Brattleboro Vermont Teens are Nude in Public and it’s Legal
Posted by admin on Aug 25, 2006 in Nude | 127 commentsNothing wrong with public nudity in Brattleboro Vermont. Here on the banks of the Connecticut River, in the busiest parking area of a downtown peppered with bookstores and coffee shops, more is meeting the eye than some people want. Spurred by complaints, the town’s Select Board will consider changing that, although no changes are expected soon. In the meantime, some pedestrians avert their eyes. Some youths cheer on their naked friends, and a few adults are so offended that they become nearly hysterical.
A politely rebellious collection of teenagers passing time in the Harmony Parking Lot this summer has taken to disrobing. Seemingly on a whim, they shed clothes and soak up the sun, nude.
What began as a lark or an ode to youthful exuberance has now turned into a municipal quandary, because public nudity is permissible in Brattleboro.
In the words of Town Manager Jerry Remillard, if you’re naked in public, and you’re minding your business, you’re legal.
“We’re quite a bit different than a lot of places,” Remillard said.
If the two-dozen or so youths, 16 to 19 years old, are seeking to make a social statement, the manifesto needs some work.
“We just thought it’d be a little fun,” said Charles Corry, 19, who said he stripped to nature’s own Friday and hung out for about 45 minutes with five like-minded friends as shoppers, diners, and walkers made their bemused way through the lot. “I don’t see it as a serious statement.”
Serious or not, the teenagers have made nudity something that can show its pale or sun-burned self with no warning. Rachel Brooks, who works at Everyone’s Books, sees some of the action on the sidewalk outside the shop’s rear door.
“Personally, if I wanted to be naked, I wouldn’t sit around in a dirty parking lot,” said Brooks, 22. “I wouldn’t want to get cigarette butts on my butt.”
The nudity began in earnest this year, Brooks said, when one young woman decided she wanted to bare her chest in public, just like her male friends.
Since then, the no-clothes fashion has gained popularity and has expanded to include group bike rides, skateboarding, hula-hoop contests, and a grass-roots music event that the group dubbed the Brat Fest.
One girl even sat partially nude on a newspaper vending box in the middle of downtown. I could see her boobs and stomach easily wherever I walked in the park.
“I think most of Vermont wants Vermont to be nude,” said Hannah Phillips, 15, who added that she has not disrobed. “People have a basic human right to be naked if they want to.”
Nearby, older teenagers sat on the sidewalk, fully clothed, their backs propped against a brick wall, munching on a pizza they found in its box. A car belonging to one of the group was parked nearby, a skull-and-crossbones on its hood and the words, “Chaos Infiltration Squad,” on a side door. On the opposite side of the lot, the Back Side Cafe looked down on the scene.
Although members of the group said they don’t intend to offend anyone, one woman has filed a complaint with the Select Board.
But the wheels of legislation grind methodically here, and the board must hold two public meetings, followed by a waiting period of nearly a month before a ban on public nudity can be implemented and enforced.
Vermont does not forbid public nudity, as Massachusetts does, but some liberal communities in the state have banned it. Remillard said that outsiders should not begin to think of Brattleboro as a haven for the behavior. It’s just that Brattleboro never had cause to ban nudity before.
“I would suspect that if it were OK, you’d see it in Boston,” he said.
Andrew Wdowiak, who works at Everyone’s Books, said that he’s not put off by the nudity, but that the act has become a little tired. “I think it was more for the shock value,” he said. “They weren’t flagrant about it.”
But last week, when about a half-dozen naked teenagers congregated outside the store, “it was like they were baking a cake, and they really frosted it,” Wdowiak said. “All the men were naked, and the women were topless. I needed about three drinks to erase that vision.”
One patron of the bookstore let loose with hysterics of Academy Award proportions, he added.
If the town passes an ordinance this year, cool weather will have begun to settle in this slice of the North Country.
But Remillard, for one, doesn’t think the bracing air will accomplish what Brattleboro’s laws have been so far unable to do.
“That isn’t necessarily going to bother this group of people,” he said of the cold.
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I cannot see anything wrong with teenagers being nude. If they feel like enjoying nature let them enjoy nature. I am not a teenager but think more people other than teenagers would also like to nude or partially nude. Wome have to suffer wearing tops in hot weather whilst men can go bear. Women would enjoy being topfree for a change and I welcome the idea of teenage nudity. Congratulations to the authorities of Vermont well done on keeping an open mind. Enjoy nature
In the first part of the 20th century, men (like women) were required by law to wear tops. One hot summer the men said enough is enough and, en masse, began a little topless civil disobedience. Laws and social attitudes were adjusted.
If women as a whole want the same rights to go topless, they will have to work for them. In many places now it is already legal for women to be topless (e.g. NY, Oregon), but few ever exercise their rights. I suppose few women are aware of their rights, and of those, even fewer are willing to face the difficulties of being a pioneer and exercising their rights. Those who do will undoubtedly encounter push-back from the general public, and law enforcement personnel who may be ignorant (or simply intolerant) of the “liberal” nudity laws. Even mothers discretely nursing in public are hassled, and many more states specifically protect this in statute.
I don’t think the “inconvenience” of seeing nudity should be a weighty enough reason to ban public nudity. A society that outlaw everything that some people dislike, will in the end be a terrible place to live in.
(Although here in Norway, public nudity is patently unhealthy, at least in winter…)
Dear Mr. British(?) Nature Lover,
Apparently you are not aware of the untested areas in our new Federal statute, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. In this country, federal laws supercede state laws (or lack of them), and so if someone wants to criminally complain under the Act that a nude, 18-year old Vermont female teen was causing sexual exploitation of their minor child by appearing nude in public, it is likely the FBI will follow up on it.
Further, and I quote from a website that concisely summarizes these “gray areas”, “the law also includes provisions that require almost any picture of a nude person posted on line be tracked and that secondary producers keep personal information on the model and person(s) posting for government reference. Within the structure of the law artworks that include nudes, family photographs of semi nude and nude children, and personal blogs that contain these become legitimate targets for Federal government interference, and the possible accusation, and conviction of individuals not associated with child pornography in any way. Thus the law as written by Congress and signed by this President purposefully conflates artwork and individual personal photographs with child pornography, murder, and serial killers.”
You guys think that you are over-regulated. Just look at the abomination we have here. Though I like to look at a naked woman as much as the next guy, I don’t pesonally believe in nudity “in the streets.” That being said, we rebelled against you guys 200-years ago for your government’s over-regulation and paternalism. Now, we have our own home-grown version. I say we IMPEACH anybody who supports THIS PORTION of the act, as it is clearly in violation of the First Ammendment. The single most important reason is the onerous legal trouble US free, law-abiding citizens are likey to face due to this provision of the Act. As a rule, our Federal government is incapable of distinguishing between a nude, “nothing showing” two-month baby picture (that Americans have been taking for 100-years) and hard-core porn. We are running deficits in the billions. Congress, concentrate on what you are supposed to do, or get the hell out of my country.
Who do you think you are? This is not your country! It is the country of the people. Everyone has their rights as an American citizen, including a person’s freedom of speach to be naked. If you think a nude body is porn, you are insane! The human body is the most beautiful thing in the universe that God has created.
Well Said!
Joe,
If actually read Billy Joe’s whole post, you might be surprised to learn that you two are violently in agreement with each other.
In response to Mr. British, I also do not approve of violence, rape or sex in public. However if a teenager or any other person feels like enjoying nature fully nude it should be done in restricted areas such as parks, beaches, their homes, backyards and dedicated entertainment areas. I think women should only allowed to be topless where men are allowed topless as I cannot see anything wrong with a women walking topless to a cafe or shop or even driving topless. I do however think that they should not be fully nude under these circumstances
I see (ahem) little reason to be upset by nudity in public.
Victorian approaches to all things sexual has likely created
many more problems than has nudity.
However, UGLY is a real problem that should be concealed with all the dilligence of a modern day elephant man. It is a known fact that exposure to too much ugliness causes nightmares in small children and psychoses in adults. Show me a cute breast any day!
On 10/4/2006, at 5:50 pm, Ed Gillette wrote:
Quote:
I see (ahem) little reason to be upset by nudity in public.
I agree. We have American soldiers dying everyday in Iraq, and a few outspoken whiners are more concerned with a group of teenagers congregating in the buff in a downtown parking lot? Talk about misplaced priorities!
Mr. Gillette goes on to say the following:
Victorian approaches to all things sexual has likely created
many more problems than has nudity.
However, UGLY is a real problem that should be concealed with all the diligence of a modern day elephant man. It is a known fact that exposure to too much ugliness causes nightmares in small children and psychoses in adults. Show me a cute breast any day!
Again, I agree with you, but only up to a point. It’s certainly true that the laws of this country as well as the attitudes of the citizens need to change before nudism becomes more widely accepted by society as a whole. Nudism isn’t about sex at all.
As to your comment on ugly people, not all of us look like or have supermodel-style bodies. Nudism is about being comfortable in your own skin, and not being concerned with what others may think. Most nudists don’t care what you look like on the outside, but how you are as a person.
James
Amazing that this is still going on in this weather.
hahaha funny
any nude pics from Maine of New Hampshire?
WHO TOLD US TO WEAR CLOTHES ANYWAY, GOD DID NOT MAKE US UGLY TO LOOK AT, WE DID IT TO OURSELVES BY EATING AND DRINKING ALL THE JUNK WE PUT IN OUR BODIES PLUS NOT EXCERISING. THE BODY IS A BEAUTIFUL THING…BESIDES SEEING ONE PAIR OF BREASTS YOU HAVE SEEN THEM ALL….BIG,MED,LARGE,AND EXTRA LARGE..JUST LIKE PENIS, SMALL MED, LARGE, AND EXTRA LARGE. AND THIS TAKES IN ASSES ALSO. IF PEOPLE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THEIR BODIES LIKE THEY TAKE CAKE OF THEIR CAR WE ALL WOULD LOOK LIKE HALLY BERRY,SHAINA TWAIN,JUST TO MENTION A FEW. SO PEOPLE LETS GET WITH THE PROGRAM GET IN SHAPE AND TELL THE POWERS TO BE WE REFUSE TO WEAR CLOTHES……BESIDES THE FRESH AIR, SUN AND THE BEACH IS BETTER FOR YOU ANYWAY……….
i wish new jersey new york had the same legal nudity in public. it is innocent refreshing not a crime has nothing to do with sex , natural and liberating , i love to go out in the buff i wish.
It’s a beautiful thing.Relaxed,tolerant environments like this are exactly what this repressed,body-phobic society of ours need more of.
While laws like this may be on the books, we in Vermont do not embrace this point of view. Don’t get your hopes up. Public nudity is still frowned on here. No, most of us DO NOT want to be nude.
Maybe since most of you are too unpleasing to the eye as it is with clothes on. Vermonters aren’t exactly the best looking crew. I lived there for seventeen years and have been to many states and none have the same weathered look as Vermonters. Well maybe Maine.
It’s one thing to be ashamed of your own true physical appearance ;
It’s rediculous to try to force your shame on everyone else.
(The sin was the shame of there bodies….now who’s in the wrong–huh?)
you are! Shame is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s prejudice non godliness!
i think it’s cool 2 be naked in some places people who don’t want 2 see naked bodies”don’t go there”
i loved it and i wich if there’r places like this where i live
Awesome! Casual nudity is no big deal..it’s very sensual and lots of fun, but not sexual, so there’s no need to consider it immodest or anything else negative.
Are there any more photos of the nude girl in the second picture (the one walking through the public park with the two guys standing around her)? I think she’s a cutie!
Personally there have been days where I would have like to walk around town naked and be confortable. It should be no big deal. Nudity is not about sex. There have been those who tried to confuse the two. One should be able to wear clothes one day and none the next.
Also if someone is broke they could sell their clothes so they can eat. I would like to find someplace where I could wear nothing and walk around a town and doing everything a clothed person does, including working.
People should not be ashame of their bodies. If someone is lewd and doing lewd acts that is one thing, however if they are behaving themselves just going about their business wearing nothing but a smile I might just join them.
I find public nudity refreshing — not because it’s titillating, but because it’s one of the most definitive statements of personal freedom an individual can make in this oppressive society.
This is a society where, not only will Wal-Mart not develop your photo of Baby naked on a bearskin, they’ll report you to the police for taking it in the first place — where nudity equals sex, and sex is always prurient, unhealthy and wicked.
As times become more uncertain, society becomes stricter and more regressive in an attempt to recapture the sense of security it feels it has lost. God damn the bluenose busybodies who hate our freedom, and God damn the spineless lawmakers who consistently sell our freedom for the votes of whoever screams the loudest.
I feel that nudity should be considered just another clothing choice. If anything should be made illegal, why not put an end to those hideous Christmas Sweaters! I do not want my eyes assalted by red and green raindeer!
If anything there should be more nudity. What’s with people and trying to eliminate diversity? People should have more freedoms to experiment with society and culture. The people of Brattleboro should embrace this already established unique characteristic of their town.
I’m a much stronge believer in the idea of people moving into their ideal environment than individuals trying to change the environment they live in to match thar personal ideals. Someone who hates the snow does not try to change the climate of the area, they either move or adapt.
99.9% of the towns in America already made nudity illegal. Why not leave a few places for those who cherish freedom?
I’m from Brooklyn New York and right now I’m giving those kids in Brattleboro a standing ovation! Too many young people have body image issues nowadays. Maybe going nude will make people less materialistic as far as clothing goes and make them focus their attention on their bodies. That’s what going to nude beaches in Gunnison NJ and Haulover beach in Miami did for me, I’m in the gym at least 3 times a week now. I’ve been to strip clubs here in brooklyn where some ladies walk the floor all night scared to show a nipple. I put those corny strippers in the same categories as the clothed gawkers who walk through the beach, PRUDES! For some reason I can’t explain people with the courage to be naked in public are the coolest people I have ever met.
Please tell us more about the city and nudity in public places. I would like to hear more from the nudists who are expanding our personal freedom. It should be legal for any one under twelve years of age to be naked in public. And for the older population there should be parks and public spaces set aside for naked recreation. I do object to the open display of pubic hair. All men, women, boys and girls should remove all of their pubic hair if they wish to display their genital in public.
AS THE VERMONT CITY OFFICIAL SAID THAT SIMPLE PUBLIC NUDITY IS NOT OBSCENE OR ILLEGAL IN THEIR CITY HOWEVER LEWD SEX IN PUBLIC WILL CERTAINLY GET SOMEONE IN ALOT OF TROUBLE. WE NEED A MILLION PEOPLE NUDE MARCH AND STAND UP FOR OUR FREEDOM THAT SO MANY DIED FOR. IF THE GOVERNMENT DEFINES OUR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM FOR US AND WE ALLOW IT THEN THE CASUALTIES OF WAR WOULD HAVE DIED IN VAIN. THEY DESERVE BETTER. NUDITY IS NOT SEX!!! RECLAIM OUR RIGHTS AND LIFT ALL BANS ON NUDITY IN PUBLIC. TEACH YOU CHILDREN THE PROPER DIFFERENCE SO THEY GROW UP WITHOUT THE HELLISH ISSUES OF THE REPRESSED PERVERTED SOCIETY WE LIVE IN THESE DAYS. GO NAKED FOR FREEDOM SAKE!!!
Being nude in mixed company on a beach, in a park or in your back yard with other like minded people is very relaxing. You just have to respect each other.
i think public nudity should be allowed..if somebody is minding own business wats wrong with it…we all will eventually get used to naked bodies.as far as,the issue of ugliness is concerned that is totally ridiculous ..yes but cleanliness needs to addressed in this regard.i would prefer that a nuder must place some piece of clothing on his seat whenever sitting on any public place plus smelly bodies should not be allowed also..i m saying this caz the psychology that i understand behind just being nude is to feel NATURAL and cleanliness is part of NATURE!
Live &let others live
July 5, 2007
Boston Herald page 23 under “News in Brief”
“Man’s Nude Dance Earns Arrest – Brattleboro Vermont – A man charged with a sex crime for dancing naked has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was given a one year deferred sentence. Police say the man crossed the line in May when he was seen dancing naked and pulling a piece of clothing between his legs. He pleaned guilty to a misdemeanor.”
This is an example of how something can be ruined for many by the action of one. How can those of us who like to be nude in the outdoors expect to be condoned by non-nudist if behavior such as listed above occurs?
True nudist and naturist do not want to offend anyone (that’s what I believe).
So if you have the right to be nude in public, do in a place like a park of beach – not in a down town and always have a towel with you.
If you are not a nudist then if you have to focus, get closer, or concentrate to determined if someone havs clothes on – then don’t complain.
So he did a strip tease dance instead of just being nude. Sounds fair to me.
What’s going on in Brattlesboro is wonderful,they’re really showing the world that nudity has a place in mainstream society.Only two types of people can screw this up:Pervs and Prudes.Pervs who want to turn this innocent situation into something sexual or prurient for their’ own enjoyment,and Prudes who think that EVERYONE is a perv,and that this should be banned “for our’ own protection”.If both of those types can find a way to just back off,they’ll never have a problem.
Prudes are just Pervs in the closet.
I heard more news today (July 2007) about more nudity in Vermont (link below). I think the only ones acting mature about this are the teenagers. Youth is very good at seeing hypocrisy and reflecting it back in our faces. Thank goodness we have a limited life span. If you’ll note, it is the older generation that is getting excited and going into hysterics. We’re learning much more about those who are reacting to it than those who are nude. Nudes are in famous art dating back centuries. Yet now, we apparently can no longer deal with our own form. Nude art has been covered up in the Capitals and Churches across this nation. Folks, this is evidence of growing immaturity and regression, not progress. Get a grip. Once you ban the human body, I don’t want to hear anyone boasting anymore about this “free” country. You’ve removed that privilege. There are no two ways about it.
trevor100a@yahoo.com
king david danced naked before the ark . god told Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot as a sign to a nation and a king. the whole nation left the land walking naked and barefoot. nudity is not sin either. sexual immorality on the other hand got a couple of cities destroyed by fire so the difference is EXTREAMLY clear. social nudity should be a freedom for everyone and NOT a crime.
SHOCKING! If God had meant us to be walking around naked, we would have been born that way!
Reply to post#29…We ARE born naked, so with your logic, we should walk naked.
I completely agree with the nudists’ point of view here. So long as no one is acting in a sexual manner, public nudity should be allowed. Why does the law provide a method in which the few who object to stop the actions of the many? It seems that democracy is failing here, whereas the nudists and general public that don’t mind it, are the majority, and the whiners who do object seem to have the voice to the laws. I used to be very self-conscious of my body, and now having been nude a few times in public, I must say that my self esteem has grown. I now exercise more often to increase my build, and I feel happier about my physique.
Nudity, rock on!
I have a theory about nudists. It seems to me from what I hear and see on TV is that most are 45+ years old and white that don’t have anything else going on.
Call me wrong but it’s just what I see.
Try visiting Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos. You’ll get a very different picture.
Ken, many statistics do say that nudists are, on average, older — however, I have to question how accurately that portrays the reality of nudists.
That statistic, as I understand it, is derived from people who are registered members of such organizations as the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and the like (There are more, but I cannot remember them at the moment). A lot of younger nudists are not members of such associations for several reasons: cost of membership, being unaware of their existence, not having much personal value to them, not wanting any sort of commitment, etc. Most nudists, however, practice nudity in independently — at home, skinny dipping at a pond, sunbathing in their back yard, going to a nude beach, etc. It’s difficult to really come to an accurate estimate about the average age of nudists.
However, I do feel that many people do not really become involved in nudism until later in life. Young people feel a lot of pressure to fit in, and nudity may not be common among one’s friends. People who have advanced in age tend to begin feeling less afraid of what others think, and begin to act more in line with what they feel to be good and true. This is not universal among all older ones, but it can be common enough to be a factor.
Another reason many nudist may be older is because they joined when they were younger — when the world was in an age of innocence. I don’t think (and this is mere speculation) that sexuality was a big of a concern in the 1940′s and 50′s — as it was not prominently seen in public society. Many people today may be more concerned about sex because it is perceived as being, perhaps, more prevalent than it really is — with it being featured in movies, tv shows, music, in advertising, on talk shows, in the news, on the internet, etc. However, sex is a part of life — not all encompassing, but merely a part. I don’t think that people, on average, is really having sex too much more frequently than they have in the past, but the perception of it has changed. Some people, out of fear of ruining their reputation, avoid things they may consider iffy.
Some people also seem to have the belief that without clothing there would be nothing to control human behavior — assuming clothing has some magical effect that inhibits otherwise uncontrollable “animal instincts.” That line of thinking, however, is utterly ridiculous as nudists are NOT more prone to losing self control — in fact, I believe the opposite effect occurs (greater ability to cope with the human body.)
Who would like his mother, wife and sister nude on the street? Wud you like hundreds of elephantine girls walking around nude, most girls are large, very few sexy girls seen around. Think, clothing is essential.
The point isn’t to be sexy. That’s what you have porn for, which you can look at in your own free time. The people that walk around nude and don’t bother anyone certainly have a right to it. The world has become so touchy when it comes to anything having to do with nudity. There’s a huge difference between nudity and sex. As most people know, the word “SEXY” -if you look in a dictionary- means, “to have sex appeal” or “to be sexually exciting”. True nudists don’t walk around trying to seduce people. They aren’t trying to be “sexy”. It’s almost like telling someone they can’t wear something they really like. Everyone is born naked. If God didn’t want it that way, then we would have been born with clothing. Personally, I think if someone wants to walk around nude, they shouldbe allowed to do so as long as they aren’t doing any lewd sexual acts out in public. If you don’t want to see someone naked, you have the ability to look away. There’s nothing saying you HAVE to look! Everyone gets so up tight about being offended! If you minded your own business, you wouldn’t be offended. If you were a little more open minded, you wouldn’t be offended.
world is gradually marching to a nude culture and gradually it will be turned into nude village . but this nudity should be treated as eco friendly measure–not as a revealation of desire of sex—– the brain programming has to be changed –for such behavioural change ,there is urgent need of EDUCATION for all –the intellectuals among nudist /naturist have to propagate through acceptable / convincing argument – that NUDITY can bring peace /tranquility divinity/and eliminate suffering – and aim at prosperity and growth of mankind
I don’t agree with most of you all, how can you walk your child around these place.I personally live in this town and feel it should be banned!!!!!!….IT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!im writing a essay right now in school on y it should be banned if you lived here too you would feel the same way!!!!! Nudity will be banned very shortly!!!!! SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We see nothing wrong with it at all. We moved out of the city and into the country in the middle of 45 acres so us and all our kids could enjoy living completely naked. It is quite nice to walk out your front door naked and not worry about it. Why bother buying, wearing and washing clothes when you can go naked for free.
North Texas Nudist
wow where did you move to I won’t to move there
Hi all you naturist and freedom fighters out there, I am a lifelong nudist and believe that all towns and cities in America should have a designated building and land usage for all people and families that like the cloths free lifestyle. Example, your local YMCA or YWCA could have one day a week for singles, couples and families to participate together in swimming, running, vollyball, tennis or just relaxing and reading while there. Also a town could make a fenced off area set aside in the park (from clothed people that might be offended) to offer sunbathing, bike riding, swimming, skate boarding or roller blading in the nude. You could even take your dog for a nude walk together- but bring the pooper scooper! It could even be monitored by a police officer to make everybody feel safe. This would bring peace to all.
Collins Beach on Sauvie Island, and Rooster Rock state park in Oregon are two examples of parks with designated nude areas. The right to be nude in public is part of the Oregon constitution, and has been this way for many decades. Almost nobody exercises this right outside of officially designated nude-zones, however. Except in the city of Eugene, where young women are sometimes seen topless.
Even in Portland, one occasionally sees a woman breast feeding in public, however. Most who do are discrete, and unless you are very close, you won’t know they are nursing. But these women are specifically protected by Oregon law, and cities may not ban public breast feeding.
Problem is, most folks are ignorant of the laws protecting public nudity (including some law enforcement personnel), so it is still very rare. Occasionally you hear on the news about some young girl who peels off her top on a hot day, but who is asked to put it back on by a police officer. With that kind of intimidation, most folks won’t stand up for their legally protected rights, even if the law is on their side. Law enforcement knows how to use FUD to bluff their way. That is how they get people to waive their Fourth Amendment rights during routine traffic stops, and perform most vehicle searches (the State of Washington is notorious for this kind of abuse).
I think, in the end, it is less about what the law allows than what society expects. Oh, you’ll get the occasional young person testing the limits, as we see in this article, but it is a novelty to them. It’ll get the prudes in a tizzy, which will delight the teens. But in the end, not much has changed. So long as we maintain our prudish (and immature) outlook on nudity, this kind of foolishness will continue, mocking freedom all the way.
police officers that protect nude areas and events should be allowed to patrol in the nude with an arm band for a badge so nude people would feel more comfortable with the presence of police . it would give officers an understanding of the freedom the are there to protect.
In response to Caitlin who lives in Brattleboro, public nudity already is illegal in most places in the United States. It’s called indecent exposure. Even though I myself am not a nudist, I agree with most of the people here who believe that a person’s decision to not wear clothes should be a matter of personal preference and neither the government’s nor anyone else’s business.
In addition, studies have been done that show that children who are exposed to nudity at a young age or who are raised in nudist families actually grow up to be more well-adjusted than children who aren’t. Also, more and more people are trying the nudist lifestyle, and the nude recreation industry is now a $400 million a year business, according to the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR).
“#13
Lukas Says:
April 19th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
While laws like this may be on the books, we in Vermont do not embrace this point of view. Don’t get your hopes up. Public nudity is still frowned on here. No, most of us DO NOT want to be nude.”
I know this was a while ago but I just hate it when people talk for large groups. I’m from Vermont and I embrace so let’s start getting those hopes up people!
I like naked girls as much as the next guy. But the problem here is not that someone will be inconvenienced by having to see someone naked. The problem is that it creates a situation the encourages much more serious crimes.
A lot of folks take this view, but it is simply not supported by the facts. Sex crimes are not greater on nude beaches, at nudist resorts, or in societies where mix-gender social nudity occurs. In fact, the opposite is true. Social nudity is commonplace in present day Germany, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Greece, some Caribbean nations, for example, yet in these countries the reported cases of rape (and actual rape convictions) are low (much lower than the US). Murder and violence is also less of a problem. Now, and throughout history, sex (and violent) crimes are highest in prudish societies. The US has about the worst sex and violent crime rates of the first world countries.
A couple of studies report that the upbringing of sex offenders is usually sexually repressive, that they often have an overtly religious background and hold rigid conservative attitudes toward sexuality (Conyers & Harvey, 1996; Dougher, 1988). It is interesting to note that within three months of coming to power, Hitler outlawed public nudity in Germany. Other tyrants like Mao, Stalin and Pol Pot where also prudes, repressing the traditional social nudity which had been in their societies. Under each of these four “men,” public nudity was violently repressed, rape and genocide became commonplace, and rape was often sanctioned by the state (e.g. many Jewish women were forced into prostitution).
In general, throughout history, native peoples who practiced social nudity were almost always described as peaceful (one reason why tyrants were easily able to enslave and exploit them).
Even in mythology, social nudity was the norm in the Garden of Eden, where everything was peaceful. God never told them to cover up. That was man’s idea. Only after man was cast out and started wearing clothes did crimes like murder and rape debut.
A couple of points:
When the communists took over in East Germany, they banned public nudity, associating it with the Nazi party – which seems to conflict with Hitler banning it. But the people refused to accept this, so it was adopted as a point of difference from the West (which was now also swinging into more modest mode). Since reunification, some attempts have been made to get East Germans to cover up: beaches are divided into clothed and unclothed areas – but the people are just ignoring the signs.
W.r.t the Garden of Eden: with only two inhabitants, the opportunity for rape and murder was somewhat limited, so we mustn’t read to much into their absence..
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Chem Says:
December 10th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
I like naked girls as much as the next guy. But the problem here is not that someone will be inconvenienced by having to see someone naked. The problem is that it creates a situation the encourages much more serious crimes.
Chem,
That’s true to a certain extent because there will probably always be a few rotten apples in the basket who want to spoil it for everyone, but this alone should not be enough to ban public nudity entirely.
I do agree with you that I also like to see naked women as much as the next guy, but banning public nudity solely on the basis of the argument that “it creates a situation that encourages much more serious crimes” is simply not convincing enough, IMO.
As I see it, this issue isn’t even about whether simply being naked in public leads to more serious sex-related crimes at all. To me it’s about whether or not a community
has the right to ban a particular behavior simply on the basis that a small group of individuals somehow has the right to decide for everyone else what is and what is not acceptable because they’re somehow offended by the behavior in question.
Just my two cents worth.
James
“The problem is that it creates a situation the encourages much more serious crimes.”, writes Chern.
Well, according to the same logic, wearing clothes should also be forbidden. If noone wore clothes, it would be far more difficult to shoplift. It would also be more difficult to get guns unnoticed into a bank to rob it. And it would be terribly difficult to smuggle weapons into airplanes to hijack them.
On balance, I believe wearing clothes creates more dangerous situations than being nude. Luckily for people who insist on wearing clothes all the time, nudists will not ban clothing any time soon…
Are these kids crazy?A relaxed and civilised attitude toward the human body in a society leads to less violent and sex-related crimes,less incest,bad perversions,infidelities.All this has been proven!Isn’t downtown Brattlesboro boring enough?What are they thinking?!?
M, you’re mostly right. A relaxed and civilized attitude in general leads to a lower number of sex crimes. However, it looks to me like people are just using this for an opportunity to go streaking.
Streaking is one of many things that loses it’s power to shock and titilate in a relaxed and non-puritanical society.By all means,get yer streak on!In Brattlesboro,they’re proving it wont kill a person!
I just read on the message board of the site Naked in Brattleboro, Vermont that on December 4, 2007, the Brattleboro Selectboard passed, by a 4-1 vote, an anti-nudity ordinance that effectively prohibits both skinny dipping and nude sunbathing within the city limits of Brattleboro. Violators would be subject to a $100 fine. Brattleboro is now the eighth city in Vermont to ban public nudity.
This sucks. Yet another piece of personal freedom goes down the drain, thanks to a few loud whiners crying over spilled milk.
James
All trouble starts with an honest, concerned citizen starting a movement to BAN something he or she doesn’t like, is afraid of, or annoyed at. We did that once already: We BANNED ALCOHOL! And we all know how THAT turned out. DUMB IDEA!
Let’s NOT ban things except for true crime. Yeah, make CRIME illegal… Hmm! Oh, We DID that, didn’t work, did it?
Seeing a naked teenage girl is not going to ruin a child for life. If THAT was true Hugh Hefner would have been banned long ago. And if someone doesn’t LIKE it guess what: DON’T LOOK!
Your freedom to swing your fist ENDS at the bridge of my nose. My freedom to BAN things I don’t like, ends with your list of favorite things to do. Hitler banned Jews, and that ended up with MILLIONS of innocents dead worldwide.
Tell you what…let’s NOT ban Anything, let’s just try teaching the kids COMMON SENSE instead. Hmmm? Why in HECK did they name it COMMON sense??????? Think about that instead…
Besides, all those Evil Hippies that hung out in the 60′s… OH! US! Yeah, and we turned out pretty good, even if our parents DID want to BAN Free Love, long hair and Rock and Roll on us…
If you remember the 60′s. you weren’t there… Here is an idea: Let’s NOT be like our own parents and do to OUR kids what ours did to us. Try it! you’ll LIKE it.
You people want to talk about fair? What about the majority of people (and I will even go as far as to say a vast majority) who oppose this? What about being fair to them? I myself and not offended by nudity at all and could care less either way. But knowing that 99 out of 100 people are offended by this I would have respect enough for these people not to do it. If you really want to do whats fair, how about having a nationwide vote on the subject. Letting the entire population speak is fair right? Sorry but you would lose by a large margin. Again, I am speaking from an unbiased viewpoint but thinking logically about how we should all be acting around each other. And a few of you who spoke about the pervs and prudes, sorry but those catagories include most of the AMeriocan population whether you like it or not. That is just the reality, deal with it.
“how about having a nationwide vote on the subject. Letting the entire population speak is fair right? Sorry but you would lose by a large margin.”
Not necessarily so. Most national surveys show that more than half the US population have partaken in some kind of mixed-gender social nudity (e.g. skinny-dipping) at least once in their lives, and three quarters favor setting aside designated areas for social nudity. Given such national trends, it is unlikely that said referendum would “lose by a large margin.” It might not even lose at all, depending on how it was worded. Probably certain parts of the country (e.g. The Bible Belt) would be resoundly opposed, but other areas (e.g. West Coast) would be highly in favor. And no doubt there would be a lot of fear mongering from those who are irrationally afraid of the sight of a naked body.
Well now i live in Missouri the buckle of the bible belt and yes this is SUPER PRUDES FORTRESS OF REPRESSION not to mention one of the highest sex crime rates of all time. However I agree with public nudity because it strips away peoples false images of self and shows them who they are on the inside. Most people, that 99% , can’t handle having their true self exposed. Like I said , King David danced naked before the ark and that was a VERY public event.
Mr. Logical: This is an interesting line of argument. In a democracy, should the majority be allowed to restrict other people’s freedoms, based on “being offended”?
It is not obvious that it should be so. Others would argue that “being offended” is a personal matter, which should not be brought into the discussion about what should be legal and illegal in a society.
Personally, I would (and do) argue strongly that things I find offensive should nevertheless be allowed. For instance, there are people in my country who hold marches saying that gays should not be allowed to marry. Their slogans are offensive to me, but I think they should be allowed. (But at the same time I do, of course, support gay marriage, which is legal here.)
So: is there any basis for outlawing nudity except that some people might choose to be “offended” by it?
Everyone-EVERYONE-is offended by SOMETHING! There is NO SUCH A THING as a society wherin NO PERSON is EVER offended.
Mr Logical: 99 out of 100? That statistic is INSANE! I’m in a generous mood,so I’ll grant that,just maybe,25-35% of mainstream American society is genuinely offended by full nudity.If you take a ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ poll,just a strictly ‘yes’ or ‘no’,you’ll pull in about 80% who will vote ‘no’,even though most of them aren’t actually OFFENDED,they just don’t personally care for it. 20% WILL GO WITH ‘YES’,let the kids do it if it makes ‘em happy,even if it isn’t THEIR cup of tea. If your going to disrespect 20%,keep something in mind…the population of African-descended,or black,people in this country is about…20%! Should we ignore THEM,too? Should there be no blacks in downtown Brattlesburo on the chance it might offend someone?
It is encouraging to see so much passion over this issue.
I am in heartfelt agreement with the proposition that there is nothing wrong with nudity, that there is nothing inherently sexual or shameful about nudity, and that taboos of this nature are artificial and tend to create psychological and social problems.
That being said …
There is a fundamental tension involved whenever people resolve to live in community with one another. The clearest examples may be the criminal laws, e.g., if we’re going to live in the same area, then you mustn’t steal from me — and you agree to accept whatever punishment the law prescribes if you do. Laws concerning property transfer, taxes and the settlement of personal disputes are additional examples.
Not so clear, perhaps, are prohibitions against behavior that lis likely to cause public uproar, or “disturb the peace.” Human beings are not robots; we have emotions, and emotions are good things to have. Nevertheless, they sometimes lead to problems. Take, for example, the freedom to wear the color red. If you lived in a community which, for whatever reason, had a huge taboo against wearing the color red, would it be prudent to stand on your “natural right” to wear the color red? Would the community be justified in banning the wearing of the color red?
“Natural rights” are surrendered when people decide to come out of the “state of nature” and live in community. A wise society will seek to preserve as many natural rights as possible; but the rights that exist within a society are political rights, not natural rights. This may not sound like what you were taught in high school; but it is so. “Life,” “Liberty,” and “the Pursuit of Happiness,” may be invaded by the government, given sufficient cause. They are no longer absolute; they are tentative.
The real question regarding public nudity isn’t whether or not people have a natural right to it — of course, they do — but whether it is wiser for the law to preserve that right or to invade it. In such an analysis, competing interests must be weighed, e.g., how much of a sacrifice is being asked of the average citizen by banning public nudity vs. how much of a public uproar would be caused by not banning it. When looked at in that light, it’s easy to defend such a ban.
The law frequently tries to characterize mere nudity as sexual or “indecent,” inferring some sort of moral depravity attends it; and this is stupid. But it is also easier for legislators to take this route than to cite the actual justification, which most people probably wouldn’t grasp, anyway (including themselves). The simple fact is that a significant number of people are perceived to be threatened by public nudity, and this feeling of being threatened is a legitimate basis for the prohibition *unless* the countervaling interest — the “natural right” — outweighs it. This is the decision the law must make.
It may be asked, “Well, does this mean everything that offends someone can justificably be prohibited?” If you’re asking this question, you haven’t read what I’ve written carefully enough. There is a balancing test involved. Competing interests must be weighed against one another.
Take, for example, the American Nazi Party petitioning to march through the Jewish neighborhood of Skokie, Illinois. The local authorities prohibited it, for reasons which should be clear. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the American Nazi Party must not be discriminated against — not because “everybody has a right to march,” but because what they wanted to do was “political speech,” and unrestricted political speech is arguably the most important form of expression there is for purposes of preserving freedom. The Court weighed the horrible offensiveness of what they wanted to do against the freedom to express political opinion in a public place, and found the freedom to express political opinion more important.
Public nudity, however, is a different matter. While it could be political, in the right context, it’s basically a personal activity engaged in for private reasons. That makes it much easier to justify its prohibition.
Do I think people who want to ban public nudity are morally superior? No. Do I think they are right when they say that public nudity is “wrong”? No. Do I think they are wise to encourage its prohibition? It depends. I heartily and steadfastly reject the right, or assumed privilege, of those who wish to impose their values on their neighbors; such behavior is reprehensible and despicable. But some people are so frightened of nudity, and sex — which, in their eyes, is inseparable from nudity — that allowing public nudity would be like gasoline on a fire. And for any society to do that would be stupid and suicidal.
If we want to live with our neighbors, we must live with their faults and shortcomings as well. This may mean mowing our yard regularly, submitting to zoning restrictions and even wearing clothes out of doors. Will I be glad when we all have the freedom to be naked in public? Certainly. I’ll be glad when mere nudity is no longer automatically associated with sex — when, when you meet someone on the street, whether they are wearing clothes or not is something you hardly notice, or don’t notice at all. That day will come. Until then, we must put up with some degree of restriction, to keep our neighbors from going nuts. It’s a price we pay for the benefits of living in community.
The arguments against public nudity are generally either: 1) It will offend somebody, or 2) will lead to “more serious crime.” I have already deconstructed #2 above and shown it to be false. As for #1, the “offensiveness” of pubic nudity is no more offensive than the American Nazi Party incident you cite; it is only a matter of perspective whether or not one is offended.
The fundamental question is does your right not to be offended trump my right to behave in a natural manner? While the question may be debatable, one must consider that in virtually all instances, taking offense to something is a learned behavior, and what is learned can be unlearned. Not many decades ago in the USA, many people were offended if blacks rode in the front of the bus, used the same public drinking fountains or restrooms as whites, etc. We even had laws enforcing such segregation. While race relations are still far from ideal, far fewer people are offended by integration now.
The whole notion of what we call “nudity” is very subjective anyhow. A woman wearing a bikini is not naked, whereas a woman wearing a long skirt but no shirt is (even though she is covering far more of her body than the former). An otherwise fully clothed woman with her shirt unbuttoned and breast-feeding is “showing nakedness” (even though the bikini woman may be showing far more of her body and/or breasts). And why is it okay to show any part of the female breast except the areola? Clearly these are arbitrary notions and standards; learned behavior.
Up until about the 1990’s, it was considered perfectly acceptable for pre-pubescent girls to go topless. That is no longer the case in the US. It seems so ridiculous to me to see girls five years of age wearing a bikini style swimsuit. When i was growing up, we never saw such a thing. Those girls would have been dressed just like the boys: wearing swimming trunks and nothing else. I wonder how long it will take before we start seeing pink bras on infant girls? Can’t let folks see female areolae, don’t you know?!
In the first third of the 20th century, a man walking around without a shirt in the US was considered naked and subject to arrest. Only after a mass revolt one hot summer did the standards change, and men without shirts were no longer “naked.” So what was considered offensive early in the century subsequently became socially acceptable. The only thing which changed was social attitudes (i.e. learned behavior).
To my mind, we need to protect only the right of those people who take offense to something like social nudity to unlearn their prudish behavior. Society (and its laws) should not be catering to nor coddling their foibles. Those taboos need to go the way of segregation; we need to expunge this kind of thinking from our society.
I came across this after seeing some more recent articles about public nudity. Trend seems to be growing. Good discussion so I wanted to chime in. I wouldn’t have said this when I was younger and uncomfortable about my body. Now that I am older I see it differently. It is a natural and healthy expression and should be shared and enjoyed while you have it. I think it is wonderful these teens are comfortable enough with themselves to undress as nature intended and allow others to enjoy their presence. If I had as beautiful a body as these teens when I was young and the confidence I have now, I would have gladly undressed like a flower and soaked in the sunshine of admiring eyes during my short presence here on earth. These teens are allowing themselves the joy and bringing joy and the pleasure of their beauty to others while they have it to give. Sex as also a beautiful and natural expression so it is sad that it too cannot be openly enjoyed in the same way by participants and nature lovers alike. Beautiful, healthy, young bodies in the act of natural sex in our gardens and parks would be a wonderful thing to see and enjoy.
We are all beautiful in our own way!
It is about time teens are comfortable and no lot ashamed of their bodies. Any nudist will tell you that there is no better way to ensure this than walking around naked. Interacting with people and having normal conversations while they are naked is brave and I support their right to do this and enjoy it any way they please. We all need to stop judging each other by our bodies and look each other in the eye and at what’s inside.
Barb
Going naked feels great. When we come home from going any where the first thing we do when we walk in the door is to strip down and go naked. We are mostly home bodies on he weekends and it just does not make sense to dress to go no where. We wake, shower and go naked all weekend and since we live way out in the country we also can go naked outdoors. It is quite nice to be able to walk out the front door of your home completely naked and not care or worry about it and we dress for no one. UPS, FedEx and other delivery people have never had an issue with it and see it simply as the way we enjoy living. We should not be forced by law to wear clothing is we choose not to and if it is going to be that way special dwelling places should be set aside for those of us who choose to go naked. I would love to be able to run out in the summer naked and do my weekly shopping or to just run up to the corner store for smokes and beer.
Ever hear of the naked town of Cap d’Agde? Folks go to the post office, shops, banks, gas stations, restaurants and bars in the nude.
Yes Hawkeye,
We have heard of the famous naked city Cap d’Agde and if times were not so different then before 911 we would love to go but because of our kids we enjoy the freedom we have living out in the country. We are in the middle of 45 acres of our own land with a huge pond to swim in plus a swimming pool, sun deck and many other things to enhance naked living such as a hot and cold running outdoor shower. I just wish the simple life could be enjoyed in public here in the USA. We are in North Central Texas and it does get quite hot in the summers. When I go out in public during hot weather short shorts, a bikini top and flip flops are not much body covering but it is still not the same comfort as being completely naked. A group of Dr. wrote a book a few years back called “Dressed To Kill” It was about how unhealthy it is for us to be wearing clothes and the effects of underwear, bras and tight fitting clothing.
It’s certainly nice you have such a large spread and are able to enjoy it as you see fit. I live in the city and, while it would be technically legal for me to be naked in my backyard, it would put the neighbors in quite a tizzy. Better for me to just find a nice naturist club to move to rather than agitate the neighbors and put up with that grief. It’s all so artificial, getting upset over someone else’s nudity. Children are born nudists and have to be taught shame; they reflect the truth that humans came into existence nude (whether you believe in Genesis or evolution), and we all lived happily naked until we adopted a most unhealthy shame of our bodies.
Yes, i know about “Dressed to Kill.” Wearing a bra all the time increases a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer by something like a factor of 200:1 (i.e. 20,000%). It all makes sense when you think about it: Breast cancer is a cancer of the lymph nodes. The lymphatic system, the body’s other circulatory system, is responsible for draining toxins from the body. Unlike the cardiovascular system, it has no central pump. The lymphatic system depends on body movement for its pumping action. It is also near the skin, since it excretes its toxins via sweat glands, so the slightest pressure on the skin (e.g. from an elastic band) will constrict its flow. Bras are a double whammy because they not only employ tightly fitting bands which severely constrict lymphatic flow, they also immobilize the breasts, the natural bounce and sway of which would create a substantial lymphatic pumping action. As if that weren’t enough, most women wear antiperspirants under their arms, which plug up the majority of the sweat glands around the breasts. The end result is that toxins build up in the lymph nodes of the breasts.
By going naked, or at least topless, and using deodorants instead of antiperspirants, a woman substantially decreases her risk of breast cancer. The breasts are moving freely, swaying, bouncing and jiggling as nature intended, pumping the toxins out, and her skin is receiving sunlight and converting cholesterol into vitamin D, all of which will help to prevent cancer.
So stay naked, and stay healthy!
Hawkeye,
That is one of the reasons we left the city. We had a private backyard with an 8 foot board over board privacy fence and all the homes in the area were one story homes so no problem going naked in our backyard. One weekend we were having a BBQ and pool party and everyone of course was naked and enjoying them selfs. Some new neighbors had moved in with kids who could hear all the noise of the party and people splashing in the pool and climbed a tree in the alley to see what was going on. Upon seeing everyone naked they went and told their parents who called the police. Upon arrival and inspection and seeing we were in a completely private backyard and finding out the kids had climbed the tree they issued citations to all of them for being peaking toms which did not go over well with the parents. In court and judge enforced the fines and said we were within our rights to be naked in our private backyard. The family moved and of course the story was out we were nudist and we met many other nudist in the area because of it. Then there were the busy bodies who all wanted to gossip so we said lets just go where we will not have to worry and here we are out in the country and loving it.
As for the book and after reading it all my bras and underwear went to the trash and now I look and feel much better. If a woman is worried about sagging that is taken care of with good exercising and as for sweating it has become very light. Also flip flops have taken the place of enclosed shoes and at the end of the day my feet are not tired or cramped.
If more people would try loosing their clothing for one weekend at home I think they would be hooked.
Christi,
Your anecdote about the peeking toms is so funny! LOL! I daresay those kids were kinda stupid. When i was a kid, if i had climbed a tree and found the neighbors partying naked, well that would have been like hitting a vein of gold (we didn’t have the InterNet in those days). I would have staked a claim to that tree, and sworn anyone who knew about it to secrecy. I doubt my parents would have called the police had they known, but the tree would have been made off-limits to me.
Our social taboo on nudity only serves to inflame a curiosity in young minds, and provoke asocial behavior in adults (e.g. righteous indignation, leering, gossip, etc.) Children brought up in a nudist environment are some of the best adjusted and least neurotic. And nudist parents don’t usually suffer angst over talking to their children about “the birds and the bees.”
I think you’re right that if folks would only try losing their clothes for a weekend, they’d get hooked. That’s what happened to me. In my early twenties i learned, quite by accident, that one of our local parks had a designated clothing optional zone. That sparked my voyeuristic curiosity. But i told myself: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when i got to the nude beach, i walked its length, found a sparsely occupied area, and stripped. I think i was naked for only five or ten minutes when i had decided i’d had enough “sun” for one day. But i was back the next weekend, and spent several hours this time. I was hooked. I had no idea how wonderful it would feel to have the sun and the wind caress all of my body. Nor how freeing and joyful being nude outdoors was. It didn’t take long to lose all the inhibitions which had been instilled in me my entire life. I felt perfectly comfortable being nude in a mixed-gender public environment, and enjoyed socializing with others who felt the same. I quickly realized how silly and artificial those inhibitions were; i had no more use for them. Over the years since then, i introduced many people to social nudism. All, except for one, embraced it and became hooked. Many, perhaps most, were curious, but none ever expected to become hooked.
I think it just comes down to this: There is nothing in the world more natural than being naked. We are all born that way. We have to be taught to feel shameful of our nakedness. And that shame is an invisible burden. Once lifted, we see just how contrived it really is, and few of us are willing to put its shackles on ever again.
The downside of this emancipation is the realization of just how truly insane our society is. We may even begin to realize just how dangerous that madness can be. I could only shake my head in disbelief over the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” debacle. It is chilling that grown people could become so upset and work themselves into a tizzy over that. Truly scary.
As for the fear of sagging, the irony is that wearing bras will actually accelerate it, not slow it. The breast has a built-in support structure which exercise and movement strengthens, but external immobilization (e.g. wearing a bra) will weaken. So wearing a bra is not unlike wearing a cast or sling, which leads to atrophied muscles. After a cast comes off, one needs to exercise to strengthen their muscles.
Some women complain that “they are too large” and their breasts hurt when they take their bras off; they can’t imagine going braless all the time. But this pain is usually the result of an atrophied breast. Their bras are actually the cause of the pain! If they begin to go braless and build back up their internal support structure, their pain will go away in time.
I know a middle-aged – and very busty – woman who has the unusual habit of running a few miles buck naked each morning. When she runs, her breasts are bouncing all over the place. She says they never hurt, neither while she runs, nor at any other time. She never wears a bra, yet her figure is still very fit and nice. Conventional thinking would have her nipples knocking against her knees by now, or dragging on the ground. Of course “conventional thinking” says one should be ashamed of their nakedness too.
You are nuts! Stay inside or a nudist camp!
I don’t smoke, but you are right on about everything else.
Barb, the place to walk around nude is in your house or a nudist camp, not around town or any other public place! Someone needs to take some pictures of everyone who walks around nude and send them to the parents,grad parents,Uncles,Aunts, employers, teachers and preachers if they have any!
What a nut! Don’t know what your body was like way back then,but I bet it needs covering up now when in public!The perverts would love a shot at all those Young Bodies!But ,why don’t you gather up a few of the young nuts and take a nice walk don’t a dark street late one night and spend a couple of hours walking around,the get back with us in a day or two!
Nudity is on the increase and it has many advantages such as these below:
1. The body will be less prone to diseases if exposed to sunlight on the bare body as the skin will produce Vitamin D3 which is a miracle healer and heals most incurable diseases such as Asthma, Heart Disease, Eczema, impotency, Skin diseases, bladder and genital infections.
2. There will be less need for clothing and washing thereof which would help with reduction of carbon emissions and global warming.
3. People will have the opporunity of feeling free and one with God and Nature.
4. People who have never gone nude in public should try this in their backyard first and then comment as I have
Did you know that the process of sunshine hitting the skin producing vitamin D is actually converting cholesterol into vitamin D? So you can add “helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels” to your list!
Oh, and i forgot: Vitamin D has been shown to help prevent many cancers, including melanoma.
It’s true about the healthy benefits nudity. I have been a nudist all my life. I go nude and barefoot in almost any weather and I don’t get sick EVER! A sheltered person is a vulnerable person. I don’t catch colds or flu. I no longer suffer with asthma. Swine flu didn’t come near me. I recommend nudity as a way to prevent sickness. It really does work. I’m the only nudist in my family and the only one with immunities like this. Try going nude in colder temps for as long as you can stand it. Two or three times a day of 10-20 minutes nude will start to build your immune system up. If you try this for a few months and it seems to work for you then please let me know.
Yep, Vitamin D is a great immune system booster.
I once went to a nude beach in March. The day was chilly, the wind was blowing strongly. The kind of day to make you zip-up your jacket. The beach was deserted. Despite the cold, i decided to strip off my clothing. To my surprise, i was warm when totally naked. I walked around in complete comfort for about a half hour. Only when i put my clothes back on did i feel cold once again. It defied my expectations. Then again, you have to realize that humans started out naked; clothing is a relatively recent invention.
Bryan,
Your words are so true and the younger you start going naked the less you will get ill. Mankind is destroying its self with clothing and shoes.
Christi:I dont know where you live but I am a nudist and love being nude in my house.I would love to go outside to mow the yard wash my car without the threat of some neighbor calling the police.I wished I could live by you so I can be nude outdoors.I live in Pittsburgh,pa
We live in NCT…North Central Texas and quite frankly in the spring and summer it is just too hot to bother with wearing clothes. As far as we are concerned a cheap pair of flip flops are all we need to be dressed. Going naked at home is becoming a very popular home lifestyle and people are wanting to be able to go outdoors to enjoy simple nakedness.
Send some nude pic’s of the wife and daughters and I’ll start a scrap book on nudists! Maybe I can help make them famous and so happy too!
I hadn’t though about the health factor in nudity. This certainly adds more reason to encourage and support these teens to roam naked, not repress them. It helps them learn to be comfortable with themselves and enjoy their bodies. Onlookers can enjoy their bodies too while they learn so everybody wins. I believe that healthy habits need to be instilled early and practiced often to ensure they stick. The teen years are so important for establishing healthy habits of the body.
.
martheb123@yahoo.com.
Creepy!
Creepy? Which part? Being healthy, looking good, or having self-confidence?
I was a public nudist as a teen . I went to grocery stores ,convenience stores. arcades, friends houses, always naked and barefoot. I never got in trouble for it. Even a city police officer saw me and kept rolling. At age 15 I kept all body hair (which wasn’t much)shaved off and that made me look 9 or 10 years old. No one ever seemed to care that a naked boy was in the checkout line buying snacks and stuff. Life was heavenly back then. I was never harassed by pervs or prudes or police. I stopped wearing clothes anywhere exept at school. So I was a teen public nudist and I’m not at all ashamed about it. Vermont teens keep up the public nudity and be proud of it!!
Where does a teen nudist keep his money?
When I first started contributing to this conversation,in April of 2007,the LAST thing I ever thought I could contribute was a report from the actual scene of the “crime”,but guess what? I was in Brattleboro last July!!! A friend of about 2 years asked me if I wanted to tag along with her to her best friend’s house for a visit,we would stay for the weekend. The friend lived about 5 hours from us,in Vermont(were in PA.).Sure enough,this friend and her family lived right outside Brattleboro! I couldn’t believe the serendipity!
Needless to say,while chatting in the living room on the second night of our 3 night stay,I brought up the nekkid teen controversy. The opinons they expressed were,they told me,typical of the locals.
“It wasent a damn controversy untill the media and CNN and Dr. Phil and everybody started making a big deal out of it! That was going on for a while and NOBODY CARED! All of a sudden,the media turned it into a circus!” They went on to say that they felt bad about the enacting of the law because of an older gentleman-a local retiree-who likes riding his bike nude in the horrifically brief summer.The LOCALS never had a problem with him,but the new anti-nudity ordinance meant that he couldn’t ride his bike within city limits anymore if he wasen’t wearing anything. They felt bad for the old codger and they resented the media for making a national frenzy out of something that the locals just shrugged off.
The people I’m talking about here(man and wife,mid-30s,16 yo daughter,9 yo son) are NOT nudists! In fact,my wonderful hosts took us all to a lake in New Hampshire the next day,and mother and daughter wore the most UNFLATTERING and ULTRA-COVERING bathing suits you’ve ever seen! They’re NOT into it,but they had NO PROB with anyone who WAS. Sounds to me like it was perfect harmony ’till it exploded in the media,and people who had NEVER BEEN THERE started formulating opinions(I was one,granted). According to life-long Brattlesboro residents,everything was fine until the rest of the country who had never been there started having an opinion.
i just cant understand why everybody has to wear clothes, we were all born nude, and what is so disgusting about seeing nude people? its just our body! every man has got a penis, every woman has got a vagina and breasts. i just cant figure out whats so disgusting about that
That is exactly how we feel which is one of the reasons we left the city and moved way out in the country. We now live in the middle of 45 acres of our own land with a nice home, pool, sundeck and just about anything else you could want. We never wear clothes and do not dress for anyone who may come to our home. Our land is private and fenced in and all of our friends have the gate code. It is quite nice to be able to wake in the mornings, get a cup of coffee and walk out the front door of your home completely naked and not care or worry. The UPS, FexEx and other people of the like who make deliveries could care less that we go naked and have told us seeing naked people just comes with the job just like a Dr. or pool cleaner. My husband and myself both work from home and going naked all the time sure saves money. I have far less laundry to do and and use a lot less electricity in both laundry and keeping the home cool in the summer. Open doors, windows and fans are all we need.
Last year, I was looking for a new home in a new area and after several weeks of unsuccessful searching, I pulled up in front of a home and new immediately this was the one. The total privacy of the back yard sold me immediately and the fact that I never have to draw a blind or curtains is fabulous. I love to be able to pour a cup of coffee and walk out to the yard and enjoy being naked and have the warm sun bathe my body and feel a cool breeze over my skin. I have introduced several female friends to the beauty of being nude and and now they some how find their way over on Saturday and Sunday mornings and they are also bring husbands and boyfriends. We have expanded our circle of nude friends and the only time I dress is when I have to leave for work or shopping. My family is still not sure of me being nude when they come over but have come to accept me for who I am.
Simple, some of the nude bodies are so ugly they need several layers of clothes to protect others, and some Nude bodies might be just what some nut needs to set him off raping young women! And yea, it might happen to a fully dressed female, but less likely! For those who seem to think it is OK to walk around Nude take pictures and enclose one each time you are looking for employment and be sure to include pictures to your preacher and all the family teachers and see how that sets with everyone.
Oh be sure the family has a nude funeral service too!
I’m a guy who lives in the Sunny State of Florida. I personally see nothing wrong with nudity. We were brought into this world without clothes. Unfortunately some of us were brought up in a society that sees what God gave us as something that is horrible and not to be looked at in it’s entirety. I am currently unemployed and homeless but I am camping in woods and go naked freely as I want. What’s the big deal? I onced lived in the country and as a young boy witnessed farm animals and even people’s pets having sex and animals in general with their genitalia hanging and clearly exposed to the public. Nobody is complaining about the animals are they? How comes animals aren’t being forced to wear clothes? How comes animals aren’t being arrested for indecent exposure? Political and legal hipocrits! Isn’t this America, the land of freedom? What is freedom here? As I see it, all the old farts that run this country are just jealous because they are too ashamed of their flat butts and wrinkled up skin that they don’t want the younger generations to flaunt what they got and will only have to enjoy in their younger years to begin with. I’m a vet and I served my country for my freedom and everyone elses and I can’t go nude in public. When God put Adam and Eve on this world, they were naked and God was pleased. So Eve sinned against God by convincing Adam to eat the fruit he told them not to partake in and then and only then did God make them fell dirty and so they covered their genitalia. So just because they sinned and I’ve been three times saved I still have to pay the price for their mistake? I’m a christian and I go naked wherever I can. I am almost 40 and if we would elect much younger officials to run this country, I guarntee that nudity would be legal all throughout this not so free country. This country is a joke being run by old farts. It might as well be a communist country! There are no freedoms in America! Long live nudity and the nudist lifestyle!
One more thing I just thought about nudity. Our lawmakers should use their little pee brains that they might have and realize that the crime rate would drop way down to near none if people went nude in public all the time. Think about it dummies, no clothes means no concealed weapons, no way to hide stolen monies or properties and people would be so much more at ease just being themselves. Get a clue lawmaker morons!
Yea, get a clue and put this nut away, because if I saw him walking and or standing near my daughters and or grand daughters he wouldn’t ever walk around nude in public again!
I personally think nothing is wrong with wanting to be apart of nature. It’s a natural thing to be naked. You don’t see lions, rabbits or dogs wearing clothes… well some dogs. Nudity is natural and nature is beautiful. Not to sound like a hippie or anything. Laws should protect people and property and not take away what should be a natural given right or decision concerning ones own body. Why don’t we make laws that ban us from using the doggy style position from 10 to 11pm or eating ice cream outside during winter. If its not hurting anybody or thing then it shouldn’t be banned. If you don’t like it then slightly turn your head until they are out of your main and peripheral vision, problem solved.
On the other hand I wouldn’t do it only because I get cold easily and I actually like having what little style I have. Plus people will have to wear fanny packs if they want to carry anything. No thanks to that.
We have enjoyed spending just about our whole summer completely naked and it has been quite nice. Living way out in the country allows us to go naked indoors and out and with the exception of a couple of pairs of jean cutoff’s and tube tops all our laundry has been towels and the difference in the electric and washing supplies bill has been more then amazing. Other then using the electric washer the dryer has sat content doing nothing as we put up an old fashion clothes line for drying. Being as hot as it has been in Texas I am not going to get all dressed up just to go to Wal Mart and cutoff’s and a tube top keep me cool and close to as naked as the law here allows cheap rubber flip flops are all the footwear needed. The use of our hot and cold running outdoor shower has left a very clean bathroom and no scrubbing because we also have a outdoor restroom with proper plumbing. Open doors, windows and ceiling fans have given the AC a good rest too. All of our friends who have tried nudism this summer has loved it and agrees going naked is coming int style. why bother wearing clothes if you don’t need to. It is silly and a waste of time and money.
Nudity is accepted all over Europe in many cities, and even more districts of cities. All across Asia and Africa nudity is just a part of life. One woman laughed at me as two people were helping each other bathe nude with a bucket of water at a public bathing site.
“You Americans, you are so concerned about the most silly things!”
Of only 75 years ago, one person’s lifetime, the majority of all rural peoples bathed outside in the United States. There was no inside plumbing.
When did the human body become so distasteful that we ourselved had to regulate against its’ exposure?
In corporate management a well used tool to control its employees, is to favor one group over another. In so doing, the favored group works diligently to subjegate all the other employees. The masses make small profit, while the few favored make a little more, but the instigators have yachts and mansions. Doesn’t sound fair, does it?
The corporation uses various tools like telling everyone that a chosen person has higher importance than others and showing them favoritism. Making that favored person think they live on some higher standard. When in fact they are just being manipulated to do the bidding of a souless corporation.
There are over 40,000 religions in the world. The vast majority do not criticize a person being nude. The naked body is recognized as an “uninteresting” part of life. Notice that pornography is not a significant interest for most of humanity. But here in the United States where we condemn respectfully being nude, pornography is of the greatest interest.
If you’ve ever been to a nude beach, you know that after just a short time you feel awkward having your clothes on. Upon shedding your clothes you notice that nobody cares that you are naked. Only those with clothes on notice to any great extent that the people around them are enjoying the wind, water, and Sun upon their bodies.
Narrow minds are the mainstay of public corruption. They act upon the ramblings of leaders they choose who say what they want to hear (that they are significant for following their teachings), leaders who themselves are self-serving puppets.
These leaders stir up discontent amongst their followers to give them a sense of higher ethical pride. To get there money loose in their pockets; so the leader gets paid. The lowest of non-ethical vermin; these leaders falsely use sweet words to defile true ethical consideration.
Everyone subjegated by these vermin should stand and organize against these consistent acts to regulate human life, when they use these acts to further subjegate more peoples for their own selfish purposes.
I stand against oppression.
I stand for ethical consideration.
I emplore everyone of ethical conscience to stand against frivolous laws that subjegate the masses for the purpose of corporate (including religion corporations) power and profit.
The purpose of Faith is to be destroyed by Truth. Yet these so called leaders to nothing legitimate to seek Truth. They simply make unqualified and unethical statements to stir up people, who themselves do not want to think for themselves.
Rationalizing unethical statements is like saying the Sun is good because it brings life to the Earth. But the Sun also brings death. The Sun is neither good nor bad, it just exists; like the nude form of humans.
If everyone were nude, who would care?
James
It is too bad we have to spend our time debating an issue like nudity, which is nothing more than the natural state of the human body. The United States is outrageously ridiculous. We essentially live in a police state. Let us hire lawyers who can check with prosecutors and make sure that whatever act we might commit is not against some archaic draconian puritanical law that only serves the interests of those seeking to enrich themselves through power over others. We need to make some serious changes in our government.
You hippies live in some fantasy society and you’re trying to change the entire world for everyone just so society can revolve around what interests the modern day hippies. There are more important things in life than to moan, whine, cry and bitch about not being able to be nude.
While we’re at it, let public sex and masturbation be legal (that’s natural too, right?). After all we know for a fact naked ladies in public will cause men to get unwanted erections or even distract them whether they’re doing an important task or behind the wheel. Let’s make the world 100% natural like some fantasy animal planet for humans. Seriously, do you see the irony here? When it comes to nudity people claims anything that is natural should be accepted yet these same people will get disgusted by other natural occurrences or acts, which is completely hypocritical to their logic. So when will it be legal for me to take a dump on the side of the street? After all that is natural, right? We are not animals and our standards are completely different so don’t pretend that’s not the case. If you were forced to strip naked and get thrown into some jungle or forest without your precious iPhone, hamburgers, shoes and tools then you’d whine and cry about how much of a living hell it is to live with mother nature. It’s hypocrisy at it’s finest.
Just because a small percentage of people see nudity the same as being clothed doesn’t mean everyone else is the same. People tend to ONLY think about what THEY WANT rather than using logic and thinking outside of the box, which is EXACTLY what’s wrong with this world; people only care about what THEY WANT and they refuse to look at things in different perspectives.
Is it proven that being clothed hurts or distracts anyone? Answer: no. Why change something that proves to do no harm? If there are no downsides then why should anyone go out of their way to change it? If you want to be nude then there are social places, including beaches, where nudity is allowed. It’s just a manner of people only thinking about what THEY WANT.
Until public nudity proves to save lives, there is no reason to change something that isn’t hurting anyone.
Welcome to planet earth. You can do whatever you want in your private lives however once you’re in public you’re invading an area that not only belongs to you or revolves around your personal interests and views. There are people that finds it offensive and why be so selfish by doing what you want without thinking if it offends people? I sure as hell do not want to step outside and see a man’s hairy ballsack within 6 feet from me. That is just disturbing and I’m sure there are others here that will agree with me yet they will not admit it… not yet.
Ricky,who the *** are you calling a hippie? I work,I pay taxes,I contribute to society and culture as much as the next working stiff. Your argument against public nudity is valid(even if it’s over generalized and misses the point),but I fail to see the nessesity of accusing Nudists of being lazy societal leeches. “Hippie” THIS!
You should really go back to school. There is proof clothing is dangerous. Perhaps you should read > “Dressed To Kill” written by many doctors. My husband and myself are college grads and both hold high jobs with an income of well over $150 thousand a year after taxes, have a beautiful home out in the country and kids and we all go naked and love it and none of our educated professional friends have a problem with it and many come to our place to get naked n the weekends and enjoy the freedom. Get a real life Ricky and quit living in a shell.
Christi Marie
I think it is wonderful that public nudity is both allowed in Vermont, and that these teenagers are bold enough, and have guts enough to enjoy it. I was raised in a conservative Christian home, and while I still hold to those same values, I see NOTHING wrong with this. I would willingly and gladly join them in thier nude excursions and fun time if it were possible, because it is a freedom to be yourself, free of the pretense that the world of textile clothing forces upon us. More power to them, and may all the other states of the Union catch up with Vermont on this freedom, which should be recognized as part of our constitutional freedoms of expression.
We have a lot more serious issues in this world today than the issue of whether or not a person should be allowed to appear in public without wearing clothing. Get over it, prudes. If its hot I’ll take of as much clothing as I want to. If its cold I’ll put on as much as I want to. If we did not vilify and/or objectify our bodies we would be a lot better off. Why are so many people afraid of themselves?
The Garden Of Eden Was The World’s First Nudist Park (Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:8-4:2)). Humans are not meant to wear clothes, animals and fish don’t wear clothes! The media had made nudity as a perversion into the human race. People, and including the media had created the idea that nudity / nudism is sin because of jealousy. They were ashamed of their nakedness and sought to cover themselves because of the constant false lies about nudism. People should learn to accept what GOD or what Nature had created on this earth when we have entered it.
Sounds like a great place to me. I hope the laws do not change. People should feel free to dress however they wish. No clothing should be required! As long as they are behaving themselves and not harming other people it should be accepted like anything else, anywhere. It is ok to carry a gun and bear arms, but not to be bare? I don’t get it!
As a lifelong nudist, I enjoy finding places where I can be nude, but I do not do it if it is not officially recognized where I currently am.
As for Americans having the right to bear arms, why don’t you actually read your constitution. It says you have the right to bear arms if you belong to a militia. The majority of Americans with guns don’t belong to any militia group, therefore don’t have any legal right to do it. It’s in your own constitution people.
No, that’s not what the US Constitution says willem. The second amendment says: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
It’s saying that if all citizens have firearms, the military will be kept in check (because they won’t be the only ones with guns). The second clause is the operative clause: “the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The first clause is the rationale.
Through the years I have come to be more open to nudity. Too bad it has taken so many years. I believe we should be able to dress as we wish. Going nude on the beach is how it really is meant to be. To swim carefree in this world, the beaches in the sun. The feeling of the air on my body and the coolness of the clear clean salt waters of the ocean were beyond words. To walk in the most natural and free way possible, like it was meant to be. Without a soul to care. Why is this country so uptight with nudity?
I would walk around naked half the time
it feels amazing to be in nature that way.
If one of my kids had so little self respect that they did not have sense enough to wear clothes in public, then you can bet I would warm their Butts till they did whether it was male children or female !If you run around with out clothes in public it is because you have no Morals and or no brains either!
Hey Ronald, running around in public with no clothes on has nothing to do with morality at all, or brains! Men and women are prone to be just as perverse in clothes as without, and vice versa, to live up to standards of good conduct without clothes on as you think they do with.
I’d gladly raise my children to be naked and unashamed, its the way God created us in the Garden of Eden after all. It wasn’t God that thought nudity was wrong, it was sinning and sinful man. If you’re living right with the Lord, and Christ redeemed you from sin, then you can live as perfectly moral a life naked as you can with clothes on. There’s nothing de facto wrong with simple nudity in public, its your preconception that its wrong and evil or sinful, or whatever.
Morality has nothing to do with clothes, or the lack thereof.
When I have children some day, by the grace of God, and they’re as comfortable in their own skin, or more comfortable in thier own skin, I will have no problem with that, around myself, or others, so long as they serve the Lord, then thier nakedness and comfort in such a state, will be no problem to me at all, in private, or public, like these kids.
There is nothing immoral about going naked. We live way out in the country on our own land and see no reason to bother wearing clothing. Being able to walk out the front door of your home completely naked is quite nice. We wash our cars, swim and do everything else naked and have very little laundry. If it were legal to go naked in public we would do it in a second.
Mr. Johnson : There are morals which are indesputable. One should never kill another person,you should never steal,you should never lie for personal gain or gratification,etc.,etc. There are other ‘morals’ that vary from person to person,or according to tradition or spiritual belief. What might seem immoral to you is obviously perfecly fine to others. Before you throw stones,it would be good for you to consider that the things YOU do would be considered decadent and immoral to others,as well. It’s all relative,as they say. I’ve met and talked to lots of nudist parents who raise their children with a strict and specific moral code. Some,believe this or not,are devout Christians. The bottom line is,we’re ALL immoral in someone else’s eyes.
This is old but Toronto recently had a LGBT Pride Parade as did San Francisco and others. Many pictured on the web of them. Many girls, guys, trans, both young and old, got up the courage to march and mingle naked. By doing this they show they are as equal as anyone and should celebrate and embrace who they are rather than hide it. There was even some mild sexual display, stroking and erections to show that their sex and bodies are no less beautiful than hetero. Seeing the one in San Francisco, even as a hetero woman, I couldn’t help but see the beauty of it and respect their courage. Nudity and sex should be celebrated. We could all learn from them.
Sex is not new and the human body is not immoral. Some American’s think they invented sex though. Those who are uncomfortable with the human condition have immoral thoughts and project them onto everyone else. These teens have merely reflected a mirror on all that.
I’ve been to and enjoyed nudist events. Bodies and gentiles in all forms… big, small fat, thin, short, long, hard soft… reality is mostly short and soft so don’t get carried away with your imaginations you “moral” people. It’s the clothed people who hold the keys though, have to zip or lock you up. Sad that teens are braver than adults in this country.
Forty years ago, when I was in college, I spent my summer weekends at the free beaches on the Northern California coast. People say that nudists are middle-aged and ugly. Sure, there were plenty of the older folks around, but there were sure a lot of very attractive young ladies who came down to the beaches, too, and the young male/female ratio was reasonable. At the time, these beaches were well-attended by families. The children seemed to take it as a matter of course, with no noticable ill effects.
By the way, erections are pretty rare when your soft dangly parts are hanging out there in the breeze unless you are in a sexual situation. They were occasionally seen, but not noticed.