have their own section, with their own activities, which is always another way to do it.
Hi Josh - re BN's campaigning. I'll post the link to their 2016 report 'Children Deserve Better'. Children are the future of humanity, not just naturism, and I recommend this report because it's findings suggest that prudery harms children and that harmed children are likely to reproduce that harm for their own children. Naturism is the best antidote.
Charles Daney has been writing about the shrinking nudist landscape in the US quite astutely for some time on his great substack, Revitalizing Naturism. He also discusses his perception of the issue there this morning, expanding on our DeAnza report. It’s worth checking out: https://naturistplace.substack.com/p/the-disappearing-opportunities-for
As I don't live in places where in the naturism is either shrinking or growing, I may not be right person to comment about this. I live in India wherein naturism is not allowed & hence no question of shrinking or growing. However after going through the articles, feedback, it seems that more over the naturism opportunities are shrinking..
I responded “Remaining Stable” because I believe that how people choose to participate in nudism is changing. Younger people coming into or newly experiencing nudism seem to not be as interested in clubs, and lean more toward experiencing nudism on their terms. With that said, I do believe that there are forces in place that can significantly hinder our ability to enjoy social nudity and as a movement we need to be aware and ready to protect our freedoms. So, while I don’t think nudism is shrinking because I do feel there is robust interest, we do need to be concerned about where we can enjoy nudism.
Growing - as a mindset. The Millennials are much more open to understanding their bodies and those of others. The GenZ are familiar with beaches, hot tubs, saunas, and pools where everyone is naked and many have tried it with no ill effect. While the Boomers are fading from nude beaches and retiring to warm areas where they pickle-ball and party gently with peers. None of them are like the Great Generation that won WWII and built many clubs and resorts with their personal sweat-equity. Structured, organized nudism/naturism is fading not unlike newspapers and interest driven publications, which have gone on-line. It used to be in order to find who and where to go skinny-dip, it was a process of letters and contact magazines with card carrying official nudists. Now anyone can look on-line and find a meet-up group in their community. This is my feeling as there does not appear to be an easy or clear way to quantify the numbers. While the existing organizations are loosing numbers, not unlike churches, the population is reporting it is more engaged and accepting of the human body, not unlike reports of increased spirituality, but in both cases without the dogma.
Speaking as a Millennials, and someone who has done some research in this field, I find this very accurate. The clubs are dying, for the reason that many Millennials and GenZ, don't want to belong to clubs with hefty memberships. They are also not full time naturist, who want to spend every weekend at a club, but nudity is more of a way to spend a holiday or an activity to take part in, every now and then.
Right now in Europe the resorts that are closing tend to be the clubs, similar to that in the USA. However, the ones that are succeeding, and attracting the younger and newer people are for-profit businesses. They run with a full staff and offer amenities and services as any other textile resort, except it's nude. People who go there tend not to consider themselves nudist/naturist, it's just how/where they are holidaying/vacationing for the week.
I think it depends on who you ask. Yes, a lot of clubs are closing or going to the "dark side", but there is an online community booming right now of new naturists. There is your blog and podcast for one, what Stéphane, his podcast, and Bare Oaks have been doing for a while now, Nick and Lins and their travel blog, etc. The problem lies in, a lot of the owners of the clubs/resorts that are closing (becoming textile or swinger clubs) are older, and not only do they not know how to promote their establishment and make it appealing to young people and families, but they also don't know how to promote naturism properly or are scared to. Because of this, the "moral police" are currently narrating the message, which is inaccurate. There is some serious PR that needs to be done by those leading the movement. Hopefully, with the AANR convention coming up people will get motivated.
An interesting ask may be "Are membership nudist clubs declining in popularity?" As a trustee and resident at NYC-area Rock Lodge (est. 1932) the answer is yes. Lower attendance; especially under-40.
🔥🫠
I voted 'definitely shrinking' but I ought to qualify what I mean by that. Naturism as I first discovered it was as a closed community activity - basically a social club where everyone was naked. It was not easy to gain admittance if you were a young lone male. I, and I suppose others like me, conducted our naked activities in nature - on beaches and the countryside - while at the same time there was a growing acceptance of nudity more widely in society. Now I find there are fewer unstructured opportunities. For example our regular swim at the University of London Olympic sized pool was terminated when it was redeveloped and I find now that there are fewer swims as providers change their policies. Beaches where I used to go naked (including places like Studland) tend to be closely controlled and even raided by the authorities. Yes we have naked bike rides in Central London, but one can't sunbathe naked in Hyde Park without attracting the wrong sort of attention. But there are other opportunities to be naked - spas, festivals and swinger-friendly venues - it's just that simply being naked with other people now seems to need to serve some other purpose (protest, commercial or sexual) than simply enjoying being sociable without clothes...
Thanks for sharing this perspective! From here in the US, naturism in the UK appears to be a shining example of something to aim for but I also see some larger trends against nudity in western culture in general
UK naturism is still strong, particularly in clubs with a family focus, but I think the problem is, as it always has been, an uneasy relationship in the public mind between nudity and sexuality. On the one hand we are, as a society, much more accepting about sex as something other people do but when it comes to us as individuals the old possessive moral strictures remain and are increasingly exacerbated by orchestrated moral panic. Even though BN, our national body, is excellent and campaigns very hard the power of our self-appointed moral guardians grows on the back of fear and social media. But I am a closet pessimist...
Are those clubs only open to families? Are single men allowed? Entrance? I know historically that is not the case, here State side, as many naturists believe the stigma about single men. But that is starting to change. One thing I noticed is many single men who frequent a club, would later bring their girlfriend, then wife, and later kids. I met a few families at the resort/club where I attend, where the man of the family started going by himself, brought his then girlfriend, later wife, and now are raising their children, bringing them to that very resort. The kids, some of whom are older (talking teens) enjoy it, and one can hope they take their future spouse and continue on the tradition.
All clubs now tend to be reasonably inclusive. The problem for those clubs that do have a large family membership is 'stranger danger' paranoia from outside moralising bigots who will always point the finger when they sense a soft target.
That is too bad. By "outside moralising bigots " do you mean the '"Moral Textile Police"? Because, if that is the case, with BN size I am surprise they are not standing up more. I follow BN on social media, and I bought a few copies of their magazine over the years, and they seem to have a stronger PR then AANR. I seen photos of them setting up booths are different public events. Though I do remember reading about a naturist swim at a public pool that some people tried to shutdown because, OMG they had children, OMG!
If you are referring to those in the clubs themselves, 'Solair" a club/resort, which I am not a member, but go to a few times a year in my area, allows single men, like myself, but they also conducts background checks and sex offender registry for all guest at entry, but I'm guessing being in the UK and having more international visitors, that might be a challenge?
Also, everyone knows the regular kids there (there are quite a lot of them), and the visiting ones usually hang out with their parents. If a single male were to hang around the playground, teen center, or follow a group of kids around instead of being with other adults, people there would react strongly. They would likely ask him to leave, and the police might be called. One's children are probably safer there then any textile resort.
With that said I do remember BN hosting an event earlier this year, that if I could, I would have flown out to take part in. It was some outdoor festival, and it seemed it was divided in away, where families have their own section, with their own activities, which is always another way to do it.
Hi Josh - re BN's campaigning. I'll post the link to their 2016 report 'Children Deserve Better'. Children are the future of humanity, not just naturism, and I recommend this report because it's findings suggest that prudery harms children and that harmed children are likely to reproduce that harm for their own children. Naturism is the best antidote.
https://www.bn.org.uk/files/file/740-bn-children-deserve-better-report-2016/
Charles Daney has been writing about the shrinking nudist landscape in the US quite astutely for some time on his great substack, Revitalizing Naturism. He also discusses his perception of the issue there this morning, expanding on our DeAnza report. It’s worth checking out: https://naturistplace.substack.com/p/the-disappearing-opportunities-for
As I don't live in places where in the naturism is either shrinking or growing, I may not be right person to comment about this. I live in India wherein naturism is not allowed & hence no question of shrinking or growing. However after going through the articles, feedback, it seems that more over the naturism opportunities are shrinking..
I responded “Remaining Stable” because I believe that how people choose to participate in nudism is changing. Younger people coming into or newly experiencing nudism seem to not be as interested in clubs, and lean more toward experiencing nudism on their terms. With that said, I do believe that there are forces in place that can significantly hinder our ability to enjoy social nudity and as a movement we need to be aware and ready to protect our freedoms. So, while I don’t think nudism is shrinking because I do feel there is robust interest, we do need to be concerned about where we can enjoy nudism.
Growing - as a mindset. The Millennials are much more open to understanding their bodies and those of others. The GenZ are familiar with beaches, hot tubs, saunas, and pools where everyone is naked and many have tried it with no ill effect. While the Boomers are fading from nude beaches and retiring to warm areas where they pickle-ball and party gently with peers. None of them are like the Great Generation that won WWII and built many clubs and resorts with their personal sweat-equity. Structured, organized nudism/naturism is fading not unlike newspapers and interest driven publications, which have gone on-line. It used to be in order to find who and where to go skinny-dip, it was a process of letters and contact magazines with card carrying official nudists. Now anyone can look on-line and find a meet-up group in their community. This is my feeling as there does not appear to be an easy or clear way to quantify the numbers. While the existing organizations are loosing numbers, not unlike churches, the population is reporting it is more engaged and accepting of the human body, not unlike reports of increased spirituality, but in both cases without the dogma.
Speaking as a Millennials, and someone who has done some research in this field, I find this very accurate. The clubs are dying, for the reason that many Millennials and GenZ, don't want to belong to clubs with hefty memberships. They are also not full time naturist, who want to spend every weekend at a club, but nudity is more of a way to spend a holiday or an activity to take part in, every now and then.
Right now in Europe the resorts that are closing tend to be the clubs, similar to that in the USA. However, the ones that are succeeding, and attracting the younger and newer people are for-profit businesses. They run with a full staff and offer amenities and services as any other textile resort, except it's nude. People who go there tend not to consider themselves nudist/naturist, it's just how/where they are holidaying/vacationing for the week.
I think it depends on who you ask. Yes, a lot of clubs are closing or going to the "dark side", but there is an online community booming right now of new naturists. There is your blog and podcast for one, what Stéphane, his podcast, and Bare Oaks have been doing for a while now, Nick and Lins and their travel blog, etc. The problem lies in, a lot of the owners of the clubs/resorts that are closing (becoming textile or swinger clubs) are older, and not only do they not know how to promote their establishment and make it appealing to young people and families, but they also don't know how to promote naturism properly or are scared to. Because of this, the "moral police" are currently narrating the message, which is inaccurate. There is some serious PR that needs to be done by those leading the movement. Hopefully, with the AANR convention coming up people will get motivated.
An interesting ask may be "Are membership nudist clubs declining in popularity?" As a trustee and resident at NYC-area Rock Lodge (est. 1932) the answer is yes. Lower attendance; especially under-40.
My view point is from naturist beaches in the SF Bay Area. They still seem to attract a diverse mixed crowd of all ages -