There’s some new initiative in San Francisco to ban public nudity with certain exceptions, which I guess must mean it’s currently legal in most contexts. So I’m wondering:
Assuming public nudity were legal everywhere, with the provisos that most nudist places adhere to such as sitting on a towel:
1a) how many people on SDMB would take full or partial advantage
1b) what portion of the general population do you think would take advantage (in general, based on age, based in sexual orientation, based on rural/urban, based on time since enacting, based on whatever context etc?).
Would this lead to a “slippery slope” with regard to public sex, or anything else?
How do nudist places deal with the particular issue of involuntary hardons (I assume open nudity legislation would deal with it in the same way)?
Your feelings or other general thoughts on the issue.
Personally, I think I would feel somewhat awkward at first but would get used to it. I don’t really want to be around other people’s junk on display unless they are attractive to me, but everyone’s body is natural, and I can’t legitimately say it’s fair of me to say that ugly clothed people can’t be in public either, so I consider it to be my own personal issue, and not something to be legislated to make me feel better and more comfortable.
I can’t think of any actual logical reason other than basic hygiene issues that are covered by the same basic towel sort of protocols covered by nudist places.
And I’m loathe to legislate other people’s behavior solely based on my social conditioning without some other basis or metric.
The only public nudity I’ve ever seen aside from a beach has been from obviously mentally ill individuals, so I’m guessing even if it was legal most would not partake.
But then hey I’ve never lived on the West Coast so
Not me; I seldom go naked even when I’m alone at home. Not an “embarrassed to be naked thing”, more a matter of feeling uncomfortable and exposed.
Only a small percentage. Most aren’t interested, and many live in climates where it would be just plain unpleasant or dangerous to wander around without clothing.
I doubt it.
Most people look much, much better with clothing on. And for hygiene reasons a pair of shorts would be a good minimum for everyone; I know you mentioned using towels, but that sounds like a far more awkward way to go about things.
I just heard about that proposal. I remember not too far back that one of the SF supervisors (a guy, forget which one) proposed not to ban nudity, but that they should bring a towel/ass sweat shield. People were offended by the idea :rolleyes:. Not reading their Adams. But SF isn’t like most places. The last time I can remember seeing it (Blush Wine Bar, Castro), the guys were wearing thin transparent sarong-like things. One didn’t carry a towel, but had the decency to stand even when a chair was available.
1a) Not me. Due to personal issues, sometimes I don’t wear a shirt at home because they’re physically constricting, but nobody needs to see me without a shirt in public.
Doubt it.
I hear you get used to it not being a sexual thing pretty quick, and also if it happens, people don’t make a big deal about it. Plus, google “nude beach” with no safe search, and realize that most nude beach patrons are not very attractive.
See above, sanitation is my main issue. As said, I’ve seen it, and it’s not really an issue. I don’t understand the lifestyle (e.g. “clothes constrain you, and are imposed by society, man!” but it’s also fucking cold in SF).
1b. Maybe 1% overall. A little higher in some places. People realize that if they walk around naked then I might walk around naked. And nobody wants that.
I don’t see a slippery slope. It might turn things around and make people less accepting of other types of public behavior.
There are many places where public nudity is allowed. Is there an increase of public sex there? I’m not aware of it, if there is. It’s not like nudist beaches are slowly becoming orgies or anything, that’s for sure.
That doesn’t mean I like being naked. It gets uncomfortable after a while. I think people often forget how functional clothing is. It keeps things from dangling or rubbing together. (And, of course, it keeps us warm, but no one forgets that.)
