Promoting diversity in nudism
How can nudism be more inclusive as a movement? As a middle aged white guy, I recognize that I'm still lower on the learning curve of respecting diversity than I wish as the system favors me and the myopic thinking I grew up with. Survival in a changing world requires the ability to adapt. How can nudism adapt to changing values and demographics? How can those of us who care support those changes?
One big step is by having these discussions. It's very easy (being in the middle-aged white guy status) to just assume everyone thinks like me. I / we need to be jolted out of our complacency sometimes.
Stoneandy's discussion contributions are always considered and considerate and they often make me think.
We can also contribute to an improved societal attitude by supporting politicians and other leaders who encourage unity and acceptance rather than division and disunity.
Let's keep it going.
I / we need to be jolted out of our complacency sometimes. We can also contribute to an improved societal attitude by supporting politicians and other leaders who encourage unity and acceptance rather than division and disunity. Let's keep it going.
I was jolted out of complacency when a black colleague was arrested and put in jail for driving while black in Washington DC. He wasn't an African-American, but rather an African-Swede on diplomatic business. So our Embassy called their lawyer, they gave him back his passport and the problem was magically solved. But what if he had just decided to visit a friend for the weekend? On our next trip we were in Miami and hit Haulover together without an incident. After his arrest you could imagine he was more concerned about not breaking any laws than I was.
There is a lot to unpack here, more than can be solved or even discussed in one forum thread, but here are some of my initial thoughts:
I am a Mexican-American, married to a white person, and we frequently have discussions about the differences between how we grew up and even current-day situations.
One of those situations is predominantly white establishments. If my white spouse walks into a business where all the patrons are white, they think nothing of it, but I notice it immediately. I realize my experience is anecdotal, but I don't think I'm alone in this feeling. Anyone can Google numerous articles about being the only person of color at work. This can be a very uncomfortable feeling for a handful of reasons. Nudity is already asking people to be and feel vulnerable, and this uncomfortable feeling on top of that is not a welcoming atmosphere.
Now, I know someone is going to argue that people of color shouldn't feel that way because "everyone is welcome," and those capital-R-racist days are "in the past." To this I say two things: (1) People's feelings are always valid. You may not agree with their interpretation, but you can never tell someone they shouldn't feel a certain way. It makes as much sense as telling someone their favorite color is wrong. (2) Past events have lasting consequences.
I found an article that states: "White people in America have a working assumption that they can go anywhere and be reasonably safe. Historically, that has not been a realistic assumption for minorities." Even the AANR itself, when it was known as the ASA and was trying to gain mainstream acceptance, excluded people of color in the mid-20th century. So people of color do not have the long history of association with nudist organizations that white people have.
It wasn't limited to nudism either. Many outdoor recreation parks and swimming venues were off-limits to people of color. The typical older white nudist was probably taught to swim at an early age. The typical older person of color at that same age probably would not have been allowed to swim at that same pool. Although all of this is "in the past," this phenomenon has had lasting effects, impacting the relationships that white people and people of color each have with swimming and/or outdoor parks.
Related, this also explains why many people of color do not know how to swim. If a person of color was not allowed the opportunity to swim in the '50s or '60s, they would not then be able to teach their children or their grandchildren.
Similarly, those white people who do have a history of engaging in nudist activities pass on to their children knowledge and appreciation of nudism and the outdoors in general, I assume. This creates a repeating cycle, leaving people of color out of the loop, so to speak, without formative experiences in these spaces.
I think socioeconomic resources also have to be taken into account. Nudist clubs and resorts aren't typically in convenient locations. They're often in rural areas that require a private vehicle. (You can't take the bus or train to the front gate.) They're also often behind significant paywalls. Participation involves a certain amount of disposable income, a luxury that many people cannot afford, but disproportionately people of color.
This leads to an unfortunate chicken-and-egg situation. How do you encourage people of color to come and stay at a location or event where there are very few existing people of color? Just as a woman might feel uncomfortable in an all-male venue, or a younger person in an all-elderly environment, a person of color may not feel relaxed in an all-white setting. I don't have an easy answer.
You raise many interesting points! Thank you. On one hand it's natural for birds of the same feather to flock together, and it takes a lot of conscious effort overcome preference or bias. As a single white middle aged man, I'm not used to being discriminated against as I am at nudist resorts, which often require men to have a female chaperone. The good news is that it helps to keep women feeling welcome. But if a single parent can't bring his young kids to a resort without a signed waiver from the mother, that resort is missing two generation of nudists along with any potential future female partners to make them entry-worthy. That's not forward thinking.
There's been a marked decrease of social clubs in general in the US, from bowling leagues to mainline churches. Therefore, I think there can only be greater diversity in nudism when it's democratized outside of private clubs. That takes a change of law allowing more public nudity - and that's a tough sale in the puritanical US.
"Although all of this is "in the past," this phenomenon has had lasting effects, impacting the relationships that white people and people of color each have with swimming and/or outdoor parks"
I live in Texas and I have found that this separate attitude is still alive and well. I have found this to be true everywhere I have lived the past 53 years of my life. Now we add immigrants from any country not considered European. Let's not fool ourselves.
I love that this discussion is being had. I believe Polomexx added so much to this conversation and I could not have said it better myself.
I just want to add this: have empathy and treat people as people. While it is natural to feel certain types of attraction and inclinations, forget not you are dealing with another human.
Tokenism and objectification are two other topics that should be recognized as well. Often, I have found, as I black male, that I am prone to being on the receiving end in these two categories, and it is somewhat frustrating.
I think if we strive for awareness, ask questions to others and ourselves, and check our own behavior. And this is not limited to a white man. This goes for everyone because we all have some capacity to engage in such behavior. I feel as a black man, I may not exercise it much (being that I am often the one who feels out of place), but could be wrong. So I ask myself what can I do to create a more inclusive, diverse environment around me. Everyone isnt going to think like me or see things the way I see them, but conversations and exchange of ideas and experiences of bridge such gaps.
My grandmother taught me that as her best friend, when she came to America, was a wonderful white woman who didnt see my grandmother as anything other than who she was - another human being with whom she had made a connection.
I find that the lack of diversity is a sociocultural issue that has permeated through all facets of our lives from work to residential neighborhoods to social interactions. In order to address it, we must confront it, call it out, have tough conversations, and deconstruct the social attitudes that conditioned us to be this way.
Why do clubs do this?
Easy.
Because they can.
AANR or anyone else wont stand up to these clubs.
So clubs will continue to ostracize people of colour as well as Trans people and single men.
Because they can and no one stands up to them.
I see that the problem isn't private resorts fading into oblivion. As private businesses they have right to be a-holes, and I won't support those who discriminate even if I weren't single. The greater issue is for local and state governments to allow nudity on public lands. We had a warm April day in the 80s and on Hollywood beach in the middle of Chicago several men were sunbathing and even heading to the frigid water naked. My friend in the neighborhood said they self-police and are clothed after about 2pm when schools start letting out, and the neighborhood has a live and let live view. In my opinions, many are open and accepting to public nudity, but the vocal ones carry the day. Perhaps things will shift so they'll have a change of heart? To me the process of letting go of fear of the Other is like the Grinch growing compassionate, and it can happen to the most vacuum sealed minds - I just don't know how. Somehow they can't stop Christmas or nudity; it will come just the same. Here's wishing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMV0nQItqUs
Why do clubs do this?Easy.Because they can.AANR or anyone else wont stand up to these clubs.So clubs will continue to ostracize people of colour as well as Trans people and single men.Because they can and no one stands up to them.
I strongly agree. AANR, which should be the body that disciplines discriminatory behavior, does nothing. I'm also very aware of the public face of AANR, clubs, and resorts. The images are always carefully gender-balanced, but then they hide behind excuses when it comes to people who aren't white, straight, cis-gendered, and not handicapped. There's this thing called "making an honest effort" that they all just can't seem to do. They may not verbalize their bigotry and intolerance but their behavior exposes their beliefs. White people may not see these images as a big deal, but they are. If they weren't such a big deal, they wouldn't be carefully gender-balanced.
An aside: I always laugh under my breath when I meet white nudists who are uncomfortable with my black skin. Because of the melanin in my skin, I have a clear, undeniable advantage in the sun. It's something that's not political. More than anything, it's an advantage that they can't deny or take away from me, no matter what.
Have there been any articles in any AANR publications or on their website that even mention the issue? Nudist publications and websites typically go out of their way to make cis women (who are always portrayed as being white) feel comfortable, but I dont recall anything to promote diversity.
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