Locker Room Nudity

One mans suppositions does not validate misinformation. The sixties were a period of great turmoil in the US. Assassinations of political leaders, protests of forced involvement in civil wars. the threat of nuclear attack, and the suppression of personal expression were all happening in the country. The values of the 1960s, were not based on optimism, tolerance and national strength. In fact the nation was torn apart and in turmoil because people were pessimistic of life as it was seen following the end of WW2. It was intolerant of the baby boom generations views on life. Plus the national position world wide was weak. We failed in Korea and were failing in Viet Nam. The 80's, contrary to Jenkins statements, were a time where a massive buildup of the United States military happened. In 1983 the first major overseas action by U.S. troops took place since the end of Viet Nam. The nation supported the overthrow of leftist governments in Central America and Afghanistan. The cold war, the threat of nuclear attack, basically came to an end. The nations rejection of values were not of the 60's values but of values instilled well before WW2. Reagan’s war on drugs was the only attack of any 1960's liberalism. Otherwise the nations self respect and world position was on the rise. No, Jenkins suppositions were all wrong. Nothing he wrote had any affect on locker room nudity.

 

Indeed, there was a whiplash-like shift in mood from the optimistic 1960s to the total paranoia of this era.

The underlying shift in values is one of increasing materialism. We went from the hope of sharing as citizen activists to the desperation of becoming isolated consumers.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with what you have stated here. Reagan ushered in a new era of greed and materialism, a radical change from Carter's values of ecolological responsibility and the teachings of Christ.

 

Like all things in life, things change. It’s commonly called progress, for better or worse.

 

I was just thinking of this again. The fact people will go out to say a bar and take home a complete stranger and have sex yet some of these people do not want to be seen naked. Another thought is back in time the YMCA use to have mandatory nude swimming. The 60s had the free live. Even the 70s was fairly open to most everything. The 80s brought in "Stranger Danger" and "STD's" along with lots of other things killing off a lot of the tolerances in nudity and even sex. We now have masks and social distancing stay at home kids, mom and dad. I see our society is crashing NOT getting better! Its going to take a hell of a lot of healing to get back to a true free will society.

 

We’ve gotten more prudish about nudity which is odd. My local Y also has the stalls and curtains, but things are pretty lax. People strip at the locker, some dudes don’t even bother with the curtains (particularly older guys). It’s not a cruisy spot at all. There is a space with hand dryers set up on the wall high enough for drying hair, some guys wear a towel, some hang the towel on one to dry while standing beneath another. I think the stalls are pretty standard now.

As to why we seem to be getting more prudish, I think it has a bit to do with things like locker rooms having a cruisy reputation, and particularly at a family-friendly place like the Y a fear of sexual abuse liability (if you can’t figure something out, imagine how a lawyer might be involved).

But separate from that, the US has always been fairly puritan, and I suppose it vascillates around that center from time to time.

 

My two cents, when growing up I didn’t like to be nude in front of others, however I did like being nude. I was lucky to have the opportunity to live in Germany for almost 10 years, so going to FKK beaches in the summer and what they called family saunas (co ed) in the winters I became more comfortable being naked in front of others. To me being nude is about comfort and not necessarily about sex.

 

Same for me, it’s just more comfortable. But that’s a very American hang up, maybe not uniquely so, but darn close. The conflation of being naked and sex is infuriating. It’s just a dang body.

 

I guess it's been some time since I attended the public pools (5 years as a guess) but here in Canada we still have the open showers as far as I know....
There were often "a couple" change stalls off to the side in case you suffered anxiety attacks by removing your shorts.
Now I need to go to the public pool one day to see if that's correct in todays standards, but these were fairly new built facilities and a wide open room with a dozen shower heads on three walls and a wide open doorway on the 4th.

Reading the first few comments in here it becomes pretty apparent where the hang ups originate. As an example the person who was taken aback that someone would uses "Soap" in the showers. or walk naked through the room.
As far as myself; I generally used soap when I attend the community pool showers for the 40 plus years that I went regularly. (it wasn't an erotic sex toy, it was to try to remove the chlorine stink from my skin before I went to work) The same rings true with most any shower, soap & shampoo are often present.
Is it a fear of bubbles that we are dealing with here? I am not connecting how the two (water and soap) become offensive... or seen as a gateway to perverted thoughts....
(it makes as much sense as the lady I once worked with who cussed us out if she ever caught a sniff of cologne or that same soap's perfume, yet she saw no harm in bringing barn animals into the office... (if she bought baby chicks or goats etc, while at work to save herself a trip back from the island she lived on) convenient for her purposes, but they stunk like s#it for the rest of us. She claimed allergies to perfume, but disregarding anyones allergies to animal dander)
I digress.!

I once read on another forum a mom who was horrified that her son reported to her a man walked naked across the pool change room to the showers, so it's not a first report of such an offence.
As a kid growing up with the affliction of a "Grower sized willy" I was definitely teased for it but sneaking off to the little cubicle to change was never a consideration, in fact I don't ever recall seeing them used. Seemed like a waste of room better used for more bench space that was always in demand. We didn't take our towels into the shower. They were hung in a dry area just outside the showers or in most cases, they were still in our locker as we passed the showers on our way from the pool to the locker room. We would come in, step into the showers, rinse off, remove our suits there, use the shower gel from the dispenser beside each shower head and when done walk to our locker to dry and dress. Seemed pretty harmless and there were often a lineup of kids waiting behind you for their turn. You walked to the locker room where it was often very crowded with people in various stages of getting changed and no-one really cared if we saw the guy(s) beside you naked or if he walked from one to the other rapped in a towel... If you rapped up in a towel you would likely get a ribbing you were in the wrong change room... It's like the towel on the head, Guys just didn't do that.
I don't recall there being a huge spike in unwanted sexual attacks or of any kind as a direct cause of group showers being used. You would have been hard pressed to find room to do it. I am not aware of a comparatively high rate of sexual encounters in Canadian Locker rooms to the rest of the world either.

YES: There was some teasing on occasion but to be truthful, the teasing was in part how I became a regular at nude beaches (a much longer story that involved "a group of older Girls" stealing my pants on an open playground, not in the showers) As far as I know, they have not implemented private single use playgrounds in Canada's elementary schools either, but again it's been some time since I attended as well.

We are all in a "similar" body people, learn to love yourself no matter what you were given to work with, when you get that down pat, learn to love and respect the person on either side of you and their tiny differences. We would have a much happier world if we were not so hyper sensitive and struggling daily to find ways to isolate ourselves from others.
If you have never done it - spend a day on a nude beach at the your very next opportunity. Do it today, no need to workout, diet, medically alter body parts, you are ready just as you are, you don't even need a new bathing suit.
Get naked - take a big breath in and when you are ready, open your eyes and look around at all the others around you that have not even taken notice of you or any of your flaws.
It's exciting, exhilarating, liberating, and above all else surprisingly a very natural feeling.
There's a dare for you all. Do it once in your life I bet you go back.

 

I think a lot of people have anxiety over been nude for a number of reasons, most associate nudity with sex so in an all male shower it could raise fears of unwanted sexual advances from others. Also society has brainwashed people as to what kind of body we are supposed to have to be considered attractive, then of course there is how some are raised and taught that nudity in any form is taboo. I have friends that are as skinny as a rail and others that need to avoid the all you can eat buffet so what would the difference be if they are dressed or nude, they would still be the same person.

 

The Advent of the camera phone has put a damper on nudity the world over.

 

Yes, I imagine having some perv sneaking around locker rooms snapping pictures of everyone's cocks would put a damper on some people's feeling comfortable in a public locker room, but it wouldn't stop me. If someone wants to photograph my nude body or just my cock, feel free. I'm no Adonis, but I take it as a compliment if you like looking at my nude body!!!

 

I remember being at the nude pool at The Ventana Inn in Big Sur where my wife and I were the only ones naked at that pool. One lady ended up trying to discretely take a picture of me while I was laying on my back. She thought I couldn't see her but I definitely caught her taking the pic - I too took it as a compliment, and it didn't bother me at all.

I don't care if people post pictures of me naked on the web - I post them myself, so what would I care if others do it for me

 

My sentiments exactly. There are literally thousands of my nude photos all over the internet!! If you like looking at my naked body, fine. If you don't like looking at my naked body then turn your head or as the cliche goes, turn the channel!!!!

 

There are separate men's and women's open showers at my local gym. If anyone tried to use a camera phone in those locker rooms, it would be immediately reported.

I have never heard of such an instance.

 

Europe's strict 'cover-up' rules slap tourists with fines for wearing swimwear in the street