This year, 2022, marks the 70th anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II – her majesty’s Platinum anniversary! She became queen immediately upon the death of her father, King George VI, in February, 1952.
Due to the Queen’s advanced age (96 years), she currently experiences discomfort being mobile and, unfortunately, she was forced to curtail many of her appearances for her official Platinum Anniversary celebrations. Here’s to wishing Her Majesty the very best on her reign!
My spouse, Aaron, adores Her Majesty! He is a subject of Canada and hangs a Canadian flag on his nightstand beside our bed at home.
Postal depiction of H.M. the Queen
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Map of Canada!
This date marks the creation of the Dominion of Canada under the British North America Act of 1867,which united four colonial provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec) into the actual union with the capital in Ottawa. The remaining provinces and territories have been added over the years.
Bare practitioner draped in the Canadian flag!
This is the official holiday of Canada, focusing on all things and events that makes everything and everyone Canadian special, unique and well – Canadian! The July 1 date? That makes it comfortable, easier and simpler for all of us to strip off our garments and skinny-dip for Canada!
Shirt off!
Pants off!
Underwear off!
Drop to skinny-dip for Canada!
Happy Canada Day to all!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry planned for here is Monday, July 4, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “USA: Independence Day!”
June 28, 1969, is a date that has become chiseled in stone for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer+ (GLBTQ+) people worldwide due to SIR (Stonewall Inn Riots). What happened on that night first erupted and shortly exploded into a global movement for dignity, equality and respect for GLBTQ+ persons specifically and in general, everyone. The Stonewall Inn Riots were an unplanned reaction to centuries of abuse, discrimination, intimidation, oppression and violence waged against people considered as “homosexual” (man sexuals). This protest served as a flame that quickly ignited into raging fires worldwide.
The Stonewall Inn, circa 1969!
Background:
The robust and spirited social settings in the 1920’s post-Great War (World War I) era often overshadowed the climate of hatred and ridicule of the then “homosexual” (same gender loving) community. For the most part, they were largely publicly ignored. However, disdain and discrimination didn’t cease or end. It was simply temporarily replaced by the emerging “good times.”
The economic crisis and worldwide depression of the 1930’s prolonged the disregard that society held for all “homosexuals” no matter their gender. Everyone was focused on survival and the source of their next meal. Few, if any, had any curiosity, interest or time to devote to social deviants.
World War II followed the global financial situation and suddenly “homosexuality” again temporarily lost notoriety. What better way to rid humanity of this disgusting condition than to send “homosexuals” off to fight and die for freedom? The need for bodies to sacrifice trumped denying “homosexuals” the right to serve their country.
After World War II, the Cold War/Iron Curtain mentality emerged and harsh judgments on all persons and things viewed as abnormal abounded. “Homosexuals” soon became as notorious as communists as enemies of the state. Government, law enforcement, the press and society were quick to label “homosexuals” as misfits, outcasts, pariahs and perverts.
“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 at you and, if you looked like you belonged there, he would let you in.”
Chris Babick, describing the entrance to the Stonewall Inn, 1969
The Stonewall Inn (it was never a hotel) opened as a bar catering to the “homosexual” 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 under Mafia-affiliated management and was very connected to organized crime. The establishment consisted of two main rooms, each with its own dance floor. The front 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 gather together in public and same gender intimacy was illegal 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. Everyone was required, by law, to wear clothing appropriate to their birth gender. The only exception allowed was for Halloween.
Belligerent stance!
The Raid and Ensuing Riot:
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, partying with friends, relaxing with cocktails and enjoying a summer’s night in New York City. They had no idea that they were about to witness a historical event that would change their lives – and the “homosexual” world – forever.
Both the dance floors at Stonewall Inn were full of dancing “homosexual” couples. It was now after midnight and June 28, 1969, was now in its infancy. Suddenly, the surging music stopped. The lights that were dimmed to enhance the atmosphere came back on in a bight glare that caught everyone by surprise. Almost at once, the realization dawned on the festive crowd: the police were raiding the bar.
The New York City Police Department was long familiar with conducting raids on gay and lesbian bars. It was a frequent occurrence and standards rarely varied in all boroughs throughout the city. Their process was fairly routine and all officers recognized “homosexuals” as a relatively compliant and passive population. For this reason, only one police transport vehicle (paddy wagon) and one marked police squad car were involved in the raid on the Stonewall Inn. Less than a dozen officers were assigned the tasks 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 are fighting words.”
Tommy Lanigen-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. Law enforcement immediately began confiscating both beer and liquor as evidence against the establishment and segregating the crowd: bar employees, cross-dressers (transgender persons) and then the “regular homosexuals.” The bar employees and the cross-dressers were to be arrested for their violating the law. The “regular homosexuals,” once they showed officers their proper identifications, were to be given citations and then permitted to leave.
The Stonewall Riots: actual photographs!
The year, 1969, was at the end of a decade that had witnessed massive social unrests. The African-American struggles and protests for civil rights, the birth of the feminist and women’s rights movements, the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations and the equal pay marches for primarily Latino immigrant farm workers were underway during this time. The “homosexuals” who had participated in some of these public unrests were energized and many wondered when their time for equality would happen. Little did they, and the police raiding the Stonewall Inn, realize that particular moment was actually upon them.
As the police began checking the identities of those inside the Stonewall Inn, those with proper credentials were released and herded outside the bar. Only this time, instead of simply leaving the premises, they congregated on the sidewalks and at a nearby park. Once law enforcement attempted to disperse them, they grew confrontational and belligerent.
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, began to chant and to empty trash cans and hurl the garbage at the officers.
By this time, passers-by, curious as to what was happening, joined the vocal and upset “homosexuals” to express their dissatisfaction with the raid. The crowd outside the Stonewall Inn began to grow in number, anger and frustration. Once the word of what had transpired inside the bar began to spread, even more “homosexuals” started to descend into the neighborhood and amass in the bar’s vicinity.
“There was no gay pride before Stonewall. Only gay fear and gay isolation and gay distrust and gay self-hatred.”
Edmund White, gay author
Law enforcement, confused and distracted over the reaction to the raid, soon had a very sobering moment. The gathering outside the bar had them surrounded inside the bar with little, if any, relief in sight. Those “homosexuals” who were kept inside were fast becoming as bellicose as were those gathered outside.
By now, the police trapped inside the facility 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 trapped inside and the crowd outside was swelling in both fury and size. A few hundred patrons had now grown to an angry mob of several thousand and more were joining by the minute.
Stonewall Inn and sidewalk at night!
“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 Stonewall Inn customer being detained inside the bar during its siege
No one in the New York City Police Department had anticipated the “homosexuals,” always perceived as being 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 the police, the pent-up anger at law enforcement was now being released and returned in kind. The officers were now prisoners inside the Stonewall Inn.
Slightly over two hours after the raid had started, the police and their detainees were trapped in the Stonewall Inn and no relief was in sight. The two-way communication devices between the raiding party and their office weren’t working inside the bar and the only commercial phone in the facility couldn’t connect with any local police stations. The passive “homosexuals” had finally achieved a “first” in their spontaneous riot: the raiders were contained, surrounded and all very nervous. By this time, the crowd outside the Greenwich Village bar now numbered several thousand with a full-fledged riot underway.
In an effort to relieve the inflammatory predicament, the trapped police decided to send the detainees and half the officers in the two police vehicles to the closest local precinct. There, the detainees would be formally charged with arrest and the officers could make arrangements for a police riot force to assemble and rescue the remaining law enforcement personnel. This relief effort finally returned to the bar and eventually dispersed the angry crowd 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. By Saturday evening, word of the incident 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 a repeat of the raid the night before and a significant number of those present mainly wanted to inspect the damage.
The police, however, had different ideas. They were strictly outside the bar in full force with a large number in riot gear. They had learned their lesson and were determined to remain in full control should the patrons become unruly again.
Pride!
The “homosexuals” had been empowered by the riot the previous evening and weren’t about to be bullied into submission again. As the large police presence attempted to disperse those gathered outside the Stonewall Inn the second night, they were confronted by verbal assaults and an array of street-savvy tactics that saw law enforcement chase off onlookers, only to have them run around the city block and return again. Silent obedience to uniformed policemen was no longer a fact of life for New York’s “homosexuals.” They were tired of suffering abuse, disrespect, ridicule and treatment as second-class citizens.
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 community stood up for their rights and demonstrated that they, as a full community, had “had enough!”
Happy Stonewall Inn Riot day!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry for here is planned for Thursday, June 30, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Bottoms-Up! June, 2022”
The gentlemen above attempt some genital modesty with the traditional rainbow flag that for many years represented GLBTQ+ pride!
The colors and the symbolism of the traditional rainbow flag. Many complaints were received because the diversity of the GLBTQ+ community wasn’t reflected.
Traditionalrainbow flag with two gay men emblems!
The customary “header” for my Pride month post entry. On the rainbow flag he’s holding are emblems representing two gay men together. I used this image for my initial A Guy Without Boxers site as well as here on ReNude Pride.
Daymin Voss (left) kisses Beaux Banks.
Same gender love (SGL) at the very best! Daymin Voss (left) passionately kissing his fellow SGL actor, Beaux Banks! A foreplay scene from their film: Vice!
Self-explanatory logo!
ReNude Pride observes GLBTQ+ pride month and bare pride month simultaneously. I did the same when publishing A Guy Without Boxers. The Stonewall Inn Riots happened on the night of June 28, 1969.
We can all follow adult SGL film legend Francois Sagat’s example and “strip off” our clothes for the entire month of June. Pride with absolutely nothing to hide!
A nocturnal dive!
While we’re all bare, we can take advantage and skinny-dip dive into the pool! Every effort earns a reward!
“Pride is the confidence, contentment, joy and satisfaction that we feel being the real and true person that we are!” ~ Roger Peterson-Poladopoulos ~ June 1, 2022
Compiling pride!
Our confidence and pride extends to ourselves, our community and all of humanity. We are not limited in what we attempt to accomplish. Working together, we achieve our goals!
Our pride: our Progress flag!
Our pride commemorates the challenges we have overcome and the lessons we have learned. It includes the pain we have felt, the lives we have lost and the grief that we have mourned. Our successes and triumphs are celebrated and cherished.
Our pride continues forward! The Progress flag (image above) is our new banner that incorporates our collective past and our hope for the future. It retains a part of our rainbow heritage and elements of our progression into acceptance, diversity, equality, inclusion and respect!
Happy nakedness and pride to everyone, every day of the entire year!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry planned for here is for Friday, June 3, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “World Naked Bike Ride!”
In the USA, the last Monday of the month of May, annually, is a movable holiday in tribute to all those who have died in the defence of this country. Many others recognize this as Remembrance Day or as Armistice Day held on the anniversary of the cease fire ending the Great War (World War I). This is a federal holiday throughout all 50 states.
During this holiday, the USA flag is raised to half-post (for mourning) from sunrise until noon. At that hour, the flag is then raised to full-post for the remainder of the day.
In this country, this Memorial Day holiday is seen by many as the unofficial beginning of the summer season!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for tomorrow, May 31, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Bottoms-Up! May, 2022!”
Canada’s current Queen Elizabeth II (left) and Queen Victoria (right)!
In French, an equal language in Canada, the name for this holiday is: Fete de la Reine (Celebration of the Queen)! In all of Canada, this is a public holiday that is observed on the last Monday preceding May 25, annually. Initially in honour of Queen Victoria’s actual birthday (May 24), it is now a tribute to the first monarch of a confederated Canada as well as the official founding of Canada’s sovereignty. This holiday has occurred in Canada since at least 1845, which predates the creation of the confederation.
In addition to giving historical homage to the Queen who granted the Royal Assent (signature) to the British North America Act: the very first step in the inevitable evolution of the British Empire into the Commonwealth of which the current Queen Elizabeth II officially heads.
Posing for Canada!
For a majority of Canadians, Victoria Day serves as the unofficial commencement of the summer season – a long weekend to welcome the return of warmer weather!
Queen Victoria’s Enigma:
Oceanic skinny-dipper!
My spouse, Aaron, is Canadian by birth. His paternal ancestors migrated there through the underground railway before the U.S. Civil War ended the practice of slavery. At his determined insistence, I am offering this thought.
As a nude enthusiast – and advocate – one of the greatest ironies of Queen Victoria’s reign has always been: Did Her Majesty ever skinny-dip (swim naked)? Victoria ascended to the throne in 1837. Prior to inheriting the crown, everyone swam naked. Swim suits didn’t exist before they were commercially designed and produced in the 1850’s. The genders were segregated (if necessary) and people splashed about aquatically naturally (clothes free).
Stereotypically, H. M. Queen Victoria is always considered a very stoic and solemn prude. In reality, was the lady as she is often perceived?
Happy Victoria Day!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry for here is planned for Friday, May 27, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Sunglasses: Sunglamour Glory!”
Today is May 13, 2022. There is really no special significance placed on this day except for one major detail: today is Friday, May 13, 2022. The day of the week is the factor that makes a big difference. In the human mind, Friday, the 13th of any month is a date seriously lacking in any good fortune. Friday, the 13th is stereotyped as a most unlucky date!
The origins of this misconception in the early days of the Christian era were based on the belief that Jesus had twelve major followers (apostles). Somehow, an extra one subtly integrated the apostolic dozen thus creating the ideal of the unlucky 13th. Of course, this reasoning is built on the presumption that all of the world is Christian, which we know is not true.
In some bizarre intrigue, Satan (devil, evil) had penetrated the “holy divine dozen.” In this assault on Christianity, the number thirteen (13) earned it’s unlucky classification. Blame it all on Satan!
Despair!
Another theory as to the origins of the unlucky Friday the 13th exists and persists. This idea is supported by historical evidence that does offer us credibility although Satan is associated with this version of the unlucky 13th story also. For all of his rumoured might and power, that poor devil seems unable to lose his notoriety over the unlucky Friday the 13th legacy.
The next tale of this unlucky 13th saga is less biblical and more historical in content. It involves the Roman Catholic Church, a king of France, the Crusade, the Knights Templar, deceit, envy, greed, jealousy, history, myth, fact and fiction. Both a pope and Satan have roles to play in this gruesome epic; but, unfortunately, I am unable to serve popcorn as I relay all the tale to you.
Personal observation: for some unknown reason, Christianity, Satan and the “unlucky 13th” appear intimately involved in this legacy of misfortune.
Religious supplication!
The prelude to this segment of the unlucky 13th woe, the Crusades have already taken place. Christian armies, of which the Templar Knights were an allied force, had occupied the biblical lands and then been forced to retreat from them. Palestine was once again under complete Islamic domination. The Templar Knights had relocated themselves back into the safety of Europe and turned their attention from pilgrim protection in the Holy Land to banking and land management enterprises. The order was extremely wealthy.
Early morning, Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of all the Knights Templar living in France. The king owed immense amounts of money to the Knights and had no way to pay off his debts. He believed that by arresting the order, he could confiscate their wealth and become debt-free. The highest ranking members of the monastic order were locked in prison, including Grand Master Jacques de Molay, and the torturing began. Incarcerated and under torture, the Templars were viciously slandered as “homosexuals” (same gender loving) and who inducted recruits to their order while they all were naked together after spitting on the holy cross.
Pope Clement V was horrified when he was informed of the Templar rumours and of their massive arrests. He’d been elected pope almost solely because of the French king’s influence and support and he feared the Templar Knights power. However, as the number of confessing Templars increased due to the torture Philip was inflicting on them, Clement issued a papal bull (law) ordering the arrest of all Templars throughout Europe due to blasphemy and heresy.
Arresting the Templar Knights!
Within a few days of torture, numerous Templars confessed to their alleged sins. Within weeks of their confession, most of the knights recanted their confessions and were put to death. This led Pope Clement V to terminate the inquisitions into their sins and to dissolve the courts. However, the papal action did not deter King Philip IV as he was busy dealing with the Templar fortunes he was now accumulating.
In 1310, two years after Pope Clement V had the inquisition ended, King Philip IV had Grand Master Jacques de Molay and the remaining leaders of the Knights Templar burned at the stake. The Friday the 13th fallacy was now officially over!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry for here is planned for Monday, May 16, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Act-For-Skin!”
At midnight tomorrow night, the bells on Greek Orthodox churches (actually, all Orthodox churches) will begin to ring and the congregations will commence to transmit the flame of light from one paschal candle to another while chanting “Kristos anesti” (Christ is risen). The Easter liturgy for 2022 will start; continuing a tradition that began almost 2,000 years ago.
Afterwards, the congregants will exchange the greeting “Kala Pascha” (good Easter)! While sharing best wishes, they will hold red-dyed eggs in the palm of their hand tapping the eggs of others, in the attempt to crack open the shells of every egg they encounter and emerge with their own egg unscathed and intact!
The egg champion!
Everyone then hurries home for the opening of gifts, the devouring of the Easter breakfast and the mad rush to crawl into bed before sunrise! The Easter feast begins at 4:30 p.m., on Sunday afternoon! Of course, all are completely famished by the time that comes to pass!
Of course, the family gathering is sparse for us. Aaron, my spouse, and I will host Twin (Alex) and his partner Dante, and our first cousin, Michael Poladopoulos and his soon-to-be spouse, Ropati. The remainder of our families all reside in Greece so we do the best that we can to ensure that Easter is a memorable event.
All of us are bare practitioners so there is most definitely a hasty drive from St. Sophia’s Cathedral in northwest Washington, D.C., to our condominium in Arlington, Virginia. We’ll all need to remove our church attire – pronto! Aaron and I have a one bedroom unit, therefore, space is limited. Fortunately, clothing concerns are not an issue for any of us! We avoid a grooming disaster by shaving/showering as a couple and not individually.
Lambropsomo – Easter Bread!
Everyone plans on arriving this afternoon (Friday). In making the Lambropsomo (Easter Bread), we use ya-ya’s (paternal grandmother’s) recipe which both Alex and Michael (as well as myself) own. My culinary skills are nonexistent; however, I do posses the handmade wooden rising bowl that belonged to ya-ya’s mother (our great-grandmother). It is an antique. The Lambropsomo is an eighteen hour process so preparation starts tonight. Ropati has no interest in baking so the two of us plan to play backgammon (tavloo) while the remainder work in our kitchen. As my Aaron so aptly determined: “We’ll keep the R’s (Roger and Ropati) out of our space so we can handle (complete) our business (cooking)!” Rest assured, Ropati and I both intend to comply with those wishes!
Easter feast preparation!
I don’t know for certain if Ropati’s kitchen skills are as poor as mine – however, as long as the majority of our guests are content with the food preparation, I am content to accede to their every desire and need! Too many in our tiny kitchen space can only create chaos, confusion and disaster!
Our Easter Sunday plans are to be laid back and relaxed for most of the day. With the bulk of the meal preparation completed in advance, our 4:30 p.m., dinner will be followed by our guests departing for their homes. Aaron and I prefer doing our own clean-up after the meal as our time to “calm” after a condominium full of family for the entire weekend. Monday is a full day at work for the both of us!
Decorated buttocks!
And a very depressing thought: almost all of my fellow professors at university observed Western Easter the week before. Their holiday recovery is very complete! I have yet to go through the motions!
Kala Pascha to everyone!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, April 25, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “April Appeal: Fantasy!”
On March 25, 1821, the date of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos (Mother of God) in the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek people, as one, rose in revolt against their Ottoman Turk oppressors. This uprising marked the beginning of eight years of armed struggle that culminated with the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829 that ended almost 400 years of Turkish occupation with internationally recognized independence for the Kingdom of Greece. Great Britain, France and Imperial Russia signed the Treaty of Adrianople as guarantors in order to discourage any attempt by the Ottoman Turks to reclaim any part of Greece.
Upon proclamation of the Kingdom of Greece, the Greek Orthodox Church was officially sanctioned as the national church. That status remains current today. Greek was established as the language of communication, replacing Turkish. The drachma was adopted as the legal currency until it was withdrawn with the introduction of the euro.
Notation:as a student for my baccalaureate, my European History professor instructed us that the Greek alphabet and Roman numerals were extensively utilized throughout Greece, both then and now. The alphabet was no issue but the numerical claim was totally incorrect. I proved him wrong and years later, when I joined the university faculty, he publicly recalled this incident from my undergraduate days.
Defending Greece!
The conflict that began in 1821 did not involve the Greeks attired as soldiers from the ancient days wearing helmets and little, if anything, else. The pictures here are shown for illustrative purposes only. The historical Greeks did not fight bare. There were organs of the male anatomy, even then as now, that were considered too precious to put at risk for the stroke of a sword. Some of the troops may have fought while clothes free; however, that was based on the situation and not by direction, order or standard procedure.
History legends have certain cadres or regiments of the Greek military consisting solely of same gender loving men. This may have been common practice during that particular time period but it isn’t true in 1821 nor today. In ancient Greece, historians recorded these designated army compositions to reflect the reality of the situation. Men-who-love men identification was not considered a cause of degradation or disgrace. Instead, it was labeled as such as an honour, a distinction and a source of pride.
For the liberation uprising, army units were organized by family and/or village affiliation (local). Same gender loving men may have fought together, as a couple, against the Turks, but this wasn’t the basis for a troop determination.
Greeks used firearms and cannon, where available, for their struggle against the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish army was armed and organized with the latest in military equipment. For the revolt, because the Greeks had no standing army, they whatever weapons were convenient (mostly personal) plus arms supplied by the British, French and Russians. The majority of the Greek guns were decades old and used by their owners to herd and protect goats and sheep. Javelins, knives and swords were primary to ancient Greece and not in 1821.
Warrior at rest!
In ancient Greece, there existed general acceptance and tolerance from the majority of the population towards both public nudity and towards same gender love. Up until recent times, Greek society had officially regressed into one of impatience and judgments in dealing with open public nakedness and same gender love. Greece, being a member of the European Union is now on the path of respect for all persons regardless of their beliefs and practices. The major advocate for resistance to modern day inclusion of GLBTQ+ persons and naturist/nudist participants is the Greek Orthodox Church.
Notation:my paternal great-great-great grandfather fought in the 1821 uprising against the occupation by the Turks. He served as a leader of a local guard of troops on the island of Skyros in the Aegean Sea. My grandfather (father’s father) would repeat some of his exploits as passed along by his grandfather. My father’s father enjoyed embellishing and enriching his tales so we are uncertain as to what is actual truth and to what is “enlightened enrichment!”
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The Greek flag!
The flag of Greece contains the colours of blue and white, symbols of the waters that surround the islands and the peninsula; the Aegean Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Ionian Sea to the west. In the upper left-hand corner of the flag contains the white Cross of St. George on a blue field. St. George is the patron saint of Greece. The remainder of the flag consists of alternating equal stripes of blue and white.
The flag’s symbolism!
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Map of Greece!
Modern Greece is located in the southeastern portion of Europe bordered by Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey. It is the southernmost area of the Balkan peninsula. The capital city is Athens.
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The objective of this post entry today on ReNude Pride is to offer and share a brief glimpse into the significance of this date in the history of Greece. Both of my parents were born there and I possess dual citizenships. In publishing this post, my purpose is to enlighten with a perspective of my cultural heritage and contemporary Greek experience. Enrichment and knowledge sometimes arrives through the strangest portals!”
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, March 28, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Your Thoughts?”
ReNude Pride: Guys Without Boxers! 