The gift of a partner who doesn’t share your passion but supports it anyway
What I’ve learned from 11 years with a husband who accepts my naturism without practicing it himself
There’s this moment that happens sometimes when I’m at a naturist resort or at a clothing-optional hot spring. I’ll be completely in my element, soaking up the sun without a stitch on, feeling that particular brand of freedom that only social nudity can provide. And I’ll think about my husband, who’s likely at home, probably doom scrolling TikTok, very likely partially clothed. And instead of feeling sad, I feel this warm gratitude wash over me.
We’ve been together for nearly 11 years now, married for just over two. He’s not a naturist. Never has been, probably never will be. And you know what? That’s absolutely okay.
I know this might sound strange to some people. In the naturist community, there’s often this assumption that if you’re committed to the naturist lifestyle, your partner should be too. Articles about naturism and relationships tend to focus on how to convince your reluctant spouse to join you. And while that’s beautiful when it works, it’s not the only way to have a healthy relationship when one partner is a naturist.
The difference between acceptance and participation
My husband has always been what I’d call “nudity-neutral.” He’s not uncomfortable with nakedness. He’s been nude with me at a cabin we rented, and he’s even hiked nude with me on a couple of occasions. And often on our textile cruises, he will join me out on our private balcony nude. But he doesn’t seek it out. It’s not his thing, and he’s honest about that.
What he does do is, support me. Completely, unreservedly. When I want to spend a weekend at a naturist resort, he encourages me to go. When I come home buzzing with that energy you get from a day spent clothes-free in nature, he listens. He asks questions. He’s interested in why it matters to me, even if he doesn’t feel the pull himself.
As relationship expert Esther Perel has said, “The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.” What makes my relationship work isn’t that we do everything together. It’s that we respect what matters to each other, even when we don’t fully understand it.
What I’ve learned about relationships from this dynamic
Being in a relationship where I practice naturism and my husband doesn’t has taught me more about love than I expected. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that trying new activities together can boost relationship satisfaction, but that doesn’t mean you need to share every single interest.
My husband and I have our shared loves: good food, terrible reality TV and traveling to places with excellent culture. But we also have our separate passions. He has his video games. I have my naturism and woodworking. We’ve learned to celebrate each other’s joy rather than expecting to feel exactly the same joy ourselves.
More importantly, it’s shown me what true acceptance looks like. My husband has never made me feel ashamed of my naturism. In a world where naturists still face stigma, having a partner who sees your passion as just another part of who you are is incredibly valuable. As Marc, a naturist blogger at Nude and Happy notes, “Healthy nudism requires consent from all involved. This is sometimes frustrating, but allows respect to be front and center, a core tenet of naturism.”
The practical side of making it work
Of course, this doesn’t mean there are never any challenges. Early in our relationship, we had to figure out what this would look like practically. Did he feel weird about me being naked around other people? No, because he understands that naturism isn’t sexual. Would I resent him for not joining me? Only if I let myself, which I choose not to.
We’ve developed some unspoken rules that work for us. I don’t pressure him to participate, and he doesn’t make me feel guilty for going without him. I keep him in the loop about where I’m going, not because he demands it but because that’s good communication. Occasionally, he’ll join me for something low-key, like being nude at home or on a secluded hike.
Those moments when he does participate feel special because he’s choosing to step into my world. It’s his way of saying, “I love you, and I want to understand what makes you happy.”
The freedom of being fully yourself
Here’s what I think is most underrated about having a supportive partner who doesn’t share your passion: it gives you permission to be fully yourself. I don’t have to tone down my enthusiasm for naturism.
There’s something beautifully queer about this too. As gay men, we’ve both had to navigate being ourselves in a world that doesn’t always make space for us. Maybe that’s why my husband gets it. The people and passions that light us up deserve to be honored, not diminished.
Psychologist Alan Downs writes in “The Velvet Rage” about how gay men often struggle with authenticity after years of hiding who they are. For me, naturism is part of reclaiming that authenticity. My husband supporting that, even without participating, feels like the deepest kind of love.
One thing I’ve stopped doing is trying to make my husband love naturism. Early on, I probably hoped he’d suddenly become a regular at the nudist activities with me. But that’s not fair to him, and it’s not necessary.
My husband has given me the autonomy to pursue naturism on my terms, and I’ve given him the same freedom with his interests. We’re stronger for it. We have things to talk about that aren’t just our shared experiences.
A different kind of couple goals
Social media loves to show us couples who do everything together, who have perfectly aligned interests. And that’s lovely when it’s real. But it’s not the only model for a successful relationship.
My marriage works because we’ve built it on respect, trust, and genuine affection for who the other person actually is. My husband doesn’t need to get naked at a resort to prove he loves me. He proves it every time he asks about my weekend.
Knowing that he supports me without getting anything directly out of it himself makes me love him even more. It’s pure acceptance. He’s supporting it because he enjoys me being happy.
After 11 years together, this is the kind of love that lasts. Not the kind that demands we be identical, but the kind that makes space for both of us to be fully ourselves. And if you have that kind of support from your partner, you have something truly special. 🪐
I met my husband of 34 yeas at GNI (Gay Naturists International) in 1992. Clearly, we liked being nude with others outdoors. In the early years of our relationship, we both were active in nudist activities - going to River's Edge (a clothing-optional resort a couple hours away from where we lived in Atlanta) for day trips or weekend camping, going to nude events in and around Atlanta, spending Thanksgiving at Paradise Lakes in Tampa with another Atlanta couple, rips to Maui and Little Beach, the periodic visit to Vancouver and the very enjoyable days spent on Wreck Beach, and spending a week or so for many summers at Cap d'Agde.
Over the years, my husband gradually "downsized" his interest in hanging out nude for a variety of reasons. It's his choice. I, however, have never lost my passion for being naked where possible and comfortable. Fortunately, like you and others who have commented here, this does not present a problem with our relationship. We learned decades ago that a healthy relationship (for us, at least) does not mean you're joined at the hip. In fact (again, for us), it's just the opposite - we like that we have separate interests that we pursue, along with a large number of common interests. It gives us something to talk about. Naturism is just one of those separate interests.
My partner is accepting but has no interest in participating. We've talked about it and both of us understand and accept each others reasoning.