Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site bbncca.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!bbncca!sxnahm
From: sxnahm@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Nahm)
Newsgroups: net.rec.nude
Subject: Mainstreaming nude recreation
Message-ID: <284@bbncca.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 8-Nov-83 12:10:58 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncca.284
Posted: Tue Nov  8 12:10:58 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Nov-83 01:44:20 EST
Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 30


    Nude recreation is currently a psuedo-secretive activity.  Society in
general disapproves of it, and it supports laws which make nude recreation
in some cases illegal, and in almost all cases difficult.

    This causes some naturists to worry about being "discovered" by
their textile world associates.  It makes access to free beaches 
necessarily difficult (to avoid complaints and voyeurs, the latter of which
are probably produced by the societal attitudes), and facilities at
those sites are usually lacking.

    This all bothers me.  I don't like secretiveness.  A 45 minute walk
from my car to my favorite beach can be a pain.  And several hundred people
(an average total) at that beach deserve toilets and water, without a 90
minute round trip.

    How can the barriers be reduced?   While natruism will likely never be the
norm, how can we set it on an equal footing as, say, scuba - a special activity
that some people like.  

    I'm struck by the German society.  Nudity is almost blase, common in ads.
Denmark is similar, nude recreation is acceptable on any beach, anywhere in
the country.  Should we be working towards this?  

    The Naturist Society seems to be working towards this end, but I still
feel more can be done.  How did European nations become more accepting of
naturism? (any first hand accounts?)  How can we encourage such an 
attitude in our society?

Steve