FEMEN Women's Movement in the Ukraine

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2009 Fremont Summer Solstice Parade by Michael Cline

Canadian Freehiker Beats Indecency Charge

The law did everything in its power to prevent a man from hiking nude in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, but this week indecency charges were dropped, thus potentially making this a landmark case for nudists and naturists in the Great White North.

Gleb Bazov, a Toronto-based lawyer who represents the man, believes the decision sets an important precedent.

"It is a landmark case in the sense that the law has been applied to nudists and naturists. Now there is a clear pronouncement that a naturist is not engaging in an indecent act." 

The reason for the dismissal was due to the fact that the man's naturist activity was determined to be of no harm to the public.

Reactions from residents are typical, ranging from expressions of personal offense to allegations of harm to children for seeing a nude man, but these are fears and misconceptions based upon centuries of societal restrictions and religious dogma, and have nothing to do with reality.

Congratulations to this unnamed man who has been freehiking in Canada for years, and who can now practice his naturist activities without fear of further harassment from the police. It might take time for the general public to become accepting of freehikers, and hopefully many others will exercise their freedom and experience nature without the unnecessary restrictions of clothing.

UPDATE: Another story on the dismissal is here.

Stephane Deschenes, director of the Federation of Canadian Naturists, says naturists are just embracing their “natural self” and shouldn't "have to fear being out in the public.

"We, as a society, have a real phobia about our own body. We are so incredibly uncomfortable that we find our own image embarrassing, shameful and offensive."

This story was covered by us previously here.

Nude Limerick for a Sweltering Day

There was once a young woman named Rose
Who enjoyed taking off all her clothes.
On her bike she would ride
Not ashamed of her hide
From her nose to her cute little toes.

It was summertime sweltering heat
Which made Rose expose more than her feet.
"Why, I haven't a care
Wearing only the air!"
She exclaimed as she rode down the street.

All the townspeople gathered to stare
Such a sight was incredibly rare.
'Cause this ample young girl
On her head had no curl
A Godiva with very short hair.

Soon the story spread out far and wide
Many others joined in for the ride
"Unless you are a prude
Being nude is not rude"
Rose explained with a heart full of pride.

copyright 2010 nudiarist

(note: this is a revised version to correct the meter)

ladygod1va's London WNBR Photo Set

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

One Arrest Reported in TNS Delray Beach Incident

NBC News in Miami is reporting that one arrest has been made for the incident involving 10 naturists getting naked on public Delray Beach.

One man involved in the nude display has already been arrested, and it sounds like there could be more busts for indecent exposure.

The man who was arrested, David Armstrong, said Delray needs to give peace a chance.

"There's a bunch of us lying there and we're doing a peace sign," Armstrong told WPEC. "They fear us, they think we're freaks."

Freak is as freak does.

David Armstrong is an area representative for The Naturist Society in Palm Beach County, and a member of South Florida Free Beaches and other organizations. He was arrested on May 11 of 2009 for disorderly conduct on Delray Beach and was found not guilty on November 15. (source here)

Armstrong proposed a nude beach back in early 2008 but was laughed at by city officials.

The NBC story also reports, somewhat sensationally, that local police are "in a tizzy" and that local residents, including the vice mayor, don't want a nude beach in their community.

More brilliant public relations from The Naturist Society. Members need to demand a statement of explanation from the organizer of this fiasco.

Ten TNS Members Could Be Arrested

Looks like 10 naturists at the Mid-Winter Naturist Festival at Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort decided to defy public nudity laws by appearing naked on public Delray Beach with the intent on making a human peace symbol for an aerial photo.

The nine men and one woman were not arrested.Police recommended an indecent exposure charge but the State Attorney's Office will decide whether the birthday-suit peaceniks will be arrested.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Whose idea was this? Was Morley Schloss or any other TNS or NAC official involved? I'm dumbfounded as to why these 10 decided to pull this idiotic stunt and generate more negative publicity for nudism and naturism.

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

A Compromise?

In seeking acceptance for nude recreation on public lands, nudists are not necessarily seeking a compromise, they are seeking just a sliver of the vast real estate of America on which to be naked and free. One can only compromise when both parties come at an issue from a position of strength, and common sense dictates that meeting somewhere in the middle is a sensible outcome for all.

Nudists have the negotiating power of a gnat.

In Ashland, Oregon, public nudity has not been illegal, but recent events including a man who walked naked near a school created community alarm, and a new law was passed to ban the exposure of body parts within the city limits.

In a situation like this, there is no room for compromise. It's basically one man versus an entire city.

But Joe Hudgins, a retired instructor and resident of Ashland, believes that the nudity ban could not only be unconstitutional, but expensive as well.

A political/social/artistic event is scheduled for Ashland later this year. It is to be called "Buns Not Bombs" and will include public nudity. It is expected to violate Ashland's public nudity law. The police have said they will have no choice other than to enforce the law and arrest anyone who violates it.That's when it starts costing money. Hundreds of personnel hours will be diverted from normal duties and expended arresting, booking, incarcerating, trying and convicting or acquitting everyone who is arrested. Fines collected from those who are convicted will not cover all the costs incurred. The shortfall will be made up by the taxpayers, Ashland residents, and that's not all.

The ACLU has been watching this situation very carefully and is preparing to file a lawsuit against Ashland if it determines that anyone's First Amendment rights were violated. Such a lawsuit could take years to resolve and will cost Ashland residents hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.

Hudgins goes on to suggest that all that is needed is come "courage, some patience and a lot of tolerance" instead of this unnecessary and costly law. He logically outlines a scenario for keeping nudity under control, such as public notices when nude protests are scheduled to take place, and to prohibit people from being naked near busy roads and public buildings so that traffic accidents and other dangerous distractions can be avoided.

All well and good, and it makes a lot of sense, but the problem with nudity in American society is that people who oppose any and all forms of unclothed humanity are not rational. They are filled with religious beliefs, deep-seated fears, and a sense of righteousness which trumps all common sense and willingness to compromise.

To these people, the sight of female breasts, or a male penis, is a sign that we are on the road to Sodom and Gomorrah, and God's wrath will surely smite us all.

I applaud Mr. Hudgins and his fair-mindedness. Surely we need more people like him. But the idea of the government actually working to aid and abet people who wish to be nude in public is radical.

In cases like the World Naked Bike Ride and the Spencer Tunick installations, the sheer numbers of participants makes it difficult for local authorities to do anything except watch and keep the peace. In some communities, like Boulder, Colorado, bans are being enacted to specifically prohibit nudity at public events, so the WNBR and Tunick would likely create an ugly confrontation with police if they were to go there.

If anything, local governments are getting tougher in the wake of the proliferation of nudity at public events.

The only way I can see for public nudity to become "legal" is if the ACLU manages to prove that banning clothes-free protests is unconstitutional. I believe they have a fair shot at making that case, as long as groups get a permit, and the public is warned in advance that nudity will be part of the event, so anyone potentially offended could simply avoid the area or look away.

It will be much harder for the ACLU to prove that nudity is a civil liberty, although many nudists and naturists believe that it most certainly is. But that's really not what nudists want from society - what we are seeking, as I stated before, is just a tiny piece of public land here and there in order to be nude and free.

Unfortunately, the very, very few who wish to wander about nude near schools are just creating hysteria and forcing the hands of government officials who always err on the side of caution in enacting new legislation. It's better politics to side with the churches and schools than with the naked people.

Stephen Gough Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Nudity

Story here.

Stephen Gough, 50, was jailed for 21 months after being found guilty of breaching the peace and being in contempt of court.
Gough turned down an offer of freedom if he got dressed - and was warned he could spend many more years in prison.

Gough Plays the Insanity Card

No, Naked Rambler Stephen Gough is not claiming to be insane, he's declaring the Scottish justice system to be insane.

The ex-Royal Marine, 50, says: "To live by beliefs that are irrational, that are not based in reality, means that I suffer.

"How do I know what is rational or true? By questioning my beliefs and being honest with myself."

He adds: "Why am I naked? Because I believe the human body is not indecent, harmful or bad.

"If it were true, it would mean I am also indecent and it would mean I'd be divided against myself.

"If I lived in a truly free and sane society, I wouldn't be arrested and imprisoned for simply being naked.

"By refusing to comply with an irrational request to get dressed, I'm bringing attention to a contradiction that exists in our society.

"A society, so we are told, that founds its justice system on truth and reason. So surely, if there is some error in the system we will want it pointed out urgently. That is exactly what I'm doing."

He adds that he understands going out naked goes against what is "normal and customary" but says "what is normal isn't always healthy".

It is also reported that people will be gathering to protest at Gough's sentencing next week, and that a naked run through London is planned in support of his cause.

Is Canada's Nudity Ban Unconstitutional?

That's precisely what attorney Clayton Ruby intends to prove in defending Bracebridge resident Brian Coldin against two nudity charges. Due to weakness in evidence, two charges have already been dropped.

“We’re pleased to have them withdrawn, because that means the Crown’s acknowledged they can’t prove them,” said Ruby. “(And that’s) after getting the consent of the Attorney General (to have the charges laid), I might add. I wonder what he was told?”...In defending Coldin, Ruby said he will be raising the constitutionality of Section 174 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which states that it is an offence if one is nude in a public place, or is nude in a private place, but is exposed to public view.

Earlier stories here, here, here and here.
Brian Coldin's Facebook page is here.

World Naked Bike Ride Brighton UK 2009 Video

cyclonue brighton version courte 30mn
envoyé par vivrenu-tv

Freedom of the Buttocks

Pour la Liberte de la Fesse (For the Freedom of the Buttocks) is a pretty ambitious photo project by a group of French students who pose nude in public at iconic landmarks around the world. David Felix, one of the original initiators of this now-global phenomenon, says, "We're not here to do something really grandiose, the idea came out of nowhere just for a laugh. We were surprised at the response." The group claims to have 400 photos so far.

Liberté de la fesse sciences po sur LCI
by vivrenu-tv

Etudiants sciences po liberté de la fesse FR3
by vivrenu-tv

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."

Boulder DA Wants to Make Streaking Illegal

Any sane person knows that it's sheer stupidity to force streakers to register as sex offenders. Under current Colorado law, anyone caught running nude in public could be forced to register as a sex offender, and Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett wants to make streaking and other "Pumpkin Run-type behavior" a petty offense instead of a class 1 misdemeanor.

Don't let this fool you - streaking is a harmless prank, a bit of devil-may-care fun, and should not be any type of crime.

Judd Golden, chairman of the American Civil Liberties Union's Boulder chapter, said his organization doesn't believe that public nudity -- by itself -- should be against the law at all.

"That is regressive," he said. "It's going back to the Victorian days when body parts were considered immoral."

If a person runs nude through a football game, Golden said, he or she should be charged with disrupting a public event. If a naked person walks into traffic, he or she should be charged with obstruction.

"But our position is that public nudity in and of itself -- absent aggravating circumstances -- should not be a criminal offense," he said.

Public Nudity in Berlin

2 berlinois pratiquent la nudité urbaine a berlin
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2 berlinois aux termes "Thermen am Europa"
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2009 Roskilde Festival Nude Run

Roskilde festival 2009
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