2007.05.15 The Guardian
"Unlike any other place in life, people actually look at you when they talk to you," Robyn Maguire, 27, a Connecticut nudist told the Associated Press yesterday. Unfortunately, in many cases they may not like what they see.
The American Association for Nude Recreation is so concerned at its failure to attract young people that it is organising a conference in Florida next month to try to find ways to lower the age profile. The association fears American nudism, which has struggled to gain acceptance since the 1930s, could die out. "If a young person is enlightened enough to go to a beach or resort, they'll find they're outnumbered by people who are not like them," said Sam Miller, 32, organising the conference. "Oftentimes they won't go back."
Miller advocates initiatives for young people, such as discount schemes. "There's a financial barrier, and I think it's important for resorts, if they want young people around, to recognise that and cater to them with discounts or free days."
The association sanctions a network of 270 clubs that more resemble golf clubs than the ideal of a free-living community. At one, the Solair Recreation Club in Connecticut, the average age is 55. The club charges $500 annual membership to people over 40 but college students can strip off for a mere $150. "We don't want the place to turn into a gated assisted living facility," said Gordon Adams, Solair's membership director.
American nudism, which came from Germany, could be falling to the same pressures as have fuelled the culture wars of the last decade. As social conservatives have been in the ascendant, public nudity has been seen as morally corrupt. Several states have passed laws outlawing public nudity, including skinny-dipping. In Montana it carries a six-month sentence.
