There are, at least in the English language, two months out of every year that begin with the letter: “A.” The initial occurrence\is April, the one that we’re in right now. It is also the first complete month of the newly arrived Spring season. It also denotes the return of natural growth and of warming temperatures outside. A hopeful and promising month of the calendar.
The second month that begins with the letter “A” is August. Chronologically, August is the exact opposite of April. It is the very last complete month of the Summer season. It is typically a month of heat and of sunshine; among us of Greek heritage, it is traditionally the month for our annual return to the homeland to visit with family, friends as well as celebrating our culture and customs!
For my spouse, Aaron, and myself, both of the A-months, April and August, hold a special significance. April because were both born during this month albeit on different dates. However, our birthdays are less than a week apart and we were birthed during differing years.
Birthday treat!
Secondly, but equally important, we were married on 15 August, 2015. The wedding itself was the result of a conspiracy collaborated by both pairs of our parents but welcomed by the both of us! Fortunately, my father was alive when it happened and he was able to witness it and to bless us both!
Naturally, Aaron and I are not the only two bare practitioners honoured during the A-months. Alex, my identical twin brother, shares the same birthday and the same birth year as myself. We also have a first cousin, Michael Poladopoulos, nine years younger, who celebrates his birth during the middle of this month. He is likewise a bare practitioner, Deaf and a secondary school art teacher. He is half-Greek and half-Nigerian (our father’s are brothers).
Concerning Aaron’s family, there are no additional persons with a similar “claim-to-fame.” However, there are quite a number of nieces and nephews waiting for maturity before a final, official determination is made!
A bromantic moment!
Concentrating attention solely on the Peterson (Aaron’s) family and the Poladopoulos (my own) family in no way incorporates all of the A-month celebrants. Within the global bare practitioner community and culture alone, an entire listing is unfathomable! Even as a distinct social minority, we remain too numerous!
As a public site, ReNude Pride strives to remain accepting and inclusive of all the curious and those exploring their nakedness and their sexuality. We are all too aware of the feelings of being excluded, ignored or neglected. Like being forced to stand outside the home and only being permitted to watch through a window the social gathering taking place inside.
Many of us know these emotions firsthand and regrettably, some of us still have to cope with these even today. That’s why avoiding any repetition of these sensations is a priority for this publication!
So, in a serious and sincere effort to eradicate any exclusion and/or overlooking, Aaron and I invite anyone and everyone to an event to celebrate, commemorate and to enjoy nakedness! ReNude Pride’s very own:
BPO!
Bare Practitioner Occasion!
Motivated buttocks!
Anniversary? Birthday? Coming-of-Age? Coming Out? Any happening in life that you believe is worthy of commemorating within this calendar year, 2024, is enough reason for all of us to rejoice! Join in all the fun and laughter as we all strip out of our cumbersome clothes, toss away our inhibitions and gleefully engage together as community and culture in our very own special and unique collective occasion!
Our ultimate goal is to create an event that is as inclusive of all of us. Therefore, whatever the cause is determined to be: solo, a couple – bromantic or platonic – or a large group, we’ll join together and dance until all of our hearts, minds, and souls are overflowing with delight, jubilation and spirit. It makes no difference when the day occurs, the month and the date aren’t important! Aaron and I want all of us included and involved!
Circle of joy!
For far too long, our bare practitioner community and culture has enable the mainstream (majority) society the prerogative of identification of us. Their labels/names for us have often withstood (survived) the “test-of-time” and frequently became an epithet (slur) to use against us. This abusive and contemptuous identity becomes offensive and stereotypical in nature.
For example, about the time of the Stonewall Inn Riots (SIR) in June, 1969, the term “queer” emerged and quickly was assumed by general society to identify us – in a completely derogatory manner. “Queer” thus became very demeaning. However, our newly self-identified “gay” community actually liked the label “queer” and kept it with confidence and pride. We began to voluntarily even refer to ourselves and our culture as queer!
The broader society was baffled, confused and completely taken by surprise. How could we possibly endorse an identity intended to discredit and offend us? That same segment of society is still seeking another term to use, all these years later!
All we have to do is take a look now to see how queer has become synonymous with same gender loving. The mainstreamers continue to search for an appropriate replacement!
Tossing away briefs!
So please come and join with us as we jointly celebrate us being what and who we naturally are: ourselves! Bare Practitioners Occasion!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, April 12, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “Quickie!”
One of the multitude of inspirations for creating and publishing ReNude Pride – both “back-in-the-day” in 2017 and still current in 2024 – has always been to offer a space for same gender loving (SGL) naturists/nudists to celebrate and collectively explore being ourselves. In reality we are a distinctly minority community and culture that is often forgotten, ignored and overlooked by both the general gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer + (GLBTQ+) culture as well as the general body and clothes freedom (naturist/nudist) culture.
For many of us, my spouse, Aaron, and myself included, all we desired and sought was a simple place to feel “home.” Free from judgment; safe and secure.
Hence the word-game (word-play) in the title here: renude is for renewed – a “rebirth” of our initial pride (confidence) in being our true selves. Bisexual or gay nudists. A brief glimpse of this site’s history, repeated in honour of this anniversary occasion!
One other historical reflection to share with you at this time. My first solo blogging experience here on wordpress.com began in 2012 and was entitled A Guy Without Boxers.
“A Guy Without Boxers” header image, 2012 – 2015
A Guy Without Boxers was created and designed for the purpose of acknowledging the existence of the gay nudist movement in our world. Aaron and I were just an ordinary gay couple at that time as marriage equality wasn’t legally established when we began. This initial blogging enterprise was abruptly cancelled and eliminated by wordpress.com arbitrarily in early autumn, 2015. To this date, wordpress continues to “stonewall” (ignore) any justification for this action. I guess actions are stronger than words!
Notation:“A Guy Without Boxers” remains my very favourite name for a blog espousing the nature of being a bare practitioner!
It was with extreme caution, distrust, and reluctance that we returned here in early January, 2017. We both enjoyed the blogging experience and felt a genuine need for an outlet for our SGL naturist/nudist community and culture. ReNude Pride was born at that moment in time.
There was another essential inspiration for the launching of ReNude Pride in 2017. That was the introduction and education of the label (term) bare practitioner as identification or name for our community and culture. The words “gay,” “naturist” and “nudist” invoked too many negative and unpleasant connotations in the minds of many and it was considered that a neutral identification – bare practitioner – would eliminate derogatory associations and negative imaging.
Hopefully, the use of the bare practitioner identity would replace the misconception that bisexual or gay men utilized the naked or nude lifestyle as a means to satisfy their blatant sexual cravings and/or desires. The reduction of this myth is the reasoning for erasure of intimate sexuality implied by clothes freedom and orientation. Nakedness and partner preference are not synonymous with orgy obsession!
“ReNude Pride” gravatar, 2017 – present!
A result of this inspiration is the use of ReNude Pride as a site for the indoctrination of bare practitioner into the vocabulary of all body and clothes freedom enthusiasts. This encouragement is a single step in eliminating a source of mythology and prejudice against a misunderstood minority that simply enjoys having a good time without the restraints of clothing, whether alone or socially.
This site recently “adopted” the openness of nakedness preference of the popular and publicly gay adult celebrity, Phoenix Fellington (real name: Tre Larun Federson) as it’s “spokes-model” (representative) in honour of his frequent and numerous non-sexual appearances and poses. Phoenix isn’t compensated financially for this “unofficial” status and it is hoped that the publicity he receives will reward him personally. In the picture below, he demonstrates his obvious comfort in being bare along with his friends.
Phoenix Fellington (center) directing two of his colleagues!
One of the benefits of this image is that it reflects a totally non-sexual yet proudly bare interaction between openly SGL men who are indifferent (not focused on) to their social nakedness and their shared same gender attraction!
This specific situation with Phoenix Fellington is an example of the diversity of levels of acceptance and comfort with both nakedness and sexuality within our own community and culture of bare practitioners. Phoenix, our spokes-model, readily admits to his dual nature. He honestly and publicly identifies and proclaims his enthusiasm for being bare in both his personal life and his professional life (pornography). Body and clothes freedom, whether “on-the-job” or in his private life present no excuse or reason for either embarrassment, guilt or shame. But he does understand that his reaction to this aspect of himself is not the same for everyone. He encourages all of us to be mindful of this discrepancy in all our levels of comfort! Aaron and I both greatly admire and respect Phoenix for this attribute of his accommodation of us all!
Thank you, Phoenix, for your encouragement in being confident and proud of both what and who we are!
In order to conclude this year’s ReNude Pride anniversary observation on a celebratory and positive nature, I cordially invite each and every one of you to our home for an appreciation breakfast prepared by me!
Of course, bare practitioner status us required of all! Once you cross the threshold, removal of all clothing is mandatory!
Meal preparation is open for full inspection by everyone! No secret ingredients are allowed!
This anniversary is a joyful occasion! Feel free to share your enthusiasm and excitement!
Happy anniversary ReNude Pride! Aaron and I appreciate your support!
Please read my lips:
Aaron and I both “thank-you” for your support and friendship!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, January 12, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “Bare Modesty?”
January 3, 2009: a Saturday. Mr. Obama still retained the official designation of “president-elect” for about another two weeks. Jay (my soon-to-be BBF) and I arrived separately at the Naked Happy Hour (nude cocktails) event in downtown Washington, D.C. We stripped off all our clothes in the second floor men’s room with over 100 other guys. We proceeded downstairs (clothes free) to the bar area and that’s where we met. We’ve been BBFs (bare best friends) ever since then; exactly fifteen (15) years ago today!
This day was more than a full year before Aaron and I met one another. As a matter of fact, Jay was very encouraging to Aaron and myself and was the singular “honourary” best man for both Aaron and myself on August 15, 2015, the day that we got married. Fortunately, over the years, Aaron and Jay have also become BBfs together!
For the past four years, Jay’s bromantic partner is Raheem. Ever since we’ve met him, Raheem has been an integral component of our now BBF foursome. He fits as an appropriate “odd man” as he’s the only one of us who “wore” clothes until he met up with Jay! His unofficial designation (in jest) is as our “token textile convert!”
Despite our often laughing at Raheem’s “novelty” nudity status, we’ve welcomed him into our clothes free world. Amazing, he does have an enthusiasm for social nakedness and enjoys our outings among others as well as among ourselves. Jay often has a “new” Raheem tale of “naked energy” to share with us. It is rewarding to be with another who is enthralled with body and clothes freedom.
Over the 15 years of our “best bare friendship,” Jay and I have both considered not only the timing of our meeting one another but also the chronological implications. It was very early into a new calendar year, the actual third day of January, 2009. The day held promise and excitement. To start with, it was a very moderate day temperature-wise, I wore shorts and sandals to the planned “naked cocktail” event. An unusual occurrence for January of any year in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The unseasonably warm outdoor temperatures contributed to the exceptional crowd gathered for the bare “happy hour” gathering!
The crowd was one of the reasons that Jay and I met. I was looking over the attendance for a place to sit. Jay was seated at a “table-for-two” and had no one in the opposite chair. I approached him and…voila, we met! We shared the same table for a couple of hours, exchanging notes with one another and Jay practicing his American Sign Language (ASL). Before parting as the naked cocktails event ended and “textile cocktails” (clothed cocktails) began, we shared email addresses and agreed to keep in touch with one another.
We sent emails throughout the week following our meeting and were both very excited about Obama’s upcoming inauguration and the commencement of both change and hope for all of us living in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. We discussed meeting for a lunch during one of the upcoming weekends but were unsure of the throngs of people anticipated before the swearing in of the new president. One of the suggested dates was to wait until after the president’s event and people returned home.
We didn’t have to delay our next encounter together. The following Saturday, nor January 10, 2009, we surprised one another (again) by eventually realizing that we were both shopping inside a bookstore in Arlington, Virginia. The confusion was based on the fact that neither one of us recognized the other because we were wearing clothes. We only knew one another through being naked – not under the disguise of garments!
Unfortunately, we didn’t recall one another until we were leaving the booksellers. It did provide us both with laughter as we realized this would probably be the contact incident that would permanently seal our friendship!
“Sorry! I didn’t recognize you wearing clothes!”
Naked friendships cause less confusion than one might think!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, January 5, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “Footnote!”
Introduction: The Great War (what is today known as World War I) began with the declaration of war between the Empire of Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbia on July 28, 1914. The conflict expanded and finally ended on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. The peace treaty officially bringing the devastation to an end was signed in 1919. Millions died, globally, as a result of the belligerence.
The principle combatants in The Great War were the Central Powers: The Austria-Hungary Empire, Bulgaria, the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The Allied Powers were: Belgium, the British Empire, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Portugal, Roumania, The Russian Empire, Serbia, and the USA (1917-1918). Battles and military engagements occurred in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the South Pacific. This led to the designation of the conflict as World War I.
A direct consequence of The Great War was the eruption of yet another global clash, World War II, that began twenty years later, in 1939. That second conflict proved even more destructive than the first.
One of the sparks that triggered the beginning of The Great War was the assassination of the heir to the Austria-Hungary throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, the Countess Sophie, by Serbians opposed to the dominance of Austria-Hungary in Balkan politics. In reality, the heir was in favour of greater self-determination of the the native Serbs, Bosnian and Croatian peoples in their own governance. Unfortunately, his death also destroyed any peaceful solution to the volatile political situation.
In discussions with my students about the origins of The Great War, I have recently noticed a growing number of them referring to the actions of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand as among the causes of the First World War. This misjudgment I attribute to faulty teaching from their secondary school instructors and try my best to keep them abreast of historical truths. I’m not familiar with all of the archduke’s personal characteristics but I am unable to identify any historical source for this misinformation.
By 1921, almost all the world that survived the destruction of The Great War was observing the anniversary of the official Armistice that ended the slaughter. In the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, the peoples joined with King George V and Queen Mary in honouring the deceased on Remembrance Day. Two minutes of complete silence was publicly held in commemoration beginning the hour of the end of the fighting: 11:00 a.m. In Western Europe, Armistice Day ceremonies were conducted at cemeteries and battlefields. In the USA, the custom of Veteran’s Day was implemented.
Battlefield remembrance!
The Red poppy flower represents consolation, remembrance and death. The poppy is a common symbol that has been used to represent everything from peace to death and even simply sleep. Since ancient times, poppies placed on tombstones represent eternal sleep.
During The Great War, much of the fighting took place in western Europe, especially in the Flanders region of the Kingdom of Belgium. The countryside was blasted, bombed and fought over repeatedly. The landscape was torn apart by trenches. The previously beautiful scenery was turned to mud: bleak and barren where little or nothing could grow. There was a notable exception to the drudgery: the bright red Flanders poppy. These resilient flowers flourished amidst so much chaos and destruction.
John McCrae was the son of Scottish immigrant parents and was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, in 1872. In May, 1915, he was serving in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in Flanders, Belgium. On May 2, 1915, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, a Canadian field artillary oficr and close personal friend of McCrae, was killed in the Second Battle of Ypres. Shortly afterwards, McCrae wrote the following poem, “In Flanders Fields,” in memory of his friend and honouring all the war dead.
The poem was first published on December 8, 1915, in London, United Kingdom, in the satirical magazine, Punch. It was immediately popular and widely circulated and reprinted as a fitting tribute.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
the larks, still barely singing, fly
Scare heard amid the guns below..
We are the Dead. Short days ago
we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
to you from falling hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
We remember and appreciate the efforts of John McCrae and all the fallen, wherever they lie.
Remembrance Day Poppy Campaign
Etiquette
Participation in the Remembrance Day Poppy Campaign is completely voluntary. It should never be mandatory or required.
The poppy should be worn on the left side of the body over the top of the heart or on the left lapel.
Acceptable colours for the Remembrance Day Poppy Campaign are: red (remembrance) or white (peace).
Two minutes of silence are recommended, beginning at 11:00 a.m., (local time). If prayers are to be offered, they should be voluntary and silently.
The poppy should not be worn after 11 November (exception: memorial services).
********************
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, November 13, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Nakedness: Downside!”
The Bare Nation! The Naked Nations! The Nude Nation!
All joining their hands together. Helping hands. Cooperating. United. All for one and one for all!
Brotherhood!
Body and Clothes Freedom!
All embodied into togetherness! Bare. Naked. Nude. Not concealing their common link against artificial disguise and/or false impressions. United. Natural. Human nature. Humanity.
Shoulder support!
Confidence and Pride!
No confusion. No deception. All reality. The Bare Nation. The Naked Nation. The Nude Nation. All different yet all equal! At least there is hope for us all!
Naked truth!
No Surprise!
It takes bare practitioners (same gender loving naturists/nudists) to demonstrate to all the textile (clothed) people how to accomplish a mission of harmony, peace and respect!
The United Nations Flag!
The actual United Nations Day is celebrated tomorrow, Tuesday, October 24, 2023. This date commemorates the entry into force of the United Nations Charter in 1945. The purpose of today’s post entry is to offer the thought that bare practitioners may truly be the most creative and imaginative people around. They absolutely offer us all a prime example of the concept and ideal of a world of UnitedNations!
Hopefully, the real United Nations (UN) will strip off their clothes and march in line behind the bare practitioners!
Stripping!
A very happy and safe United Nations Day to all!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, October 27, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “October’s Bright Blue Weather!”
Purple: Spirit Dayis officially observed on the third Thursday of October, annually. This posting entry is offered in anticipation of the official observance!
On the Progress Rainbow Pride flag, the colour of purple at the bottom of the original rainbow field of six stripes represents the ideal of spirit. The colour also denotes pride and is considered a calming colour. It also connects us to the spiritual realm. For a great many of us, this is symbolic of our reflective nature and signifies the soul of the GLBTQ+ quest for our equality and freedom. In the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, purple is a royal colour and often is representative of the Crown.
Purple: Spirit Day is an annual anti-bullying, anti-coercion date that is held during National Bullying Prevention Month. It is particularly focused combatting damaging or threatening behaviour based on a person’s perceived or real same gender loving status. The Stonewall Inn Riots (SIR) of 1969 and the National Coming Out Day observance that commenced on October 11, 1988, reduced the suicide rate among the GLBTQ+ community and culture but it was never completely eradicated as a cause, even with the millennial transition.
A significant increase in GLBTQ+-related suicides committed not only raised the awareness of this problem within our community and culture but also in the minds of the general public. Clearly, more attention and efforts were necessary.
The commemoration of Purple: Spirit Day began on October 20, 2010, at the advocacy and inspiration of one Canadian teenager on her FaceBook social media. It is an awareness day of recent development in response to a USA suicide that gained international attention. On September 22, 2010, eighteen year old student Tyler Clementi, of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River. On September 19, Tyler’s roommate, Dharen Ravi, had posted to his Twitter social media account a clip showing Tyler kissing another man and announced to all his followers that he is gay. All of this was done without the permission of Tyler or his encounter partner.
Purple: Spirit Day!
The resulting media explosion that followed the suicide led Brittany McMillan, a secondary school student in Canada to respond to her conscience and launch the Purple: Spirit Day campaign on her own. The concept was undertaken by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) who immediately assumed sponsorship after consulting with Brittany.
Promoted by GLAAD, participants wear the colour purple as a visible sign of awareness and support for GLBTQ+ young people and opposition to bullying (for whatever reason) in general. It is also a gesture in tribute to all GLBTQ+ victims of suicide.
Cartoon in support of GLBTQ+ Purple: Spirit Day!
The very first Purple: Spirit Day was held on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. Later observances were on Thursday, October 20, 2011, and on Friday, October 20, 2012. After that time, GLAAD enacted the official date of the thirdThursday in October as the annual occasion.
For those persons restricted by requirements of uniform, a purple awareness ribbon may be worn to show agreement with the cause. If a pre-printed purple ribbon isn’t immediately available, a plain one suffices. Use a regular safety pin to attach the ribbon to your collar or shirt.
I remember the very first Purple: Spirit Day. Aaron, my spouse and I were simply living together at the time, and there wasn’t much notice given in advance of the first occasion. We decided to make purple ribbons to distribute on our jobsites promoting the cause and spent the night before staying up late to create the awareness tokens. We assorted 150 ribbons for each of our jobs. By mid-morning the next day, we exchanged emails and we had both given out of ribbons!
Supporting Purple: Spirit Day!
For bare practitioners the event may be signified by painting a purple ribbon on the left side of the chest. It is important to promote attention to this worthy cause!
For additional information on Purple: Spirit Day! please click onto the link below:
In the USA, October, annually, is featured as GLBTQ+ History Month. During this time, outstanding gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer+ persons, both current and past, are honoured for their achievements and contributions to their communities and culture’s history as well as to services rendered to history and to society in general. The image above offers the facial representation of some of this year’s winners.
Artistic interpretation!
The USA observance was founded in 1994 a Missouri secondary (high school) history teacher named Rodney Wilson. His original intent was to provide role models, build community, instill pride and to provide a civil rights statement of the achievements and efforts of the entire GLBTQ+ community and culture. Prior to the Stonewall Inn Riots of June 28, 1969, there was little, if any, information about the accomplishments and struggles suffered by the previously-known “homosexual” community in the USA and elsewhere in the world. Before the Stonewall uprising, it was the custom for the members of this community to remain closeted (anonymous, secretive).
“There was no gay pride before Stonewall. Only gay fear and gay isolation and gay distrust and gay self-hatred.” ~ Edmund White ~ USA gay novelist, historian
Gay rioting outside the Stonewall Inn, New York City, June, 1969!
For many, the Stonewall Inn riots marked the beginning of the movement for same gender loving (GLBTQ+) civil rights in the USA. However, in retrospect, it is now recognized as the catalyst (inspiration) that encouraged the community and culture – long abused, discriminated against and ostracized – to adapt a more activist approach in the journey towards equality and freedom.
Because of the existence of GLBTQ+ History Month, there are now forums, historical foundations and societies and institutions themselves dedicated to examining and exploring the topic and others within the community and outside. This is one of the many benefits not only of the Stonewall Riots but also of the observance of our community and cultural history.
The Stonewall Inn Historic Site!
The very first commemoration of GLBTQ+ History Month was endorsed by the Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Gay Lesbian Students Educators Network (GLSEN), the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Education Association (NEA), and other national organizations.
Equality Forum is a national GLBTQ+ civil rights organization with an educational focus. It coordinates GLBTQ+ History Month, produces documentary films, sponsors high impact social initiatives and sponsors an annual GLBTQ+ civil rights conference. It also maintains the GLBTQ+ history month website which is linked below.
Below are listed the 2023 honourees. The number of the individual is the date they are honoured. Click the link above for additional information.
Marin Alsop – trailblazing conductor
Chasen Buttigieg – GLBTQ+ activist
Madeline Davis – GLBTQ+ activist and historian
Elana Dykewomon – author and activist
Tessa Ganserer – transgender German politician
Roxane Gay – author
Lesley Gore – composer and singer
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy – transgender activist
Brittney Griner – WNBA superstar
Maura Healey – Governor of Massachusetts
Jazmine Hughes – editor and writer
Eddie Izzard – British actor and comedian
Michael R. Jackson – Pulitzer award playwright
Leslie Jordan – actor and comedian
Tina Kotek – Governor of Oregon
Marijane Meeker – pulp fiction pioneer
Scott Minerd – Wall Street innovator
Ryan Murphy – writer, director, producer
Carl Nassib – first out active NFL player
Stu Rasmussen – first out transgender mayor
Allen Schindler, Jr. – slain naval officer
Charles Silverstein – psychologist, activist
Andrew Solomon – writer
Michael Stipe – rock performer
Kara Swisher – tech journalist
Andre Leon Talley – fashion journalist
Doris Taylor – medical scientist
Evelyn Thomas – military activist
Mpho Tutu Van Furth – South African Anglican priest
Samira Wiley – actor
Penny Wong – Australian foreign minister
As is our standard here on ReNude Pride, we combine the best of both of our bare practitioner exceptional qualities and celebrate all of October as GLBTQ+ Bare History Month. This observance will feature both our same gender loving heritage as well as our bare pride and heritage. Ours is a culture and life that needs to be honoured and saluted in many ways throughout not only the month but all year long!
Please take time and explore interesting facets of our historical community and culture! Happy GLBTQ+ Bare History Month to all!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, October 2, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Return to Regularity!”
Tomorrow, August 15, we celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary!
The year was 2015. Marriage equality had finally arrived in the USA one year earlier. Both of our sets of parents had been advocating and conniving for an official and legal marriage ever since the previous summer. Neither one of us could withstand the pressure any longer.
We became as one!
Strategic kiss!
And we still remain that way today!
Anniversary cake!
We’ve sent anniversary treat to each one of you! Enjoy!
Anniversary embrace!
We have reservations to enjoy our anniversary week at a lakeside clothing optional resort within our home Commonwealth of Virginia!
Naked hugs!
Aaron and Roger Peterson-Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, August 18, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Lose the Fig-Leaf!”
Today’s post entry is ReNude Pride’s summary of the historic Stonewall Inn Riots (SIR) that took place in New York City, New York, USA, in the early hours of June 28, 1969. This incident is credited by many as the “spark that lit the flame” of the modern, monumental movement of equality, freedom and justice for the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer+ (GLBTQ+) persons everywhere. The results of their actions continue to happen even today, more than a half-century later,
Reference sources used to compile this posting include:
Bausman, Ann, “Stonewall: Breaking Out for Gay Rights”
Doberman, Martin P., “Stonewall: A History”
Images courtesy of GoogleImages.
Stonewall Inn, entrance
“The door of the Stonewall had wrought-iron bars across this little “peephole” – a little wooden thing that slid open. And the man inside would look out at you and, if you looked like you belonged there, he would open the door and let you in.” ~ Chris Babick ~ describing the front entrance to the Stonewall Inn, New York City, New York, USA
The Stonewall Inn (it was never a hotel) opened as a bar catering to the “homosexual” (American derogatory term used to describe same gender loving people prior to SIR) community in 1967. Prior to that, it had been a stable (for horses), a French bakery, a tearoom and lastly, a restaurant that had burned out of business. It opened as a bar (pub, public house, tavern) under Mafia-affiliated management and very closely connected to organized crime. The establishment consisted of two main rooms, each one with its own dance floor. The first room was popular with the older clientele and the back room attracted the younger ones.
At the time of the Stonewall Inn Riots (SIR), it was unlawful for “homosexuals” to socialize together in public and same gender intimacy was illegal, in both private and public places, in every state in the USA except Illinois. Same gender loving persons could and were fired from their jobs without any legal recourse. They were ridiculed and attacked publicly often without any consequence. Simply being a “homosexual” was considered an antisocial and criminal act. Churches and clergy were often the instigator and very few advocated tolerance. Everyone was required, by law, to wear clothing appropriate to their birth (natural) gender. The only exception ever permitted was for Halloween.
Friday evening, June 27, 1969, was a hot and humid start to a weekend. Most of the patrons gathered inside the Stonewall Inn were looking forward to a night of dancing with their friends, relaxing with cocktails and enjoying a summer’s night in New York City. They had no idea that they were about to witness an historical event that would change their lives – and the “homosexual” world – forever.
Just before the police raid and rioting began!
As the clock approached the midnight hour, both dance floors at the Stonewall Inn were full to capacity with energetic “homosexual” couples. June 28, 1969, was now into its infancy. Suddenly the music stopped! The lights that had been dimmed to enhance the atmosphere came back on in a bright glare that caught everyone by surprise. Almost at once the realization dawned on the festive crowds that the police were raiding the bar!
The New York City Police Department was long familiar with conducting raids on gay and lesbian bars. Their process was fairly routine and they all associated “homosexuals” as a relatively compliant and passive crowd. For this reason, only one police transport vehicle (paddy wagon) and one marked squad car were involved in the raid. Less than a dozen officers were assigned the task of managing and segregating the patrons, confiscating all the alcohol and arresting the Stonewall Inn employees.
“The police weren’t letting us dance. If there’s one place in the world where you can dance and feel yourself fully as a person and that’s threatened with being taken away, those words were fighting words.” ~ Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt, ~ Stonewall Inn patron and riot participant
The arrival of the police raiding force caused pandemonium to erupt inside the Stonewall Inn. Customers searched in vain for an escape route or for a place to hide. The law enforcement officials immediately began seizing both liquor and beer as evidence against the establishment and segregating the crowd: bar employees in one area, cross-dressers (transgender persons) in another and then the regular “homosexuals” elsewhere. The bar workers and the cross-dressers were to be arrested for their violating the laws. The regular “homosexuals,” once they produced their proper identification, were to be given court citations and then permitted to leave.
That was the normal New York City Police routine for raids against illegal “perverted” nightclubs. However, this one at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, was going to change all that “routine” forever. History was about to unfold!
Evicted clientele from the Stonewall Inn, June 28, 1969!
The year, 1969, was at the end of a decade that had witnessed massive social unrest throughout the United States. The African-American protests for civil rights, the birth of the feminist and women’s rights movement, the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations and the equal pay marches and strikes for primarily Latina/Latino immigrant farm workers were underway during this time. The “homosexuals” who had taken part in these public uprisings against these unjust policies were now energized and many wondered when their time for equality would happen. Little did they know that the police action against the Stonewall Inn that early morning was the spark that would light that fire!
As the police began checking the identities of all persons inside the Stonewall Inn, those with proper credentials were issued summonses for court appearances, released from custody and forced outside the bar. Only this time, instead of simply leaving the premises, they congregated outside on the sidewalks and at a nearby park. When law enforcement attempted to disperse them, the grew belligerent and confrontational.
The police, completely unaccustomed to “homosexual” defiance, continued to press the order to vacate the area. The crowd, emboldened by their frustration with being treated as “deviants” and second-class citizens, started to chant and to empty trash cans and hurl the garbage contents at the officers.
By this time, passers-by, curious as to what was happening, joined the upset “homosexuals” to express their dissatisfaction with the raid. The throng outside the Stonewall Inn grew in number, anger and curiosity. Once the word of what had transpired inside began to spread, even more “homosexuals” descended into the inn’s neighborhood and gather in the bar’s vicinity.
“You could hear screaming outside, a lot of noise from the protesters, and it was a good sound. It was a real good sound that, you know, you had a lot of people out there pulling for you.” ~ Raymond Castro ~ a customer of the Stonewall Inn detained by police inside the facility during the siege
The protesters outside Stonewall Inn
By now, the police raiders, trapped inside the building, understood that the situation had gotten beyond their control. They tried to call for reinforcements but were unable to reach any source for assistance. They had secured the bar but were were trapped inside and the crowd surrounding it on the outside was swelling in both size and fury. A few hundred patrons had now grown to an angry mob of several thousand and more were joining them by the minute.
No one with the New York City Police Department had anticipated the “homosexuals” – always believed to be meek and mild – to fight back. The years of abuse, oppression and ridicule had taken its toll and the frustration now became revolution and the time for retribution was at hand. Unfortunately for law enforcement, the pent up anger with police indifference and mistreatment was now being released and returned in kind. The officers were now prisoners inside the Stonewall Inn.
Two hours after the raid commenced, the police and their detainees were held inside the building with no relief in sight. The two-way communication devices between the raiding party and their office weren’t operable and the only pay-phone inside the lounge wasn’t able to connect to any local police precincts. The expected passive “homosexuals” had finally achieved a “first” in their spontaneous riot: the aggressive police were contained, surrounded and they were all very nervous.
By this time, the expanding crowd outside the Greenwich Village pub now filled the sidewalks, streets and the entire neighborhood and a full-fledged riot was underway. The raiders (police) were desperate for relief!
Stonewall Inn rioter!
In an effort to relieve the inflammatory predicament, the stranded law enforcement decided to send the detainees and half the officers inside the Stonewall to the closest local precinct in the two vehicles assigned to the raid. There, the detainees would be formally charged with arrest and the officers could make arrangements for a law enforcement riot force to assemble and rescue the remaining police personnel from the Stonewall Inn. This relief effort finally returned to the bar and eventually dispersed the angry mob of “homosexuals” and curious onlookers several hours later.
Despite damage to the Stonewall Inn and the loss of the license to sell alcoholic beverages, the bar opened for business (dancing) the following night. It was Saturday night and word of the disturbance had spread throughout the city’s closeted “homosexual” community (primarily by word of mouth). A larger than usual crowd gathered both inside and outside the Greenwich Village establishment. Most didn’t expect repeat of the raid the night before and a significant number of those who showed up mainly wanted to inspect the damage.
The police, however, had different ideas. They were strictly outside the Stonewall Inn in full force with a large number dressed in riot gear. They had learned their lesson and were determined to remain in complete control should the patrons become unruly again.
Detainees!
The “homosexuals” had been empowered by the riot the previous evening and weren’t about to be bullied into submission again. As the large law enforcement presence attempted to disperse those gathered outside the Stonewall Inn, they were confronted by verbal insults and an array of street-savvy tactics that saw the legal officers chase off onlookers, only to have them run around the block and return again. Silent compliance and obedience to uniformed police was no longer a fact of life for New York’s “homosexuals.” They were tired with suffering abuse, disrespect, ridicule and treatment as second-class citizens or worse.
“There was no gay pride before Stonewall. Only gay fear and gay isolation and gay distrust and gay self-hatred.” ~ Edmund White ~ gay author and novelist; he was present at Stonewall
The second night of the Stonewall congregation wasn’t as disruptive as the one before. No further damage was done to the bar facility, However, an awakening consciousness was raised within the municipal “homosexual” community that would change the way society viewed them and – most importantly – the way they perceived themselves.
For the first time, the often assumed passive “homosexuals” stood up for their rights and demonstrated that they, as a community, had “had enough!”
Aftermath
The birth of Gay Power!
We are still coping and living with the aftermath of SIR. Our communities and cultures continue to adapt, adjust and adopt to fit the desires, the needs and the sensitivities of us all. There is no way to determine when, if ever, this period of acclimation will complete.
Aaron, my spouse, and I would like to encourage everyone reading here to remember the discrimination, hatred, prejudice and violence that is inflicted against many in our community and culture – even today – throughout the world. Any donation, great or small, made to ease the pain and suffering of even one person is an effort in creating a better world for us all!
Our sincere appreciation to all of those who had the audacity and courage to stand up for themselves and all of us on June 28, 1969!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, June 30, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Bottoms-Up! End of June, 2023!”
One of the aspects of our gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer+ (GLBTQ+) achievements is the inclusive (total) nature of our acceptance and embracing of all the multitudes of persons identifying with our movement. Despite the recent political trends towards separation and exclusion – such as the protective wall needed by our former so-called leader between the borders of Mexico and the USA – we, the communities and cultures observing this traditional GLBTQ+ Bare Pride Month strive to meet our goal of diversity and union for all.
Background:
Since the very first modern pride month celebration following one year after the 1969 Stonewall Inn Riots (SIR) in 1970, the fledgling gay, lesbian and bisexual community sought a representative device for identification. A logo or symbol to denote itself and the communities affiliated. It wasn’t until 1978 that the “Rainbow Flag” – six colourful stripes – was introduced and became the first unofficial then soon the official for this growing culture.
The original Rainbow Flag colours and symbolism!
Tragically and unfortunately, the HIV/AIDS crisis and pandemic spearheaded this effort towards recognition and identification with the Rainbow Flag. This colourful banner rapidly gained international acceptance to distinguish the and culture of GLBTQ+ people globally. The United Nations (UN) adopted the Rainbow Flag as symbolic of the worldwide movement towards equality and freedom. This action bestowed a legitimacy upon the populations struggling for fairness and justice.
The Progress Rainbow Flag!
The Progress Rainbow Pride Flag was developed by non-binary artist and designer Daniel Quasar in 2018, forty years after the first appearance of the original Rainbow Flag. It was unfurled publicly on June 6, 2018, and incorporated the original Gilbert Baker’s 1978 flag. Quasar’s redesign celebrates the historical message and ideals/values of the GLBTQ+ culture and encourages a more inclusive general society for all people.
The redesigned banner has increased the visual representation of discriminated minorities identities covered by GLBTQ+ umbrella. Quasar’s creation added both black and brown stripes – symbolizing persons of colour – and light blue, pink and white stripes for transgender and non-binary persons, in the shape of an arrow on the left of the original rainbow on the Progress Pride Rainbow Flag. In the words of Daniel Quasar:
“…the arrow points to the right to show forward movement and illustrates that progress towards inclusivity still needs to continue.”
The black stripe has a double meaning as it is also intended for “those living with HIV/AIDS and the stigma and the prejudice surrounding them and those who have been lost to the disease.”
On June 6, 2018, Progress Rainbow Pride Flag was first unfurled for the world in honour of GLBTQ+ are Pride Month.
Body painted Progress Rainbow Pride Flag!
Progress Rainbow Pride Flag is now being used throughout the world as the official emblem and symbol for the GLBTQ+ community and culture. It is the latest design as our movement seeks to solidify and unite our peoples together for equality and justice for everyone!
Happy 2023 GLBTQ+ Bare Pride Month!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Friday, June 16, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Beach Pride!”
ReNude Pride: Guys Without Boxers! 