Martin Brqnt

I have a nudist Twitter page. It has become popular with fellow nudist: 11,100 followers. It is an upbeat, family friendly page that promotes social nudity. In good faith, and mindful of Twitter’s policy guidelines, I have invested a lot of time meeting new people and having fun. Twitter, out of the blue, has suspended it. No warning, no notification, no explanation. I have no idea what I did to get suspended and it’s a little frightening.

Along with hundreds of nudists, I also follow news outlets and political commentators, both conservative and liberal. I love hearing all points-of-view and enjoy keeping up with what’s going on in the world as I exchange thoughts with fellow nudists. I largely keep my political opinions to myself to avoid offending those who might disagree. The site is by far mostly for nudists.

I have contacted Twitter by email to see if I can get an explanation and hopefully get offered a way to restore the site. If successful, I don’t know if my followers or the ones I follow will be restored. If not it will be like starting over. I may instead simply close the account and warn nudists to be careful on this website. I’m glad Twitter is not the government or I might have gotten a knock on the door and taken away in the middle of the night.

People have myriad ways of explaining why nudism is a great way to live, some of the reasons a bit corny, all of them heartfelt. They say it's good for your health. Maybe … it certainly doesn't have a negative effect on your health, but I'd say this justification is spot on if they are referring to your mental health. They say clothes divide us into social groups. Maybe so, but that's not going to convince a reluctant textile to get naked. They say being naked is natural. Of course it is. Hiking naked in the desert or woods gives you more of an opportunity to feel at one with Mother Nature, plus, being as your skin is your largest sensory organ, hiking naked allows you to experience the natural world with all of your skin instead of just the exposed parts. They say everyone is beautiful naked. Well, not so … some people are magnificently out of shape or unattractive and they certainly are not beautiful to look at. What is beautiful about less than attractive people who participate in the nudist lifestyle is the simple fact that they can participate and feel good about themselves, that we are a community that isn't judgmental and welcomes everyone. What is beautiful is the endless diversity of people and the human body, and that there is a place for everyone in the nudist world.

So why is nudism a great way to live? I say because it feels good. It promotes body acceptance. Being naked makes any task you have to do more fun, which also includes any form of recreation. Simply put, getting naked is fun. Getting naked with friends is even more fun. Being naked around the house adds a dimension to your life that makes even doing nothing more fun. Sharing a nudist life with a partner or loved one heightens your awareness of each other, makes you feel closer in a way textiles can never understand, and adds an element to your relationship that makes your time together more sensual … and more fun. So when all is said and done, the simple explanation is being naked is fun.

One of the greatest joys of my life was when my wife decided to participate in social nudity. We have several times visited nude beaches and have spent time at Hippie Hollow at beautiful Lake Travis near Austin (the only officially sanctioned nude venue in Texas), but we only last summer got involved in social nudity, including naked 5k runs, 3 day weekends at nudist resorts, and naked dinner parties here at the house. Next month we are spending a week at Lake Como in Florida.

I know how important it is to husbands to have their wives share this part of their lives. But in today's political and religious environment, it's very difficult for many women to disrobe in public. As nudists, we understand the problem, and at the same time we have difficulty understanding it because we know how liberating and enlightening social nudity is. Hopefully the younger generations coming along now will move society toward a more enlightened perspective on the human body and social nudity. The Europeans have done it, why shouldn't we?

For the life of me I don't get it. On one hand our society seems thoroughly engrossed in the human body. You see it in advertising, movies and TV shows and magazines. Adult websites are among the most popular sites on the Internet. Fire departments and other institutions produce calenders of nude firemen, athletes and average guys to raise money, and appear to be quite popular.

Many women seem driven to wear the sexiest clothes, the shortest dresses, the tightest pants, the skimpiest swim suits, yet they cringe at the thought of exposing their nude body. Everyday I see women, even middle-age women, wearing tights so form fitting, absolutely nothing is left to the imagination. At the beach many women wear such skimpy swimsuits, they are all but naked, especially when the suits are wet. Whether they realize it or not, they are drawing attention to their private parts more so than if they were nude. They have no idea how wrong they are by thinking social nudity and sex are one and the same, when it's the clothes they wearing that inspire sexual thoughts. The men that are gazing at them are wondering what they would look like completely naked. In a nudist park the men know; a glance gets them past gets them past their natural curiosity, and interested in getting to know her as a person.

Men don't wear the revealing clothes that women do. They feel attractive by wearing stylish clothes, making the most money, driving the most expensive car; which apparently is what makes them sexy to women. Many of the simple pleasure in life have fallen by the wayside. I occasionally read disturbing articles about materialism and male social perspectives. Long gone are the days when boys swam naked together at the YMCA. In today's locker rooms, many men younger have become modest and will be careful to avoid exposing themselves when they change into their gym shorts, when getting naked with other men can be such an exhilarating experience.

Of course not all men are this way, but these perspectives are becoming more common these days. It's a shame so many people carry around so much "moral" baggage, that they refuse to understand how to appreciate and celebrate their own bodies, that for some reason they can't see past the indoctrination imposed by misguided moral codes and ancient autocrats.

I was circumcised at birth and I'm at odds with it. In the U.S. during that era it was simply a matter of course. To some degree it still is, but parents in the U.S. are becoming more aware of the fact that it is unnatural and unnecessary. Some are even referring to the procedure as genital mutilation. But many Americans still believe circumcised penises look better. I think that's because they are conditioned to believe that penises are supposed to be that way. Circumcision is so common here, many women are actually put off by foreskins, which must seem absurd to most European women. In the end, I think circumcision at birth is wrong, not to mention being an unnecessary trauma for a new born. The question is, are we violating the rights of infant boys by altering their bodies without their consent?

What is cut off is typically one half of the penile skin, which consists of thousands of highly sensitive nerve endings. As a result, the glans are no longer protected and become dry and desensitized from being exposed all the time. If too much skin is cut off, what's left is tight and may be very uncomfortable during an erection. To some degree, this makes sex and masturbation less pleasurable for the man, and some believe for the woman also. I believe there is no good reason to cut off an infants foreskin, unless an individual male has a compelling medical condition or physical impairment. Men should have that choice when they are old enough to make a rational decision.

Some believe circumcision helps to prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV. With the exception of certain places in Africa, where HIV is so prevalent, and which also may have more to do with hygiene than circumcision, medical studies have proven this notion wrong. Religion is no valid reason, either. This has to do with ancient, antiquated beliefs that have no place in a modern society. (When the procedure is done for religious reasons, at least the boy is older than an innocent infant and they usually don't cut off more than the very end of the foreskin). Actually there are a number of Jewish organizations that are trying to get circumcision taken off the program. And hygiene is no valid reason. This notion assumes men aren't savvy enough to keep themselves clean. Luckily we don't apply the same rationale to women, whose genitals also have folds of skin with inner areas that stay damp and would be inclined to develop odors if the area isn't kept clean. Except for some third world countries in Africa and the Middle East where they are still living in the middle ages, no one is cutting off any female parts. Fact is both men and women are conscientious enough to practice good hygiene.

Thankfully there are procedures available to restore your foreskin. I'm using one of them myself. It involves a small device that connects what little foreskin you have left to a rubber band that provides a gentle but constant tug. I've been at it six months and the results are incredible. With my penis in a normal flaccid state, about one half of my glans are covered. I'm going for full coverage. Still, there won't be enough foreskin to cover the glans during an erection, but that's neither here or there for an old guy like me. Though it is impossible to get those lost nerve endings back, at least my glans will be protected and will become more sensitive, and I will look more like the way Mother Nature intended me to. It's a long process, but thousands of determined guys are doing it. It simply becomes a daily routine much like putting your shoes on before going to work. Plus my wife has had a good sense of humor about my little project, commenting from time to time about the progress I've made.

You might ask what does circumcision and foreskins have to do with naturism. Simple. Everyone knows a man's penis is a focal point on his body. Unless he has a big scar across his chest, one of the first of his features you are going to glance at is his penis (just try to deny that). Many men, myself including, want to look like nature intended. Nevertheless, I guess this is all academic in the clothed world. But in our world nothing is left to the imagination. A man's penis is part of his physical persona, something that is quite important to him. I'll gladly suffer the year with my little device to get my foreskin back.

This blog is not meant to disparage guys that prefer to be circumcised, or women that prefer men that way. To them that's the way it is, and it seems normal. Plus a circumcised guy doesn't remember the agony he suffered shortly after birth, so to him the whole issue is incidental. But it's like the general consensus on nudity: grow up in a nudist family and you will never see anything shameful about the nudist body; grow up and live in a world where almost all the boys are circumcised, and odds are you'll think foreskins are unnecessary or unsightly. I suppose it's a matter of 'to each his own.'

So how do you see it? Do men look better circumcised? Should their foreskins be cut off at birth? Or do you think men should be able to make the decision for themselves?

The first thing someone new to social nudity notices is how friendly and accepting everyone is, how non-judgmental they are about your flaws, your weight, your age or the color of your skin. No matter how reluctant you are the first time you take off your clothes, other nudists make you feel good about yourself right away by simply including you as part of the whole. You notice how quickly you forget that belly that sticks out a little too much, or that you put on little too much weight. They don't seem to notice those veins on your legs, or your breasts are sagging, or your penis is too small. You simply begin to feel like everyone one else.

As you begin to realize how refreshing it is to feel fresh air on your skin, you also realize you want to meet these people, to learn their names and get to know them. You realize you are glad you're there and that you want to find an excuse to leave right away, after all. You begin to realize you have never felt this comfortable in a social setting before, that things that bother you in your everyday life no longer seem to matter because you are learning about what is important in life. You realize that you like looking at the people you are meeting, and that they are looking at you, accepting who you are, enjoying the endless diversity of the human form. You wonder why everyone doesn't do this, and why so many are so misguided about the human body.

You laugh at yourself as you think about all the crazy thoughts you had when your friend invited you to come to this party. You wish he had invited you ages ago. Already it's one of the best things that ever happened to you, certainly the most exhilarating, the most enlightening, the most adventurous thing you ever did. When you notice the clock on the wall, you regret the evening is passing so quickly, and wish the night could go on forever. Not one person you have met failed to offer a smile, to extend their hand and say they are glad you came. They all seemed genuinely happy to meet you and made you feel comfortable about being here. Not one of them made you feel self-conscious, or made an inappropriate advance, or suggest any motive other than wanting to know you better.

As the evening draws to a close, you look around and reconfirm you are naked among other naked people, marveling at how good being alive suddenly feels. Thinking about putting your clothes back on touches you with a feeling of sadness, a feeling of loss of the freedom you have felt these few hours you've been here. You get dressed determined to relive the evening as soon as possible, realizing you have reinvented yourself, that you number among the fortunate few that has the nerve to try something new. You feel lucky to be among those who know, who understand how to appreciate being human, who enjoy celebrating the human body.

As you drive home, you think of ways repeat the experience, places to go where you can get out of your clothes and be a free spirit. Maybe you will invite the people you met to your house for another clothes free evening of fresh air, good wine and good conversation. Maybe next weekend you'll take a drive to that nudist park that's not far from the city. Or maybe you'll drive down to the nude beach you've heard about. One thing you know for certain is the moment you get home your clothes will come off again, and tomorrow you'll try not to pity those who will never find the nerve to do what you did tonight, that will never know how wonderful it is to be naked with other people.

Many people are at odds with what their body looks like. It may be their bodies in general, or certain body parts. They are grateful nudity is generally considered shameful because that perspective allows them to keep their bodies hidden under a layer of clothes.

It's a well-known fact that women have more problems with body image than men. It's difficult to not sympathize with them. After all they are bombarded from the moment they are old enough to pay attention what the female body should look like. They can't have wrinkles anywhere. Their butts can't be too wide. Their breasts can't be too small. Their skin must be smooth and flawless. Even their inner labia must be the right shape, size and color. It's shocking, and a bit sad, how many women are subjecting themselves to labiaplasty these days.

Men have body image problems, too. Often it's because of their penis size. Too small. Even average sized men wish theirs was larger. It's amazing how many men are so self-conscious about their penis size, they keep themselves covered in gym locker rooms, and this kind of modesty seems to be growing generation by generation.

I speak of penis size issues from experience. Feelings of inadequacy, like it did with me, often begins when small sized boys hear comments in the high school locker room. Once someone asks you why your penis stopped growing, you have problems with it the rest of your life. It's one reason I couldn't get involved in naturism until I reached a more mellow age. Still I sometimes look at other men with a twinge of envy. Where they have a swing and sway, I have a bobble and bounce. In any group of men, I'm always among the smallest ten percent.

My negative feelings are finally behind me. By ready many articles on penis size acceptance, I've come to grips with my size. In fact I enjoy being a small guy. I think this is why I enjoy social nudity as much as I do, because to social nudists size simply does not matter. I can disrobe with a group of people and feel like everyone else, just another glorious example of human diversity.

As we grow older our bodies change. We get a bit thicker around the middle, parts of our bodies begin to sag. Age spots may appear on our skin. Some of our butts get a little droopy or develop dimples. Cellulite appears on our thighs. For many our sex drive slows down. It's disheartening for men, for women it's even worse.

That doesn't mean older people don't want to enjoy their bodies. We still like the feel of sunshine and fresh air on our skin. We still enjoy being around like-minded people. We still want to celebrate our clothes free philosophies and enjoy a clothes free lifestyle. The same holds true for those who have added weight, sometimes a lot of weight. Nudists, no matter how old they have gotten, or how heavy, still like to get naked.

This is one of the factors that make nudists special people. We accept people for who they are. We appreciate human diversity and the great variety of body shapes and sizes. Older people are simply older variations of who we humans are. Most of us aren't appalled or put off by wrinkles, grey hair or sagging body parts. We have respectful attitudes toward each other and respect the wisdom that comes with age. It's a shame the rest of society often doesn't have the same positive body image perspective that nudists have.