Auto-SummaryPublic nudity laws vary by location, often differing between men and women in the US. While there are instances where nudity is permitted, such as parades, festivals, and nude beaches, it is generally considered indecent exposure to be fully nude in public. The arguments against public nudity often include religious/spiritual grounds, sanitation concerns, offense, and rape rates. However, the speaker believes that these arguments are flawed and that public nudity laws are unjust. They suggest that a slow transition to accepting public nudity could help reduce stigma and that there is no inherent harm in public nudity.
So chances are wherever you may live there are laws in place that make being partially or fully nude in public a crime in many instances. While there may be parades, festivals, and nude beaches where nudity is allowed or tolerated at certain times, it's generally considered "indecent exposure" to stroll down a public street in most of the US while completely nude.
The laws surrounding public nudity are often not equal between men and women. In most places (in the US at least) it is not unlawful for a man to be without a top in public, while it is unlawful for a woman to be without a top in public. I think that should be a huge red flag that something's wrong already.
Obviously clothes can serve a practical purpose (protection, insulation, item storage, to represent/advertise something, other aesthetic reasons, etc.) and it is beneficial to wear clothes at certain times. But when did it become the norm to cover up our bodies even when it wasn't necessary? I've read a few theories on the origin of clothing worn by Homo sapiens. One theory is that we are the only surviving primate to wear clothes, and we copied from another species. Another is that during the last or maybe during an earlier of the ice ages it became necessary for us to wear clothes for survival and it just became a cultural norm to wear clothes even when the weather began to permit nakedness again many years later. Another theory is we started wearing clothes to combat feelings of low self-esteem/shame/inadequacy, jealousy, feelings of being offended, or all of the above.
I've informally debated the subject of public nudity with people before, and those who defend indecency laws often use the same arguments. Some of the most popular arguments I can think of would be for religious/spiritual regions, sanitation, it's offensive/immoral, and rape rates. I'm not ok with basing laws on religious/spiritual grounds. Sanitation I can understand, but regulations requiring one to wear a certain amount of clothing to use public benches, public transportation, or in other situations when one's naked body would be in contact with public stuff would be preferable to outright "no public nudity." I don't think people have the right to not be offended, and I don't think it's appropriate to constantly try to legislate morality. I honestly have no idea if there is any evidence to suggest that nudity = more rape, but it kind of sounds like bs. If someone has some decent evidence from studies done about rape in nudist/naturist colonies or something I would be interested in seeing it.
I've been told society would assuredly fall should largely unrestricted public nudity ever be permitted. I really doubt it though. For one, there are places in the US that already allow public nudity under free speech, but that free speech isn't exercised too often by the majority. I think Oregon is a state that allows public nudity as an expression of free speech, as long as there is no "intent to arouse" (whatever the fuck that means ). Most people in Oregon wear clothes in public though.
I think if public nudity suddenly became legal , most people would be reluctant to take advantage of the freedom at first. As a culture we're raised to be ashamed of nudity and to cover certain parts of our body, and that probably wouldn't fade over night. There would likely be a slow transition into it being an acceptable practice to go walk around the neighborhood naked. Would it distract people at first, at least for a few years until the majority of our culture is born into a society where public nudity doesn't have the same stigma as the past? I think that's a reasonable assumption of how it would play out, but I don't see that as being all that negative. People fear change, and if change is too big or too fast people might freak out. Slow transition might be less problematic.
I understand there are many people who find the human body offensive, or at least particular human bodies. I realize not everybody wants to look at a big, naked, hairy dude. But I don't think it's anyone's right to not be offended. The sheer range of things people get offended by is outstanding. I just don't understand I guess. Seriously what the fuck, how have people become conditioned to be offended by nudity, the human body in it's natural state? Are there people who close their eyes when they change clothes or shower?
Being nude in public doesn't appear to be inherently harmful to clothed people or other nude people, nor is it destructive to people's private property. I don't think it impedes on the freedom of others. I don't think nudity is necessarily sexual, but I personally don't think it should matter if it was. I don't have a problem with it. I think it would be great if people had the choice to not wear clothes in public while not facing legal repercussions should they choose to be naked.






I think public nudity laws for the most part are complete bullshit and ridiculous. What are your thoughts?
Edited by MorphinTime (10/01/12 07:44 PM)
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