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The Alltogether

Banner Triggers Complaint at Oregon Mall

February 18th, 2010

Last week we heard from AANR Government Affairs Team volunteer Shirley Gauthier with report of a story too important not to pass on.

It seems that Shirley and other volunteers from The Willamettans nudist club in Marcola, Oregon, set up a table alongside other participating members of the area chamber of commerce at an annual event held within a local shopping mall. Within minutes of putting up a tasteful “window shade” type display banner, they were asked to take the banner down. Ever diplomatic and cordial, Shirley complied but she did ask why. The reason? Its presence had generated a complaint to mall management.

What triggered the complaint? The words American Association for Nude Recreation, as well as the AANR-Northwest logo that appeared along with very discreet pictures, shots of couples pictured from their shoulders up, plus a 40-something woman crouched behind her dog after enjoying a stroll on a nude beach.

But the story doesn’t end there. As she lowered the banner, Shirley looked directly across the mall corridor from her location into a full-size window promotion for a well-known chain that sells novelty items. The feature items? A corset “trio” complete with garter belt and skimpy bra–modeled on a poster by a woman wearing the getup and little else while grasping the metal pole on a touring bus. Delightfully surprised men look on, and a girlfriend snaps pictures. Oh…plus a few adult “novelties” in a briefcase are also on display.

Ironic, huh?

Admittedly, the store is a rent paying tenant, and the chamber of commerce conducting its trade show was a guest. Hence Shirley’s tactful cooperation (FYI: she did follow up the day’s events with a very well-stated letter to the chamber president.)

But what does it say about current attitudes toward nudity in this country when a banner in which 40-something adults appear where there’s little more than implied simple nudity and it triggers a complaint within minutes? Yet crowds pass novelties, lingerie, or T-shirts bearing crass slogans, offered for sale. And they don’t seem to bat an eye.

From time to time, I am asked, “Why do we even need an AANR?” I hope this story provides another answer. We’ll continue to do what we have done since 1931: advocating for nudity within appropriate settings and educating the public about the wholesome benefits that enjoying nudity offers.

For those who want something else, it appears they’ll have to visit the local mall.

By AANR Executive Director Erich Schuttauf from the February 12 AANR Weekly Report.

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Nudity, AANR, the Law, and Consequences

October 26th, 2009

By AANR Executive Director Erich Schuttauf…

In a report to clubs and trustees last week we let you know that AANR had assisted a prominent attorney with legal information.

Two weeks ago we discussed a couple’s lawsuit against Wal-Mart and the city of Peoria, Arizona, after their three daughters, aged between one and six, were removed from the family home over nude photos of the girls taken at bath time. The children remained in state custody for over a month while authorities investigated the photos after a Wal-Mart photo clerk alerted authorities. (A judge later ruled the pictures did not violate criminal laws.)

This week the latest news came from Virginia where accounts first reported that a “man faces jail for making coffee in his own home naked.” Those accounts proffered that the defendant woke up at 5:30 a.m., stumbled to the kitchen in his home, and proceeded to make coffee in the nude. Hours later, police showed up at his door to cite him for indecent exposure after a mom and her seven-year-old son observed him in the window while taking a “short cut” that crossed his front yard on their way to school.

For those of us for whom nudity is a way of life, at times these reports can seem overwhelming. If we face jail or steep legal fees for taking innocent snaps of our kids, or enjoying nudity within our own homes and backyards, we’re left wondering “What will be next???”

It prompts me to offer a few observations and make one promise to you.

First, there is little question that sensationalized news accounts have a marked impact on what nudists and non-nudists alike believe is unlawful. In turn, that can have a demonstrable impact on their willingness to give nude recreation a try or other behavior. For example, “Mr. Coffee” touched off several messages to our office opining that members feel forced to cover up. It’s not surprising given that visitors who responded to a survey on our blog this week voted the “privacy of home” among the top places they enjoy nude recreation.

Remember the Arizona photo case? I’ll leave it to you to speculate on whether it had anything to do with a printing company’s recent refusal to publish the newsletter of an AANR club located in the Pacific Southwest. It contained a cover picture depicting members of all ages in a line onstage during a club talent show. The club was a long-standing customer.

Next, I’ll acknowledge that with most such cases, AANR faces a significant obstacle that must be overcome to respond to the news story properly: like all “merely mortal” readers, viewers, and listeners, we often do not have first-hand knowledge of the facts. Did the parents of the young girls take photos that came too close to the line? Did Mr. Coffee simply stumble around the kitchen preparing brew, or did he stand spread eagle in open doorways and a large plate glass picture window at 8:40 in the morning-and were mother and son taking only a small shortcut between two very public sidewalks from which one could have just as easily seen a purposeful display as has also been alleged?

Responding too quickly, without knowing all the facts for certain, brings peril if initial reports and assumptions turn out untrue. Yet the early innings of a story are usually the stage where our blood is boiling at its hottest. DAMN IT. If AANR knows about this it should be DOING something.

The media likes to hear us say “damn it.” “Damn it” makes us buy newspapers. “Damn it” keeps us listening over the commercial break.

I want all our members and clubs to be assured that AANR hears the frustration in your phone calls and e-mail messages. I cannot promise you that we will be goaded into premature action because doing so can all-too-easily detract from a reputation of providing a credible voice of reason for nude recreation.

But I do promise you that AANR will continue to track events, to take the extra time that it takes to research the facts, or find out what the jury determined so that we can continue providing reliable guidance. And that we WILL speak out in cases of clear injustice to nudists.

In closing, let me return to Peoria, Arizona, one more time. This week, our office secured a copy of the written police reports prepared at the outset of the police investigation just hours after the call from Wal-Mart, plus subsequent interviews with the parents and a thorough search of their home.

The reports reveal what the judge ruled: These parents are probably not pornographers. They are (make that were) just very matter-of-fact about the nudity of their young kids and a cousin or two, and took a limited number of snapshots and home video of same. But the reports also reveal aspects of the photos that legitimately would have triggered alarm bells for the Wal-Mart clerk and the police. They are the same aspects discussed in the “Legal Issues in Nude Photography” fact sheet available to clubs and members in the Member Benefits section of aanr.com. It is fair to conclude that had the parents known and observed the same guidelines we provide, their case may have not gone as far as it did.

There are lots of laws and rules of thumb to keep track of and they constantly change. Your dues and support make it possible.

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Has AANR Become Outdated?

September 3rd, 2009

Commentary by AANR President John Kinman

That’s the title of an article that will run (or has run by the time you read this) by the new owner of Pasco Naturally.

For the second time in 15 months, the AANR Board of Trustees voted to suspend the charter of a major club in Florida. The particulars were different, but both centered on the board’s feelings that the marketing practices of the clubs were contrary to our principles and standards related to sexual exploitation of the human body. In 2008, the issue was Caliente which invited swinger groups to sponsor “theme nights” at the resort and planned to sponsor a booth at “Swingfest.” This year it was Paradise Lakes which scheduled a “Miss G String” contest with non-nudist models and planned to air the event on the Playboy Channel under the theme “69 sexy things to do before you die.”

The AANR ruling documents provide that “A charter may be temporarily suspended by the President if charges are filed by the pertinent regional division or the suspension is approved by the board of trustees; such suspension to be effective until the next in-person meeting of the board of trustees.” Suspension is not a finding of guilt. It gives the association time to complete further investigation and gives club management time to develop an appeal before the charter is revoked. In both cases, club management decided to withdraw from AANR before the process could be completed.

Management of both clubs told me that economics were the reason for their decisions. They claim that traditional nudists do not spend the dollars on room rentals, meals and drinks that are necessary for the resort to be profitable. They need to reach another audience with the propensity to spend more money. I understand the problem. AANR, itself, has experienced a drop in membership as have nearly all membership organizations. As we manage our organizations, we need to adapt and do things differently in order to survive. However, we also need to step back and remember what we stand for.

In the past several years, AANR has been very successful in changing public perception about nude recreation. Major media outlets have featured nude recreation as a legitimate recreational choice. AANR has also been very successful in changing the viewpoint of elected officials and government agencies. We have differentiated ourselves from the adult business industry. We are being recognized as the credible voice of reason for nude recreation. The affiliation with AANR has enabled many clubs to get building permits, liquor licenses, and sometimes to be allowed to exist. That public trust cannot be jeopardized.

This past summer, AANR sponsored The AANR World Record Skinny-Dip. Club owners and beach organizers reported that many people participated who had never before been nude in mixed company. The press reports were the greatest we have ever seen for an event. Clubs signed up new members. The event portrayed wholesome family nude recreation. No one confused it with a strip show or a swinger convention. The event told me that, with focused marketing, our resorts and AANR can grow in membership without a sexual tone.

One of the resort owners told me that “the only thing acceptable to AANR is sitting on a log watching a campfire.” I think that most AANR members would disagree with that assessment. Times have certainly changed from the 1950s when I became involved as a child. We have more tolerance. But, most of us see that there is a line which should not be crossed if we are to be true to our brand and to the promises we gave to public officials. The AANR plaque on the wall of a club or participating business needs to stand for something. Sometimes we need to take a stand to enforce that.

I am sorry to lose two clubs with wonderful facilities which have provided a destination resort for many AANR members and potential members. My wife and I have visited both many times. I also feel for the members who have invested thousands of dollars to buy a condominium in a resort that has changed its image. My personal hope is that the management of these resorts re-examine their marketing strategy and agree to uphold the principles and standards of AANR.

After years of fighting for our right to exist, it’s a bit strange to hear from a club owner that we may be “outdated.” We walk a tough line between ultra-conservatives who would outlaw our clubs and the adult industry which wants to piggy-back on our success in bringing public acceptance. We know our niche and what it takes to protect our brand. And, we draw the line.

Posted in Viewpoint. 76 Comments »

Why Your AANR Membership Matters

September 3rd, 2009

Nudism At Its Best

By Pat Brown

I joined AANR in 1984. While it doesn’t seem that many years ago, the world of information as we now know it was considerably different. The Internet did not exist as we know it now. Darrel and I did not own a computer, and there was little information available on the location of AANR clubs or public lands. The AANR North American Guide to Nude Recreation was invaluable, and was the main source of information on clubs. The Bulletin was our only source of “nudist news” and issues. AANR provided a community, the certainty that we were not alone in the world but part of a large network of people who enjoyed nude recreation. The value to our AANR membership was very obvious.

The world has changed. Darrel and I now own three computers. Almost every AANR club has a Web site, and AANR has a Web site that provides all the information one could want or need. There are blogs and chat rooms and a world of people who enjoy, debate, and discuss nude recreation. Some of the North American Guide information is available online. And just as certainly, the way I think about my AANR membership has changed as well.

My membership has become more important to me as I have learned that AANR is the association that assures my right to continue to enjoy nude recreation at AANR clubs and public lands. AANR is truly recognized by the media and legislators alike as the credible voice of reason for nude recreation. It is also the association with strength of conviction and pride in its principles and standards. A recent article on the travel blog Examiner.com expressed it perfectly: “If you’re nakationing with your family, be certain that your destination is AANR endorsed; you’ll be able to count on naturism at its best.”

That’s my AANR: Nudism at its best! And my dues dollars are important to make sure AANR continues to have that strong credible voice. Yes, my membership and your membership matters.

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Family Nudity the Topic du Jour

July 30th, 2009

Commentary by AANR Executive Director Erich Schuttauf…

Who knew that an article appearing two weeks ago in The New York Times entitled “When Do They Need a Fig Leaf?” about parental attitudes toward nudity and children would generate so much discussion? From journalists to child experts to everyday people, it seems everyone has an opinion about whether it is proper to be nude in front of one’s own children at home, for the kids to be nude, what to do about guests, and whether romping in the backyard sprinkler au naturel is okay.

For those of you who saw the original Times piece the letters to the editor which appeared days later and included an “official” response from AANR or the reader comments on the Times website, there are many words from parents and professionals alike in which to find comfort.

The same is true for opinions on a Today show television segment. And “spinoff” stories appearing in other media spurred by the intensity of interest in this topic…

The Salt Lake Tribune

The Washington Post

The San Francisco Chronicle

Politics Daily

The Daily Sound

Clearly, there are many people who may not consider themselves nudists who believe that nudity is a natural, healthy choice for families.

However, you owe it to yourselves and your clubs to peruse the comments, quips, and in a few cases vitriolic outbursts, from those who disagree with family nudity of any kind. A range of objections from claims it is unsanitary—just about every news article, it seems, had to include some jarring mention of toddlers taking an unexpected whiz on the lawn—to immoral, rude, even outright dangerous to allow any nudity beyond individual showering.

This speaks to an issue that may be lost in the very true statistics we often cite about how many North Americans have gone skinny-dipping, or think beaches should be set aside for nude bathing: the vehement, even chauvinist attitudes of those who disapprove of nudity. In their exaggerated reports, refusal to consider facts, and protests that they “DON’T care how families do things in Europe,” one understands why their must be organizations like AANR, its regions, and clubs to provide a credible voice to counter bald assertions and “what ifs.”

Please remember stories like this the next time someone poolside asks, “Why do nudists need AANR?”

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An American Tradition

June 29th, 2009

norman-rockwell-no-swimming

With The AANR World Record Skinny-Dip less than two weeks away, media interest is heating up. So far, the American Association for Nude Recreation PR team and affiliated club spokespersons across North America have been interviewed for online news features, print media articles and radio and television interviews. Upcoming features based on recent interviews will appear in major print newspapers before the event on July 11.

With all the positive publicity building, there have been a couple of articles written by people who aren’t aware of the history behind skinny-dipping. One San Francisco blogger writes that he is not aware of any art work that depicts skinny-dipping and questions why the Skinny-Dip has no designated location in San Francisco.

Since the Skinny-Dip is being coordinated by AANR, the event will take place at participating AANR clubs (there are over 260) in North America and legally sanctioned nude locations such as Haulover Beach in Miami, Florida. And even though there are no AANR clubs located in San Francisco, there are nine California locations that are participating, so we welcome this blogger and anyone else who would like to take part to find a sponsoring AANR club near them.

Secondly, skinny-dipping is a wholesome activity that harks back to the ol’ swimming hole that is a part of early Americana popularized by Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Norman Rockwell’s painting No Swimming graced the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1921. And who can forget the little girl in the original Coppertone ad whose dog pulled her bathing suit below her bare bottom? Until the early twenty-first century when the ad was changed, no one gave it a second thought it was so ingrained in popular culture. Historical figures such as President John Quincy Adams regularly went skinny-dipping in the Potomac.

So on July 11, make sure you are part of what is sure to be another historical marker in skinny-dipping lore, The AANR World Record Skinny-Dip, a Guinness World Records™ event. The American Association for Nude Recreation serves thousands of members who prefer their outdoor activities be clothes-free. It is simply more comfortable and fun that way no matter what the weather forecast might be.

Click here to find a location near you.

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A Reminder of Why Washington Matters

June 19th, 2009

A Report By AANR Executive Director Erich Schuttauf…

Last week ten members of AANR and I wrapped up visits to Capitol Hill along with meetings with officials from several public lands agencies and even the judiciary in Washington, D.C.

Some may wonder why these visits are important. After all, most of the issues our clubs and members face occur at the local and state level. Washington seems far away. And federal regulations don’t seem to affect them much. Why spend time and money trying to establish relationships and position ourselves as an expert resource there?

I’d like to share a true story from among my experiences last week which may help answer that question. It does not involve the subject of nude recreation, but is quite illustrative.

While in the office of a member of Congress, I observed three men having an “animated” discussion with a staff person. I listened with one ear as I wrote notes on material I was dropping off with the front desk. As the discussion progressed, the three men sounded more and more desperate.

”This is killing our business.”

”We are already suffering from a downturn in the economy and now customers refuse, or are being directed to refuse, our service.”

”Most of these businesses are just like ours. We own or lease just one vehicle and use it in our local community. But the federal government is putting us out of business.”

Who were these men? From what I could gather of the conversation, one was a private pilot, the other two drove “black cars.” All three were from a place far from the marble-lined halls of Washington.

You are familiar with black cars drivers. They are the people who pick up travelers for whom appointments have been made at the airport. Usually you see them in the baggage claim area holding cardboard signs with names scrawled on them.

Their troubles come in the wake of recent public uproar about overpaid banking, finance, and auto executives who have sought federal “bailout” money through things like TARP (the Troubled Assets Relief Program). Washington has grilled such executives over expensive perks like private jets and limousines; scorn that began with such excesses eventually reached the simple private aircraft chartered to reach remote destinations and black cars which are usually only modestly priced more than other forms of transportation.

New measures pending in Congress would prohibit the use of such services by any institution receiving TARP type assistance if there is any cheaper means of travel available. Problem is, even those who have not applied for federal help are directing personnel to avoid services like black cars, anticipating that they may need bailouts in the future.

However one may personally feel about the issue it makes the point that the nation’s capitol can have a powerful business-ending impact on a very local one-person car business. (You’ll remember that it was finance, insurance, and auto executives seeking help, not private pilots and drivers.)

Let’s suppose we could turn back the clock about four years and go to those same drivers and pilots. Suppose we asked them to travel as unpaid volunteers to Washington to share their stories during pro-active office visits. Or to pay membership dues and donate or raise money to send other volunteers. What kind of responses do you think we’d get?

”Why do I care about Washington, D.C.? The local license fee that the City of ____ charges me is much more important.”

”What would we do there? Put a face on drivers for some Congress person I don’t even know. For what? A few pennies on a federal gas tax or something?”

”We would never have an issue. Congress couldn’t or wouldn’t dare to touch our business. They probably need our cars. Besides, if there’s ever an issue we’ll go see Congress then.”

When the American Association for Nude Recreation reports news of Washington visits I sometimes hear similar talk.

For the three men I observed visiting Congress last week, it may be too late. The wording affecting their businesses is already in several bills. It happened because anger with a few executives in a few industries was directed at the services they and other business travelers used. When lawmakers thought of its implications they saw overpaid executives instead of small business owners. Or drivers with families to support. Or the faces that welcome a traveler to a strange town.

With these points in mind, I invite you to read the following article prepared by a Fox News congressional correspondent concerning your AANR GAT Team. I am very proud of them and I think you should be too.

http://congress.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/13/universal-coverage/

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Nudity and Politics

June 15th, 2009

The Fox News blog, The Speaker’s Lobby, ran a story Saturday about AANR’s trip to Washington, D.C., during Great Outdoors Week. The post covered many of the reasons AANR has felt the need to attend the yearly event for the past 10 years. The Association advocates for the right to be nude in appropriate settings at legally sanctioned nudist venues. The piece also featured quotes from many in the AANR contingent on the reasons they are nudists and what nudism has meant to them personally and as part of the Association.

The post, titled “Universal Coverage,” a play on words regarding the healthcare program that is being debated in Congress, contained many of the puns and innuendos that nudists have come to expect occasionally in news stories. Most were harmless but with a decided political flavor such as “And you thought people only lost their shirts because the economy was bad.” But some of the comments seemed unnecessarily divisive and had nothing to do with AANR’s lobbying efforts in D.C., a case of politics as usual.

When it was mentioned that Benjamin Franklin took daily “air baths” and President John Quincy Adams frequently skinny-dipped in the Potomac, once having his clothes held hostage by a reporter until he agreed to an interview, writer Chad Pergram used the information to bring the issue back to another kind of politics.

“Too bad House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) doesn’t go for a daily swim in the Potomac like Adams. Maybe some reporters could hold her clothes hostage to convince the Speaker to finally answer some more questions about her accusations that the CIA lied about interrogation methods,” Pergram wrote.

Luckily, the AANR representatives were able to stay on messages and were generally well received. As one anonymous Democratic aide noted, the American Aassociation for Nude Recreation giveaways are the most popular they receive all year.

Click here to read the article.

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Nude Calendars Help Charities–and Possibly Nudism

June 9th, 2009

The latest nude calendar story to hit the media comes from none other than Oxford University, the prestigious London academic institution. Sixty students shed their clothes to pose for a nude calendar to benefit the university’s TravelAid, a program that provides funding for students that volunteer abroad.

Nude calendars are not really news anymore. Arguably the most well-known nude calendar is the one created 10 years ago when a group of middle-aged British women were looking for a unique way to raise money in memory of a friend’s late husband who died from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Their efforts resulted in the Yorkshire Dales Nude Calendar, which spawned a hit movie, Calendar Girls, starring Helen Mirren and sparked a global trend in nude calendars. The women recently announced they are planning to release another nude calendar in 2010 to benefit Leukemia Research.

Statistics are available to show how nude calendars financially benefit a variety of worthwhile causes from cancer to animal rescue. Yet statistics are unclear as to whether participants in the ventures actually find a new-found body acceptance and/or respect for the fundamentals of nudism.

The Oxford students apparently did. In an article posted about the making of the calendar at SmasHits.com, the students said, “We all got such a taste for stripping after we shot the calendar that we couldn’t stop taking our clothes off around campus–it might be catching. I think we were all shocked at how much we enjoyed it.”

What do you think? Might something such as posing for a nude calendar highlight what nudists already know–the stress-free liberation of going au naturel–for someone who has never experienced it before? Might it lead to new converts to nudism?

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