[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Topless Beaches, OK or not?

[Lynette]

As many of you already know, I grew up in a place where women being topless on a beach was no big deal. Almost everywhere I've been outside the US, it's that way too. Personally, except when I was in the US for school and such, I've never worn a top on any beach. Here on the isalnd where I live women walk up and down the beaches topless all the time. Nobody except maybe overly religious types seem to mind.
I could never understand why Americans seem to think boobs are such a bad thing when the rest of the world seems to be open to admiring them even in public. In the states, if a guy walks up to you on the beach and says "nice breasts" (even with a top on) most women will act genuinely pissed or embarrassed. Here, women just say thank you, take it as a compliment, and go on their way.
So, is being topless on public beaches a good thing? Bad thing? Or, what?And.why does American society seem to think it's so bad? Is it because when the English people(religious based puritans) who left England and settled in America brought all those old religious based principles with them? And to this day they've stuck? If so, it seems a shame that after two hundred years, American society hasn't been able to shed something like the sight of some bare breasts on a beach is a bad thing.
*KIISES*

[UncleBuck]

We have been to many topless beach's ...with our kids as well ..our son the first day was a little shocked but it was something that after the first day wasn't a issue anymore, it didn't bother him or our daughter.
If we didn't make nudity so taboo over here it wouldn't be an issue. Being nude is normal.. and this may ruffle some feathers but I think we may have less of a problem with pedophile fuckers if we didn't make such a big deal out of nudity... in the meantime they would be easy to spot on the nude beach and therefore easier to take out (I have absolutely zero tolerance for pedophiles they are the lowest life form)
I think we have to get over the stigma of nudes..it is funny that most of us have a European background but they seem to have evolved quicker than we have in that sense. To me and the whif nudity isn't a big deal

I say people get over it, be proud , be nude , we ALL are under our clothes

[diane26]

We have been to many topless beach's ...with our kids as well ..our son the first day was a little shocked but it was something that after the first day wasn't a issue anymore, it didn't bother him or our daughter.
If we didn't make nudity so taboo over here it wouldn't be an issue. Being nude is normal.. and this may ruffle some feathers but I think we may have less of a problem with pedophile fuckers if we didn't make such a big deal out of nudity... in the meantime they would be easy to spot on the nude beach and therefore easier to take out    (I have absolutely zero tolerance for pedophiles they are the lowest life form)
I think we have to get over the stigma of nudes..it is funny that most of us  have a European background but they seem to have evolved quicker than we have in that sense. To me and the whif nudity isn't a big deal

I say people get over it,  be proud , be nude , we ALL are under our clothes

 

Pedophiles are attracted to young children nude or not that is what they are attracted to so allowing nudity I do not see how that will lesson pedophiles.

America was established what 200 something years ago as opposed to the thousands of years other countries have been established that might be why we are behind on times.

But regardless we each should be fit to parent how we feel best if you are ok trotting the kiddos around the nudie beach than that is on you but the other parents that are not OK with it like myself should have the option to take my children to the beach and not have to worry about it.


Also Majority of sex crimes have little to do with a naked body and mainly have to do with a Control/Mental issue so not seeing people naked solves nothing.

[Isaac_Putin]

Pedophiles are attracted to young children nude or not that is what they are attracted to so allowing nudity I do not see how that will lesson pedophiles.

America was established what 200 something years ago as opposed to the thousands of years other countries have been established that might be why we are behind on times.

But regardless we each should be fit to parent how we feel best if you are ok trotting the kiddos around the nudie beach than that is on you but the other parents that are not OK with it like myself should have the option to take my children to the beach and not have to worry about it.
Also Majority of sex crimes have little to do with a naked body and mainly have to do with a Control/Mental issue so not seeing people naked solves nothing.

I have been to plenty of different nude beaches, so let me clarify a few things:

1. True nudists think of a nude beach as no more sexual than a beach that requires swimsuits. For that reason, nudists do not feel like they are exposing their children to either sexual attention or pedophiles on nude beaches. And in the vast majority of cases, they are correct. There is very little overt sexual activity on nude beaches, and anyone who acted suspicious around little children would be very quickly overwhelmed and cordoned off/kicked off by the nudist beach regulars.

2. There are not a lot of children on nude beaches anyway. The reason usually is that there are actually VERY FEW nude beaches in the United States. So, it takes a lot of logistical planning to get to a nude beach in the first place. They are usually off the beaten path, and require an extra mile's walk down from the "regular" beach. Too much trouble to take kids with you when it is a physical pain to get to the nude beach yourself.

3. Nude beaches in the U.S. are an infinitessimal fraction of the number of total beaches. I would guess the percentage is like .01%. Not 1%, mind you but 1/100th of that. So, the idea of a parent being forced to subject their children to nude people on the beach is "hypothetical". The odds of it happening are a statistical impossibility.

4. In Europe there is much more nudity/toplessness on the beaches. Examples are Denmark, Germany, and Croatia. However, the attitude toward nudity in general in these countries is much more blase than here. It's not considered shocking or titillating there, as opposed to here. As I stated earlier, this is the country that was founded by the strictest denominations of Christian churches in western Europe.

5. The U.S. is still much more liberal on this issue than Muslim countries, such as Iran, Egypt, many parts of Indonesia, etc. In those countries, you have segregated beaches - men and women not even allowed to mix. And when women do go to the beach, it is not in a swimsuit, but a veil, and head-to-toe clothing. So, things could be a hell of a lot worse.

[Lynette]

I have been to plenty of different nude beaches, so let me clarify a few things:

1. True nudists think of a nude beach as no more sexual than a beach that requires swimsuits.  For that reason, nudists do not feel like they are exposing their children to either sexual attention or pedophiles on nude beaches.  And in the vast majority of cases, they are correct.  There is very little overt sexual activity on nude beaches, and anyone who acted suspicious around little children would be very quickly overwhelmed and cordoned off/kicked off by the nudist beach regulars.

2. There are not a lot of children on nude beaches anyway.  The reason usually is that there are actually VERY FEW nude beaches in the United States.  So, it takes a lot of logistical planning to get to a nude beach in the first place.  They are usually off the beaten path, and require an extra mile's walk down from the "regular" beach.  Too much trouble to take kids with you when it is a physical pain to get to the nude beach yourself.

3. Nude beaches in the U.S. are an infinitessimal fraction of the number of total beaches.  I would guess the percentage is like .01%.  Not 1%, mind you but 1/100th of that.  So, the idea of a parent being forced to subject their children to nude people on the beach is "hypothetical".  The odds of it happening are a statistical impossibility.

4. In Europe there is much more nudity/toplessness on the beaches.  Examples are Denmark, Germany, and Croatia.  However, the attitude toward nudity in general in these countries is much more blase than here.  It's not considered shocking or titillating there, as opposed to here.  As I stated earlier, this is the country that was founded by the strictest denominations of Christian churches in western Europe.

5. The U.S. is still much more liberal on this issue than Muslim countries, such as Iran, Egypt, many parts of Indonesia, etc.  In those countries, you have segregated beaches - men and women not even allowed to mix.  And when women do go to the beach, it is not in a swimsuit, but a veil, and head-to-toe clothing.  So, things could be a hell of a lot worse.

Hmmm. I think I agree with most of what you're trying to say, all though we're not talking about those "isolated" NUDE beaches here. "Public" beaches and just being topless is more what we're about on here. While I have been on several nude beaches myself, and have never had a problem with it... "Top-free" public beaches are an entirely different kind of thing.
As for your comparison to some middle east regions... well, I'm 100% sure that if you were to let the religious right have their way for the next 50 to 80 years, America wouldn't be much different than countries like Iraq morally. Religious fundamentalists are religious fundamentalists regardless of what religion or nationality they represtent. They are people who (for whatever personal reason) have chosen to dedicate their entire time on this planet to the persuit of "SAVING" the world in the name of God. In my personal opinion, they're just plain dangerous when they try to institue influence in politics.

[Isaac_Putin]

     Hmmm. I think I agree with most of what you're trying to say, all though we're not talking about those "isolated" NUDE beaches here. "Public" beaches and just being topless is more what we're about on here. While I have been on several nude beaches myself, and have never had a problem with it... "Top-free" public  beaches  are an entirely different kind of thing.
     As for your comparison to some middle east regions... well, I'm 100% sure that if you were to let the religious right have their way for the next 50 to 80 years, America wouldn't be much different than countries like Iraq morally. Religious fundamentalists are religious fundamentalists regardless of what religion or nationality they represtent. They are people who (for whatever personal reason) have chosen to dedicate their entire time on this planet to the persuit of "SAVING" the world in the name of God. In my personal opinion, they're just plain dangerous when they try to institue influence in politics.

Lynette,

1. In the U.S. there is no distinction -- almost all "topless" beaches are also nude beaches. With the exception of South Beach in Miami, and some areas in California. Feel free to correct me if you know of others. Therefore, I believe my analogy is appropriate when I describe "public" and "isolated", which can be the same thing. An isolated beach is one that takes a while to get to and is less crowded. But it can still be a public beach.

2. I also brought this up because Diane mentioned people with kids being offended by the the sight of body parts they wouldn't normally see. It seemed to me she was referencing people with NO swimsuit, not just topless.

3. One area that seems to have gotten past this is Canada. Because of the hard work of top-free equality activists (people who think women should be able to go without shirts in public if men can), women in certain areas of Canada can appear almost anywhere in Canada, not just the beach, topless. Good for them.