For most nudists, being without clothes is comfortable. We don't judge others on their scars or stretch marks, and we certainly don't look to hide them under textiles. But what about those people who have thought about nudism yet are too embarrassed about the marks they will show when they get naked?
One woman who is not a traditional nudist has chosen to take off her clothes to share her scars and stretch marks with the world, and she has received some significant backlash, as well as tremendous support from the effort. Beth Whaanga is an Australian nurse and criminologist who was diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer. During her diagnosis and treatment, she discovered that she carried the BCRA2 gene mutation, meaning that she is at a higher risk of contracting cancer.
As a mother of four, she took the bold move to have a hysterectomy and double mastectomy. She also had her lymphnodes removed to further protect her body.But Beth didn't stop there. She then chronicled her journey €”and her scars €”with the Under the Red Dress project (you can check out her story here: http://www.mamamia.com.au/double-mastectomy-photos-beth-whaanga/).
Upon posting pictures of her naked, scarred body on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/underthereddress), more than 100 of Beth's friends immediately un-friended her. Some even complained to Facebook that the pictures were too graphic and should be removed; thankfully, Facebook extended their typically too-harsh stance on nudism to allow the pictures to remain posted. But what Beth got was unexpected: her story gained a global audience, with thousands of cancer survivors showing their support.
So our question to you today is: What scars are your clothes hiding? If you have toyed with nudism and are afraid to shed those clothes due to the scars you have, now is the time to embrace them.
We all have something we are hesitant for others to see, but scars and stretch marks don't have to hold us back. Every one of them has a story behind it. For Beth Whaanga, she is alive today because of the marks that remain on her body, and for that she should not (and does not) apologize.
You don't have to be afraid to share all of yourself; you might just be surprised at the new friends you'll make in the process.
