More Than 1000 Expected for Brighton World Naked Bike Ride

Starting with 160 riders in 2006, the Brighton leg of the World Naked Bike Ride promises to be the largest ever, with over 1000 riders expected. The event will end up at Black Rock naturist beach, which is a wonderful idea to mix the protest with some real naturism. It baffles me why AANR or TNS are not willing to tap in on the enthusiasm of the WNBR, which is peaceful, fun, environmentally kind, and a reflection of the true spirit of naturism. The WNBR is proof positive that public nudity can be a community event, and even the police are escorting and protecting the nude riders.

WNBR Brighton

An appeal for help re: Steve Gough (The Naked Rambler)

Steve Gough has been sentenced to another 21 months in prison, which will make it 8 years by the time he comes up for release again. And for what? Something which is legal (i.e. inoffensive nudity in a public place), and refusing to take the Scottish Police & Judiciary's bullying on the matter. Whatever your views on Steve's strategy, you have to ask how proportionate The Establishment's reaction to this is, and question this vast waste of public money.

Steve has asked me to see if anyone will come forward to help with some advice or guidance on two issues:

Firstly he writes "What is the next step if I have exhausted all the complaints procedure within the prison service, including writing to the prisons Minister? This is to do with me not getting full medical treatment, including getting to see [a] dentist. Remember , I'm representing myself. It could be as simple as asking for forms from the local Courts, as I presume it must start there (Perth Courts). I can't seem to get a simple answer from anyone. I have written to local universities, asked solicitors, yet I still haven't got a clue what the answer is." If anyone can help, either contact me or direct to Steve (see later).

Secondly, after writing about his plans to appeal as far as he can in the UK, he adds "If no joy there, then it will have to be a petition to the Human Rights Courts at Strasbourg." If there is anyone who can advise him on that, please get in touch either with me, or Steve direct, by writing to:

Stephen Gough,
Prisoner No. 81590
Segregation Unit
HMP Perth
3 Edinburgh Road
PERTH, Scotland.
PH2 8AT
--
Duncan Heenan
duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk

"God Bless the Naked Rambler"

Support is growing for Stephen Gough, the U.K.'s "Naked Rambler", who languishes in prison because he refuses to wear clothes in public. LadyGod1va, recently featured on the cover of Going Natural Magazine, has started a Facebook group in his support, which now has more members than the one started by The Naturist Society over a year ago.

More than 400 people have signed on to another Facebook page backing a naked run through London in February as a protest against the state incarcerating Gough for merely being nude.

British Naturism should get behind Gough, not because they necessarily consider him a naturist, and not because they approve of his methods, but simply because the issue of personal freedom is at the heart of naturism. Gough is a political prisoner of the state, make no mistake, and his persecution is a threat to everyone who values life and liberty. Being nude is not illegal in the United Kingdom, and Gough is in jail for "breaching the peace", even when the only "offended" people are the police themselves.

Gough might not be the poster child that naturism is looking for, but this government crackdown on nudity could extend to beaches or other naturist areas if this man is allowed to remain jailed for life.

Free Stephen Gough now.

Showering With Your Clothes On

It finally happened. A swimming pool in the UK has ordered all bathers to keep their suits on when showering because of complaints that some children were "offended by open nudity".

Local councillor Hugh Bone said the decision was 'ridiculous' and vowed to fight the ban by continuing to showering in the nude.

Grandfather-of-four Hugh said: 'This surely is ridiculous. People should not believe that we are all perverts.

'Boys and men as well as girls and women have always changed in front of each other and this is part of the growing up experience.'

One mother-of-two added: 'We all want our children to be safe but this a step too far. I don't think we should teach them that nudity is something to be ashamed of.

'We are all born naked and have our imperfections. This strikes me as health and safety gone mad.'

Madness is the only word for it. This ridiculous rule was imposed even though "there have never been any incidents" at the recreation center. Once again the human body loses, and shame wins the day.

Yet More Support for Stephen Gough

Further evidence that British Naturism is on the wrong side of the argument when it comes to the plight of Stephen Gough.

Gough's behaviour is obviously unusual. But abnormal is not the same thing as criminal. While he has been adjudged to have broken the law, it's hard to see what crime he has committed. Any society that thinks prison is the correct place for him has lost grip of a basic principle of liberty. "Man is born free," wrote Rousseau, "but everywhere he is in chains."

In his own eccentric way, Stephen Gough has been trying to break those chains. He may be wrong, he may be misguided, but he's not evil. In treating him as though he were, the Scottish authorities have got their knickers in a twist. And that will prove far more damaging than not wearing any knickers at all.

Damn right.

"It's the judges that need to be psychologically examined."

Very good article on the trials and tribulations of the UK's "Naked Rambler".

Since the 1920s, British culture has had ample opportunity to get used to naked people in public. From the bouncy exuberance of streaker Erica Roe in the 80s, to the artfully nude "calendar girls" of the Women's Institute in the 90s to the barrage of scantily clad bodies on TV and online, we now have endless opportunities to see the naked human form...And what of the stance taken by Scottish police? Does the relatively hard line they have taken with Gough speak of Scottish repression? Not so, say police in Scotland, who claim to be protecting the public. Not everyone agrees. Mark Stephens, of law firm Finers Stephens Innocent in London, says the Scottish police and law courts are overreacting.

"In England we've taken the view that Stephen Gough is not a danger to society but is a harmless eccentric, part of life's rich tapestry and we won't waste police time and money on him. In Scotland, a more prudish approach has been taken."

On thing is certain, going naked isn't cheap. Gough's latest bid to remain naked has cost the public purse more than £200,000. Psychologist Alexander Wedderburn said: "I can't believe the law should spend public money in such a way. I don't think we should be looking for psychological explanations for Gough's behaviour. It's the judges that need to be psychologically examined."

"I wish they could all be in this show"

Trilogy, a piece of feminist theatre in Great Britain, features 35 women from every day life, all shapes and sizes, dancing in a joyous, non-sexual way, completely nude. For many if not all participating, being nude, and seeing other normal nude bodies, has been a life-altering experience.

By the first night, although we were nervous, nobody had backed out. Doing it in something akin to a nudist colony makes it much, much easier. And it appeared that everyone had arrived at a new place, bodily speaking. “I took a look at myself in the mirror this morning,” Becky said as we casually undressed. “And I was much less critical than I usually am.” Meanwhile, an epiphany for Laura, the woman who wasn’t expecting to get undressed at all. “This has made me see that there is no such thing as a normal body,” she said. “And I hope this is going to make me stop being so judgmental. Even when I dieted madly and lost a stone, I still thought I was fat [she is about a size 10]. All of my friends have hang-ups about the way they look. I wish they could all be in this show.”

British Naturism Abandons Stephen Gough

In no uncertain terms, British Naturism has abandoned Stephen Gough.

"Real naturists are respectful of the feelings of others," says Andrew Welch, a spokesman for the Central Council for British Naturism. "We can't support Steve Gough's actions because they're regressive and damage the image we try to promote." Vince Bethell, the founder of a more militant nudity-advocacy group, Freedom To Be Yourself, is equally scathing, describing Gough as an "attention seeker using public nakedness to feed his ego", and darkly suggesting that the ex-Marine – whom he once advised – is a sexual exhibitionist.

This is a fatalistic attitude. It's time for "others" to be respectful of the feelings of naturists, too. And, Mr. Welch, did not British Naturism sponsor a 20 mile nude walk for charity in 2007? How is that any different than what Mr. Gough is doing? If the "Naked Rambler" did it for charity, would that make it all OK? The fact that you undertook the walk under your "public acceptance of naturism" policy doesn't make the event any less confrontational, since 10 police officers, patrol cars and a helicopter were called in because your group was considered a "risk to the public".

A Dorset police spokesman defended the operation, saying: "The coastal path is a busy tourist area with the path being used by more than 200 people on a summer Saturday, including significant numbers of children. We received a total of 18 complaints from the public about nudity during the walk."

One naturist was arrested during the walk and charged with harassment, but the case was later dropped due to lack of evidence that anyone had actually been distressed by the nudity. I don't see any evidence that British Naturism abandoned this man or any of the other walkers on that day.

Nudity is NOT ILLEGAL in the UK. Stephen Gough is in jail for "breaching the peace". He has harmed NO ONE. For British Naturism to brush him aside like an inconsequential gnat only reinforces the notion that nudity is illegal, harmful, lewd and unacceptable. Grow a pair, BN, and fight for the cause that matters. Free Stephen Gough should be priority one.

Is Stephen Gough Winning the War by Losing the Battles?

It has been reported that British man Stephen Gough, also known as "The Naked Rambler", could spend the rest of his life in prison if he refuses to wear pants in public. The UK has already spent $400,000 keeping him in jail.

While Gough has been languishing in jail for the better part of the last six years, several participants in sculptor Antony Gormley's "The Fourth Plinth" project in Trafalgar Square used partial and complete nudity in their performances. Only one of the plinth occupants was asked by police to cover up, but later it was revealed that it is "not an offense to be simply naked in the U.K.", and the police had exceeded their powers.

Eventually the persecution of Gough will rise to the level of being absurd. That tipping point might be near, but there needs to be real support from British naturists. Chris Lamb, who joined Gough once on a "naked ramble", had this to say, "It seems a terrible tragic waste for that to happen. It really shouldn't be necessary but I can understand why the Scottish authorities get so upset. They feel their authority is being challenged."

It's time for British Naturism to challenge authority in support of Stephen Gough. Maybe he's not the poster child for naturism that they are looking for, maybe he's a bit too stubborn and eccentric, but there's an important battle here to be won. If 100 nude people march in protest of Gough's incarceration, perhaps it will spark public opinion and make authorities change their mind about keeping this man in jail for his entire life simply because he wants to live in the nude.

The question is: can British naturists afford to ignore Gough any longer without harming their own personal liberties? The longer he remains in jail, the more a person's right to be nude erodes.

Free Stephen Gough, now.

How nuts are we, really?

All airline passengers in the UK under the age of 18 will be exempt from full-body scanners until Manchester airport authorities can "clarify the law on indecent images of children."

Well, I guess that opens the door for terrorists to plant bombs on children. And if the scanned images are judged to be "indecent" for those under 18, would they not also be indecent for those above 18, too? What is it about turning 18 which magically makes nudity "decent?"

Alisdair Gillespie, an expert on the law relating to indecent images at Leicester's De Montfort University, said there was a theoretical possibility that an image taken by the scanner could be considered indecent.

"Usually an indecent image would be one where there was something overtly sexual about it," he said.

"But if this machine can produce an image of a child's genitals then there is a theoretical possibility that it might be classed as indecent."

I'm speechless.

UPDATE: Another story here reports that the drive against using airport scanners on children is by the Action on Rights for Children (ARCH) activist group.

Making an indecent image of a child is an offence under the Protection of Children Act - the fact Manchester Airport scans will not be stored is irrelevant in the eyes of the law.

ARCH has sought and been given government assurances during past trials that the scanners that can see under clothes will not be used on children.

"It's completely unlawful. Manchester Airport haven't got a leg to stand on," the group's spokeswoman Terri Dowty told The Register today.

The Daily Newds 1/20/09

• An Australian sports club has imposed a six month ban on a member for streaking.

  A member - who didn't want to give her name - said the six-month ban was "ridiculous".

• "Hanging Out" is the name of a nude musical revue in California.

  From the moment they dropped their robes our merry band of birthday suit-ers (which was also the name (Birthday Suit) of one of the 23 numbers) didn’t bat an eyelash or flash a blush as they gamely sang and danced.

• Spencer Tunick is back in Mexico City again, this time for more intimate photos of 40 subjects instead of the 20,000 people he gathered in May 2007.
• Calendar Girls in Hampshire, England, is holding a nude photo contest in anticipation of the arrival of the hit musical.
• The advice given to the mother of a three year-old who loves being naked is to invent an imaginary therapist and use bribery to get her to put on clothes.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Daily Newds 1/14/09

• A BYU editorial claims that Facebook has surrendered and will now let mothers post photos of themselves breastfeeding their children. I've seen no other report of this, so take it with a grain of salt.
• Six Pennsylvania high school students ages 14 through 17 are facing child pornography charges for sending and receiving nude photos of themselves with cell phones. Please STOP destroying the lives of children using laws that are supposed to protect them.
• An Orange County Register reporter tries out for the Pageant of the Masters 2009 summer show "The Muse" which features "men, women and children of all shapes and sizes, clothed and nude."
• The New York Times has an excellent article on people seeking self-esteem through surgery.

  To the rigors of teenage grooming — waxing, plucking, body training and skin care regimens that were once the province of adults — add cosmetic surgery, which is fast becoming a mainstream option among teenagers. But with this popularity, some experts are concerned that the underlying motivation for many of the young people seeking surgery — namely, self-esteem — is being disregarded in the drive to look, as Kristen puts it, “normal.”

• An all-nude club opening in Dallas is purported to be the largest in Texas.
• Momlogic has an article decrying the use of nude models in the new Abercrombie and Fitch catalog, and then has a photo gallery of the "racy ads" for all to see.
• The Columbia Citypaper has an article on the Travelites 2009 Nude Chili Cook-Off.

  The group at the pool table hooted and catcalled when a large naked man scratched on the eight ball. On the other side of the Plexiglas, a woman grabbed a stray beach ball and dove into the pool. Cheri Alexander caught me eyeing an empty chili crock-pot and grinned.“You know the only difference between a nudist and clothed person is that after a meal, we don’t have a belt to loosen,” she said.

• A formal consultation has begun to determine the future of a naturist beach in England.
• If you are having trouble finding accommodations in the DC area for the inauguration, The Pine Trees Associated Nudist Resort in nearby Maryland has a room for you, but at some point you will have to get naked to comply with club rules.
• Oprah is in love with Kate Winslet's breasts. She said, "I love the fact that you have real breasts. Because in all the breast scenes, your breasts do what real breasts do.” Article with video here.
• An actor blogs about his only nude scene in a play.

  The odd thing was, once I'd done it, it felt OK. Sort of. Crucially, it felt advantageous to the play, which after all is the only fig leaf any actor has to hide his spiritual nakedness. When the artistic director (himself fearful of the moment being too upsetting for the unsuspecting punters) suggested I needn't strip at all but could keep my pants on, I was having none of it – so strongly did I now feel about its necessity to the play. In fact, I threatened to walk out if the nudity was cut. Funny cusses, actors.

• Did Nazism draw some if its inspiration from the German nudist movement?
• Pinellas County might toughen its swimwear rules due to reports from "outraged" Fort De Soto Park visitors who have complained about people in "states of near total nudity."

  "It's certainly going to have a negative impact," said Ken Kushman, 62, secretary of Tampa Area Naturists, "because it's going to turn people away who want to wear less bathing suit than their grandmother does."

• Here's a photo gallery of people participating in No Pants Day 2k9 in Los Angeles.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Daily Newds 1/12/09

• After being suspended by AANR for associating with swinger groups, Caliente Resorts withdrew its membership. Now public relations director Angye Fox is trying to repair her image. Despite her speaking at Swingfest, and arranging adult costume parties such as "Eyes Wide Shut" based on an orgy scene in the Kubrick film, Fox defends her actions as simply a means of introducing younger people to the clothing-optional lifestyle.
• Nude art...in a hardware store?
• A Boston Globe reporter goes to Vassalboro, Maine, to find out more about the topless coffee shop controversy.

  "My husband doesn't drink coffee," said Erlile Pelletier, as she worked the cash register at Ferris Variety. "But I told him if he became a coffee drinker, we were getting a divorce."

• Porn star Sasha Grey is finding work in mainstream media as porn and pop culture merge at the "trash culture level".

  "I never sought any of these projects out," she said Friday at the Adult Entertainment Expo, "and I've been very fortunate enough and very, very, very grateful to have people come to me and seek me out, I believe, because of my own interest in film and music, because it stretches much further than a James Bond (film) or radio music."

• A painting of a mother nursing her newborn baby was banned from a city-owned building in Lubbock, Texas.

  Vince Gonzalez is a mediator for the Lubbock chapter of the ACLU. He challenged the city's ban on the drawings and asked to see the city policy banning nudity in art during exhibits in city-owned buildings. It turned out there was no such policy. Two weeks after the ban, the city backed down and issued this apology to (artist Lahib) Jaddo.

• Is skin a barometer for determining the state of the economy?

  Very few women are wearing more than a very few clothes these days. With all this nudity, the hemline has lost its usefulness in market forecasting. Now, it is women's naked or nearly naked bodies that have become the register of economic vulnerability.

• A statue of a naked man is getting a lot of attention in Bristol.

  "If it had been a woman's breasts, that would have been different," said (sculptor) Ms Johnson-Marshall. "I thought the world had moved on, but obviously not."

• The LSU Museum of Art is holding a panel discussion "Nude vs. Naked" on January 29.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Daily Newds 1/10/09

• In Belmont, California, it's illegal to smoke a cigarette in your own home. Dave Warden, the former councilman who supported the ordinance, explains his position:
  

  "You can't walk around naked in your house with the blinds open, or you'll get arrested. You can't shoot a gun in your house, can't do drugs in your house, can't play loud music in your house and bother your neighbors. It's illegal."

• Massachusetts at long last has passed a breastfeeding bill, with God being the only dissenter.
  

  Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill into law yesterday protecting nursing mothers from harassment, discrimination and prosecution for breast feeding in public. The only exception is in a church or place of worship.

• An Australian man has been placed on a sex offenders list for several instances of indecent exposure "for the protection of the public", even though there is no evidence of any sexual activity associated with his behavior.
  

  Sheriff Michael Fletcher said: “I don’t have much room for manoeuvre. The offence itself was a very strange one but not particularly serious in itself.”

• UK artist Edi Richter was given two years probation, ordered to attend a sexual offenders treatment program, required to register as a sex offender for five years, and was banned from working with children for possessing 39 "indecent" images of children out of a collection of 60,000 pictures he downloaded from the Internet. I can't find the original news story on this man, but my recollection is that the photos were originally described to be from naturist web sites.
• "Welcome to Topless Town" is the title of an editorial in the Bangor Daily News. Does anyone really believe that incessant publicity about the topless coffee shop in Maine will lessen the impact? The owner of the shop should start selling shares.
• The North County Times has a profile of Kelli Roman, the mother who started the Facebook protest.
  

  Roman said she feels that seeing pictures of breast-feeding is not detrimental to kids, as opposed to viewing nudity that is sexual in nature."Children need to see women breast-feeding," she said. "They need to see that breasts aren't for sex or to sell you things ---- especially the boys ---- but they're for nurturing and feeding your children."

• Kanye West wants to pose nude.
  

  "I definitely feel, like, in the next however many years, if I work out for two months, that I'll pose naked. I break every rule and mentality of hip-hop, of black culture, of American culture."

• The state of North Dakota is looking for new ways to make criminals out of women who take their clothes off for a living.
• More support here for the mothers protesting Facebook.
  

  The bigger issue of course is Net censorship. Trying to define obscenity is like trying to drive a nail through a bar of wet soap while wearing roller skates. Nobody wants Facebook to turn into a porn palace (except maybe the porn industry) but why it's picking on lactating moms is a complete mystery. If watching a suckling babe in arms gets you all warm and wiggly, you have bigger problems.

• Tam Leach describes her nude sauna experience in Sweden.
  

  Nakedness is not enforced but is expected; five minutes in and sitting around starkers seems almost comfortable. Fifteen minutes of heat and it's time. Warmed to the core but still not convinced, I step outside, gingerly, keeping hold of the banister. The impetus to submerge comes when I glance to the left, and realise that the steps from the men's side of the bathing house are within view. Quite detailed view, in fact. I'm naked, the old Swedish bloke over there is naked, and suddenly the water looks far more inviting.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Daily Newds 12/1/08

• Another article on the "Bare Men of Barre" calendar has a priceless quote:

  (Suzanne) Fullam said she has been asked repeatedly if she will produce an all-female calendar next year, but she doesn't think so.
  
  "Women want to have their hair done, get their makeup," she said.
  
  "Men just take off their pants."

• UK television viewers were apparently shocked to discover that fans shout obscenities in the stands, and soccer players are naked in the locker room. The network was forced to make two apologies for broadcasting the incidents.
• Dr. Sketchy's "anti-art school" sessions use fetish enthusiasts as models in an attempt to restore art's bohemian roots.

  With that goal, Dr Sketchy's encourages drink-drawing, raucous art competitions, rude jokes, and flamboyant behavior. Most important to the concept are the models, described by Crabapple as "sideshow freaks, rocker chicks, Derby girls, fetish models."
  
  "At Dr Sketchy's, everyone's a serious artist but it's a way of engaging in a fantasy, a version of what being an artist was about," Crabapple said.

• Paul Sunstone asks "Why Bother to Promote a Healthy Attitude Towards Nudity?"

  Of course, I’m not of the opinion that nudity should be forced on anyone, or that everyone should go nude. Some people — for whatever reasons — have no use for it and should not feel obligated to indulge in it. Yet, despite that, it seems worthwhile to combat the notion nudity is unhealthy, immoral, or dangerous. After all, is there any sane reason a significant portion of society should live in fear of seeing Janet Jackson’s nipple?

• The Naked Clown meets The Naked Cowboy in Times Square, and the world does not end.
• The New Burlesque hits Milwaukee, but don't call the women "strippers" because it's all about the art of the tease, and they don't get naked.

  It's attracting all types of women."Age doesn't matter, size doesn't matter, what you do at home doesn't matter," DeVianti says.
  
  Kai de Vicious is the newest Alley Cat. She's also a mom!
  
  "It brings real women, real women representing real women," de Vicious said.
  
  "It's all about being comfortable with who you are, and being ok with that," Valentine said.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Sunday Newds 11/30/08

• Women in Manchester, England, are getting breast enhancements at twice the rate as women in London.

  "Oh, women have massive boobs in Manchester," my 22-year-old law student cousin, Sarah, who lives just outside the city, tells me breezily. "There’s a lot of money around and it’s that Manchester look, isn’t it? Low cut tops, perma-tans, hair extensions. If you go out in town on a Saturday to places like Tiger Tiger or Circle Bar everyone is dolled up. Big breasts are just part of the look."

• Thanksgiving is celebrated at the Riverside Ranch the same as everywhere else, with the exception of clothing.
• British rugby teams are rivals on the field, as well as with their competing nude calendars.

  (Flanker Andy) Hazell said his team mates did not need much convincing to take their clothes off for charity.
  
  "It's just a bit of fun and we thought it would be good to do something like this," he said.
  
  "The boys are always willing to take their clothes off and pose around, so it seemed a logical thing to do really."

• When Suzanne G. Fullam proposed a nude calendar project to benefit a local library, she was told that it would be impossible to get a group of men to pose naked.

  A few months later, a contingent of firefighters pulled up for a photo shoot, jumped out of the truck and stripped down. Mr. (Cortland A.) Gariepy was stunned and told them to put their clothes back on until he’d set up the shot. “They were definitely the most comfortable. I saw a lot of things I didn’t want to see,” he said. Now, an image of several firefighters, including Chief Joseph Rogowski, with strategically positioned axes and hydrants graces one of the months in the newly released calendar.

• A German caregiver at a day care center allowed a small group of children to play naked in a separate room after they had repeatedly removed their clothing on their own.

  The nude frolicking of some of the children first began after the summer holidays. The fact that other children were disturbed by the lack of clothing did not put an end to the practice. Staff decided to put the nude kids in a separate room, where they could play, under supervision, in all of nature's glory. While the parents of the kids playing au naturel were informed, other parents were not. And when word got out, parents were incensed, talking about "pornography" at the day care centre.

• Parents of a Michigan teen suspended for sending a topless photo of herself to classmates are considering a lawsuit for gender discrimination because male students take photos of themselves topless all the time and are not suspended.
• The Watford Naturist Swimming Club in Great Britain is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
• Artist Melissa Sharplin has been painting nudes since she was 15 years old, and drew her inspiration from a stack of old Playboy magazines.

  "I went to fashion school and always loved fashion advertising and women's figures and trying on clothes. I have always loved the female nude", she says.
  
  "In the 70s it was about free love. It was about beauty and natural beauty."

• AP reporter Hugh Mulligan has died.

  Competing with AP colleagues in New York for choice feature assignments, Mulligan drew the short straw — a weekend in a Pennsylvania nudist colony.
  
  Oh, great," his hostess-to-be said by phone. "You'll be here in time for the square dance."
  
  Mulligan later described her as "5-feet-2 in any direction and barefoot all the way up to her harlequin sunglasses" and said the July 4 barbecue was "about the same as any other place except that people tend to stand a little further away from the fire."

• Seven students were suspended from a Michigan high school for nude cell phone photos, but any potential criminal charges are uncertain.

  Since the girl who took and sent the picture is under 18 the picture is considered child pornography, a felony, and anyone involved in having or sending the picture could face penalties that (Grand Blanc police Det. Robert) McFadden said range from seven to 20 years in prison. "Honestly I don't think we're going to send any kids to prison for 20 years, or even seven," McFadden said.

• I've said time and time again on this blog that if nudism can actually become a thriving capitalist profit cash cow, it will gain more widespread acceptance. Richard Mason, the president of the Florida Naturist Association says it's time for the state of Florida to "grow up" and create more nude beaches, which would create revenue from parking fees and help with state revenue problems. "Naturists like to be around the ocean," he said. "You put one of those beaches in Palm Beach County and it will draw a lot of people."
• Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls band ended up topless on stage after challenging the audience to donate some money to charity.

  "i made a joke from stage the other night during the collection for the danger ensemble (because steven pointed out that i looked like i was about to take my bra off). i joked that i would take my top off if someone donated $500 to the danger ensemble. and [expletive], some generously crazy person went to the club ATM and gave steven five $100 bills. so i had psycho crank up the painful techno remix of coin-operated boy and we had a topless rave (well, it wasn't much of a rave, and i was the only topless one, but we definitely all danced to flashing lights and bad techno) to end the show. i'd say the offer stands, but i think i'll tack on an extra hundred-dollar donation bounty for anyone who wants to see the topless rave again."

• Rosario Dawson is proud of her body, in part because her mother took her to nude beaches when she was young. "She'd say, 'I hate tan lines,' and off our bathing suits would go."

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Weekend Newds 11/21/08

• Did you know that Spencer Tunick did a nude photo shoot in a Brooklyn bar on election night?
• The daughter of an English cricket legend has organized a nude calendar to raise money for breast cancer.

  "We were all nervous about going completely nude. But it's brought us closer and we're so glad we've done it.
  
  We just hope the money raised will help."

• Should the government restrict pornography? Yes and No.
• In Las Vegas, women apparently cannot enter some topless bars unless accompanied by a male. A writer wonders how that can be legal.
• The whole world will be laughing hysterically if the Janet Jackson nipplegate episode is actually heard by the United States Supreme Court.
• Speaking of nipples, American Apparel's new ad campaign features some.
• Six figurines lampooning Disney's seven dwarfs have been banned from a New Zealand gallery because of their sexually graphic positions. Sleazy, Gropey, Horny, Randy, Rumpy, Grabby and Dick?
• The 15 year-old Ohio teen facing a felony for sending a nude photo of herself to classmates unexpectedly revealed that she received similar photos in return, prompting prosecutor Ken Oswalt to open an inquiry into bringing new charges against some boys.

  He said after the hearing the girl might not understand that a depiction of a male juvenile without a shirt does not qualify as child pornography..."This is serious stuff," he said. "I'm not out there telling (students) one thing and then not backing it up."

  With this statement Oswalt proves that this entire fiasco is all about him covering his own ass. What higher office are you running for, Ken? It's not about the children, it's about the prosecutor maintaining his credibility. How can a child who does not even understand the meaning or pornography be charged with a felony?
  
  The good news is that the judge has left it open for the girl to have the case dismissed if she adheres to certain conditions, a way out that the overzealous prosecutor was apparently unwilling to offer.
• Moorehead State University is holding its second annual Nearly Naked Mile charity run.
• A Cambridge student who is under attack for appearing topless in a magazine is getting a lot of support from her peers.

  Natalie Szarek, women's officer at the Cambridge Union debating society, said: "We totally support her choice to do this photo. It's entirely up to her what she does and we would never tell an individual what they can or cannot do with their body."It's inconceivable that any action could be taken against her and we would certainly support her in that case."think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion - she has done nothing illegal."

• A Catholic priest who was arrested for jogging nude around a Colorado high school track has been put on probation and required to register as a sex offender for at least 10 years, even though there was no sexual act associated with his run. The priest will appeal.
• What thoughts are running around inside the head of a nude artists' model?
• An editorial in a Pennsylvania newspaper makes the following statement: "Taking, sending and possessing nude pictures of anyone 18 and younger is a felony". If that is true, then all parents with nude photo of their child on a rug or in the bath must burn the images immediately.
• Students at Northern Michigan University celebrate the first big snowfall of the season by running nude around a courtyard.

  The Brule Run is also just one of many organized streaking events held on college campuses around the United States.At Dartmouth College, students celebrate an annual swim across the Connecticut River by running back to the starting point in the nude. Students at Tufts University in Massachusetts celebrate the end of the fall semester by streaking around the residential quad, and at Hamilton College in New York they actually have a varsity streaking team.

• A man in his sixties stripped naked in a public shower when a small group of children ages 5 to 11 were present.

  ...as a result of complaints by parents, a report of the incident and the relevant CCTV footage were forwarded by Newtownabbey Council to local PSNI officers.Mr. Hollis also raised the matter with Councillor Jackie Mann, who this week called for an end to communal changing areas at the Valley..."This was a nasty incident and I hope the kids who were present weren't too upset by it." Councillor Mann went on to criticise Council officials for not acting sooner in reporting the matter to police.

• Australian naturists presented a petition with 1000 signatures demanding for the government to establish a nude beach.
• A woman stripped down in various New York locations in order to study the reactions of people. Video here.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Sunday Newds 10/19/08

• A YMCA in the Boston area has a misunderstanding with some Russian-born members who don't understand why bathing suits are required in the steam room.
• On of Britain's most well known television personalities, Carol Smillie, has stripped off for a series of photographs to raise awareness about breast cancer. "I have been asked to pose topless for a breast cancer campaign. I thought long and hard about it, as I heard that a lot of the others who have been asked are a lot younger than me. However, it's a great cause so I agreed to do it. Yep. They are coming out."
• The sex industry is finding that business is booming as people seek less-materialistic pleasures. Hey, try nudism, it's about the cheapest simple pleasure on the planet.
• Students and parents are fighting hard against the current onslaught of dress codes in schools.

  Like a lot of students, Grace Davis, a sophomore at Salinas, said the new rules only compounded the problem.
  
  “It doesn’t fix the disease. It just covers the symptoms,” she said. “I think we’re still going to have the same gang problem. We’re just going to be angry at the administration, and I don’t think that’s the way to go.”

• Some people would be pleased if their neighbors paid their AANR dues, but for a Boston couple it's one aspect of a criminal case involving identity fraud and conspiracy.
• Monroe, Louisiana, is getting it's first "titty" bar, but only because it's going to be "classy", catering to high-end professionals such as doctors and lawyers. Only one girl will dance at a time, and will only remove her top during the last half of her second song.
• Bill Henson's photos on display in New York are not stirring up nearly the degree of controversy as they did in Australia.

  The gallery's director of photography, Royce Howes, said he did not expect any controversy in the US, where Henson had a strong following.
  
  Mr Howes said many people in the US were aware of the controversy in May when NSW police seized his photographs from a Paddington gallery amid claims they were child pornography. The images were later released and no charges laid.
  
  He said that publicity about the exhibition made no reference to the seizure because the gallery did not want to distract from the photographs.
  
  "Basically, we just want to present the work on its merits," Mr Howes said. "I think … at least for our audience, it's a non-issue. When the controversy was going on lots of people were calling out of curiosity, but for the serious collectors it was not an issue."

• A nude photo shoot on the roof of a North Carolina building created a bit of a stir, but the models and photographer were not arrested, only given a warning not to trespass again.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Weekend Newds 10/17/08

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The Daily Newds 10/14/08

• Choreographer Trajal Harrell draws upon his experience with nudie shows at the age of 11 in his stage work today.

  “When I really started to look into my own sense of nudity, of course, I had to go back to my family,” he says. “When I was a young boy in Georgia, my father would take me to the county fair. At some point in the evening, he would go into the hoochie-koochie show. As the years went on, I became more curious about what that was; when I was maybe 10 or 11, I realized that it was a place with naked women dancing. This was my first introduction to performing and nakedness.”

• Click here for slideshow of body painting models from fashion week in Los Angeles.
• A museum in Dusseldorf is featuring Diana and Actaeon. The forbidden glimpse of the naked body, a gallery show focused upon "chastity and desire, of seeing and being seen, voyeurism and exhibitionism".
• Three nude paintings by Jonathan Hutchings have been moved out of general view by the Harrow City Council for fear of public complaints.

  "The council are being stricter than they have been. Two or three years ago the life class paintings went on show and they OK'd it.
  
  "I think the paintings may be 'questionable' but it depends on who's calling it offensive."

• A study shows that many children are suffering from Vitamin D deficiency, which can usually be helped with just a little exposure to sunshine.
• Journalist David Marr feels "terrible" about ruining the lives of a child and a school principal for reporting about photographer Bill Henson's recruiting visit.

  "I did not understand its beat-up potential, I did not understand therefore that people would seek out the principal. I feel terrible for what's happened to those people, terrible." Marr, who last night argued that as long as artists acted within the law, police should be kept out of arguments about taste, said the controversy was due to "tabloid rage capped and validated by the Prime Minister".

  Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked