Naturists have always seen the movement as one that can bring humanity together. International gatherings started in 1951 and led to the formation of the International Naturist Federation in 1953. But while we have our naturist values in common, the many languages of the world still make communicating challenging. What if there was a common language for everyone? A simple language with consistent grammar rules that was easy to learn? One that was everyone’s second language so that nobody has a native advantage? That was the idea behind Esperanto when it was created in 1887 and a group of naturists have been promoting it for many decades. Thierry Spanjaard tells us the vision and the fascinating story behind Esperanto in naturism.

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Photo: Naturist Festival at the Château de Grésillon

Episode CLXV

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In just a few years, Helen Berriman went from struggling with body dysmorphia and feeling disturbed by her husband’s participation in naturism to one of the most active promoters of the naturist movement. As British Naturism’s Women’s Officer, she unabashedly talks about her newfound passion in television interviews and defends it tirelessly on social media. In this episode, she shares the story of her journey.

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Photo: Helen Berriman on ITV’s Good Morning Britain TV show

Episode CLXIV

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Often non-profit organizations struggle to find volunteers to fill the leadership roles. Yet in the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) 2024 election, there were two very solid candidates for president. Tim Mullins is a hard-working, dedicated, and long-time member of the executive. But the winner, Linda Weber, is relatively new to the AANR leadership. However, she already had a significant public profile due to her tireless social media work and public advocacy. At the 2024 AANR conference in Shangri-la Ranch, she discussed with us her plans for her upcoming term.

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Episode CLXIII

Photo: Linda Weber and Stéphane Deschênes at Shangri La Ranch during the 2024 AANR convention.

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The Naturist Society (TNS), founded in 1980 by Lee Baxandall (1935-2008) has been pivotal in promoting body acceptance, personal freedom, and harmony with nature. Through its magazine Nude & Natural, the World Guide to Nude Beaches and Recreation, national gatherings, and advocacy efforts, TNS has united naturists, fostered public understanding, and defended rights to clothing-optional recreation. Tim Chizmar interviews Nicky Hoffman who has been working with TNS since 1985. She took over the leadership of TNS in 2001 when Lee retired. She was part of a group of staff members that included Margaret Thornton and Judi Ditzler that purchased TNS.

Thank you to the PODCAST PRODUCERS GUILD for recording this interview for Tim.

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Episode CLXII

Photo: The 1990 issue of the TNS magazine when it changed from “Clothed with the Sun” to “Nude & Natural” (later also called N Magazine) as well as the 1991 edition the “World Guide to Nude Beaches and Recreation” – two emblematic publications that were key to promoting both TNS and naturism in general.

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Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is developing at breakneck speed. This episode goes against our normal policy of creating “evergreen” content that should stay relevant years from now. But the potential impact of A.I. on naturism is too important to ignore. ChatGPT first came out two years ago. That first version now seems primitive and various other versions of A.I. are infiltrating all aspects of our lives. It could be an incredible tool for naturists yet we are often excluded because of body-phobic policies similar to those of social media. We discuss what it all means with Evan Nix, the publisher of Nude Planet and the Naked Age podcast.

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Episode CLXI

Photo: the A.I. generated image created when prompted for a nudist man and woman in a studio recording a discussion for a podcast (Jetpack AI-Generated Featured Images) – Surprisingly, and contrary to the commentary in the podcast, this particular non-porn A.I. did generate people who appear to be nude. This was the third attempt. The first two prompts generated people with some level of clothing despite using words like “naturist” and “nudist”.

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The mainstream world assumes that a naturist environment would attract child predators. Does it? What motivates them? Do people understand sex offenders? Can you identify one by the way they look or how they act? We discussed these questions and more with a psychologist who has decades of experience dealing with sex offenders in the criminal justice system.

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Episode CLX

Photo: mother and child at Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park

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Gay Naturists International states that their mission is “to serve as a resource to male naturists by hosting and sponsoring men’s naturist events and providing information and resources to individuals and local clubs. In addition, GNI is a voice for gay naturists in wider naturist efforts to educate society about naturism and to advance the interests of naturists worldwide.” Some might wonder why gay naturists need their own organization in a movement that talks about inclusivity and acceptance. Rick Johnson, GNI Executive Director, explains.

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Episode CLIX

Photo: Celebrating at Viv’s Salsa Party by Brian Becnel

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Meet Billy Procidea who is both the producer and host of New York City’s long running Naked Comedy Show. The comedians are all nude but most of the audience is clothed because only the first two rows are clothing-optional. Listen and find out why.

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Episode CLVIII

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The Bare to Breakers Fun Run experience and a visit to Lupin Lodge. Tim Chizmar recounts his nude walk of the San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers Race which has a long tradition of nudity. He also reports on Lupin Lodge in California’s Los Gatos Mountains where the stayed and interviews the current owner, Lori Kay Stout.

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Episode CLVII

Photo: Tim Chizmar and friends at the Bay to Breakers fun run – image courtesy of clothesfree.com

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Stéphane and Samantha take the Naturist Living Show on the road – part 2. They share their observations and experiences during the 2023 Big Nude Boat cruise by Bare Necessities Tour & Travel; who have been organizing nude cruises for over 3 decades. Come along on this Caribbean podcast travelog.

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Episode CLVI

Photo: Stéphane and Samantha at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Carnival Pride cruise ship in the background)

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