As a Canadian, I have been a member of the FCN (Federation of Canadian Naturists) for the past ten years. Naturism is bigger in Ontario and British Columbia with their larger populations than Nova Scotia where I am from. I have joined local nudist groups for summer swims at the beach or secluded trails and lakes. Up until this past winter, we used to rent a swimming pool for skinny dipping. Sadly, the pool no longer had lifeguards comfortable enough to supervise.
Nudism on British Columbia is on a major decline. While some pockets still hold out, there's a genuine concern for just how long they can be maintained. The Wreck Beach Preservation society has seemingly abandoned all attempts at an online presence, opting for occasional booths on the beach to garner (dying) support. Opposition to public nudity is growing in spades thanks to brutal attacks on social media in areas previously more open to it, such as coastal BC and the Okanagan... And it all seems to be being led by the 'think of the children' brigade... Who are also often the same people screaming that we spend too much on social programs designed. To. Help. Children.
Anyway. The last few years have been incredibly difficult to go through, and this is the last place that still occasionally gives me hope.
A very good history lesson. I am afraid though that, at least here in the United States, there seems to be a push to outlaw public nudity. Unfortunately, what your article says about the 'gay' community being more accepted than nudists is very true. I have never been aware of any nudists or nudists resorts anywhere that I have lived. The area that I live in is very against any public nudity while accepting a lot of weird behaviors that are becoming so common nowadays. I am very saddened with such an anti-nude attitude since I am very pro-nude. I wouldn't at all hide my feelings about this if asked or if the subject was brought up, but I don't expect there will be much occasion for that. Even in the gay community most folks AREN'T as pro-nudity as I am!!!
I don’t like to come across as pernickety, but the implication that the English Civil War was a Puritan rebellion decayed they weren’t allowed to stone single mothers is wide of the mark - the war was a power struggle between king and Parliament in which Puritanism played very little part, and only gets any air time because most puritans were against the king because of his perceived Roman Catholic sympathies. Just saying.
Your point is not wrong....but Puritans did not agree with Queen Elizabeth's moderate policies and a Civil War did come about and Puritans were outlawed because of their resistance...however big or small a role they played in the Civil War. I didn't have time to get into the nuance of all that as that is not the point of the article. The fact that Puritans were such religious extremists they were outlawed and "harried" out of England is the point. Members of that outlawed group are the people that came on the Mayflower and their influence is still felt today in our culture.
I studied history through school in England until I left, aged 18, getting what we referred to then as 'O' and 'A' level qualifications in the topic. The only time that I learned anything about the Puritans was while at Junior school(7-11 years old). That was more about the Mayflower and the setting up of the Plymouth settlement, than the political and religious aspects. I did understand that religious arguments, coming across as persecution, were involved but otherwise it was all a bit heroic. I was taught very little history that featured the myriad Kings and a few Queens between 1200 and 1750 we had in the UK. I knew much more about the country from say 4000BC through to the Saxons, Vikings and Normans (1066) , and then about the UK until 197*and then about world history from 1918.
Having said that the slants applied to history teaching varied quite considerably at different ages and the level of study. The Industrial revolution teaching when I was 13 was focused more on the economic aspects and inventions, when I was 17-18 it was much more centered on the social aspects of urbanisation - public health etc and the related political history.
I was taught absolutely nothing about nudism though, so while there may be good reasons for skipping some history this post does help place the history of social nudism into better context, thanks.
We Americans are also taught little about the Puritans other than the landing at Plymouth and the first Thanksgiving...and most of that is wrong. Researching for this article has been a huge education for me...and not an encouraging one. The Puritans were essentially the Taliban of the 1500-1650. They are the ones founding this country.
I did learn about certain parts of history being re-written to suit the narrative of the rulers at the time - Stalin in the post WWII Soviet Union with regard to some ethnic origins and history, within the boundaries of the USSR. But, in turn that suited a Western European take on things during the Cold War era to some extent. There was probably some truth in it somewhere, but it is not always easy to work out exactly what was true, or when it was true! History tweaked similarly to how Newspeak altered 'reality' to suit Ingsoc, but with some re-instated subversiveness, plus some new undermining.
I'm sure that you did learn a lot from doing this article, possibly some unlearning too. Both apply to myself. Talking with other Europeans about how history is taught, or perceived, shows up many different 'truths', according to the current national narratives alongside beneficial historical perspectives. Like Orban in Hungary.
Rewriting the history of the Puritans in a way that goes against how the role they played in the foundation of the USA is portrayed could be interesting. However, I won't take that thought any further lest it gets deemed as subversive!
One big reason... And I know it's not a popular one, but it doesn't make it any less true, is because American men aren't raised to be body respectful. Men in North American nudism tend to lean to the disrespectful side of things. They are obnoxious, selfish, individualist, entitled and are more concerned with abusive sexual endeavours than many European counterparts. Not always, and not all men, but my 10 year excursion in North American nudist culture opened my eyes a sight wider and what I saw was disheartening to say the best.
Unless we find a way to wean males in North American society (and, growing frighteningly fast, the rest of the world), off their constant diet of sex media and social engineering towards needing to be the 'alpha male' it's only going to get worse.
This was an interesting history. While I agree that the media could go a long way toward a more realistic portrayal of naturism, I take issue with the comments regarding Naked and Afraid. Specifically, the one claim is that the show treats nudity as a ridiculous impediment to finding a path to survival. In fact, the show demonstrates some of the few actual needs for clothing. When the survivalists are in temperatures that threaten hypothermia or burning lobster red from exposure to the sun, their nudity does become a concern. When they are walking over sharp rocks or thorny grounds, the lack of protective foot ware also threatens their ability to survive the 21- or 14-day trial. With protective clothing, the challenge would be a lot easier. But then, it would be a totally different challenge. The second claim that the show treats nudity as a clown show may be true in many portrayals of naturism in the media, but I've never seen it so demonstrated on Naked and Afraid. Some examples would help.
By today’s standards and definitions, the Puritans would be considered religious extremists, really no different from the Taliban. That’s the legacy and culture we Americans have to square with. There was one cultural anthropologists and historian, I forgot his name, who basically said all culture is performance. We may be prisoners of our culture, we can choose not to be by giving up the performance. Culture does not exist naturally in nature, it’s an entirely fictional human construct based on imagined fictions we tell ourselves in stories.
A very interesting article. Here in Nova Scotia there are a few nude beaches and yes space should be available at a public beach so people like me can tan and swim nude. My thoughts for the day
Good article Bill. Now, how to get the message to the textile world. BTW, it's interesting how the healthy practice of naturism only gained validity when it was "discovered" and named by a white European. If I'm not mistaken, brown, red, yellow and black cultures who thrived in warm climates and lived pretty much clothes-free, experiencing the benefits of "naturism" from the beginning. It was not until those cultures were shamed by the clothing-compulsive tribes who misinterpreted their religious teachings, polluting to many of the world's societies. Makes you wanna go, "hmm?"
The purpose of this article is to help Americans understand why we are in such a minority. We shouldn't be and don't need to be....if we can only recognize the guard rails that our forefathers put around the human body and the guilt/shame complex that accompanied.....
A thorough and convincing case - thanks! I’d like to be more optimistic about younger generations.
31 years old and have been going to nudist resorts for 5 years now. There are some of us out here, although a minority.
I wish more people could experience the healthy if not, spiritual benefits of living a clothes free life!
As a Canadian, I have been a member of the FCN (Federation of Canadian Naturists) for the past ten years. Naturism is bigger in Ontario and British Columbia with their larger populations than Nova Scotia where I am from. I have joined local nudist groups for summer swims at the beach or secluded trails and lakes. Up until this past winter, we used to rent a swimming pool for skinny dipping. Sadly, the pool no longer had lifeguards comfortable enough to supervise.
Nudism on British Columbia is on a major decline. While some pockets still hold out, there's a genuine concern for just how long they can be maintained. The Wreck Beach Preservation society has seemingly abandoned all attempts at an online presence, opting for occasional booths on the beach to garner (dying) support. Opposition to public nudity is growing in spades thanks to brutal attacks on social media in areas previously more open to it, such as coastal BC and the Okanagan... And it all seems to be being led by the 'think of the children' brigade... Who are also often the same people screaming that we spend too much on social programs designed. To. Help. Children.
Anyway. The last few years have been incredibly difficult to go through, and this is the last place that still occasionally gives me hope.
A very good history lesson. I am afraid though that, at least here in the United States, there seems to be a push to outlaw public nudity. Unfortunately, what your article says about the 'gay' community being more accepted than nudists is very true. I have never been aware of any nudists or nudists resorts anywhere that I have lived. The area that I live in is very against any public nudity while accepting a lot of weird behaviors that are becoming so common nowadays. I am very saddened with such an anti-nude attitude since I am very pro-nude. I wouldn't at all hide my feelings about this if asked or if the subject was brought up, but I don't expect there will be much occasion for that. Even in the gay community most folks AREN'T as pro-nudity as I am!!!
Most of my close friends and family know I am a nudist, it doesn't necessarily mean they want to see me naked!
I don’t like to come across as pernickety, but the implication that the English Civil War was a Puritan rebellion decayed they weren’t allowed to stone single mothers is wide of the mark - the war was a power struggle between king and Parliament in which Puritanism played very little part, and only gets any air time because most puritans were against the king because of his perceived Roman Catholic sympathies. Just saying.
Your point is not wrong....but Puritans did not agree with Queen Elizabeth's moderate policies and a Civil War did come about and Puritans were outlawed because of their resistance...however big or small a role they played in the Civil War. I didn't have time to get into the nuance of all that as that is not the point of the article. The fact that Puritans were such religious extremists they were outlawed and "harried" out of England is the point. Members of that outlawed group are the people that came on the Mayflower and their influence is still felt today in our culture.
I studied history through school in England until I left, aged 18, getting what we referred to then as 'O' and 'A' level qualifications in the topic. The only time that I learned anything about the Puritans was while at Junior school(7-11 years old). That was more about the Mayflower and the setting up of the Plymouth settlement, than the political and religious aspects. I did understand that religious arguments, coming across as persecution, were involved but otherwise it was all a bit heroic. I was taught very little history that featured the myriad Kings and a few Queens between 1200 and 1750 we had in the UK. I knew much more about the country from say 4000BC through to the Saxons, Vikings and Normans (1066) , and then about the UK until 197*and then about world history from 1918.
Having said that the slants applied to history teaching varied quite considerably at different ages and the level of study. The Industrial revolution teaching when I was 13 was focused more on the economic aspects and inventions, when I was 17-18 it was much more centered on the social aspects of urbanisation - public health etc and the related political history.
I was taught absolutely nothing about nudism though, so while there may be good reasons for skipping some history this post does help place the history of social nudism into better context, thanks.
We Americans are also taught little about the Puritans other than the landing at Plymouth and the first Thanksgiving...and most of that is wrong. Researching for this article has been a huge education for me...and not an encouraging one. The Puritans were essentially the Taliban of the 1500-1650. They are the ones founding this country.
I did learn about certain parts of history being re-written to suit the narrative of the rulers at the time - Stalin in the post WWII Soviet Union with regard to some ethnic origins and history, within the boundaries of the USSR. But, in turn that suited a Western European take on things during the Cold War era to some extent. There was probably some truth in it somewhere, but it is not always easy to work out exactly what was true, or when it was true! History tweaked similarly to how Newspeak altered 'reality' to suit Ingsoc, but with some re-instated subversiveness, plus some new undermining.
I'm sure that you did learn a lot from doing this article, possibly some unlearning too. Both apply to myself. Talking with other Europeans about how history is taught, or perceived, shows up many different 'truths', according to the current national narratives alongside beneficial historical perspectives. Like Orban in Hungary.
Rewriting the history of the Puritans in a way that goes against how the role they played in the foundation of the USA is portrayed could be interesting. However, I won't take that thought any further lest it gets deemed as subversive!
Absolutely.
Thanks for your comment....
Thanks. for your kind words. ...I'd like to be more optimistic as well. Not sure I'm seeing it though.....
One big reason... And I know it's not a popular one, but it doesn't make it any less true, is because American men aren't raised to be body respectful. Men in North American nudism tend to lean to the disrespectful side of things. They are obnoxious, selfish, individualist, entitled and are more concerned with abusive sexual endeavours than many European counterparts. Not always, and not all men, but my 10 year excursion in North American nudist culture opened my eyes a sight wider and what I saw was disheartening to say the best.
Unless we find a way to wean males in North American society (and, growing frighteningly fast, the rest of the world), off their constant diet of sex media and social engineering towards needing to be the 'alpha male' it's only going to get worse.
This was an interesting history. While I agree that the media could go a long way toward a more realistic portrayal of naturism, I take issue with the comments regarding Naked and Afraid. Specifically, the one claim is that the show treats nudity as a ridiculous impediment to finding a path to survival. In fact, the show demonstrates some of the few actual needs for clothing. When the survivalists are in temperatures that threaten hypothermia or burning lobster red from exposure to the sun, their nudity does become a concern. When they are walking over sharp rocks or thorny grounds, the lack of protective foot ware also threatens their ability to survive the 21- or 14-day trial. With protective clothing, the challenge would be a lot easier. But then, it would be a totally different challenge. The second claim that the show treats nudity as a clown show may be true in many portrayals of naturism in the media, but I've never seen it so demonstrated on Naked and Afraid. Some examples would help.
Footwear
By today’s standards and definitions, the Puritans would be considered religious extremists, really no different from the Taliban. That’s the legacy and culture we Americans have to square with. There was one cultural anthropologists and historian, I forgot his name, who basically said all culture is performance. We may be prisoners of our culture, we can choose not to be by giving up the performance. Culture does not exist naturally in nature, it’s an entirely fictional human construct based on imagined fictions we tell ourselves in stories.
A very interesting article. Here in Nova Scotia there are a few nude beaches and yes space should be available at a public beach so people like me can tan and swim nude. My thoughts for the day
Great article, thank you.
I must admit I am still mainly in the closet. This article gives me food for thought as to why and to reevaluate why.
An interesting article, where can I find information on the B&B that was mentioned as I'm in Michigan as well?
www.nuancebb.us
Thanks for your interest!
Good article Bill. Now, how to get the message to the textile world. BTW, it's interesting how the healthy practice of naturism only gained validity when it was "discovered" and named by a white European. If I'm not mistaken, brown, red, yellow and black cultures who thrived in warm climates and lived pretty much clothes-free, experiencing the benefits of "naturism" from the beginning. It was not until those cultures were shamed by the clothing-compulsive tribes who misinterpreted their religious teachings, polluting to many of the world's societies. Makes you wanna go, "hmm?"
The purpose of this article is to help Americans understand why we are in such a minority. We shouldn't be and don't need to be....if we can only recognize the guard rails that our forefathers put around the human body and the guilt/shame complex that accompanied.....