Naturist activist Lee Baxandall, who founded the Naturist Society and whose work led to the formation of the Naturist Action Committee and the Naturist Education Foundation, was an early advocate for a diverse and inclusive naturism. As author Brian Hoffman notes in his book Naked: A Cultural History of American Nudism, “Baxandall welcomed a growing interest in TNS (the Naturist Society) among gay men and lesbians who saw naturism as an alternative to an urban gay identity defined by privilege, whiteness, and a depoliticized commercial culture.”

Baxandall began his work as a free beach activist in 1975. During that period, he observed the critical role lesbians and gays played in securing clothing-optional spaces on the nation's beaches. In an editorial published in the November 1981 issue of Clothed With The Sun, Baxandall writes: “Gays on the nude beach have often led because of more experience at defying intimidation on behalf of values too central to abandon.” 🪐

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