Because there are so many ads from "swinger" on CL who look for sexual activity at the nude beaches, it can be very misleading as to what nudism and nudist culture is all about, I am just sick and tired of the ignorance and the ads, in the personals section, that mislead people into thinking nudists, nudism and nude beaches are about sex, when in fact nudist culture is about platonic "family friendly" nude recreation. So as part of my "rant", I wrote the following to educate people about what mainstream nudism is all about and what the rules of etiquette at nudist areas really are and what the laws are regarding nudity and sex in public areas.
As the weather is getting warmer, many will venture out to the local clothing optional/nude beaches, many for the first time. As there are many ads on CL for sexual activity to take place at the local nude beaches, people should be informed about what is generally considered to be acceptable behavior and about what the laws are.
For those who have not been to a nude beach and are not sure how to act or what the rules of etiquette are, the guidelines below are pretty universal for all nudists groups and organizations worldwide. If you doubt the universality of these guidelines, just do an internet search for "nude beach etiquette" and look at the results and you will find rules, no matter what site you find them on, are all are basically the same.
NUDE BEACH RULES OF ETIQUETTE
• Gawking is impolite. If you want to go to the nudist beach for a thrill, do everyone a favor and buy a magazine instead.
• Ask for people's consent before taking their photograph nude.
• If you're sunbathing nude in a secluded area that is not designated "clothing optional, leave a bathing suit on a rock to let others know they are approaching an unclothed person. If you're uncomfortable having your suit out of reach, bring a spare.
• On a wide open beach, not designated as clothing optional, position yourself in the open so you can see people coming and put something on before they get there if you need to.
• Get dressed before you leave the nudist beach.
• Be friendly, but respect others' rights to privacy.
• Avoid sexual activity. It's illegal and offensive.
• Advances of an unwelcome or unwanted nature are not acceptable anywhere, and especially at a nudist beach.
• Be Prepared. Sometimes, the nudist beach doesn't have any amenities. Bring water, food, towel, sunscreen and anything else you need.
• Keep the nudist beach clean. If you carried it in, carry it back out.
• Know what the local laws are.
In the state of Oregon the law in laymen's language basically reads that public nudity is permissible, as long as you are not doing anything with the intent of sexually arousing either yourself or anyone else..
From online reading, which may not be reliable, the laws within State Parks in Oregon allow nudity in secluded areas. Secluded areas meaning out of the sight of picnic areas, parking areas and major roads (paved roads). The rules as I understand them are on a first come first serve basis as follows. If you are the first to arrive at an area, you are perfectly free to go nude. If you arrive at an area where there are clothed persons you need to get permission from all adults present before going nude. If you arrive and the crowd is mixed with nude and clothed persons, then it is assumed that the nude persons were either first or permission had already been granted. Out of common courtesy and common sense, you should apply these same rules to secluded areas in National Parks as well.
Within the city limits of Portland, there is a local ordinance that prohibits nudity where you are likely to be seen by someone of the opposite sex. You should check for other local ordinances about nudity before going nude.
Persons engaging in any kind of sexual activity, either by themselves or with others, in a public place can be ticketed (fined), and/or arrested. Unwanted sexual advances or multiple offenses of consensual sex in public may result in a person becoming a registered sex offender. At a nude beach nudity by itself should not ever be interpreted as an invitation for sexual advances. Any offense has the potential to be accessible by the general public. Court records are public records.
Those who seek out nudist places, who have sexual agendas, may call themselves nudists, but their actions go against the behavioral guidelines of virtually every nudist group and organization around the world. Nude recreation, is generally defined as activity done without clothing, which would otherwise be defined as "family friendly." Just because a person refers to themselves as a nudist, does not mean they would fit into nudist culture. For most mainstream nudists sex is still a very personal activity to be done in private and nudity by itself is not an invitation for sexual advances.
If you want to be better informed about nudists, the culture and lifestyle, you can go to the AANR (American Associate ion for Nude Recreation) website. They are the largest nudists' organization in North America.
Because most of us have been taught that the only appropriate times to be naked are either for bathing or for sex, the concept of nudity in any other context may seem strange. The simple fact is that everyone knows what everyone else has under their clothes, but we have been taught to be ashamed and to feel guilty about nudity, when in fact it is our natural state.
Most people have never been naked long enough to understand that wearing clothing is actually pretty uncomfortable. They are just so used to it that they never notice just how uncomfortable and limiting in movement it really is. For many nudists it is a common sentiment to hear someone say "I never knew how uncomfortable wearing clothes was, until I didn't have to wear any." Beyond the comfort factor, there is also learning to not be ashamed of your body and learning o accept yourself for who you are. Most nudists are generally happier and have better self esteem than the general population simply because of the factor of self acceptance.
DEFINITIONS
For purposed of understanding nudist culture, it is helpful to understand and define differences of various groups of people and their behavior. Below are some definitions to help in that regard.
Nudist -- A persons who prefers to spend part of most of their life without clothing, who and who has gotten over the mores and hang-ups about nudity, and also compartmentalize and differentiate between nude recreation and sexual conduct. A nudist never sees nudity as an invitation for sexual advances.
Naturist -- Another name for nudist, usually referring to a subgroup of nudists who conscientiously tries to live a healthier, more environmentally friendly and "natural" way
of life. For many persons the terms nudist and naturist are interchangeable., but the naturist is more oriented to a life as nature intended, and as we are born naked they consider that to be a natural state as nature intended.
AANR -- American Association for Nude Recreation. This is the largest nudist organization in North American and has hundreds of affiliated clubs, both landed (a club that owns property for enjoyment of its members) and non-landed (does not own any property, but is a lower membership cost alternative for those who want to attend clothing optional events and socialize with and meet other nudists. There are at least five affiliated clubs within a one hour drive of or inside of Portland. The AANR is divided into regions to better serve its member organizations. Portland falls into the North-West region. The AANR also lobbies to keep current nude recreational places legal, and to allow nude recreation in more places, an also strives to better educate the public about nudists and nudist culture and dispel misconceptions of what nudism is all about.
Below are definitions for categories of persons who are often mistakenly called nudists as many do not understand the differences and just try to fit everyone into one single category. All behavior below is not generally acceptable within the nudist community.
Swinger -- Persons who are generally and usually polyamorous (have multiple sex partners with no regard to monogamy), and often have open relationships.. These persons will also seek out nudist and clothing optional places in the hopes of fulfilling their sexual agendas and/or fantasies. To wingers, nude recreation and sexual activity have no boundaries that separate them, b t nudists do have such boundaries. A swinger is very likely to interpret a person's nudity as an open invitation for sexual advances.
Exhibitionist -- A person who drives sexual satisfaction from showing his nude body, most often in a state of arousal to others. Some exhibitionists also enjoy engaging in sexual conduct in places where they are likely to be seen by others.
Voyeur -- A persons who derives sexual satisfaction from watching others engaged in sexual activity. Because nudity is often considered "forbidden" some voyeurs may also derive sexual satisfaction form just seeing others naked.
I sincerely hope this posting was educational, dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings about nudists and nudist culture, and will ensure that everyone who reads it will enjoy their visit to the local nude beaches this summer.
I'd be happy to try to answer any sincere reply or request for further information or clarification about nudism,. I admit I may not be the most knowledgeable person, but will make a best effort to give honest and correct information.
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