2003.07.06 The Guardian
Florida's politicians are planning a cover-up as a furore grows about the existence of nudist summer camps for teenage children across America.
State Governor Jeb Bush, President George Bush's brother, promised last week to launch an investigation into whether illegal or inappropriate activity had taken place at the camps, designed for children aged 11 to 18.
Now one Republican in Florida's House of Representatives wants to make it illegal for children to be naked outdoors without their parents being present.
'When we're dealing with children, we have to make sure we protect them from negative exposure,' said John Quinones, who represents Kissimmee, where one of the state's largest nudist camps is based.
The controversy over children stripping off in the presence of adult strangers has grown since the New York Times highlighted the popularity of the summer camps.
Organisers insist the children's welfare and safety is their top priority and that 24-hour security guards are on duty to protect them from unwanted attention.
The assurances did not satisfy Florida Congressman Mark Foley, who wrote to Bush and State Attorney-General Charles Crist claiming the children were being exploited and demanding an investigation.
'I am also deeply troubled that these camps are businesses specifically exploiting nudity among minor children to make money,' he said.
Supporters of naturism suggest Foley's motivation is a desire to find a 'family values' issue in his campaign to win a seat in the US Senate.
