Europe
I'm sorry for those in the USA, tied by so many prudish laws. Here in the UK it is not illegal for a naturist to be naked in public. This is after a hard won battle by British Naturists. First they addressed the way the laws were drafted. Then they persuaded the Director of Public Prosecutions to believe it was not in the public interest to prosecute a naturist for going about his/her daily business without clothes. Finally they got the message out to the Police.
There are many European countries in which public nudity is accepted - France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria are examples. Indeed nudity is obligatory for everyone in Spas in Germany and Austria. And nobody feels threatened being naked amongst nude strangers.
It is a matter of balance. The wider population accepts nudity in it's place. That place does not include town/city centers or even the main town beaches. And equally naturists do not go round upsetting those around them by flaunting their nudity. Laws and public acceptance go hand in hand.
I agree. Sadly most Americans are publicly prudish as it pertains to nudity. Everything in America is so sexualized till it is annoying
I have heard of these extremes. Sex shops and adult book stores where any sexual activity is OK. And a puritanical objection to nudity, thinking it must be sexual. The one feeds on the other.
Noe look at the contrasting view on life. In German/Austrian spas and some swimming pools nudity is obligatory. Nobody feels threatened being naked amongst other nudes of both sexes - it's just taken for granted - nudity with absolutely no sexual aspect.
Its about 15 years since I've been to the USA, but the different experiences expressed in this thread about the attitude to nudity, there and in Europe, are similar to mine. There is still a degree of crossover in how nudity and sex are linked in many people's minds in Europe, and to varying degrees in different parts of the continent. The expectation that everyone will be nude in spas as mentioned above seems to me to be a healthy attitude to social nudity and we've really enjoyed being part of that experience. In my view the public perception of nudism is not perfect by any means here, people may still snigger, or worse, if they find out we're nudists, but its not the case that if we want to socialise naked then we have to be segregated behind high fences and walls. That happens in Europe too, but often by choice, rather than it being the only way to be with other nudists, in that some people like the relaxed atmosphere possible where everyone is nude, rather than say a clothing-optional beach where not everyone is naked. Nudists don't seem to be as ostracised as it sometimes seemed in the USA.
For those of us in the U.S. who may be moving to the U.K. if America becomes a fascist state, what are the British nudity laws exactly? I understand that laws must work together with acceptance, and most of us do not want to offend anyone anyway. So where can you be naked in England.? i.e. what about a pub? or a neighborhood shop? or the London tube? Are such places TOO public? Or must you confine your nudity to a walk down the lane?
America is growing up though. We are a new country by comparison to some of the ones in Europe and some folks need to remember that it was puritans who set foot here first and started al this prudish craps. It has only escalated with all these other religions getting on the act and trying to subjugate us. But what is nice to note is that the nudist movement is gaining speed and a lot more support as more people discover nudism/ naturism We are a little slow on the uptake but we are getting there.
What I find so interesting about the Puritans is that they claimed to be following the Bible. Yet, the Bible has no problem with nudity -- even public nudity -- even right in the middle of town with throngs of people around.
The only people in the Bible who get into trouble with regard to nudity are those who had a problem with it, never the people who were nude.
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