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Should public nudity be legal?

The AANR (American Association for Nude Recreation) has the view that public nudity should be legal as long as the person is not doing anything with the intent of sexually arousing either themselves or anyone else.

The most stated reason by members is to get over "body shame", because doing so helps boost self esteem and confidence. There have been studies showing that children raised in nudist family have higher self esteem and confidence and are just generally more comfortable with who they are as a person.

On the other side there are those persons who seek out nude beaches and nudist events who have seual agendas. AANR nudist clubs don't tolerate such persons, and forcibly remove them shoudl they show up. I refer to such persons as "swingers" because they seem to fit the swinger lifestyle more than they do the nudist lifestyule

However, as a point of freedom. A freedom of expression, which does tno do harm to anyone, shoudl public nudity be legal? As atheists are nto burdened with religious mores , I was just wondering what the people here think?

I am a natuirst (nudist) and I have ridden the Portland (OR) World Naked Bike Ride, which has over 10,000 participants each year, and I have gone on nude hikes, visited clothing optional beaches

So, what are your thoughts?

snytiger6 9 Oct 18
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308 comments (201 - 225)

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2

If I'm eating in a restaurant, I don't wanna see naked people, especially the elderly. Keep your pants on...and your shirt.

I would think health codes would mostly take care those concerns.

Not outside the window at a window seat.

2

Why not, we are ALL born naked, it is only conventions dictated originally by religious beliefs that as modern humans we MUST be clothed in front of others.

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

2

Absolutely. I see no need for this to be an issue, and it's only as awkward/taboo as we make it.

2

I disagree. I think nudity should have it is own places not public ones

What are your reasons for this opinion?

2

Yes, but I lived in Italy for three years. There are people you don’t want to see nude. It’s all fine and good to see lithe young bodies prancing across the sand, but a three hundred pound bald guy was hat can’t wipe his rear end is something else. I agree that everyone has the right, but I’d rather just not be a part of it.

2

i don't have a problem with that

2

Sure why not?

2

I don't think it should be penalized but if it was permitted in certain areas, I wouldn't have a problem with that. The element of surprise is what concerns me. For example, I would hate to walk around my neighborhood and see my Uncle Frank watering his lawn in the buff. That would make for an awkward family picnic down the road once Uncle Frank shows up.

2

For us truly pale people it would require a coat of SPF not invented as yet. I'd rather wear clothing. That being said one of the first Nudist Camps in America was just a few miles from my doorstep growing up. And hey Big Bird is a nudist! So no - no problems with nudism - but I think sticking to clubs/beaches places it's accepted is just fine.

While visiting a friend in Palms Springs, where the high temperatures were 110-120F, I was introduced to Nutrogena sun screen (I am talking about he creme that somes in a tube, nto hte spray). I found with just one application, I could go in and out of the water all day without burning or having to reapply it. It is expensive, but well worth it. I have never burned while wearing it, no matter how much time I spent in the sun. Abotu a minute after you put it on it is dry to the touch, so you dont' get on clothes if you put clothes on over it. Anyway, if you are fair skinned, it shoudl allow you to be in the sun for much longer. You will still fell warm, but definitely won't be as apt to burn.

2

Yes.
With perhaps designated 'clothing required' zones, where nudity is not allowed. For those who want to relax in a totally clothed environment.
I doubt it would make much difference, for the most part. Any time you are wearing a jacket, you are clothing for warmth, (or pockets) and you'd still do that.

Allan Level 5 Oct 30, 2017
1

Yes public nudity should be 100% legalized. If you agree it would be greatly appreciated if you sign this petition.

[change.org]

1

Absolutely. We've let religions make us ashamed of ourselves, see our bodies as 'obscene' for much too long. Freedom from the requirement of clothing would be a good step in reversing this ridiculous trend.

1

Although the thought of seeing topless and nude women walking the streets is a nice one it wouldn't fly here because there will always be that one who messes things up for everyone else.

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.

1

Should be 100% legal just like MJ or alcohol... It's your choice.

1

Of course.

zesty Level 7 Feb 27, 2019
1

I think that if men are allowed to go shirtless, women should too. The prohibition against female nipples is just absurd. That said, most of us are probably better off keeping our shirts on.

The covering of genitals for both sexes seems sensible though, more to limit the the behavior of men, for whom a display full nudity could be an act of aggression and harassment or even abuse.

1

It would be the end of Burningman lol

1

Heck no. It's bad enough already. Imagine having to look at that. If you want to go nude in private or at certain beaches!

1

Absolutely. I often think of how convenient it would be to walk out of my house naked get in my car and run my errands on a nice summer day. Clothing requirements are ridiculous. Actually here in Ohio, women can go topless in public. A woman filed suit based on gender equality, as men were allowed to be topless so should women. I guess we are halfway there.

A similar lawsuit won in New York a while back too.

I heard that in order to head off such a law suit in Arkansas, they made it illegal for men to go shirtless/topless.

1

Female breasts have non-functional (no milk) fatty flesh. This flesh is there purely as an indicator of reproductive ability. So public nudity should not be legal.

I tend to side with New York court rulings as far as going shirtless goes. If a man can go shirless, a woman should be able to also.

I have been told tht in Arkansas they wen the other way, and made it illegal for men to go shirtless too.

I am in agreement that the law shoudl be equal for both genders, but not that the law should be able to regulate the freedom in deciding whether or not to wear clothing. So, long as the person is nto beign sexually provocative (taking actions with the intent of sexually arousing either themselves or anyone else), laws that require clothing go against the freedom of speech and expression, guaranteed to U.S. citizens under the bill of rights.

@snytiger6 1st Males and females are different, so the sexes can NEVER be equal (no matter how much you wish.) 2nd Freedom of speech does not guarantee the freedom of expression. The current trend of expanding the 1st amendment is being used to give corporations power to do as they chose.

@PhilipK Well, at least we seem to be in agreement in a dislike of hte idea of corporate personhood. It has been my impression that coporations latest arguements do inclues tryign to co-op the freedom of expresion to further the concept of corporate personhood, but I do not think that freedom of expresion shoudl be curtailed for actual people to try ot thwart their efforts.

I am more for the strategy of makign it so that the constitution does not aply to artifical persons. The way corporations got a foothold onto the constitution, was because the original tax system was designed to tax people. rather the add on the taxation of coporate entities, they made coporations "artificial people" for taxation purposes. Ever sine the rise of the railroads, coporations have been tryign to extend constitutional rights to "artificial people".

Before the Civil War all coporations had limited lifespans by law. Most states had a limiation of a 20 year lifespan, and I think one had a 50 year lifsapn (it's been a while since I looked at this). The reasons for this was because of the East india Co0mpany, which had a royual monoploy granted from England before the revolutionary war, which le the East India company import to the American colonies tax free, while small businesses were heavily taxed. Thsi led firs tot he Boston Tea party protest, and eventually the Americna Revolution, because American did nto want to be under coporate rule, and be unfairly taxed. Thus the phrase Taxation without representation" became a motto for the revolution.

It too almos t100 years, but eventually coporations were granted unlimitede lifetimes, because everyone who lived under soporate rule before the American revolytion was dead and nobody alive remembered what it was like.

However, today, peopel are once again learnign wht it is like... some more than others.

@snytiger6 Thanks for the detailed response. "thwart their efforts" Can you name an issue that MUST have the ability to argue with expression beyond words? Where is (speech) expression required?

@PhilipK Freedom of speech is synonymous with freedom of expression.

What do breasts have to do with reproductive ability?

@mooredolezal I am not keeping up with human evolution stuff. Breast indicate how much female reproductive potential a woman has.

1

I do not believe Public nudity should be legal, I do not know if this could cause more sexually attributed crimes, or perhaps Less

If you do not know if it would decrease sexual crimes then why would you be against it?

1

I think at least women and men should be able to go without a shirt. Both have nipples. Why keep them covered on a hot day?

1

May you continue with your nudist activities but I would prefer to be clothed as lack of apparel makes me feel insecure.I have no quasi religious views on nudity although aesthetically some human bodies are not subjectively attractive.

Or objectively!

1

It is on some selected beaches in many countries. I don't think of nude people as anything but people who choose to be nude whenever they can

1

I believe it is legal in some states. New York, Vermont for starters. I believe it should be legal, but I don't want to look at a bunch of saggy old fat hairy gross bodies so I don't think people would want to go around naked.

jafbm Level 5 Oct 12, 2018

In New York, I believe it is just legal for women to go topless.

In Oregon, it is technically legal to be nude, due to an Oregon State Supreme Court ruling, but a lot of the language in teh rulign was pretty gray, which the only circumstances definitively spelled otu is for protesting, although anyone who has been cited for nudity who cites the ruling has the case dismissed. So, technically it is legal, but some localities still act liek it isn't.

I am told that Vermont, although perhaps nto for the same reasons, is kind of like Oregon. Technically it is legal, but localities pretend it isn't. Havent' bene there or red up on Vermont laws.

Despite nudity beign technically legal in Oregon, most persons who liekt o be naked choose to wear clothes because they either don't wish to offend, or simply to get along better with their neighbors. I think even if public nudity were legal, most people would conform to societal norms.

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