Public Indecency & How it Affects Nudists & Naturists
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| Walking nude through a neighborhood |
According to Wikepedia - "In the United States, indecent exposure refers to conduct undertaken in a non-private or (in some jurisdictions) publicly viewable location, which is deemed indecent in nature, such as nudity, masturbation or sexual intercourse in public view"
So basically it is what society deems indecent to see in public. I can understand Masturbation, or intercourse, but our simple naked bodies are indecent? Does this really make sense to anyone? Sure, some don't want to see it, and we have been heavily conditioned to believe it's wrong, but that in and of itself doesn't make our bodies indecent and should not be the basis for a law. Society does not have the right to create laws just because something offends them.
It’s difficult to say why nudity makes us so uneasy, but it’s clear that our aversion to nakedness is longstanding and probably religious in nature. When upholding anti-indecency laws, several judges have pointed to the Bible. But religion should be separated from our laws according to the separation of church and state. But it's also likely that it's because we have for so long hidden our bodies from each other with clothes, therefore when we finally do see a naked body, it elicits a sexual response that many find embarrassing. They feel that if they have these feelings, others will too and therefore it's a bad idea to allow it. What they fail to realize is that the reason they feel that way about nudity is because it is so hidden from us. If they saw nudity often, like many nudists do, they would get over that reaction and it would just seem normal, as proven by millions of nudists worldwide. Sexual innuendo happens far less when nudists get together than when textiles get together.
When arguing against public nudity, phrases using ugly words like Rampant, Deviant, Explicit, Lewd, etc are often used to make our lifestyle look as ugly as possible because the only concern those against public nudity have is to win, at all costs. This means that to them it's ok to use words that are not accurate but not a provable lie either, in order to make nudists and naturists look as immoral and deviant as possible.
We are so heavily conditioned to simply believe what we are told. It often starts at childhood as our parents pass on to their children what they were taught, without really considering 'Why' it's wrong or necessary. So we continue this chain of shame and embarrassment for generations. The only way to stop this is to break the chain with your own children.
Next argument, it's harmful to minors. This is also totally unproven and based solely on opinions. Here's from a study of the effects of nudity on children-
"Exposure to parental nudity was associated with positive, rather than negative, sexual experiences in adolescence, but with reduced sexual experience overall. Boys exposed to parental nudity were less likely to have engaged in theft in adolescence or to have used various psychedelic drugs and marijuana. There is no evidence that children are harmed by nonsexualized social nudity, and there is good reason to believe they are benefited by it. Proposals for laws banning to children the innocent experience of being human, appearing human, and seeing others as such are unwarranted, unfounded, and have no scholarly basis."
Ok, next argument. Then it's to maintain our moral standards and modesty. That is a matter of personal preference. I find it immoral to force others to wear clothing and to be ashamed of our naked bodies. And modesty is defined as "Modesty and demureness is a mode of dress and deportment intended to avoid encouraging sexual attraction in others". Well nudists have long known that it is much sexier and attractive to wear clothing, especially bikinis, mini skirts, etc, as in the photo below, (from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51v1VWRc1-L.jpg) Being around a bunch of naked people is not a sexual turn on. Erections are pretty much non existent, and harrassment in public areas is also non existent, or MUCH less than in the general, clothed public.
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| This is much more erotic that simple nudity |
It's time to seriously re-evaluate our laws making public nudity illegal. And lets leave religion out of it and base the laws on PROOF. If there's no proof of harm, then the law should NOT exist.
| Being arrested for public nudity is wrong |
(The image above is from https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS2CuYhZpVxd6jPUb4dZPCTd4OxhP16LsJ4oDpxKgctD96_9nNK)
I hope this helps and this is just some more information to help you understand why we need to end the laws that can ruin a persons life for being seen naked, doing nothing sexual or perverted.
Thank you,
Guy Purcella
Nudist/naturist and human rights activist
#endindecencylaws #endnuditylaws #nudeisnotlewd
Yes. Amen. I'd also like to add an observation or three:
ReplyDelete1. Those who base their opposition to nudity on "Christianity" are reading things into the Bible that aren't there. In fact, many Christian naturists have gained an increased understanding of God through being "naked before Him."
2. Opposition to nudity based on safety concerns is just as misguided, as confirmed by statistics re rape in many countries with differing cultural clothing requirements.
3. There is room for discussion about whether sexual activity itself should also be subject to The Great Coverup. But that is a subject for another place and time. Let's get simple nudity accepted before pushing for the other.
Jochanaan, I agree, especially on nudity and Christianity. I'm not religious but respect that others are, except when they use their 'Religion' to tell me that my body is shameful or sinful.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree that the subject of our sexuality is another good topic, but for another time.
Thanks for your comments, and for sharing our stories.
An interesting article. I already posted this link on my Tumblr page. I myself am a Christian - a practicing Catholic. It's negative influences that make us become shameful of our own bodies. Public nudity shouldn't be illegal or criminalized. The human body is a beautiful thing, so why does it have to be shamed and hidden in shame? It's unfair. And we have atrocities like war and violence tolerated more than naked bodies. I love a great quote by Dick Hein that says, "Someday people will grow up and realize that the only thing vile about human bodies is the small minds some people have developed within them." Clothing is used a lot for vanity and modesty. Why have our parents taught us to be ashamed of being naked and our bodies? Well, it all has passed down from previous generations since this clothes compulsiveness started. We need to question why we've been taught that nudity is shameful. It all starts at a young age. We are our bodies, and what power does anyone for that matter have to own or control them? No wonder we have such problems in society like more sex crimes, suffering from excessive sweating due to being required to cover up even when impractical, anxiety over how the stages of life go, lower body confidence, and suffering from a lack of vitamin D. We have definitely moved away from nature with advancing technology. This is damaging and detrimental. This can begin to stop at home by practicing nudism as much as possible. It's with the family practicing nudism in the home, and the parents teach their children that the human body is nothing shameful and body shame, and obviously naked shame too, is just bad. Why treat our own naked bodies as shocking, horrifying, and shameful? We really need to educate about nudism and promote it. Being naked is a human right, and we're naked beneath our clothes anyway. I don't understand how simple nudity is said to be damaging to children and yet children are exposed to violence, war, and blood on TV and movies. It's the 21st century, yet this shame is still being taught. We need to break the destructive cycle of body shame and having to hide our bodies in shame. Why are we the only species taught to be ashamed and horrified of our own naked bodies? Being naked should be allowed anywhere when practical. Why have laws against public nudity? Being horrified of nudity is horrified over nothing. I'm tired of having to wear clothes all the time. The human body is beautiful more than any clothing. This body shame is destructive and must stop.
ReplyDeleteFrom a reader who had trouble posting:
ReplyDeleteGuy: Carla:
I don't know if it's my ineptitude or my iPad, but I am incapable of responding through your comment section on your website, and I do want to add to your Feb 3 entry.
If the topic of nudity comes up in a conversation, naturists are often much too quiet. Many of us feel that a more demonstrable action speaks louder than words and we just stay shut-up, but saying something which will steer the conversation into a thought-provoking way of squarely facing the subject can raise it into a more honest evaluation rather than an automatic dismissal.
Nudity is regarded as a crime. We don't discuss it enough to keep the possibility open. While the act of nudity is often legally impossible, the topic should still be presentable in public, and thoroughly discussed until even those people opposed to the whole idea can give it some serious, rational thought.
With Jesus,
Verygary
We would like to hike nude in a remote area, and ,maybe, possibly meet others hiking nude, but Grand Junction is not close to where we are usually during a visit to Colorado.
ReplyDelete