Nudism

Nudism, or naturism, is the practice of going nude or unclothed in social and usually mixed gender groups, specifically in cultures where this is not the norm. It sometimes occurs furtively in secluded places in countries where appearing naked in public is illegal, but enjoys widespread acceptance in other areas of the world. Those who practice nudism are called nudists or naturists. Some people believe that being naked with other people is necessarily always sexual, or that nudism is morally wrong or pornographic. Naturists generally reject these views.

Association with sex

Many non-nudists believe that nudity in a social setting inevitably arouses lust. Most nudists disagree, saying that there is more sexual tension in the near-nude environment of a pool or a beach than at a nudist site. This belief is reflected in the nudist adage "nude, not lewd."

Related Topics:
Lust - Pool - Beach - Adage

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Most nudists and nudist organizations maintain and enforce a policy prohibiting sex in public, and it is rare to see obvious signs of sexual behavior (including staring or gawking) at most clubs and beaches. Many nudist sites describe themselves as family-oriented.

Related Topics:
Sex - Sexual behavior - Clubs - Beaches - Family

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The possibility of spontaneous erection is a concern often cited by men who are apprehensive of nudism, but nudists do not generally consider this to be a reason for avoiding their sites and activities. Erections are rare, they say, because the nudist environment is non-sexual. Further, some nudists suggest that fear of getting an erection is itself a factor that can prevent spontaneous erections.

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Should an erection occur, nudists do not consider it a reason for males to be ashamed of their bodies, or to desperately attempt to cover an erection by hand. Nudists describe themselves as generally understanding and polite people who know that any male could potentially have an erection at any time. There is a balance, they say, between flaunting it and being ashamed. They generally will not tolerate a grown man wandering around for no obvious reason while simultaneously having an erection. Because policies vary from place to place, nudists suggest that those who have concerns should discuss them with management.

Related Topics:
Ashamed - Hand - Simultaneously

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A male bathing nude in a swimming pool, hot tub, calm lake, or other still waters for the first time may be surprised to see his penis floating vertically in the water. However, other nudists will not mistake this for an erection.

Related Topics:
Male - Lake - Penis

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Involvement in naturism has not been shown to be harmful and may even be beneficial to childhood psychological development (see for example Federation of Canadian Naturists FAQ). Of course parents always need to be vigilant to guard their children from sexual predators. This applies equally to naturists as it does for non-naturists.

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Desmond Morris, social anthropologist and author of The Naked Ape, suggests that "If you perform nudity in public you destroy its value as an erotic action." However, some fringe groups and gatherings (such as Swingstock) are more like sex clubs and not considered by some to be examples of true nudism.

Related Topics:
Desmond Morris - Swingstock

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There is an alternative movement known as Progressive Nudism which rejects the chaste atmosphere of "traditional" naturist establishments and argues that in some social situations nudism between adults should be a celebration of complete sexual freedom. Progressive Nudists enjoy naturism for the sake of being naked - not for the sake of sex - just like traditional nudists do, but unlike traditionalists they do not have tortured anxieties around human sexuality and sexual feelings. Progressives cite the decline in young people turning to traditional "old-fashioned" naturism as evidence that they have refused to adopt restrictive edicts and outdated codes of behaviour which had made naturism become a self-justifying and introverted inhibitor of it's own development. Progressive Nudist views expressed in publications such as Starkers Magazine and espoused at certain venues like Starkers Nightclub (the names are apparently coincidental) are that only when there is no shame associated with sex - as in the rest of nature - and human sexuality is celebrated can the true naturist utopia be attained.

Related Topics:
Progressive Nudism - Starkers Magazine

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