I love this answer.

That has been a concern of many respondents tot he question.

In nudist culture it is a given that you carry with you a towel or some other thine to sti on.

It is true that people will be rude whether or mot other pe9o0le are clothed or not.

Persons who are older and/or over weight will be denigrated whether or not they are wearign any clothes. Those who have bodies which their culture thinks is beatiful will get unwanted attention and ti will brign out the immaturatity of others.

Culturally, at least in the U.lS., we have a long way to go in terms of equality and personal freedoms. I think that the freedom of choice of whether or not to wear clothing falls under freedom of expression or freedom of speech under the U.S. constitution an dlaws that prohibit nudity are unconstitutional, in part also because they are based on religious beliefs, and also infringe on freedom of religion.

Women are still getting harassed for discretely breastfeeding their kids in public so your idea is very appealing. Breasts really are there mainly to feed babies after all.. In some cultures they are, or were, not seen as sexual, making National Geographic magazines popular reading material for American boys back when I was young.

If nudity were a common place thing it would nto be so distracting,..

In Oregon the Oregon supreme court ruled tha tnudity is a right, but the language of the ruling is only clear when a person is protesing, but uses rather grey language for other circumstances. Anyway, one thign the ruling did was make it legal to be nude on state and federal lands, but nudists are generally respectful can considerate. The unspoken rule is that you dont' go nude within site of a parkign area or paved road. This istt' law but just local custom/culture.

Nude bars--oh my...

Yest another reason to oppose religion which indoctrinates and teaches people to feel guilt, fear and shame about their bodies. I think the purpose of their doing that is to lower self esteem and self worth, so that they won't dare question church authority.

Freedom has to get its start somewhere. Why not here and why not now?

@Hercules3000 exactly! Instead of pretty colors, interesting textures, matching or not shoes........interesting & fun stuff!

In Tahiti, U understand they had to change nudity laws (they nade nudity illegal) due to American tourists who did nto understand cultural context or cultural differences who cause problems (assaulted) the locals.

Our fellow Americans are not very sophisticated, and have almost no understanding of other cultures.

You are rioght, in that due to the behavior of a few, they create laws to regulate everybody, rather than just deal with those few who misbehave.

@snytiger6 nope...didn't know that, but doesn't surprise me. I always enjoyed my time overseas, looking at the world through a different lens so to speak. I experienced some anger and prejudice just b/c I was american/military, but the ones who gave me a chance were some awesome people, and I hope they thought I was at least a little awesome too.

LOL... I am not sure if that line of reasoning is (completely) sound, but I like the approach.

who made the law about this in the first place

I enjoy being nude, and do so as often as is practical, but I don't do it outside. Scotlands climate seldom allows conditions conducive for the activity. Midges would just kill you too.

At nudist clubs those dont' seem to be problems, as nudists are generally bery courteous and considerate of each other.

In society at large it could be a problem as not everyone would be considerate enough huygeniocally for there not to be some laws, such as carrying placing a towel on a seat tht is for general public use. before sitting if one is nude and wish to make use of public seating. For every problem there are multiple solutions.

If public nhudity were legal, and seeign nude persons were nto so uncommon, then it wodl no longer be distracting for drivers.

It is true that not everyone woudl be fitowever, I think it is more of a question of beign free to choose whether or nto to wear clothing, and not for the entertainment of other people when one chooses not to.

To say you can't do that because of MY discomfort, means you want to limit the freedoms of others based on your own hang ups. I am nto tryign to make any acusions here, but just trying to turn things a bit so you might see things from a different perspective.

We are taught to feel guilt fear and shame associated with nudity, and most of that teaching originally was based in religious dogma. Few peopel have actually questioned if there is any actual reasoning behind the cultural norm of always being clothed in public at all times. As everyone knows what everyoen else has under their clothes, why do we go to such great lengths to hideit from each other?

I agree with you. Not only do clothes protect the wearer from the elements, clothing on others can protect us from them. What if they didnt wipe well and sit in public. So the next person sits in feces. Or you have a bladder leak? And clothing also helps conceal smells. Keep your clothes on??

I've done the Portland (OR) World Naked Bike Ride a few times, which attracts over 10,000 riders each year. Some peopel may use soem kind of set cover, but I've never seen a special seat used.

Nice to know that Colorado is pregressive i some places. I knew Boulder ws progressive, but had the impression that the rest of th state was mired in conservatism.

I do like to hear about the bible thumpers being beaten back, and human rights trumping religious dogmas.

I've seen video of topless women walking around New York (being topless is legal there), and although the videos seem to indicate that mos tpeople just ignore it, I am sure there is always those few people who do mess it up often enough to keep others from feeling safe and comfortable doing it themselves.

I know in Portland (OR), where I have been on several naked bike rides, the peopel generally just shrug and go on with their lives.

I think I get your point there.

As another respondent pointed out, each person should be free to choose. Laws agains tnudity are mor eaobut controlling people than they are abbout providing any actual benefit to society.

One of my favorite T-Shirts reads "If we were meant to be naked, we'd have been born that way."

It is considered proper etiquette in nudist culture to carry towels to sit on for hygienic purposes.

@snytiger6, "It is considered proper etiquette...to carry towels..." Which is precisely why half the naked people wouldn't do it. If I'm not mistaken, San Francisco had quite a problem with that very thing.

It is considered proper etiquette in nudist culture to carry towels to sit on for hygienic purposes.

Man, I'd be concerned about dragging my wang in the sand when bodysurfing. Ouch!

I think the reasons probably vary greatly, but the majority have probably been taught to be ashamed of their own bodies, and also taught to shame other people's bodies as well, as a way of trying to make themselves feel superior.

@snytiger6 No. LOL

Of course there wold have to be some regulation for hygienic purposes.

It really isn't about "seeing" people, so much as it is about personal freedom.

@snytiger6 No, it is definitely about seeing people.

Etiquette in nudist culture says you carry a twoel with you to sit on for hygienic purposes.

As to self respect, I think to feel shame over your own body, is showing a lack of selg respect. I think respect in general is to accept people as they are, as opoosed to what clothes they are wearing. I've been to the nude beaches and nudist clubs and without clothing people treat each other equitably, which is treating each oher with more respect than I have seen in clothed society. Without clothing to denote status everyone is seen as being more equal.

Technically, in some states, but not all, just beign naked can put you on a sex offenders list. In Washington State is specifically beign naked in front of children. Evidently the law makers of various states ,made the presumption, in their small perverted minds, that if you are naked then you must be wanting to do something sexual.

As many people only get naked for either bathing or sex, for many it is hard to imagine beign naked outside of one of those two contexts. Feeling ashmaed of nudity and of your body is a learned behavior, which seems to go unquestioned as to whether or not it is healthy or reasonable. Many states in the U.S. reflect the nonthinking, and blind acceptance of presumptions which are rooted in religion and religious ideas.

In the U.S. a lot of our culture still carries the religious idea that authority is nto to be questioned, especially with conservatives, and religion teaches or rather demands that people do not question their authority.

So, people are taught to feel shame about nudity and to be ashamed of their bodies, and they seldom question whether or not they actually should feel ashamed.

It's a form of cultural dysfunction.

Not strictly true these days - although it was more tolerated 40 years ago, at the end of the Franco era. Nowadays, certain beaches are designated OK for nudity, but there must be signs informing the public of the fact. That way one can choose whether to rush on to the beach or shun it.

A lot of ideas from modern society came from Ancient Greece which idealized the nude body. In the ancient Olympics athletes competed in the nude. In ancient Greece and Rome clothign was more for warmth and protection than it was a sign of "beign civilized".In many cultures, although they wore clothing, thee was no shame associated with nudity. Shame for the nude body is a learned trait.

@snytiger6 clothing is actually being associated with civilised society, don't be panic,if ur daughter or sister roam arround u being naked what would u do? Will u support ? Or support them to be naked,clothing must be decent not be vulgar. Beleive or not but nudity seems good for others when a chance comes to apply it on ourseleves then tenets become change.

Definitions of "beauty" are arbitrary and have varied from one culture to another. It is only recently, with easy world communication that that has been any general agreement. Too bad it currently centers on models with eating disorders and Photoshopped pictures that create a totally unrealistic standard of what beauty is. Nobody can maintain the current standards of beauty forever.

Naturists/Nudists in general are not so judgemental as society in general. No matter wha tyou look like, you are generally accepted. Judgements are reserved for how you act and behave and not in how you look.

@snytiger6 yeah heard that excuse countless times but I still stand by what I said