Welcome to this month’s News of the Nude.
If you are a human being living on planet Earth this month, you might feel a little unmoored. The news cycle has been relentless—each day seemingly trying to outdo the last in chaos and violence and horror. I am so desensitized at this point. It’s the kind of month that makes you wonder how real journalists covering world events manage to keep focused on their jobs, especially when Black journalists are being arrested by federal authorities in America for doing so. That’s not hyperbole, that’s a real thing that happened today. It’s disturbing, and it sits heavily with me. I hope it does with you too.
Lucky for me, I just report on nude beach controversies and media coverage of naked people. It’s a niche beat, sure—but for me, it’s a worthy and endlessly interesting one because it intersects with much bigger themes like expression, autonomy, censorship, art, identity. Even in a media environment so saturated in crisis as this, nudity tells us something about who we are and what we fear. Plus, it shows up in the media constantly, which helps us to reflect where we’re at in the world. Or at least that’s my hope for these news roundups.
But during news months like the one we’ve all just endured, the stories that highlight nudity and nude expression—which are already niche during slow news cycles—get pushed aside as media outlets turn to emergent fascism, acts of war, terrorism, genocide, and egg prices.
So it was kind of a slow month for News of the Nude. So it goes.
Still, some stuff happened. And I’m still here to compile and share it. 🚀
News of the Nude, Vol. 37 🪐
Friends of Denny Blaine granted legal standing in nude beach lawsuit
Friends of Denny Blaine (FoDB), the queer-led advocacy group defending Seattle’s only nude beach, has been officially granted intervenor status in the ongoing lawsuit over the park. Now recognized as a formal party to the case, FoDB will be able to directly represent the interests of LGBTQ+ beachgoers and nude users in court. The group, which recently incorporated as a nonprofit and secured pro bono representation from Perkins Coie, argued that the city’s legal defense hasn’t adequately represented the voices of those most affected by the outcome. The new status gives FoDB power to advocate more assertively and even appeal rulings as needed.
This represents a major milestone in the legal battle over Denny Blaine Park, where clothing-optional use has faced increasing pressure from affluent neighbors culminating with this lawsuit last year. The recent development assures that the group representing the beach’s users will have a seat at the table. Planet Nude has followed the case closely since early 2023 and will continue to cover developments. 🚀
More reading:
Nudist activist arrested at Bob Weir memorial in San Francisco
Martin Moulton, a longtime figure in San Francisco’s public nudity scene and organizer of the city’s World Naked Bike Ride events, was arrested during the January 20 memorial for Grateful Dead cofounder Bob Weir at Civic Center Plaza. Moulton appeared nude alongside several companions, believing the Deadhead gathering would be a receptive venue for body-freedom expression.
Park rangers and police, however, intervened—ultimately arresting Moulton after a confrontation in which he allegedly spat toward officers following a scuffle. Moulton, a former mayoral candidate in Washington D.C. and an outspoken First Amendment advocate, has long pushed the boundaries of legal nudity in public spaces. Though controversial even within nudist circles, he remains a prominent and visible figure in the movement.
While city law prohibits public nudity outside permitted events, Moulton contends his appearance fell within protected expression. Witnesses reported that fellow mourners were largely unbothered by the nudity. His next court date is set for February 17.
Planet Nude continues to monitor incidents like this as part of its broader coverage of public nudity, free expression, and law enforcement tensions. 🚀
More reading:
Whispering Pines nudist resort seeks expansion as demand grows
This story kept popping up in our feed this month: Whispering Pines Nudist Resort in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, has filed plans to expand its RV offerings from 57 to 69 sites. If approved by the Brunswick County Board of Adjustment, the resort will add a new access road and equip the sites with full utility hookups and off-street parking.
Founded in 1976 and tucked away in a wooded setting, Whispering Pines has grown steadily under owner John Frick, who took over in 2008. The club is affiliated with AANR and even played a role in the 2008 Guinness World Record skinny dip event. The proposed expansion marks the club’s second in recent years and, if approved, is expected to be completed by summer. 🚀
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The nudists baring it all to address misconceptions about naked beach culture
December 31, 2025 | ABC News (Australia)
In a heartfelt feature closing out 2025, ABC News profiled the passionate defenders of Australia’s nude beaches and the cultural headwinds they face. The article centers on Shazz Weaver, president of the Australian Naturist Federation, and longtime naturist Errol Masterson, who helped formally establish Armands Beach as a legal nude site in the 1990s.
Weaver speaks candidly about the joy, acceptance, and self-love she’s found through naturism—contrasting it with the mainstream’s lingering misconceptions. Meanwhile, Masterson reflects on a time when beaches like Armands were lively intergenerational communities, now quieter as younger generations turn away from nudism. Despite landmark events like Tasmania’s massive nude solstice swims, closures have piled up: Tyragarah Beach shut down in June 2024, and Pebble Beach in Tasmania lost its newly gained nude status after a council reversal. Weaver says safety and respect are top priorities, with the ANF distributing thousands of whistles to discourage harassment.
This rare mainstream piece foregrounds the values of naturism—body acceptance, equality, and freedom—while making clear how fragile the legal infrastructure is. As Weaver puts it: “We are just people who are happy to be without our clothes on. That’s it.” 🚀
“You take your clothes off and you suddenly start talking to each other”
It seems every month, a new British outlet runs a heartening first-person account of someone discovering body acceptance through naturism, and you just have to love it. In this recent piece for YorkshireLive (syndicated by Manchester Evening News), Brian Thomson, 54, reflects on how joining the White Rose Naturist Club transformed his social life and helped dissolve class-based assumptions. Without sensationalizing, the article affirms what many naturists already know: shared nudity fosters connection and dissolves pretense. And for many who find community in it, it can ease loneliness.
With over 100 members and a woodland retreat that hosts community projects and themed events, White Rose sounds like a model of social naturism done right. And the article is the kind of coverage I wish were more common in the U.S. 🚀
The Bangles classic that was recorded entirely in the nude: “Vulnerable yet freeing”
Finally, The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs revealed that her vocal take on the band’s 1989 hit “Eternal Flame” was recorded entirely in the nude. The reason? A prank by producer Davitt Sigerson, who jokingly claimed that Olivia Newton-John always sang her best that way. Hoffs tried it—and found the experience so “vulnerable yet freeing” that she recorded much of the Everything album unclothed. 🚀
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Remember real mail?
Before email, texts, and DMs, we had mail. Postcards, letters, small surprises that felt personal and intentional. Getting something hand-touched meant someone had thought of you. Now the mailbox only delivers bills and junk. That’s why we started the Planet Nude Sticker Club. We wanted to make the mail fun again.
Once a month, a custom-designed envelope shows up when you least expect it. Inside are nude-themed stickers, original art, comics, zines, collaborations, and odd little delights. Every mailing is different.
The Planet Nude Sticker Club brings back the pleasure of receiving something personal and unexpected. Try it, and see if you don’t start watching the mailbox again.
That’s it for this month.
I don’t have anything more to say. Okay, I have plenty, but it would not be advisable as I’m liable to start swearing.
Thank you all for being here and for supporting Planet Nude. 🪐