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Naturally nude

By Laura Snyder, Jayplay writer

Thursday, December 1, 2005

On a warm afternoon in September, Stephanie Cooper sits at a picnic table in front of a calm lake, absorbed in her Bible. She takes notes in preparation for the church youth class she’ll teach the next day. As the afternoon continues to heat up, she’ll re-apply sunscreen, her skin’s only protection against the warm sun – she isn’t wearing any clothes.

In fact, no one at Lake Edun (appropriately, “nude” spelled backwards) wears clothes. Established in 1982, the 60-acre site southwest of Topeka is a refuge for naturists, a European term that means the same as nudists. “Naturism” is the preferred term of most nudist organizations because it’s a little more discreet, says Nicky Hoffman of The Naturist Society, a national association of naturist clubs across the country.

Even our founding fathers?

Benjamin Franklin took daily naked “air baths.”

Presidents John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson all enjoyed skinny dipping.

President John Quincy Adams took a nude swim every morning in the Potomac River. Anne Royall became the first female journalist to interview a president when she followed Adams to the river and sat on his clothes until he agreed to an interview with her.

Source: www.clothesfree.com

Contrary to stereotypes, Stephanie and her husband Ernie, a mechanical contractors from Lenexa, don’t look like aging hippies resembling Dharma’s parents from Dharma and Greg. Outside of Lake Edun, the gray-haired, church-going couple is respectably dressed — like they could be your parents. In fact they are parents. The Coopers have eight children, aged 18 to 31. With all but one child out of the house, Ernie, president of the Lake Edun Foundation, enjoys living out his naturist lifestyle at home. He sleeps nude, wakes up to feed the cats and dog in the nude and only puts on clothes when it’s time to leave for work. When he gets home, he showers and doesn’t dress again. “I’d walk out to my mailbox nude and get the paper if I wasn’t afraid the neighbors would call the police,” Ernie says.

The Coopers first visited Lake Edun in 2002 after Ernie learned about naturism on the Internet. Ernie says he was concerned about one of his son’s problems with pornography and had been researching ways to help him when he came across the topic of naturism. He says the idea of nudity as healthy and positive struck him as odd. He continued to read about naturism and e-mailed several naturists across the country. One was Jim Cunningham from Newport, Vt., who soon became a good friend and a mentor to Ernie. Even with Cunningham’s encouragement, Ernie was still a bit skeptical. “I finally asked him, ‘How do you deal with those naughty parts?’” Ernie says. “And he said, ‘Who told you those parts were naughty?’”

Naturism has a long history. After all, the ancient Greeks are known to have competed in the nude during the first Olympics. In more recent times, according to a Naturist Society pamphlet, Germans during the early 1900s enjoyed outside nudist activities as a contrast to the rapid urbanization and industrialization of society. The pamphlet asserts that they believed being nude put them closer to nature. Lee Baxandall, founder of The Naturist Society, helped to develop naturism in the United States during the 1970s. However, the U.S. seems to have been slower at accepting nudity as a virtuous practice than Europe, where today nudity is not thought to be shameful or sinful.

They said it...

Quotes about Naturism according to the International Naturist Society, www.clothesfree.com:

“What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful that the garment with which it is clothed?” — Michaelangelo

Quoting the book of Genesis, “They were nude but they were not ashamed.” Furthermore, because God created it, “The human body can remain nude and uncovered and preserve its splendor and its beauty.” — Pope John Paul II

“Nudity is undignified and an error of taste.” — Adolf Hitler

Sex and naturism

Overcoming society’s misconceptions about naturism is a challenge, Ernie Cooper says. Of the 75 to 100 members at Lake Edun, the median age is 54. Ernie attributes the absence of younger people to a lack of education and understanding about naturism.

Sarah Stacy, Germantown, Md., senior and member of the facebook.com group “KU Nudist Club,” says she considers herself a naturist as a sort of rebellion against society’s idea that women should strive for physical perfection. Although she has swum nude while visiting El Salvador, Stacy says she does not care to visit a nudist camp. “I would think that would attract perverts just trying to get a free show,” she says.

Ernie says there is a big myth that nudist camps involve sex or group orgies. “Sex and the naked body are not synonymous,” Ernie says. “Ads and movies all show the sexual side of nudity. But as human beings, we’re all a little deeper than that.”

Hoffman agrees with Ernie. “I get calls from radio shows all the time, and they can’t believe we do the same thing at nude beaches that they do at regular beaches,” she says. In fact, Hoffman thinks seeing someone in a skimpy bathing suit is more sexual than seeing someone who is nude. After all, she says, we use clothing to cover our flaws and accentuate our best parts. Almost no one looks better naked than clothed, Hoffman says. “There are no perfect tens,” she says.

Brad Redburn, professor of human sexuality and psychology at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, says it is possible for nudity to be non-sexual. “I think that some nudists truly are just into nature and it isn’t a sexual thing,” Redburn says. “However, I think there are nudists who do it for sexual reasons. I think there are people on both sides of the coin.”

But Lake Edun and other naturist groups have no tolerance for sexual activity in public. Sexual comments are frowned upon at Lake Edun and Ernie says anyone behaving inappropriately will be escorted out and have their name added to a “Do not admit” list. “There are going to be creeps no matter where you go in life, if they’re in a coffee shop or at the beach,” Hoffman says.

The myth associating nudity with sexuality can be harmful. Ernie remembers a young woman who tried out for one of Lake Edun’s nude plays, only to have her boss threaten to fire her if she participated. As a result of such discrimination, naturists have an unspoken understanding not to “out” anyone they may encounter at a club or resort.

Other rules of etiquette at Lake Edun help maintain its family-friendly image. Genital piercings are banned from Lake Edun. “What would a piercing be there for?” Stephanie Cooper asks. “It’s there to draw attention to that area, to try to accentuate something.”

Men new to naturism tend to fear becoming visibly aroused by all the nudity and causing embarrassment or insult, says Ernie. However, he says this rarely happens. Ernie says young men are usually too nervous to get erections. If someone does, he will be expected to excuse himself from the group or cover himself with a towel.

Religious perspective

Some people actually see naturism as a spiritual practice, says Walter M. Green III, founder of the Maryland Area Naturist Association. “They see it as a connection to God and creation,” he says. “When you take off your clothing, you feel like you’re part of nature, part of creation.”

A lifelong Christian, Ernie says he always bought into the idea that modest dress lead to modest behavior. He says he also sees a tendency, among conservative Christians, to associate sexual body parts with sexual behavior. “But it was never explained to me that there is a separation between what you are and what you do,” Ernie says.

George Franck, a 25-year-old self-employed naturist from Gladstone, Mo., believes the Bible does not condemn or condone a nude lifestyle. Franck, the public relations and membership officer of the Heartland Naturists, a Kansas City-based naturist group, describes himself and his family as “pretty religious.” Citing John 21:7, Franck recounts the story of how Simon Peter, a fisherman, worked in the nude because his job was messy. Franck points out that in the biblical times, clothing was a luxury afforded only by the rich, and it was perfectly acceptable – and not at all sinful – for people like gardeners and fisherman to be nude.

Family-friendly

Obviously, most people in today’s society do not accept nudism nor do they incorporate it into their daily lives. When Ernie decided the naturist lifestyle was for him, he says he knew he had to tell his kids. With his children gathered in the living room one day, Ernie walked in naked and sat down. “I said, ‘There’s going to be some changes around here,’” says Ernie. The kids were surprised and a few of them say they still don’t understand why their parents are naturists. “Some of the kids think I’ve gone off the deep end and some think I’m still in a mid-life crises,” he says.

Jamie, the Coopers’ 24-year-old daughter, says she was initially shocked, but has since gotten used to the idea. Her parents invited her and her siblings to join them at Lake Edun and try the naturist lifestyle, but Jamie says she wasn’t interested. “I’m not comfortable with doing things like that, partly because I’ve been raised that you always stay dressed unless you’re in the shower or at the doctor’s office,” she says.

Now that she has learned not to view nudity as sexual, Stephanie questions her past parenting approaches. “I wonder how much harm we did do the kids by enforcing the modesty thing,” she says. If she could do it over, Stephanie says she would not insist that the bathroom door stay closed or place such an emphasis on privacy.

Lake Edun, like many naturist resorts, is actually a family place, and children are welcome to attend with their parents. George Franck and his wife Heather, 22, decided to raise their children, Austin, 5 and Brianna, 21 months, in the naturist lifestyle. The Francks attend the Heartland Naturists’ monthly nude swims and visit Lake Edun whenever they can. George says he spent time with relatives in a rural area as a child, where nudity was accepted and nothing to be ashamed of. As a result, he says he thinks he is more secure about his appearance. In contrast, George says his brother and sister, who did not spend as much time in the rural area with the relatives, grew up with much different body images. “My brother and sister are both very worried about how they look, my sister to the point of thinking she needs to diet all the time, although she’s very fit,” George says. “Her confidence and self-image are based on how others view her, not how she views herself.”

Nicky Hoffman from The Naturist Society points out research, including a 1988 study by R.J. Lewis and L. H. Janda and a 1979 study by M. D. Story, shows that children who have grown up in a naturist home are better adjusted and less likely to have problems with eating disorders or promiscuity as teens. Redburn, psychology and human sexuality professor, agrees. “I think naturism may even contribute to healthy attitudes toward one’s body and sexuality in adulthood,” he says.

At Lake Edun, clothing is optional for children until age 18. Hoffman says adolescents, even those raised in the naturist lifestyle, tend to lose interest or avoid participating while their bodies are changing. However, she says they typically come back to naturism when they have children of their own and want to raise them in that lifestyle.

Body image and health

Redburn acknowledges that while nudity may make some people feel inadequate about their bodies, it may also prevent it. “People who are comfortable being nudists seem to be more comfortable with sexuality in general,” he says.

While encouraging a positive body image is one reason the Francks have chosen to raise their children as naturists, George emphasizes the connection between body acceptance and a healthy lifestyle. While George admits he has a beer belly, he believes naturism aids self-acceptance of features such as large ears, excessive body hair and even skin color. “Accept what you can’t change and work on the things you can, but don’t obsess over it,” he says.

The Naturist Society actually offers workshops around the country about eating right and exercising, Hoffman says. “We believe that people should be healthy, but everybody’s ‘healthy’ is different,” she says.

When George’s wife, Heather first attended a nude swim hosted by the Heartland Naturists, she fell victim to a common misconception: naturists are all beautiful people with model-type bodies. “I was scared to death and about ready to cry,” Heather, a curvy blonde, says of her first experience at a nude swim. “I thought that everyone was going to be thin and prettier. I wondered, why someone who is not very fit would go into a place completely nude and not feel ashamed of themselves?” But once Heather entered the pool area, she says she was surprised at how nice everyone was. Strangers introduced themselves and chatted with the couple. “They weren’t staring at me or checking me out,” says Heather. Once Heather finally realized that naturism wasn’t what she thought, she says she started feeling better about herself. She noticed she had better self-esteem about her body and didn’t worry as much about what other people thought of her.

Stephanie Cooper learned this lesson as well. “My legs are like roadmaps, and not once has anyone said anything about my varicose veins,” she says.

In addition to the positive body image that comes with naturism, being nude just feels good. Hoffman says she’s heard everything from the feeling of freedom to how nice it is not to get sand in your bathing suit. “Swimming with no clothes on just felt nice,” says Heather Franck, referring to her first experience at the nude swim.

Try it

Along with the hesitance of society in the U.S. to see nudity as anything other than sinful, naturist clubs and resorts are still scarce in some areas. Nebraska doesn’t have any, so naturists from Omaha and Lincoln make the drive to Lake Edun or Heartland Naturist events on a fairly regular basis. Both organizations also draw visitors from Iowa and Missouri.

To attend Lake Edun, a “landed” naturist club, (meaning it actually has its own property) all prospective naturists need to do is just show up. Although Lake Edun is a membership-based club, unannounced visitors are welcome. But all visitors are asked to present identification for security purposes. New naturists may want to first attend Lake Edun on visitor weekends, with an optional clothing rule, until they decide to stay. Ernie says this is to prevent gawking, and also because clothed people tend to feel uncomfortable being the only ones not in the nude.

The Heartland Naturists are a non-landed organization, but the group holds several events throughout the year, including bowling, dinners, and a run/walk/jog, in addition to their monthly nude swims in Lenexa. George Franck says those who want to attend a Heartland Naturist event should send an e-mail to hnclub@kcsky.net.

Heartland Cove at Smithville Lake in Smithville, Mo., is not an officially recognized naturist beach, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has so far tolerated its use as such, says George Franck. Other area naturist organizations include Prairie Haven, about 25 miles south of Topeka, and Shady Lane near Hutchinson.

Before attending a naturist event, Stephanie Cooper recommends doing some research into the organization. Those new to naturism might want to find out if an organization is clothing-optional or clothes-free. Some groups are open only to couples and families, while others allow singles.

A warning, though: Green says some organizations that call themselves naturist or nudist clubs may be involved in drugs or sexual activities, which are not in alignment with naturism. A good bet would be to seek out a group affiliated either with The Naturist Society or the International Naturists Association, says Green.

And, Ernie acknowledges that naturism isn’t for everyone. “I think there are people who have so many hang-ups that they just can’t do it,” he says. “Society has so deeply engrained that into us.”

If you do decide to visit a naturist organization, bring a towel. Hoffman says this is one of the most important rules of naturist etiquette – no one wants to sit on a lawn chair that your exposed genitals have touched. You may feel uncomfortable for the first five minutes — until you realize no one is looking at you.

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