What Naturism Is Not
This blog is adapted from ‘What Feminism Is Not’ on The
Odyssey Online’s website about the misconceptions that people have about what
feminism is supposed to be about. This
is the original piece: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/what-feminism-is
Naturism is
about equality. It is the belief that social, political, and economic rights
for naturists should be equal on all levels.
Naturism is not about hating textiles
(people who prefer to wear clothes in naturistspeak).
Naturism is for everyone.
Naturism is about equality among the sexes, not being in favor of one or the
other.
Naturism is equality for all genders,
and the acknowledgement that gender and sex are two completely different
things.
Naturism is about understanding that
textiles suffer from oppression and discrimination too, which is why closet
naturists are afraid of telling their friends, family, workmates and managers
about it. The few naturists who are
truly ‘out there’ about their lifestyle are usually unemployed, pensioners,
retirees, students or self-employed. It’s
about time that workforce naturists stood up and fought against discrimination
against them just like LGBTIQ people, Muslims, women and blacks/Aborigines have
previously done.
Naturism is not supporting any one
group's superiority over another group.
They believe that everyone ought to have equal rights and equal
opportunities to go nude in public or private as they see fit. If people can wear a burkha or three-piece
suits out in public and not behave in a sexual manner, then so should naturists
be allowed to be nude in public, as long as they are not acting in an overtly
sexual way.
Naturism is working towards social
justice for people with eating disorders, body image problems and people who
have been sexually harassed and abused.
Naturism is not saying it is OK to
force nudity onto anyone against their wishes; violence, boorish, drugged and drunken
or bullying behavior of any kind is not acceptable in the naturist movement.
Naturism is not ignoring sexual
harassment because it does and can happen, and we urge others who get subjected
to it at naturist places to report it immediately.
Naturism is social activism for public
nudity rights and the right for anyone of any race, skin color, religion, age
group, and social status to enjoy it.
Naturism is not taking rights away from
textiles. We believe it to be a personal
choice, but we also believe people should at least give it a try at least three
times before they can say “it’s not my thing” or “it’s not for me”.
Naturism is about fighting social
structures that restrict and discriminate against women, especially girl’s and women’s
rights to swim and sunbathe topless and breastfeed in public places where full
nudity is not to be permitted.
Naturism is
NOT about sexual debauchery, swinging, or any other kinds of sexual anarchy
or sexually inappropriate behavior. It
is primarily a FAMILY orientated lifestyle which mum, dad and the children can
practice. True naturists abhor any person
who tries to bring the lifestyle into disrepute by incorporating unacceptable
sexual behavior into the movement, and many of us work together with law
enforcement to ensure that if anybody abuses the liberties and trusts of our
movement that they will be dealt accordingly by the law.
Naturism is the fight for equality for
all sexual orientations. We believe that
people should be accepted into our movement as well as other movements on
account of their personality and character, rather than their sexual
orientation.
Naturism is not about taking anything
away from textiles. It is not about giving all the power for naturists to
oppress anyone. Naturism believes that
every nude person deserves to be treated equally and the same as if they were
dressed.
