Bare/Dare Series, 2025! #3

Identical siblings!

An Examination and Exploration of Our Community and Our Culture of Same Gender Loving Nakedness! #3

Identical Twins: Double the Nakedness, Double the Fun!

Preliminary:

As promised at the beginning of this series, this final offering for this publication was guaranteed prior to the end of the summer season as my personal perspective. Just a reminder that this post entry also includes that of my own identical twin brother, Alex. Sometimes, the sharing of our ideas, inspirations, memories, reactions, recollections, thoughts, etc., become blurred and riddled with questions. However, the experiences are shared and together as they involve us both – guilty and innocence – together!

We, Alex (Twin) and I, are identical; our births barely two hours apart. Therefore, we share our personal experiences in nakedness – the comfort, joy, and preference for living, as much as possible, our lives without the burden, duty and/or obligation of clothing/concealment!

Footnote: For this series, I use pictures of identical twins from online. Our brothers prefer I not use any from our childhood.

Identical and Serious: together!

Introduction:

Our family name is Poladopoulos and we are identical twin brothers born almost two hours apart. Alex – the “first-born” – is also Deaf, same gender loving (SGL) or gay and frequently confused with me, Roger, the author of this blog and the “second-born” of this twin team!

Our parents were born in the Kingdom of Greece during the time of the German invasion and occupation during World War II. They married and began their family there before immigrating to this country in the early 1950s. Neither of them became citizens here and they returned to Greece in the 1990s. We (Twin and I) have three (3) older brothers and three (3) younger brothers. That makes the both of us the exact “middle-child” in our family.

Our family household being predominantly male has caused many to assume our nakedness wasn’t a major issue.

A very false and unreal assumption!

Our infancy and early childhood progressed along the same pattern as that of our older siblings with the exception of our diagnosis of being Deaf. Otherwise, we were “normal” until our parents and older siblings decided to teach us to properly adorn (wear clothes) ourselves. Our “moment” to establish our true identity! Our joint (shared) “declaration of independence” was upon us!

Bottoms-up! to yardwork!

Reality:

Our initial opportunity to proclaim our self-determination (identity) happened when the decision was made to instruct us on the process of how to dress – put on clothes. At last, a chance to demonstrate (show) precisely who we really are! Twin and I are unable to exactly recall the experience, so this episode is best described by our surviving parent (mother) and older siblings.

The miraculous fascination that Twin (our familiar reference name for ourselves) and I had for learning how to decorate our bodies with clothes was that it also gave us the knowledge of how easy and simple it now became for us to remove (discard) our clothing!

The proverbial adage, “practice makes perfect” was the result of this lesson. Easy to put on, easy to take off! Our parents were amazed at the both of us getting dressed in garments and then removing them immediately! The essence and introduction into our world of “guys without boxers!” No underwear equals no clothes!

Needless to elaborate, but this basic logistic created an enormous amount of frustration within our family household. Our desire for freedom from clothes soon reached epic proportions that continued throughout our childhood. This conflict in nudity versus textile (clothes wearing) was compounded by a communication issue: our being Deaf against the fact that everyone else was verbal (hearing). At the time, the tensions in our family, along with the births of our younger brothers, made happiness and tranquility seem impossible!

Luckily, Twin and I shared a bedroom. Perhaps “identical” is synonymous with “shared!” Soon, our parents conceived of a compromise: we could be naked inside our bedroom if we agreed to wear clothes while elsewhere in our home. Our older siblings joined in this project, and while some awkward occurrences happened, tranquility returned to the Poladopoulos residence.

Footnote: Now, today, as a family, we all laugh when remembering this drama in our lives!

Calm and peaceful!

As we matured, our late Father eventually acknowledged to us all that the “bedroom nudity compromise” was initially considered only a temporary adjustment. Both parents believed we would grow away from this behaviour and the nude insistence was a developmental “phase” of our lives that would eventually disappear.

Our oldest sibling, Nick, (who “came out” as gay while at university), readily admitted to our family that at his young age, he briefly thought Twin and I were “double trouble!” At the time of this incident, he viewed our being Deaf as synonymous with our penchant for nakedness!

Sometimes, a “temporary” compromise affords a very rewarding and significant solution!

A doorway of twins!

As to the communication concern: our family all learned to manually share (sign language) – both in English and Greek! A process that remains underway still today with the addition of in-laws (sibling marriages), nieces and nephews!

Summary:

Life experiences provided Twin and I with an opportunity to explore, firsthand, the world of nakedness. It afforded us a chance to examine and explore our perspectives, reactions and involvement! These same life experiences reinforced, both internally and in reality, our identical appreciation and commitment to nakedness that we both share!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride: Guys Without Boxers!

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, September 22, 2025, and the proposed topic is: “Autumn Adaptability!”

USA: Black History Month!

Origin:

In the USA, the entire month of February, annually, is observed as Black History Month (now referred to as African-American History Month). It was started in 1926, when the noted Black historian, Carter G. Woodson (now remembered as the “Father of Black History Month) and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) jointly announced the second week of February to be Negro History Week. This particular week was chosen because it contained the birthday (February 12) of the late president, Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves held in the rebellious south during this country’s civil war. It also contained the birthday of Frederick Douglass, the noted Black abolitionist and influential leader (February 14).

Carter G. Woodson, “Father of Black History Month!”

The very first commemoration of Negro History Week was featured in segregated public schools in three states (Delaware, North Carolina and West Virginia) and the Black schools in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Frederick Douglass, Abolitionist and Black leader

Up until the commencement of Negro History Week, throughout this country, the most that anyone was aware of African-American history was when the topic of slavery was discussed. Otherwise, there was practically no mention of any achievement or contribution of any Black person in the history of the USA. Black people were largely viewed as nothing more than “second-class” citizens throughout this nation. Discrimination and segregation were practiced everywhere and severely hindered the recognition of any notable African-American leadership.

Black History Month encourages honouring persons of the African Diaspora!

Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University in Ohio first proposed a month-long celebration for Black History Month in February, 1969. It was approved and first observed from January 2, 1970 through February 28, 1970.

President Gerald Ford first recognized Black History Month in 1976 during the USA bicentennial. He urged people to “seize the opportunity to honour the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavour throughout our history. He may have been the first president not elected for the job but he became the first one to publicly recognize the Black History Month celebration.

Looking for his past!

Personal Recollections:

As a child of Greek immigrants, I have very limited knowledge of what it was like to grow up in what was perceived by many to be a White man’s world. I do have some insight into the most definite deficiency of historical information concerning African-American history.

When my parents arrived in Richmond, Virginia, during the second presidential term of Eisenhower, the only home they could purchase was in a primarily Black neighborhood. The city was the capital city of the Confederacy during the Civil War and “old habits die hard (they were, after all, immigrants). Fine. The street that we lived on had a Greek Orthodox Church on one end, an Armenian Church in the middle and an African Methodist Episcopal Church on the other end. A celestial highway!

My oldest brother remembers the controversy surrounding the televised release of Alex Haley’s Roots. For many die-hard Confederate descendants, it was absurd and unforgiveable that White Confederate characters and their offspring were shown as evil, dishonest and violent. I imagine the truth does sometimes hurt.

Alex, my identical twin brother, and I are both Deaf but that didn’t prevent us from having Black friends in our neighborhood. Children don’t need an official interpreter to communicate between Deaf and hearing. We had several Black friends who shared with us in our nakedness (with enthusiasm).

Our motto!

Our neighborhood bordered the south side of the James River in Richmond. As we grew into our teenage years, Twin and I and our neighborhood friends frequented the James River during our summer school holidays. On one of those excursions, we discovered an area within the park very popular with the local same gender loving (SGL) people who were also active nudists. This resulted into an entirely different educational and enlightening world for all of us! The doors to bare practitioner manhood were opened – at last – and remain opened until this very day!

One of my neighborhood friends is named Paul Turner. We have become lifelong friends and have kept in contact with each other since our early teen years. He’s three years older than me and is also gay and a self-admitted bare practitioner co-founder and cohort! We jointly enjoyed and explored the SGL naked area of the James River Park almost daily. We continue to exchange laughter and memories of those summer “retreats” into our nakedness, our SGL identity and all the adventures and pleasures we had while maturing together! This past summer, we took a reminiscent hike to the riverfront park and our “classroom” of education into reality.

Paul and his partner have been a live-in couple for twenty-two years now. They’re both active in Richmond’s Black gay community and are very good friends to my spouse, Aaron, and myself. The four of us are exploring and negotiating the collective composition of a perspective of bare practitioner in today’s world. Our goal is a 2025 publishing.

Nudist friends are the best friends!
Black History

Happy Black History month to everyone! Enjoy the time that we all share together!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for tomorrow, Friday, February 2, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “A Dream Comes True!”

Bottoms-Up! January, 2024

A stare and buttocks!

It’s January in the Northern Hemisphere and an overwhelming majority of us are enduring the month inside where we can keep warm and not force our buttocks to suffer the frigid temperatures outside! Comfort and consideration do over-rule the joy of natural nakedness!

Buttocks comparison!

A bottoms-up! enterprise: a dynamic duo coupled for fun! A wonderful way to spend a winter’s day! Taking advantage of the chance to explore the bottoms-up! universe together! A triumphant team effort!

Bottoms-up! to bottoms-up!

A well-deserved respite from a busy day! Companionship brings out the best for all the rest of us to look back and enjoy!

Dressing room bottoms-up!

The “winter workouts” at our local fitness center or gym can often add a “spice of delight” for fans of bottoms-up! enthusiasts!

A “beachy” bottoms-up!

While it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere is full of the excited exposure of bountiful buttocks from coast-to-coast!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for tomorrow, Thursday, February 1, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “USA: Black History Month!”

We Can Skinny-Dip!

Skinny-dipper’s delight!

Now is the time to strip and skinny-dip!

Looking closely at the above image, and behind the skinny-dipping (about to swim naked) man, notice the photographer taking his picture. Who can blame him for wishing to capture the image of a bold bare practitioner about to awaken the desire of everyone in the pool by being the first to strip off his swimsuit (under his heel) and enjoy nature naturally and totally? Why wait another moment before being comfortable and naked?

Skinny-dipping is a colloquial American slang term that simply means “swimming naked or nude.” It became a slang name for aquatic activity about the time of the World War II engagements that brought many men from all parts of the USA together into the armed services. For years before that, the designation existed almost exclusively in the deep southern part of the country.

The benefit to all of us during the transitional seasons of the year (Autumn, Spring) is that regardless of where we live, the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, the majority of us are able to skinny-dip outdoors without suffering temperature extremes. A universal (global) period to enjoy nature as intended – clothes free!

Oceanic skinny-dipping!

The popularity of skinny-dipping throughout the world is the fact that the use of or the wearing of swimsuits is a relatively new practice. For many centuries, there existed no swimming attire and most cultures swam completely naked although separate times and locations were designated for the different genders. Therefore, skinny-dipping was considered relatively convenient and normal despite puritanical heritages and the otherwise labelling of nakedness as indecent and lewd. The sun and the surf are evidently too powerful for the artificial judgments of society!

Natural resource for skinny-dippers!

The time for comfort and relaxation while surrounded by nature and sunshine is upon us all! As we enjoy these idyllic days, there’s no better way to show our appreciation and gratitude than to celebrate being ourselves both aquatically and naturally! Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t always grant us this gracious gift eternally, so it is our responsibility to take advantage of every opportunity and life free and happy!

A gentle reminder!
Skinny-dipping his buttocks!
Graphic depiction of a skinny-dipper!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, May 29, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Precious Memories!” This is a repost from the blog of our blogging brother and friend, Rohan, the Nubian-Ikigai!

Maschalagnia!

Felipe Ferreira, gay model posing with his underarm fur!

Background:

Axilla (armpit or underarm) is the area of the human body directly under the joint where the arm connects to the shoulder. It also contains numerous sweat glands.

In humans, the formation of body odor happens primarily in the armpit. These odorant substances serve as pheromones, which play an important role relating to desire and to mating.

Hirsute axilla = hairy armpits, underarm fur.

Maschalagnia: A person who is physically and sexually attracted to armpit hair. Also known as hairy armpit obsession. Activities enjoyed with this fetish include licking and/or sniffing the underarms, kissing and/or sucking the fur and ejaculating on the partner’s armpits and/or chest area.

To read my previous posting related to men’s hairy underarms, please click the link below:

A+: Hirsute Axilla!

********************

Kory Mitchell: raised arm to share his armpit hair!

Introduction:

The above photograph depicts one of many, all-time favourite gay porn actors, Kory Mitchell. He earned my admiration early on when he publicly acknowledged – long before it became accepted – his personal attraction to men’s hairy armpits! Even while in my early adolescence, I felt instant affiliation and identification with him and no longer felt so alien! His honesty, discovered while secretly reading one of my oldest brother’s gay pornographic magazines, bestowed this early distinction upon Mr. Mitchell!

In his interview, Kory didn’t mention the descriptive term maschalagnia. He just referred to his attraction to another man’s hairy armpits!

Photo-Essay: Maschalagnia:

Kory Mitchell: half-face and armpit hair!

The above reasoning is how Kory Mitchell, a fellow maschalagnia, has the distinct honour of being featured here twice!

I think the name of my oldest brother’s hidden gay magazine was Inches. The article on Kory Mitchell contained endless photos of his penis, which was both enlarged and pierced. I don’t recollect any pictures – in that article – of his underarm fur.

All that I clearly remember about that presentation are the couple of sentences when Kory admitted to being sexually enthralled with men’s hairy armpits – surrounded by pictures of his own pierced erection! This was the first time I ever saw pictures of a pierced penis and learned of a famous porn-star in love with hirsute axilla!

Gio Dell, gay model, escort, model, actor and hirsute axilla!

Gio Dell, Venezuelan-born and gay, is a model, escort and actor. His head is balding and his body hair is profuse! He proudly flashes his underarm fur whenever possible!

By the time my identical twin brother, Alex, and I reached 14 years old, we both knew for certain of our same gender love. My fascination with male body hair in general and underarm hair in particular was not shared by Alex. He accepted armpit and pubic hair, he was and still is very fond of a very clean and smooth appearances elsewhere.

Notation: In answer to that question lingering in the back of your mind: Yes! Alex and his partner are both bare practitioners! our oldest brother is gay and does, upon occasion, accompany us to a social nudity function. He also readily admits to noticing a man’s hairy underarms, whenever available.

Gay model, escort and sometimes porn actor, Gio Dell, pictured above, is public about his sexuality and his comfort with his preference for his nakedness. He owns no confirmation of maschalagnia even though he acknowledges being the attraction of many bisexual and gay men because of their obsession with his very hairy body, especially his armpits!

I can’t remember giving any special attention to armpits when I was younger. Once puberty began, and my own underarms started to produce a furry growth, that became the catalyst that “opened the door” to my personal addiction, appreciation and attraction to hirsute axilla – the pet name among same gender loving men (bisexual or gay). This also created my interest in basketball that continues today. I currently play on a gay men’s team in an adult league (recreational).

Jason Collins, openly gay and the first openly gay man to play in the NBA. He played on the Brooklyn Nets!


I enjoy actually playing the sport of basketball even though I was never skilled or talented enough to be qualified as an athlete for the official school team. My problem? I was always too distracted by all the player’s underarm fur! I couldn’t concentrate on the game itself! Maschalagnia madness!

Twin – that’s how we address and refer to one another – recalls that my maschalagnia “affliction” seems to have happened overnight: “One night you went to bed, naked and normal. The next morning, you woke up dancing around the room, excited because you were growing pubic and underarm hair! You only calmed yourself when you noticed that the same was happening to me!”

My personal favorite maschalagnia logo!

I am able to still remember the first time I was in a position to fondle and kiss the hairy underarms of a peer. A day that I thought would never arrive! I was solely focused on his armpit fur whereas my peer partner concentrated only on my pubic hair and what else is available down there! That was the first Valentine’s Day I ever spent bare and in bed with another male who was not family!

It’s funny and ironic how Valentine’s Day can ignite a memory from more than two decades ago! A pleasant thought but a weird circumstance!

A subtle sniff!

A brief return to the subject of pheromones covered briefly in the Background section above. I’ve often wondered, I know that humans masturbate in order to relieve sexual tension and to provide self-stimulation. The question then follows: when we inhale the aroma of our own body’s pheromones, does that enable a similar self-gratification experience and urge? Is this “scent of desire” that our underarms create affect only our potential partners? Are we immune to our own scent?

Pheromones enhance the joys of sexual intimacy and are acknowledged to increase the level of passion experienced during foreplay and the actual physical encounter.

Fellow maschalagnia, gay actor and director, Sean Xavier!

Sean Xavier (pictured immediately above) was the second openly gay porn-star – following Kory Mitchell, to my knowledge, to publicly admit to his attraction to and his preference to maschalagnia (in his interview, he actually used the term and explained what it meant to the reporter). It was his interview that introduced me to the term itself. Prior to Sean’s educating me, I’d always simply shared that I had a “fetish” for men’s underarm fur!

Sean confesses to shaving his body hair when he was younger and first entered the business. At the time, he didn’t know any better and did whatever anyone told him to do. Now, he states, that he’s experienced, mature, wiser and proud of himself and all of my body hair!

Maschalagnia apparently is gaining in popularity based on a trend reported in the gay adult film industry. This may partially be caused by the increase in the number of Caucasian gay men who are shaving or otherwise removing their own armpit and pubic hairs. I’m an educator, not a marketing analyst. I have no knowledge or understanding as to how these two factors determine the conclusion.

Colin Black, hairy armpit advocate!

The late gay adult film actor, Colin Black, (pictured above) was a very prominent advocate for “hairy armpits rights” inside the gay adult film industry. Prior to his suicide on April 22, 2016, Colin publicly triumphed the cause of all adult film actors, same gender loving and opposite gender loving men, the grow and/or to groom their underarm fur according to their own personal preferences. His arguments were based on individual choice for freedom and happiness as opposed to contract clauses, mandated by industry executives that required contractors to remove/shave all armpit and chest hair and groom pubic hair. He advocated the same argument in support of nudity in private. In 2012, he received the Hookie Award (gay pornography honour) for Best Boyfriend Fantasy. Colin Black: an early bare practitioner hero!

“Nudity quickly becomes unremarkable when generally practiced.” ~ Colin Black ~

Before I read a death notice for Colin Black, I had never known that a “hairy armpits rights activist” ever existed. Colin, of mixed racial heritage (African-American, Native-American and Korean) was known for his concern for the civil rights of all. He publicly defended the “natural rights” causes of armpit and pubic hairs and of the rights to nakedness!

When once questioned why he strongly worked in favour of pubic and armpit body hair, he said, “because those are the only two places on my body where it grows. I’m smooth everywhere else!”

Daymin Voss, very hirsute body and underarm fur proud!

Obviously, bare practitioner actor Daymin Voss (pictured immediately above) doesn’t have the problem of the lack of his armpit and body hair! His profusion is well appreciated and known to appeal to many!

As long as men continue to grow their armpit hairs; I’m personally content, happy and a proud maschalagnia devotee and enthusiast!

Naked hugs!

Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride

Author’s Note: The next post entry for here is planned for Monday, February 20, 2023, and the proposed topic is: “Nightmare!”

Skinny-Dipping Success!

As much fun as skinny-dipping (swimming naked) can be, there are a few considerations to keep in mind whenever we bare ourselves for an outdoor swim. Both the sunshine and the water hold the promise of a fruitful and happy experience, as humans, we also know that disaster often happens without reason and warning. Being aware of certain situations beforehand often enhances our chances of a successful skinny-dipping outing!

Continue reading Skinny-Dipping Success!

Metro DC Exotics: Audition

ReNude Pride is a blog that celebrates and is dedicated to the ideals and principles of non-sexual nudity. There’s nothing wrong with sex, it just isn’t a practice that is basic or essential to the concept, enjoyment and practice of clothes freedom. Bare living is not based upon nor exclusive upon any physical intimate activity. Naked, nude and nudity are not synonymous with any sexual activity. However, this episode from my past does come close to involving me sexually.

Continue reading Metro DC Exotics: Audition

A Penny For My Thoughts…

Twin (my identical twin brother, Alex) and I were both born Deaf. We have never worn hearing aids as our deafness was diagnosed as too severe for them to offer any benefit. Now, before I proceed further into this post, I should add here that deafness is a condition that is found in both our maternal and paternal families. We have first cousins who are Deaf on both sides of our family tree and my favorite aunt (mother’s sister) is Deaf as well.

Continue reading A Penny For My Thoughts…

Autumn Leaves: Bare Model

For those readers here who’ve followed ReNude Pride for awhile, you already know that as an undergraduate student at university, I posed bare (naked, nude, without clothing) to earn some extra spending money. The job was for the art classes and photography classes at my university. The pay was good and the work wasn’t too demanding or difficult – all I had to do essentially was take off my clothes – which was fine for me. I had no issues being bare – and the same is true today!

Continue reading Autumn Leaves: Bare Model

Erectilephobia

Erectilephobia is my own term for any man who allows his fear of possibly having an erection in public to prevent him from trying social nudity. The most unfortunate aspect of this situation is that there is an equal possibility that the same man will not have an erection in public and therefore he’s allowing this possibility to prohibit him from the camaraderie and joys of social nudity. Arousals (erections) aren’t available “on demand” so none of us are immune from this happening, but we’re realists and refuse to let that possibility stand in our way of enjoyment.

Continue reading Erectilephobia