Naturism and Naturisn't

I know I'm the one that's out of the ordinary, but from my perspective, it seems bizarre that anyone would go to enjoy the outdoors, and not spend at least some of that time naked (depending on the weather - I'm writing this in the midst of a heat wave). Now, I don't expect everyone to enjoy nature the way I do. But it's frustrating that everyone else expects me to enjoy nature their way, and gets frazzled when I don't. I'm not demanding that anybody else get undressed. Yet, I'm expected to wear clothes against my own wishes!

I can understand, to a certain extent, why public nudity is verboten (there's a certain disconnect with reality when you look as good as I do). Although, there are times and there are places that are more reasonable than others. A campground in the woods, a public bathhouse, a river bank on a hot, summer day - these are places that practically demand nudity, and weep when it's censured. Yet indecent exposure is treated like a strict liability crime. If somebody sees your anatomy without consenting to it, that constitutes some kind of transfer of "unlawful carnal knowledge". At the very least, it's considered a severe breach of social etiquette, instead of just part and parcel of being organic creatures possessing physical form (as it should be).

[description: a naked camper stands in front of a tent in the woods]

To me, getting naked in nature is not just an integral part of my personal pursuit of happiness, it's legitimately part of my spiritual identity. I do go out of my way to engage in it without "spooking" anyone, even though I question whether it's fair that I should have to. Even so, I'm haunted by the anxiety that if somebody catches me, it won't be considered an invasion of my privacy, but rather that I've committed some kind of atrocity against the interloper. And in the wrong set of circumstances, it could be a severe crime indeed.

Whether or not reality reflects these fears, these notions are commonplace, and so people will behave as though they are true. All I want is peace - to be, and to be let be, enjoying nature the way it was intended. Without alcohol. Without trashing the environment. I'm just a gentle animal, unclothed, who respects the planet that bears us graciously upon its surface. Why do I feel hunted, like I'm some kind of vicious predator whose population needs to be culled? I'm harmless, and I'm endangered. The law should protect my way of life.

The Limitations of Cross-Fashion

The thing with transgender (and nonbinary) fashion is that our cis-normative society has catered certain fits to certain anatomy. This isn't solely a cultural thing - as men and women's chests and crotches are shaped very differently. But there's a lot that can be done to reduce the impact of a person's anatomy when they, e.g., want to dress in a style that's more conventionally associated with the opposite sex. For example, you can design a dress that's feminine without requiring an ample bosom to fill out the top, and there are certain styles that are more effective than others at disguising a bulge in the skirt.

What frustrates me (I was going to say "surprises", but it's really not surprising) is how much commercial, mass-produced pride gear is just conventional men or women's clothing with a transgender pride flag print slapped on it. In a certain sense, a lot of transgender individuals ultimately just want to pass as the gender they identify as - but for a lot of these people, for a significant portion of their journey, it's not always (sometimes, but often not) as easy as putting on clothes that were made for somebody with a different body.

I know transgender customers are an exceedingly small minority, but how common is it, exactly, for cis people to wear clothes printed with pride flags? It's great that allies can show their support, but not at the expense of overlooking the impacted population's ability to boost their own visibility. Or, you know, just to have something to wear. I really think there's untapped potential for fashion that caters to people who want to project a certain gender, while occupying the body of a different sex. Like, that pride flag string bikini might look incredible, but there's no way it's ever going to fit me well enough that I can actually wear it in public...

[description: a feminine male models a skimpy string bikini with transgender pride flag print]

And do you know how hard it is to find thong underwear with the storage capacity to carry a package? You don't even need to be transgender to appreciate the advantages of wearing a thong! I tell you, men really miss out on so much living in a neurotically homophobic culture.

More To Nudity

It's sad that some people will go through their entire lives thinking that nudity's only function is a sexual one. Think of all the opportunities that will be missed, to enjoy the feeling of freedom that comes from being unclothed - alone, while not engaged in sexual activities, but especially in the company of platonic friends. Think of the artistry, and the beauty of the human form, that will go unappreciated in life, because every instance of exposure is interpreted purely in the context of the pursuit of sexual gratification. People are terrified to even glance at specific parts of other people's bodies, assuming that such anatomical knowledge is reserved for a sexual relationship. In the fitting room. At the pool. Lounging at home. We bend over backwards to make ourselves uncomfortable, all on account of an arbitrary taboo. Think of all the art, the entertainment, the humor, that will be passed up, written off, and ignored, treated as nothing more than simple-minded pornography.

I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy the erotic appeal of the human body. I'm a passionate advocate for sex-positivity. It's not either/or. I just want to emphasize how much further the virtue of nudity extends. If you only ever get so far as to recognize its sex appeal and stop there, you'll be missing out on so much. Nudity can be an element of fashion (it sounds counter-intuitive, but it's really not - after all, you can't change clothes without getting undressed first); it can be an element of fitness and athletics (as in antiquity, and the original Olympics of ancient Greece). The human body, properly cultivated, has the potential to be a shining beacon of joy and inspiration in our frequently dour lives. If you only ever allow yourself to indulge in it in a sexual context, limited to a few private relationships, you're excluding yourself from so much pleasure and happiness. But it's not just about you, because this belief shared by society prevents other people from experiencing that joy also.