Burlington, Vermont Votes to Ban Public Nudity

I’ve been worried about the pendulum swinging the other way as increasing numbers of folks have been pushing the limits of Vermont’s long-standing tolerance of simple nudity in public. While Burlington isn’t the first locality in the state to pass a local anti-nudity ordinance, it’s a big one as the de facto cultural capital of the state. I know of a couple of nude beaches on the shores of Lake Champlain that will be affected by this.

There’s a not-so-fine line between naturism and pure exhibitionism and it seems that there have been a handful of incidents of nude men walking along busy streets in broad daylight in Burlington that led the city council to act.

After 179 Years, Burlington Ends Public Nudity

Apparently, it sounds as if it is only a civil offense for now, with fines ranging from $100 to $500 and there is some leeway for larger organized events should the WNBR choose to come back to Burlington, for example.

 

This is a travesty for the nudists community. We have little enough rights, being whittled away one by one!

If the law catches someone shoplifting, they don't ban everyone from shopping?!!

Just deal with the person/persons involved.

What is the world coming too!!.

 

This is why we can’t have nice things. A few idiots ruin it for the majority of good people. We all need to be responsible citizens.

 

It makes me so mad that my blood boils.

There are so many different issues going on all at the same time when it comes to Vermont that I don’t even know where to start.

OK. That’s a lie. I know exactly where to start. If you’ve never been publicly nude where there’s a chance that you’ll wind up in a jail cell, then GTFO!!! You’re a coward. Vermont was never intended to be a safe haven or free range zoo for disrespectful nudists, whether from in state or out.

Tact.

Show some respect and decorum. If your fitness level is so bad that all you can manage is a walk along Main Street or on the fat beach amongst 50 other aging men in a 40 square-foot patch of sand, then move to the city. And I don’t mean Burlington.

Vermont is 95 percent woods and mountains. Get in shape. And enjoy nature clothes-free if that’s your thing. But if you accidentally encounter a textile while nude, well then just say “I’m sorry” and move on. Apologies and gratitude and all of that. But no need to call the police or local representative, “I was just out here minding my own business and enjoying nature.”

Vermont gets this! Because Vermont.

I mean, how the fuck did this simple concept become so difficult to understand?

./Rant

 

For a, seemingly, open-minded nudist, you are quite judgemental.

What does "fat" "shape" or ones age have to do with naturisim?

 

There’s a fine line between being strongly-opinionated and judgmental. Maybe I fall on the wrong side of it. So be it.

I’ve just seen some things in Vermont with my own eyes and am aware of some other things that go on that have lead me to where I’m at. And really, it comes down to flaunting the “right” to be nude.

Case-in-point. Lake Willoughby in the Northeast Kingdom. A historically nude-friendly beach that has a long history of being controversial because many locals are not fans of such a beautiful and scenic beach being taken over by out-of-town nudists. There’s been an evolution over time and the nudists have been more or less pushed to a small patch of beach after many years of controversy. So this past spring, I’m up there for some camping and hiking fun and decide to stop by the nude section of the beach for some afternoon nude sunbathing. And what I encountered was like 20 or 25 larger naked men just king of standing around on a tiny patch of beach while a couple of textile families with young kids were enjoying the water and beach games. It was such an incredible creeper vibe that I just kept walking, set up my camp chair along a nearby trail for just long enough to eat my lunch (clothed) and got the hell out of there.

My greater point is about respecting your own body to the extent where you can do more with it than walking 50 or 100 yards from the parking lot to enjoy naturism. The more fit you are, the deeper you can go into the woods and mountains of Vermont. You can spread out instead of all crowding on top of each other and textile families. There is just so much empty space in Vermont and there is no reason why there needs to be this constant flaunting of nudism/naturism in places where it has been established that it’s really only partially welcome, if at all.

If you love nature, you should love and take care of your own physical body (part of nature) and want to finely tune it so that you can get the most out of it, thus allowing you to have a deeper relationship with nature … which IMO doesn’t really begin until you’re well out of earshot of the nearest road.

BTW, I would never criticize a nudist (whether fit or out-of-shape) in a full nude area such as a resort, nudist campground or official nudist beach. That’s a different conversation. Nudism is partially about body-acceptance. Naturism is not.