The Bare Facts

The truth behind a misunderstood subculture: nudism

Dayna Colbert

When spring leaves its lasting mark and drives the chill of winter away, people like Stephanie Ripple head to their favorite place: Fern Hills Club. They start to play volleyball, go for a swim, and take their kids to the park. There are campfires, parties, and dances. Great memories are made, and reflected upon year after year. The only difference between them and "clothed minded" people is that they do these activities nude.

Nudism, in its most basic sense, is the preference of a person to be naked. It doesn't have to be at all times; in fact, being nude in public is a crime that, in Indiana, is a Class A felony with either a year's imprisonment or a $5,000 fine. Because of this, nudist camps and colonies have to register with the American Association of Nude Recreation (AANR), and become a private establishment, according to Ripple. And, as the daughter of the owner of a nudist camp in Bloomington, IN, she would know the ins and outs of nudist recreation.

A seemingly straightforward sub-culture, nudist traditions vary from camp to camp. Some people view it as a lifestyle choice, only visiting those camps that don't allow clothing at all. Others prefer to take the "clothing optional" approach. Either way, not everyone is naked at all times away from the camps, even in their own homes.

While reputable nudist colonies and camps register with AANR, there are colonies who do not, and these are ones many people view nudists to be. Nudists in the true sense are not associated with these groups, called swingers. Swinger clubs are more targeted to allow people to hook up and are sexually oriented, something nudists try to distance themselves from.

The thing about nudism that draws many to practice the sub-culture is the freedom behind it. According to Ripple, it's about "freedom, really. You don't have to worry about any kind of labels. It doesn't matter about what you have and what you don't have." There's nothing sexual about nudism in the reputable AANR camps. It's just about having fun in the nude, and being completely comfortable with who you are in your own skin.

The AANR was established in 1931, and works to ensure the safety of all who visit AANR registered nudist sites. They make sure everyone who will be visiting these sites is a member of the AANR, which helps keep pedophiles and sexual deviants out. Besides for these groups of people, the AANR welcomes everyone and strives to make sure nudist gatherings are free from sexuality.

According to Dr. George Gaither, sexual psychology professor at Ball State University, nudism is "not about sexuality; in fact it's about just the opposite. It's about being what we were when we were first brought into this world." The main reason a naked body is sexually arousing for those who do not frequently participate in nudism, he hypothesizes, is because "the only time we see naked people is when we are in a sexual situation, or at least we've kind of made it that way."

But this doesn't mean that nudists can't find sexuality in their lover's nudity. It just takes the right setting and mood to help that along, says Dr. Gaither. "It's just like anything else. If there's a guy and he has his hot girlfriend on his lap, of course he's gonna get aroused. You just put it in the environment," states Ripple.

Being exposed to a nudist environment could help divorce the idea that nudism is sexual, as seen in Ripple's case. She has been in the nudist environment of Fern Hills her whole life, and believes it helped her become more comfortable with who she was. She learned from an early age that acceptance wasn't dependent on clothing or material items, since "everybody" already accepted her for who she was.

Even so, when the club first opened in 1949, there was a skirmish involving police, where the first recruits were arrested for public nudity. But since then, there haven’t been any disturbances from the locals, according to the Monroe County Police Department. Many of the nudists have connections with the local community, through the Board of Health or attorneys.

There isn't any direct disgust from nudity from surrounding churches. St. Charles Church in Bloomington, IN, knows that Fern Hills Club is in Bloomington. "I even know someone who went to the nudist camp in Bloomington. It's common knowledge that there's a nudist camp," a member of the church says. But since the church "has no dogma," they "just don't condemn" any walk of life, trying "to live as Christ would."

With a lack of community outcry, some members have to face reproach from those they are close to. Ripple left the lifestyle for a few years, because a boyfriend and his family didn’t approve of it. At that time, she "had a lot of other things going on in my life and didn't have the time, or maybe I should say, didn't make the time to go to camp." But after living with "clothed minded" people for five years, she realized she missed everything about the lifestyle she left behind.

"Growing up a nudist and with other young nudists you build these friendships that are like no other friendships you will ever have," Ripple says. Through these friendships, lasting memories are made. One that she's particularly fond of is the time a few of her friends got together with a straight razor to shave George's, hair off. Right after doing so, "one of the guys" came up behind the group and put aftershave on George's head. "You could see the burn in his eyes," she remarks of the experience. "We were all laughing so hard." Experiences like that connect the community and bring a closer sense of family to the camp.

The community aspect is a major reason why people choose to become, and continue to be, nudists. They look out for each other, as seen through Fern Hills. A woman who has multiple sclerosis was not able to purchase a golf cart to get around the premises with. When members of the camp heard about this, they pooled their resources to buy her a golf cart. The community looks out for everyone, and the atmosphere is one of acceptance and family.

But the major thing the community, and nudism in general, can do for a person is give them self-confidence. Dr. Gaither has heard embracing nudism described as "fully achieving self-actualization by being nude because they're stripping all of the requirements of society away."

One such requirement is society’s idea of what beauty is, since there are many shapes and sizes that frequent nudist camps. "They find nudism and realize that your body's beautiful no matter what it is," Ripple says. With this outlook about the body, when compared to the images we are berated with on a daily basis, it is easy to understand why someone would choose to stay with this lifestyle.

Written April 22, 2010 for my intro to mag class. Just trying to protect myself.

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