Earlier this year I joined The Australian Naturist Federation and took on the webmaster role.
The main reason I joined the ANF was so that I could interface with an official body and access their resources.
l took on the webmaster role as it quickly became evident that volunteers were needed for some key positions.
The Acting President, Greg, is a really great guy with some forward thinking ideas. What I've realised in the short time that I've been involved, is how important it is for people to get involved with organisations like this if you really want to effect some change.
the Naktiv site is a fantastic brainstorming and support network. Given that we are all in different countries however, one is still an individual trying to effect change on their own. Within an organised group structure, l personally feel it's much easier to be a part of something that can help facilitate change so long as people are prepared to get stuck in and offer some of their time.
During an interesting conversation l had with a long time nudist, the point was made by them, that not long after designated beaches and venues became common place during the late 60's and 70's, nudism started going underground.
Prior to this, it was quite common place for people who wanted to bath nude to go 100 m either side of the main throng to swim and sunbath bare. In their view as soon as that stopped happening, nudism took a turn for the worse.
From my personal point of view I think there's a lot of weight to this view. In NZ it is not illegal to be naked in public. On this basis you will see people changing openly on public breaches, if not bathing and tanning nude adjacent to the main throng.
In a recent blog post l noted how we went nude on a remote beach and in so doing, discovered a hiker who must have assumed it was a nude beach and decided to strip himself and tan.
On our next trip in 2 weeks time l plan test this a little further. l found there is no reason not to change on the beach. l think it should be permissible to swim nude as well. Even on the most public beach, once you're in the water people can't really see what your attire is.
I believe if nudity is normalised in public by people just going about their business without making a huge song and dance about it, attitudes will change.
Well done Shane. Even in the fairly the recent past naturists/nudists kept their lifestyle secret for fear of being subjected to prejudice and ignorance, but the world has changed, at least in the UK. Now there is virtually no problem, the grip of the ignorant has been weakened. Even so, some reserve remains in the minds of those fearful of a bad reaction but direct experience shows that such reactions are now very rare.
The question is not should we keep our lifestyle secret but how to bring up the subject in a natural way. It is too awkward just to say "oh by the way, I am a naturist" without some explanation of what it is all about. Some people still think that naturism is just "running around in the woods naked" or "going to a nudist colony", understandable after the excessive secrecy of the past, but although those ideas are far from the truth, they may influence people's response unless the philosophy of fun, happiness, natural health, self esteem, respect and body acceptance also form part of the discussion.
So if social nudity is important to you, speak up with confidence and break the myths.
(I used the word naturist only for convenience!)
Thanks Richard and Yvonne.
I guess my response to making a change is getting involved and seeing what can be done.
Sometimes you can make a difference sometimes you can't . If all you do is sit at the sidelines and complain about the status quo, it's absolutely certain you will change little.
I strongly suspect that if people who want positive change do get involved and bring some fresh new ideas, offer some solutions and are mindful of the ideas and values that have preceded them, positve change can occur.
l know from experience, some change in organisations that seem stock in their ways takes time. You need to gain people's trust and respect first. Once that's been done, then you can start in new directions.
On the whole l sense enough of a ground swell for things to change over time. All good things take some time to gain traction. Once they do however, they can gain momentum very quickly,
Yes, moaning minnie's are no use to anyone. Unfortunately they are a highly prevalent type in the more aged nudist/naturist community. It is up to those of us who want to see change, to change things. Because we feel motivated, this is our opportunity to promote a naked lifestyle to the clearly eager public. Let's do it 😀
Good job on the new webmaster post, Shane! It's so important for us to be pro-active and to encourage more people to COME OUT NAKED! The more every day it is, the more normal it becomes, by definition!
Congratulations on your position as webmaster, hopefully you can help drive the ANF in the right direction.
The trouble with Nudism is nobody wants anyone to know that they do it for fear of being outcast by family or even job loss etc.
It's a catch 22 we need more people to normalise non sexual nudity but the trouble is some are scared to admit they do it so it remains a hidden hobby….
Thanks for the congratulations Michael.
You're not the first person I've heard making that exact same remark about secrecy. I totally agree that it's something people need to get past.
I believe in order for that to happen, each person themselves must discover within their own selves there is nothing to hide.
That isn't an easy thing and from personal experience I know it's an ongoing journey.
I feel strongly though, that if we as advocates don't make that commitment to ourselves, then change is unlikely to come about.
I guess first and foremost I try to practise what I preach. At the very least in making that effort I can appreciate the challenges others face.
l have no doubt that if the Naktiv site didn't exist it wouldn't have been as easy to come across a group with similar ambitions and aspirations for nudity.