"Residents between Te Hapua Rd and Peka Peka beaches have complained about increased "aggressive" nudity pushing locals off their beach.
The beach has been known as a gay meeting place for many years, with locals describing nude men "popping up like meerkats" in the sand dunes.
Residents say naturists, exhibitionists and voyeurs have added to the mix, resulting in couples copulating in public view, and other exhibitionist behaviour."See full article here.
I think that any sexualising of clothing optional beaches is a concern because it plays into the hands of those members of the public that are gymnophobic and want to see the few clothing optional beaches that we have, closed. They equate nudity with sex and therefore where there is nudity, in their minds, there are rampant sexual orgies.
What do I mean by sexualising? This is where any overt sexual activities take place on or near a designated clothing optional beach.
This whole perception is not helped by the fact that if you "google" Nudism or Naturism you pick up a lot of porn sites.
I remember reading in one of our Australian Naturist magazines an article about a naturist sailing through our beautiful barrier reef. He asked a young lady to join him as crew and she was happy to do so.
Then he added that he was a naturist and asked would that be a problem. She went away and did some research on the Internet and declined his offer because the majority of the sites she looked at were pornographic.
Therefore we must do what we can to decouple the idea of Naturism and sex.
Social Nudism in the past was primarily conducted at clubs that lay down a set of agreed rules that included appropriate behaviour and set clear boundaries of what was and was not acceptable.
When clothing optional beaches were legislated these same rules of behaviour, although largely unwritten, were adopted.
The Free Beach Association does have on its website:
. . . FREE BEACH ETIQUETTE . . .
The Naturist/Nudist community is a fantastic caring group of people from a diverse range of back grounds who are aware of the fragile balance and scrutiny their textile free family lifestyle attracts. This common sense approach to ‘free beach etiquette’ has been developed to ensure the growth, the safety and to facilitate a balanced acceptance of the textile free family lifestyle within mainstream society.
Stay out of dunes and re-vegetation areas
Obey regulations - National Park, life-saving, fire, fishing and parking
Don’t wander from established nude areas – this may risk the areas closure
No overt sexual activity - be nude not lewd – this just undermines our objectives
Don’t litter – carry out more than you brought in
Respect the property of others – ‘if your bum is bare cover the chair’
No unauthorized photography of others, especially children
Respect the privacy of others – allow others to have space – don’t stare
Come prepared & be sun smart – bring water, food, towels, sunscreens etc
Speak up for standards – carry copies of Free Beach Etiquette – report criminal activity to police
This guide should be on all clothing optional beaches right next to the "Nudity Permitted" official signs to ensure that all visitors to the beach know what behaviour is expected and what will not be tolerated by the other beach users.
I am not deluded enough to think that such a sign will be taken notice of, but a least it takes away the excuse that they did not know that what they were doing was in appropriate.
