Tag: harassment

A naturist’s view on dick pics

What?

Yes. Dick pics. You saw that. A few days ago I heard a podcast in which, among other things, was a mention of dick pics. Before you jump to conclusions: this is not an invitation to send them in. Quite the contrary.

So why a blog post about dick pics?

In the podcast they talked about the fact that women who dare to show themselves online in a naturist forum or on social media, either dressed or undressed, are amazingly quickly ‘treated’ to images sent by a certain kind of gentlemen. Images, as you have already guessed, of their penis.

taking a dick pic

Hearing this, I wondered what goes on in the mind of people who do that. They’re clearly not naturists because naturists know better than to surprise people with pictures of certain parts of their anatomy.

A picture of a man’s penis isn’t something most women aren’t waiting for. Following that train of thought, I suddenly wondered how the average, non dick pic sending man would interpret such a surprise. Would you, sir normal nudist or naturist, appreciate a series of images of erect penises as a welcome to a naturist platform? I would absolutely not appreciate that.

Confidence or the lack of it

Woman sex object

Many people wonder why there is such an apparent absence of women in the naturist scene. I think dick pics are part of it, but by far not all of it. They are one expression of the sexualisation of women that’s been going on since far too long. For women it’s difficult to show themselves in this world. Look at how girls in school are being told off if they wear something ‘too revealing’. The daughter of someone I know was sent home because the shoulder straps of her top were too thin; they would ‘sexually arouse’ the boys in her class. How stupid is that? Is it any wonder that children of now are being trained to think that any part of a female body that shows skin has to do with sex? How do women feel when they’re pushed in such a situation?

What’s the reason behind dick pics?

I may be entirely wrong here, but I think they are sent off  by either immature people or by those who think that naturism/nudism focusses on genitals. And boy (or girl), how wrong they are. These people mistake our lifestyle with porn, as so many do. Distasteful? Yes. Disgusting? Yes. Disrespectful? Certainly so! As we know, naturism and nudism is about being free from clothes.

If someone gets ‘treated’ to a dick pic, please send them a link to this blog post so they may learn something. I doubt the message will arrive where it’s supposed to go but never give up hope. Not all of them think with the little head.

 

Nudity. British guidance.

On Twitter I found a link to this website: Nudity in Public – Guidance on handling cases of Naturism. It’s a British website.

The first section is already interesting, and… alarming:

Naturism is used to describe the activities of persons who espouse nudity as part of their lifestyle. Whilst many naturists will restrict their activities to specially designated areas and/or places where there is a tradition of naked activity, such as nudist beaches, others may wish to enjoy nudity more widely.

In the case of naturism a balance needs to be struck between the naturist’s right to freedom of expression and the right of the wider public to be protected from harassment, alarm and distress.

I am not sure how ‘harassment’ made it to this list. When someone like us, a real naturist, is lying in the grass somewhere to enjoy the sun, is that harassing someone? I understand that the clothing-only society can be “alarmed” when seeing someone naked. Plenty of people will feel distress when they look at a nude body. It’s sad but it’s how the world ticks at the moment. But harassment?

Nude in parkIs there some general fear that nudists will run up to clothed people and shake their breasts or genitals in front of their faces?

That’s more the expertise of exhibitionists, I’d say, but I’m not one of those so I speak without experience in that area.

Luckily the website clarifies this a little in the next section:

In the absence of any sexual context and in relation to nudity where the person has no intention to cause alarm or distress it will normally be appropriate to take no action unless members of the public were actually caused harassment, alarm or distress (as opposed to considering the likelihood of this).

Here is the problem of words versus people again of course. When do we speak of harassment? Some people can’t be harassed by anything, others feel harassed already when you say you heard a child’s doll fart. We’re in a tough line of life-style, folks.

balance railroadIt’s up to us to find and set the balance. Others can’t. Or won’t.