Intro: This post is a response to the Spectrum series asking the question "do all [people of a certain group] think the same?" In this case, the group is nudists, and you can watch the video here [NSFW]. Below are my own personal responses to the prompts in the video, because you can hardly determine whether all nudists think the same by asking only six of them.
Statement: "I have gotten aroused while being nude"
Response: Strongly Agree
I'm going to make a favorable assumption and guess that there's a lot of context missing from this prompt, because it's perfectly normal and completely common for a person to get aroused while being nude. Not necessarily by the fact of being nude (e.g., you're naked and rolling around with your lover) - although that's normal, too. Sometimes, the very act of stripping off one's clothes can be arousing, in those few moments before one becomes accustomed to the nudity.
I think the aim of this prompt, however, is directed more towards the nudist claim that their enjoyment of nudity is nonsexual. And to that, I will say, while that's true, we're sexual organisms, and even if the intent of the nudity isn't sexual, sometimes arousal occurs regardless. And to answer the question, yes, it has most certainly happened to me - including in social nudist settings (although it's not as frequent an occurrence as some would think). I do what any polite nudist does, and refrain from encouraging it or drawing attention to myself until the arousal subsides. No harm, no foul.
Statement: "The human body is overly sexualized"
Response: Somewhat Agree
This is a tricky one for me. This statement is nudist dogma, but it's also one that I like to give a little pushback on. Is the human body sexualized to a degree in excess of what it ought to be? I think the answer to that question is yes. People look at nudity and they automatically assume a sexual context, when that's not always the case. And so the human body is constantly judged by sexual standards, which isn't fair.
On the other hand, we're sexual organisms, and there's nothing wrong with finding the human body sexually appealing. The extent to which nudists harp on the problem of "sexualization" sometimes overshoots its mark, and it can start to sound like nudists are shaming people for finding the human body sexually appealing. If they would be more careful to use the term over-sexualization, instead of just "sexualization" (or "de-sexualization", which sounds like a total sterilization of erotic potential), maybe this wouldn't be an issue for me.
Hot Take: "I sit with my bare butt on the couch"
Response: Somewhat Agree
I agree with the nudist in the video that asks for more clarification. Nudist etiquette recommends sitting on towels for hygienic purposes, and this is the rule I follow in social nudist settings. But the place I spend the most time nude is in my own home, and I'm not carrying a towel with me constantly through the house. I do use couch and chair covers that get washed periodically, but I also adhere to a high personal standard of hygiene, and avoid sitting on communal surfaces when I'm dirty - e.g., after walking on the treadmill or doing yard work, and before I've taken a shower. So, there's an element of discretion to be applied, and I think people deserve a higher level of privilege in their own homes. But, generally speaking, some kind of cover is usually involved.
Hot Take: "Nudists crave attention"
Response: Somewhat Disagree
I am going to interpret this statement in the sense of the criticism that nudists are engaging in a form of exhibitionism (a subject I am particularly qualified to address). Despite actually being an exhibitionist myself (not instead, but in addition to being a nudist), my response is qualified disagreement because I think that intentions vary depending on who you ask, but most nudists are NOT naked for the attention, and even the extent to which some nudists may seek or enjoy that attention, that's not the part of the activity that makes it nudism.
Even as an exhibitionist who does enjoy that kind of attention (when I'm seeking it) - and that includes some times when I'm in social nudist settings (and this is another example where I applaud the program's word choice, as "craving attention" hints at a form of exhibitionism without requiring a sexual interpretation) - there are still absolutely times when I just want to chillax in the nude and not be bothered by people who think nudity is automatically an invitation to an exhibition.
Hot Take: "Nudists do a lot of psychedelics"
Response: Disagree
Okay, this statement seems to be coming out of left field. I'm not going to speak for all nudists, as there absolutely may be some who are into psychedelics (I have known some nudists that wouldn't be out of place in San Francisco during the Summer of Love), but I hardly think that's something that's characteristic of nudists on the whole. Nor is it something that I'm personally interested in.
One of the nudists in the video makes an interesting point about hanging out with the artist crowd, and that adds another dimension to this prompt. I could see that being even more prevalent in that demographic, but I've also noticed a kind of antagonism between established nudists and artists who are comfortable with nudity (another group I consider myself a member of), because the artists are a little bit less inhibited than the nudists about the human body's connection to sexuality.
Statement: "Being naked in public should be legal"
Response: Agree
This is a somewhat controversial if popular tenet of the nudist platform. Certainly, not every nudist believes it, but one does get the impression that it's par for the course. As the one nudist in the video does, you can make an argument about respecting other people's sensitivity towards nudity, but I think that ultimately the arguments the other nudists make trump that consideration. And it's not simply a matter of disregarding the feelings of others, as critics like to frame it. If you live in a free society, you must expect to be challenged, rather than comforted, by what you encounter in the public square. That is not an excuse for behaviors like violence and harassment, but a person wearing their skin is not hurting anybody.
We don't make laws about what kind of clothing people can wear, or how they must groom their bodies. I think board shorts and body hair are unappealing, but my taste has no jurisdiction over another person's freedom to dictate their appearance. That extends to simple nudity. I'm not against making certain exceptions - like dress codes in business establishments. It's not illegal to be barefoot and shirtless (if you're a guy) in public, yet shirts and shoes are required in most stores and restaurants. Nudity isn't practical everywhere. But a blanket prohibition on the unclothed human form is neither just nor healthy. I won't support it.
Statement: "It is appropriate to be nude among children and minors"
Response: Agree
I'm agreeing because the popular sentiment (outside of the nudist community) goes in the opposite direction and that really does a disservice to what nudity is and what nudism stands for. But I'm qualifying that agreement with a consideration to context. In principle, children are not harmed by exposure to nudity; in fact, it is healthy. It's mostly the parents that get upset, but their neuroticism is unfortunately transferred, in time, to their children.
That said, the illusion that nudity harms children, especially in a society that over-sexualizes nudity, often makes it dangerous - for both children and nudists - for that exposure to occur naturally, outside of nudist contexts. Within the right context, it is a complete and utter non-issue.
I don't have any qualms about participating in things like the World Naked Bike Ride in which unsuspecting bystanders - potentially including children - may be exposed to nudity. The offended may simply look away; no real harm is done. But in other contexts, one must exercise caution. Because "appropriate" behavior is a matter of agreed-upon etiquette, and if somebody else believes it's inappropriate, they can make a lot of trouble for you, regardless of your intentions.
Statement: "I'm comfortable with anybody seeing me nude"
Response: Somewhat Agree
This is another tricky statement, because there are layers to the issue. I've been nude in front of friends and family. I've been nude in front of complete strangers. As an artist and model, I've appeared nude before countless people across the world through the internet. And I'm perfectly comfortable with that. But I also care about other people's feelings (which is - offensively, and infuriatingly - something people assume not to be the case where exhibitionists are concerned). Which is why I do get uncomfortable when I'm afraid that I might be seen nude by somebody who I think may have a negative reaction to it. It's not because I'm not comfortable in my own skin. It's because I'm not comfortable making other people uncomfortable. If I cover up, it's to preserve their feelings, not my own. But, as I like to say, if you're fine with it, then I'm fine with it.
Statement: "In the past, I have been afraid to show my body"
Response: Strongly Agree
Now we're getting personal. I think there is some truth to the claim that nudism is a cure for body image disorders. I wouldn't assume that every nudist came into the lifestyle lacking in confidence, but it does seem to be very common for people to have issues with their body image in our society. In my case, that was true. When I say that I am attractive, that is not something I always believed - it's something that I had to be convinced of. When I was younger, I was very self-conscious - of myself and others. I remember not liking to wear sandals in public, and giving my brother grief for showing up to the dinner table without a shirt on.
I feel ashamed looking back on it, because it makes me feel like a hypocrite. But it's a testament to the human capacity for growth. I've grown a lot. Partially due to the accepting nature of the nudist community, but also from the positive attention I received as a nude artist. These days, I'm completely confident in my skin. Even when I'm not engaged in nude recreation, I frequently wear clothing that reveals a lot. You wouldn't think it to look at me now, but there was a time in my life when I was afraid to draw attention to my body.
Statement: "I am not bothered by what other people think of my body"
Response: Somewhat Disagree
Is anybody that confident? It's like saying you don't care about what others think. Inside, I am fiercely independent. I'm going to be me, and nobody else's opinion is going to change that. At the same time, of course I care about what other people think. Sometimes the passing comments of internet strangers affects me emotionally on a level that I worry is unhealthy. And let's get real: I'm a model. I thrive on people telling me I look good. But I also look good, so I have to worry less about people making unkind comments. Yet it still happens. I challenge people's expectations of gender, and sometimes that discomfort causes them to lash out. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt me.
But at the end of the day, it's not going to change the way I feel about myself. If they can't see the beauty in my body, it's their loss, not mine. But I also have the privilege of having enough people telling me that I'm beautiful to give me that confidence. I wouldn't have that otherwise; I didn't have it until I went out on a limb and started modeling. All that said, I feel comforted by the knowledge that I can always fall back on the nudist community's unconditional (at least in theory) acceptance of people for who they are and not what they look like.
