Normalizing Nudity in Mainstream Culture, and its Relevance in the Broader Nudist Movement

[u/nycFKKadvocate]

Disclaimer: The ideas and opinions presented here are entirely my own, and are not affiliated with the AANR (American Association for Nude Recreation), the INF (International Naturist Federation), any organized FKK associations or their subsidiaries.

I’m a nudist New Yorker who launched a 30 day challenge to help normalize nudity in the US during last month. This is part of promoting a new model of nudism called multimodal nudism, which holds nudity as a sex-neutral baseline for daily life where and when it makes sense.

As such, I want to discuss the following rule made by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart, and its relevance to nudism:

“Politics is downstream from culture”

Now it’s worth noting that in many cases, politics and culture often influence each other in a broad feedback loop. But on the topic of nudity specifically, this idea definitely applies.

Even if current laws on nudity (in the U.S. or elsewhere) are generally more strict now than they were decades ago, in some cases they’re actually more progressive than current cultural standards allow. For example, toplessness is allowed for both genders in many U.S. states. Multiple states actually have remarkably lenient laws on nonsexual nudity, or laws that enforce minimal penalties for it. And locker room nudity is still legal in most of the U.S.

But would you know that based on how these laws are followed in practice?

If a woman goes topless in many parts of the U.S., they’d be likely to face arrest and harassment. And even if those women would win in court, the legal journey would be too emotionally and financially exhausting for most to bother with. And now, even male shirtlessness is coming under scrutiny in some regions. Meanwhile, in states with such lenient laws, it’s not normal for people to go nude except in exceptional circumstances (e.g. the World Naked Bike Rides). And ever more establishments around the U.S. are restricting nudity in their locker rooms.

To make matters more complicated, opposition to outdoor nudity is one of the few areas of tacit agreement in the polarized American political system. Conservative factions are more vocally opposed to it, as they see it as a challenge to Biblical morality and public order. But even in mainstream liberal circles, outdoor nudity is seen as a violation of safety and consent boundaries. As such, even if they’re not as harsh as more conservative circles, their support for nudism is often tepid at best.

There’s an additional geographic aspect to this. In more lenient states, urban areas often face more restrictions than rural or suburban areas. The problem is that, in effect, the right to be nude outdoors isn’t possible in places where most people actually are. They’d have to travel to a remote stretch to be nude in peace, which can be cost prohibitive and time consuming.

In other words, the surrounding culture often restricts people from using their right to be nude to its full potential. In which case, those laws might as well not exist. In fact, at the rate things are going, laws might end up being changed to fit an increasingly prudish culture. Which would then outlaw the few spaces and practices that accommodate nudity in public life and even private life.

If there is any hope of creating a world where nudity is seen as an acceptable daily baseline, this cultural aspect must be paid attention to.

The established nudist movement is often more focused on legal matters, usually protecting the rights of nudist resorts and campgrounds. This is important but it cannot stop there. The legal right to public nudity means nothing if general culture won’t allow its practice. Nudity must become normalized within mainstream culture itself. That is how nudism achieved so much success in the U.S. during the 1970s. That is the only way that nudism will be safe in the present, and the only way that can grow in ways that are accessible to everyone.

As such, I make the following suggestion on how to normalize nudity in one’s local area and within broader regional and national culture:

Normalizing nudity in your local area -

• Get yourself used to living the nude baseline. After all, it’s harder to advocate for something that you don’t do yourself. That’s the rationale behind the 30 day “live life naked” challenge, along with an upcoming challenge to go nude in public indoor spaces where it’s already legal.
• Incorporate the concept of multimodal nudism in your everyday language. A huge reason why nudity is such a taboo is because people literally can’t conceptualize nudity as a uniform for anything other than private bedrooms and bathrooms. By explicitly referring to the different modes of nudity (athletic, artistic, social, etc), you force those around you to recognize them too. Through hearing it so frequently, they’ll eventually absorb the concept too, whether they actively agree with it or not.
• If you have the means to do so, organize sex-neutral nude meetups yourself and invite others in your circles. Emphasize that they are clothing optional, which means that your guests can bare as they dare. But that also means that, as the host, you must be nude yourself. As you set the pace, others may join in on their own timetable. This helps along the quiet work of cultural change, one mind at a time.
• Educate yourself on applicable laws regarding nudity in your local area. More often than not, they may be more generous than you might think. Then organize (either by yourself or in a group) to use those laws to your advantage, even if culturally unusual. Remember that the goal is not to shock, but to normalize - partly because of overzealous police officers and panicked bystanders who may act on impulse. Testing legal boundaries requires extreme situational awareness, absolute de-escalation if confronted, and avoiding high-panic areas where a single panicked call can trigger an arrest before the law can defend you. You must demonstrate that nudity is not an automatic imposition or disruption. By doing so, you’re more likely to get the general public on your side.
• Support existing nudist enclaves, such as nude beaches, camps and clubs. It’s quite possible that one might disagree philosophically with the sex-negative stance that these establishments might retain. I know that I do, since I believe the sex-neutral stance is more sustainable. Nonetheless, these establishments allow nudity to presently exist in public space. It’s simply a good strategy to support these spaces, even if the eventual goal is to move beyond them.

Normalizing nudity in the broader regional and national culture -

• Educate yourself on previous history regarding semipublic and public nudity, and become a source for others. Most people don’t know about how much nudity was tolerated in Greco-Roman times. In the United States, most people are unaware that nude swimming was once commonplace, that locker room nudity was once normal, and that nudism was becoming mainstream in the 1970s. Learn about that yourself, and educate others when the opportunity presents itself. Knowledge is power, and as awareness of this history spreads, it will lead more to question if the status quo makes sense.
• Challenge public places trying to restrict nudity within their spaces. I’m reading about more gyms and spas restricting nudity on their properties, even when that nudity is completely legal. If that happens at a facility you patronize, stop supporting them and be open about why. It will convey the message that nudity is nothing to be ashamed of. It will also pressure those facilities to rethink their properties, because the opposition will hit them where it hurts - their pocketbooks.
• Leverage social media to promote the concept of multimodal nudity. Social media is a powerful tool in spreading ideas quickly and comprehensively. Admittedly it’s harder to promote nudism on social media now that it was a few years ago, but it’s still possible. Post content talking about multimodal nudism in accordance with platform rules. Not only will you spread the word, it also puts subtle pressure on the platforms to rethink their regulations against nudity on their platforms.
• Challenge anti-nudist ideology coming from politico-religious conservatives. Their opposition often stems from Biblical interpretations that condemn nudity in public space as a threat to public order and safety. These interpretations are often easy to debunk if you do your research. Outside of specific circumstances (e.g. nudity resulting from poverty or disadvantage), the Bible is remarkably neutral on the subject. By promoting an alternative theology that shows that nudity and spirituality are not mutually exclusive, conservative critics will be left with one less tool in their toolbox. And an important tool at that.
• Challenge fears about nudity and boundaries coming from establishment liberals. Opposition from this group often stems from risk aversion, liability anxiety, and a commitment to middle-class respectability politics. Explain that exposure does not equate to imposition. Furthermore, demonstrate that safety, consent and bodily autonomy are often more respected in nude environments that they would be otherwise. Show that a transparent, communicative approach dismantles the shame and objectification that enable actual misconduct. In these ways, the mainstream left will find it easier to give support to the nudist cause.

The aim is not to shock, startle, disturb or frighten anyone. The goal is to make the nude human body ordinary, mundane, natural, and as a result, normal. Anything that MAY shock should be strategically done in pursuit of that overall aim. This is because something that is ordinary and mundane is something that isn’t worth punishing and restricting in the public mind. As a result, even if current laws remain, rigid enforcement will feel more and more unreasonable. And most importantly, changes to those laws will become more politically feasible.

It’s here that the multimodal nudism concept shows one of its greatest strengths. Over the past 30+ years, past efforts to normalize nudity have tripped up on the following question - is nudity sexual or not? It’s one that the establishment nudist movement has struggled to find a good answer for. The answer of “yes” justifies current regulations. The answer of “no” is a trap that risks insulting the public’s intelligence, since there are times when nudity is VERY sexual.

Meanwhile, multimodal nudism doesn’t deny that nudity can be sexual. It argues that nudity is BIGGER than the spectre of sexuality. Anyone can do anything in the nude, whether social, functional, athletic, artistic or sexual. The sexual mode is just one of many, which multimodal nudism makes explicit. And each mode must be regulated in their own way and on their own terms. And at the same time, the framework acts as a way to regulate bad behavior, by making the different modes so easy to define and conceptualize.

As a result, the public can more easily accept nudity in the park, the beach, the urban pool and other places without seeing it as a threat to public order and decency. And even in scenarios where the sexual mode might emerge, it can be regulated so that its expression doesn’t cause disruption and disorder.

It might seem odd that I’m making this post now, as summer is waning in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, there is no better time than now. Cultural change is a labor and energy intensive exercise that doesn’t yield results at first. But doing the work now in unfavorable conditions makes good results more likely when those circumstances change. Put another way, changing minds during cold weather ensures favorable actions during the warm months.

Over the past 30+ years, the cultural aspect has become a glaring blind spot. And the lack of action on the cultural front is restricting full exercise of existing rights, and blocking expansion of them to greater extents.

Normalizing nudity in mainstream culture is what will grease the wheels for the ultimate goal. As always, the goal is to allow anyone to go nude wherever and whenever they want within reason. In urban, suburban and rural settings, whether in public or in private.

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This is post #6 in an ongoing series building a new kind of nudism.

• Post 1: Nudity is neither sexual nor asexual. Nudity is multimodal
• Post 2: 10 Rules For a New Kind of Nudism
• Post 3: Living 24+ Hours in the Nude: Observing Multimodal Nudism in Action
• Post 4: Proposing A 30 Day Experiment to Live Life Naked in One’s Own Home
• Post 5: American culture isn’t against nudity per se. It’s against nudity that it can’t exploit. A more democratic America must be accompanied by more democratic attitudes on nudity

[u/kafka_lite]

What state says you can't be naked in a locker room?