Unity In Our Nudity

The same gender loving (gay) community is often criticized as being racist and elitist. Unfortunately, I can think of numerous instances where this is indeed true and have experienced this myself as a Deaf man and as a man who is married to another man of a different race. Aaron, my husband, has seen many cases where this was true both before we met and since we’ve been together. In the interest of fairness, we remind ourselves that the gay community is merely a reflection of the broader mainstream culture and not an exclusively homocentric  (gay-focused) attribute.

But that realization doesn’t mean that when racism and elitism happen, we just ignore it. Sometimes it simply can’t be overlooked and it most definitely does hurt. To pretend otherwise would be both foolish and a lie. There are times when it is appropriate for a man to let his reactions show and be known; if not, it only perpetuates the discrimination and stereotyping. Being silent merely implies acceptance and agreement with the behavior.

With nudity, the vestiges of elitism disappear. There are no designer labels attached to our skin. Human skin is not an item that soon becomes dated or loses its stylishness. It may age over time but what we’re given at birth is what we live with until death. Bare fashion (our skin) is always current and in vogue.

There may be diversity in our skin texture and color, but that’s about as far as differences go. There are only two anatomical variances among human, one being female and the other being male. So when we’re all clothes-free, there’s not too much distinction. Personally, I think the limited selection is what makes our nakedness a great equalizer between all the various social strata. When we’re nude, even a king is without his crown.

It is both a disgrace and a shame that we’re not a completely naked planet – as my bare buddy, Kenn Campbell-Harris, author of the Nudist Planet espouses. I think that once all clothing is removed from the equation, people will then realize exactly how petty and minor all our perceptions of difference really are. We’re all merely men and women with no trapping of rank or social status.

There will continue to be variations of our skin color and tones. But those differences will appear unimportant once we all begin to see and at last appreciate and understand that our skin is designed to protect us, not identify us. Perhaps then we will all see a person as the “real” person that they truly are, and not as a clone of others who appear (in our own minds) as the same.

Anatomically, there will be distinctions between our genders. However, the size of the various anatomical features, as we are slowly beginning to realize, have no relevance to the “real” person attached.

The absence of clothing allows us to see one another for exactly what we are: humans. This is not a radical or revolutionary idea, as we all see this in the natural world every day and among all the other species sharing our planet. The supposed “shame” of our nakedness (nudity) is nothing but an imposed value forced on us by a society that thrives on both control and manipulation.

I, for one, am all for the freeing of ourselves from any and all constraints and restrictions.

Naked hugs!

Roger/ReNude Pride