Nudists

Re American Album, "Ordinance Puts Nudists in Middle of Lawsuit," Aug. 31: On behalf of nudists/naturists everywhere and the national organizations representing us, the Naturist Society and the American Assn. for Nude Recreation, we wish to express our gratitude to The Times for elevating the level of discussion surrounding public nudity from purely local to nationwide. It was satisfying to find that The Times recognized and reported the struggle that nudists/naturists are waging in Florida with politicians and bureaucrats at all levels of government to ensure their constitutional rights to practice the nudist lifestyle at Playalinda Beach.

An art exhibition in Vienna dedicated to the male nude is reportedly welcoming nudists to experience the galleries au naturel after public hours.  A spokesman for the Leopold Museum in Vienna told Reuters that there was a request by an association from Germany for a nude guided tour. "We thought about it, and decided it would be a good idea to have a special nude viewing open to the public," the spokesman told the news service. "Nackte Manner" -- "Nude Men" -- features depictions of male nudity in art from the 19th century to the present day. The show caused a stir in Vienna with a promotional campaign that featured a photograph titled "Vive La France" depicting three completely naked soccer players, save for their footwear.

--Mail carriers may not be stayed in the swift completion of their appointed rounds by snow, rain, heat nor gloom of night--but nudists are another matter. Postmaster Henry Thompson of Lutz, Fla., has refused for more than a year to ask his carriers to deliver mail to nearby Paradise Lakes Resort, a 239-unit "clothing optional" condominium community north of Tampa, because they might be offended by seeing the nudists.

PALM SPRINGS — For Elizabeth Young, Desert Shadows was a place where she could shed her blouse, pantyhose, sensible heels — and everything else — and dive into a game of water volleyball. She and her husband, John, drove from Orange County to the nudist getaway a few times a year to escape their 9-to-5 lives. After its owner filed for bankruptcy in 2007, the Youngs feared someone would raze the hotel, or force guests to wear pants. So they bought the place and renamed it Desert Sun. At first, nudist groups embraced the couple as a welcome addition to their oft-misunderstood industry.

Re "Eastern Exposure" (July 8): It was especially refreshing and satisfying to read an unbiased article on the nudist lifestyle and the efforts of naturists to secure the use and designation of public beaches for nude recreation. Nudists have long been harassed and persecuted by police and right-wing groups. Edwin Meese, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, Charles Keating and even U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist have denounced nudity as evil in their attempt to dictate their views of morality.

Masked gunmen advocating independence for Corsica rounded up nudists and other visitors at a holiday complex Sunday and blew up about 60 vacation cabins, police said. There were no injuries or arrests. The letters FNLC, for the Corsican National Liberation Front, were scratched into the hood of a car parked at the entrance of the complex. About 60 masked men entered the Corsicana Foret and Corsicana Village camps on the eastern side of the Mediterranean island about 8 a.m., police said.

Jeanne would rather not reveal her last name, but she's perfectly comfortable sitting among casual acquaintances and family, bare-chested in the picturesque Santa Ana Mountains. A blue blouse tossed over her left shoulder, the 67-year-old government employee often wonders how people would react if, when she sat down to audit their books as she does most work days, they knew she is a nudist. "I don't think my bosses would be too thrilled," Jeanne said.

Reporting from San Diego -- Gold Beach, where generations of Marines have trained for amphibious assaults, is now the scene of another kind of battle. The strip of sand on Camp Pendleton is the latest flash point between nudists and state park rangers — with Marines caught in the crossfire. The nudists say zealous state park rangers have followed them onto the federal property in an effort to cite them for violating the state's coverup laws. A spokesman for the state park system denies the allegation and says the nudists do protest far too much.

Thank you for the two recent articles on Naturist issues. The Elysium Fields story was of great local interest ("Elysium Nudist Club Faces Dilemma as It Awaits Permit," March 16). And the Saline Valley story ("Oasis Too Button-Down Now, Nudists Say," March 19), while not as "local," did show naturists in a positive light. Naturists only want to live a life style with less stress, and the two recent articles in The Times showed that. Naturists mean no one any harm--either on private land like Elysium Fields or other clubs or backyards, or on remote public lands.

There were two articles in the May 8 Los Angeles Times, both dealing with beach-related issues. According to one story, at the end of the San Onofre Beach, in a secluded area, a group of nudists just want to enjoy the sun, sand and ocean ("Secluded Strip of Beach Clothed in Controversy"). They are a distance away from the main beach area and bother no one. Some busybodies who have their nose out of joint seem to be upset because someone, somewhere may be enjoying themselves. I believe that the nudists, with their live-and-let-live attitude, should be allowed to continue to use this isolated beach.

Nudist foodies in San Francisco may soon find themselves forced to cover up. Public nudity is legal in the Bay Area city, and no one is suggesting that residents will be barred from taking a stroll down the street or a picnic at the park in the buff. But restaurants may soon be off limits to the unattired, and San Francisco supervisors are also considering codifying a practice that nudists call "normal etiquette," by requiring those who bare it all in public to lay down a cover on public seating before they sit down.

Reporting from San Diego -- Gold Beach, where generations of Marines have trained for amphibious assaults, is now the scene of another kind of battle. The strip of sand on Camp Pendleton is the latest flash point between nudists and state park rangers — with Marines caught in the crossfire. The nudists say zealous state park rangers have followed them onto the federal property in an effort to cite them for violating the state's coverup laws. A spokesman for the state park system denies the allegation and says the nudists do protest far too much.

Between nude sunbathers and homeowners who decide what color to paint their houses, the world is full of rebels and renegades. Don't these people know that when you go to a beach, you cover yourself up? And that when you paint your house, beige is a reassuring look? Some people don't get it. They think they're living in a country where you can pretty much do what you want as long as it doesn't break a law or infringe on someone else's rights. Boy, are they wrong. Luckily, we always have some hall monitors to straighten them out. You remember them from fifth grade, don't you?

Imagine Russell Cahill sitting back some 30 years ago and pondering what to do, in that relaxed era, about naked people on the beach. The then-director of the state parks department had suggested creating "clothing optional" zones in more remote coves, but even the 1970s weren't relaxed enough for that. So Cahill, surely with a small smile tugging at his lips, formulated the mischievous Cahill Policy: Nudity would remain illegal at state beaches, but the law would be enforced only when someone complained.

San Diego County health officials Monday ordered the Sun Island Resort to boil its water after tests found coliform bacteria. The nudist camp, one of the oldest in Southern California, gets its water from wells, which must be tested monthly. Jay Goldby, Sun Island's general manager, said he is convinced that the finding was due to a testing error, possibly when a finger came in contact with the water. He said he is confident that new tests will show the water to be clean. -- Tony Perry

The Supreme Court's first ruling on an Iraq war protest is not likely to be remembered as a landmark in the law. In a 9-0 ruling, the justices rejected a claim for legal fees filed on behalf of a Florida nudist who wanted to form a peace symbol out of naked bodies on a state beach. Toni Anne Wyner's planned demonstration ran afoul of the state's Bathing Suit Rule, which, as its name suggests, requires beachgoers to cover up.

As a longtime resident of Palm Springs, I was a bit disturbed by Roslyn Moran's March 21 letter advising people to avoid our unique and beautiful town because, as she says, it is a "homosexual mecca." In reality, ever since the 1930s, Palm Springs has been famed for its tolerance of diversity and its welcoming attitude toward all segments of society. Yes, we do have resorts catering to gays and lesbians, but we also have many others that reach out to families, singles, Canadians, nudists, gamblers, etc. One can see them all (although the nudists are clothed)

Nudist foodies in San Francisco may soon find themselves forced to cover up. Public nudity is legal in the Bay Area city, and no one is suggesting that residents will be barred from taking a stroll down the street or a picnic at the park in the buff. But restaurants may soon be off limits to the unattired, and San Francisco supervisors are also considering codifying a practice that nudists call "normal etiquette," by requiring those who bare it all in public to lay down a cover on public seating before they sit down.

Never in her 80 years has Flora "Flo" Nilson felt so exposed. After spending most of her adult life buffing up the image of nudists, the owner of Orange County's only nudist resort and one of the longest-running such refuges in the West is calling it quits. "It's time to move on," Nilson said. "For 53 years, it was quite a religious experience, chasing sunshine and health. Now it's over, and it's not easy."

Nudist resorts are dropping the fig leaf. Clothing-free resorts have traditionally been rustic, mom-and-pop campgrounds hidden deep in the woods, away from prying eyes and bluenose politicians. But now, fancy nude recreation spots are springing up along major highways, and resort owners are joining chambers of commerce, sponsoring charity drives and hosting civic events.