Nudity, homophobia, and the battle for Jacob Riis Park
Nudism and the counter culture converge where beach meets the sea at Jacob Riis Park
Jacob Riis Park, located in the Rockaways in Queens, New York, first established as a park in 1912, has a long history as an unofficial nudist beach. During the 1930s, the beach was informally known as "the people's bath," due to a historic art deco bath house that was first built there in 1932. In the 1950s and 1960s, the beach was a popular destination for members of the LGBTQ community, who faced discrimination and harassment at other beaches. As the decades went by and the beach became more mainstream, Jacob Riis Park became a site for tension of culture clashes.
As at most nude beaches, one issue at Jacob Riis Park has been the tension between nudists and non-nudists. While some beachgoers have embraced the nudist lifestyle and the values of body positivity and self-acceptance, others in the community have been less comfortable with public nudity. A familiar story in the United States.
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