The time to write is now
Support Tampa Bay Free Beaches’ campaign to make East Beach clothing-optional
Earlier this month, Tampa Bay Free Beaches (TBFB) launched its letter-writing campaign urging Pinellas County Commissioners to designate East Beach at Ft. De Soto Park as Florida’s first legal, family-friendly clothing-optional beach on the Gulf Coast.
As we covered in our earlier report, the proposal has been years in the making—and this is the moment it needs the most support. TBFB says October is the critical month for sending letters. Commissioners are reviewing public correspondence now, and advocates hope to demonstrate broad, organized support before the end of the month.
If you haven’t yet participated, now is the time to act. TBFB’s Letter Writing Toolkit makes the process easy, with contact information for all seven commissioners, sample templates, and mailing guidance. Letters can be sent by email or post, though the group notes that physical letters often carry extra weight with officials.
The toolkit is available at tampabayfreebeaches.org/Letter-Writing-Campaign (PDF or DOC available), or download the PDF right here:
Every letter counts—and this month may decide whether Florida’s Gulf Coast finally gains the legal nude beach it’s been working so hard for. 🪐
Learn more about this campaign:
Advocates champion a family-friendly nude beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast
Planet Nude explores Tampa Bay Free Beaches’ years-long effort to establish Florida’s first legal, family-friendly clothing-optional beach on the Gulf Coast. The report details the group’s collaboration with officials and tourism leaders, the political and funding challenges they face, and how the current letter-writing campaign marks a pivotal moment in that work.
Thanks, Evan! As a Tampa Bay area nudist (love Lake Como!) I gotta tell all y'all what a terrific idea this is. The beach is at the end of a road so it'll be very easy to ensure no one goes there and accidentally stumbles upon nude people. It's a completely natural county park, but this section isn't nearly as popular as the other side, so there'll be no conflict or confusion. Tampa Bay's beaches are truly some of the best in America, and have lots of great places to stay and eat on its 35 miles of textile beaches north of Ft. DeSoto Park. And if you've never been, St. Petersburg, just a few minutes away, is truly one of America's coolest, most fun cities, with great art museums, restaurants and a very friendly vibe. It even has North America's 3rd largest urban waterfront park, next to Chicago and Vancouver.
So why is it so important that nudists speak up now? This area is still recovering economically from last year's double whammy of hurricanes. If YOU write the County Commission and tell them you're from wherever, you've never been but this would get you to come, or come back, they'd listen. We need tourists in a big way. It's this county's #1 way of making money, creating jobs.
Why does FL need this beach? The Atlantic Coast has 4, which are all great. But the Gulf, which has none, is different - the water is calm, very swimmable, very safe - more like a lake than an ocean. It would be such a wonderful family-friendly place to visit. WE NEED YOU to come, and right now we NEED YOU TO WRITE! Please, it just takes a minute. It's the ONLY thing that will make a difference and overcome the conservative pushback against nudity that Evan has so often documented in Planet Nude. It won't be easy to prevail against that, which is why only YOU can help FL get the clothing optional beach we've always wanted. Thanks. Please write today.
What ever happened to the idea of of a nude beach at Honeymoon Island in Dunedin? There was much effort that went into that for several years up until recently.