“I Love You” handsign body painted on his bare chest!
My brother, Alex, and I are monozygotic (identical) twins. We were both conceived of the same egg inside our mother’s womb. We share all the same physical characteristics, including our DNA. We’re both ardent and enthusiastic bare practitioners. In fact, the only distinguishing physical difference between us are our fingerprints. We are both Deaf from birth.
Even our sign language (manual communication) skills are, for all intents and purposes, identical. Whether interacting in American Sign Language (ASL), Canadian Sign Language (CSL) or Greek Sign Language (GSL) – our primary language – our hand-shapes, rhythm and speed reflect minimal variation. The only discrepancy appears when professional concerns or issues transpire.
Our Deafness, along with our same gender loving nature and our preference for living bare, is a part of what makes us unique. Surprisingly for some people, it does not cause us embarrassment or shame. It is also a trait that we share with others throughout the world. It is most definitely not a reason to run and hide from others nor to deny it in any way.
Me sharing the “I Love You” handsign totally natural!
Alex and I both recall the times that while at university, we seemed to create confusion and chaos when others learned that were both gay and nudists. Many seemed to wonder how we, being Deaf, could be publicly naked. (Interesting question: all you need to do is to remove clothing)!
Others were even more obsessed with the fact that as Deaf men, how did we know that we were gay. (I guess Deaf men are completely unaware of their individual physical attraction)!
Obviously, the notion that whatever inspires the hearing population is totally useless within the Deaf community never entered their minds. After all, it is simply a much too defiant and radical concept! How can it be possible for the Deaf and the hearing to be influenced in the same way?
Deaf pride: personified!
We may have divergent methods of communication; but the emotions and feelings have very little variance. What works well for one world generally does the same for another. After all, we are all human!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Tuesday, June 21, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Summer, 2022!”
As bare practitioners (same gender loving naturists/nudists) we wholeheartedly embrace, encourage and endorse the following character traits of our community and our culture:
Acceptance: of our body and clothes freedom nature and our sexuality.
Belief: in our inalienable and natural right to determine and to be ourselves.
Confidence: in all of us to be what and who we basically and honestly are without any apology, guilt or shame.
Dedication: in advocating and supporting these principles for everyone, no matter who they are and where they live.
Pride: our shining star!
As bare practitioners we all know that we are entitled to and experience our pride throughout the entire year. Confidence and self-expression are not limited and/or restricted to just the month of June, annually. Pride month is when we, as both a community and a culture, remind the the rest of humanity of who we all are and to celebrate our collective accomplishments and achievements! This is the time of the year for all of us to join together in celebrating, demonstrating, exhibiting, representing, sharing and showing our confidence and pride in being ourselves!
Unknowingly for many but consciously for a few, our pride in ourselves as bare practitioners casts us into the status of role model. Unwittingly, countless numbers of others exploring our community and culture may look upon each one of us as an example – a role model – of a life they find appealing. We may never be aware of this service to others. Simply being who and what we truly are often can and does inspire other.
Back-up plans!
As an accidental as well as an unintentional bare practitioner example, our “option for action” is to continue to live our life. Our nakedness and our sexuality combined have determined us as “unique.” This uniqueness, in turn, awarded us the unsolicited position of role model to anyone observing our community and our culture.
If someone is curious about our lifestyle as same gender loving and as a naturist/nudist, we should all strive to be as welcoming as possible and reply to their questions. It is also beneficial to know someone of our community who is very receptive and has the dedication and the patience to spend with those seeking knowledge of our lives. The vast majority of us can recall our own exploration of the community and what proved helpful and informative for us.
Coming together as a community!
When Alex, my identical twin brother, and I first began exploring the openly nude skinny-dipping riverside site in the city where we grew up, we were the youngest there in a group of primarily university ages and older. As we are both Deaf, no one around seemed bothered by reading our questions and writing their answers. The major problem for all of us seemed to be reading the handwriting! All the guys there were patient and ready to respond. No one appeared to resent our “joining” their beach!
Bottoms-up!
Twin and I always remembered to thank our role models for both their patience and their tolerance. We had already acknowledged our sexuality so the majority of our questions regarded interacting among the same gender loving (gay) nude community. There were two of so, so we were often laughed at as being the groups “class.” Neither of us are able to recall if any of our “tutors” had shared with us their major as being education.
As bare practitioners, we recognize the importance of our service as role-models. In order for future generations of bare practitioners to be happy and succeed, it is our duty to explain and represent our community and culture as best as possible. Our level of comfort in being a role-model often is seen by others as a determination of our dedication to our lifestyle. Nothing could be further from the truth. The personal interaction between role-model and the person we’re mentoring is often the determining factor as to level of comfort.
All of us, as either role-model or as the one being tutored, cooperating together for our common good are making for a better and stronger bare practitioner movement, a community and culture based on confidence and pride!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry for here is planned for Monday, June 13, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “World Naked Bike Ride Pride!”
In the USA, which is where yours truly (myself) resides, the annual celebration of GLBTQ+ and Bare Pride Month occurs during the month of June. The Stonewall Inn Riots – which are attributed as the onset of equal rights struggle – happened on the evening of June 28, 1969. This uprising is credited as triggering the global campaign for the recognition and respect for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer + people everywhere.
The header image (above) depicts the Progress Rainbow flag , the relatively new official banner of the GLBTQ+ community and culture, and this flag represents our diverse inclusion of all of us in our fight for equality, respect and unity. We are, after all, humanity!
The USA is located in the Northern Hemisphere where June commences the season of summer, a sacred occasion for us bare practitioners (GLBTQ+ naturists/nudists) and the theme for this posting here on ReNude Pride!
Royal command!
As bare practitioners, our struggle for acceptance and inclusion within the GLBTQ+community and culture continues today. We also strive for the same within our clothes freedom (naturist/nudist) community and culture. Bigotry and prejudice, unfortunately. is a “people” trait that isn’t limited to one certain group of humans.
That is the reason that our confidence and pride is of paramount importance to us all. It is our acceptance, acknowledgement and joy in being simply who and what we essentially are with no feelings of guilt or shame!
Bare beach pair #1
Summertime is traditionally the season for “outdoor fun in the sun.” We bare practitioners both embrace, honour and understand this wholesome philosophy. Sunshine is often considered synonymous with the summer season. Why not get outside in order to appreciate and to enjoy what is rightfully ours? After all, summer is only one brief season of the entire year!
During our celebration of GLBTQ+ and Bare Pride Month, 2022, there’s no cause or excuse for us to keep ourselves inside and away from the sun. As bare practitioners, we’ve spent enough time burdened under excessive layers of clothing. Now is the time we are motivated by delight in our freedom of stripping off our baggage and “hanging out” naturally within our community and culture!
“Our pride in our bare practitioner community and culture is a result of our confidence in striving for what is decent and good, for sacrificing for what is fair and just and in believing that we can make a positive difference.” ~ Roger Poladopoulos ~ June 6, 2022
Bare beach pair #2!
Sunbathing “in the buff” (nude) allows us to showcase our nakedness and our confidence in our bodies as well as in ourselves. It conveys the joy and pleasure that we obtain from being natural with nature and in the rays of the sun!
“Our commitment and dedication to the cause of equality is beyond the limits of ethnicity and/or race. All of us are entitled to freedom and justice no matter who we love.” ~ Roger Poladopoulos ~ June 6, 2022
Bare beach pair #3!
“Acceptance and tolerance enables patience, respect and understanding. These ideals reflect our shared hope for a better future for us all!” ~ Roger Poladopoulos ~ June 6, 2022
Important reminders:
Sunscreen protection!
Before the season becomes too advanced, please remember to use sunscreen for skin protection every time you’re in the sun!
Sunglasses!
Safeguard your eyes and vision from the UV radiation in the sun’s rays! Wear sunglasses!
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Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next proudly planned posting entry for here is planned for Friday, June 10, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Bare Practitioner Pride!”
Last month, May, 2022, I published regarding the unlucky Friday the 13th myth. In keeping with the focus on June being the month of GLBTQ+ and Bare Pride, we’ll avoid the number 13 here and concentrate on the number three (3)! After all, today is the third (3) full day of Pride Month, 2022!
Fortunately, there is no numeral associated with pride. Our confidence in our community, our culture, our friends and ourselves happens whether we are alone – solo – or in a group of three, thirty or as many as three hundred. There exists no numerical threshold, imagined or real, that must be reached in order for the sensations of accomplishment, achievement, pride and success to be experienced.
Confidence in Ourselves
Self-confidence is an essential aspect of celebrating and remembering our community and our cultural pride. Our comfort in being who we are enables us to overcome any doubts or feelings of embarrassment, guilt, remorse or shame that others seek to impose upon us. In deflecting and ignoring the contempt of others we prove ourselves to be above and beyond intimidation and reproach!
A happy trio!
Happiness in Ourselves
Our smiles visibly demonstrate our contentment in being us: the who (same gender loving) and the what (bare; body and clothes freedom) nature of our lives. In accepting and acknowledging our specialty and uniqueness in this life and in this world, we show our confidence and our pride and help to prepare others for joining us without any fear or hesitation. Our camaraderie reminds others and ourselves that we are not alone.
Forward looking threesome!
Unity Among Ourselves
Despite our numerous concerns, differences, favourites, issues and values, we, as the bare practitioner community and culture stand together – united – in hopeful anticipation of our future. We embrace, rally and support the colours, images representation and spirit of the Progress rainbow flag. We go forth towards our common goals of equality, justice, tolerance and unity for all of us no matter who we love.
Progress rainbow banner!
Our strength is founded on the respect and trust that we share with one another. Our confidence and pride is the combines legacy of our past, the unity of our present and the anticipation of our future!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry proudly planned for here is Monday, June 6, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Sunshine Pride!”
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!”
Whether we live in the Northern Hemisphere or in the Southern Hemisphere, it makes no difference. The summer season is almost always known as the time for play – especially if the “players” are comfortable in being bare! If we’re having fun, why do we need to concern ourselves with clothing? One less issue to contend with!
Friday Footnote: Summer, 2022, doesn’t officially start until June 21, of this year – one month from today. This Friday Footnote for today’s entry here on ReNude Pride is a subtle reminder of the excitement and the fascination of of planning (in advance) of a true adventure: a season of being a dutiful and devout bare practitioner! Shift into the gear of determination and set the course for action, laughter and a multitude of memories. Don’t forget your camera and sunscreen!
Strip 2 B 2gether!
Minus the shorts and the swimsuit, there’s no longer any need to wonder what we’ll wear for the remainder of the season. Bare is always best and fair for everyone out there! Nudity is complete equality for all players – so make plans to remove all those burdensome garments and get busy enjoying life as it should be: all natural!
Bare antics!
Most of us suffer through the cold weather longing for the time to frolic and to be happy. True, many strip the moment they arrive home from a day at work. But how much fun is achieved solo? Shouldn’t our joy be shared with others? Summer offers us a chance not only to bare our bodies but also to build friendships and relationships with those around us!
Nakedness = happiness!
“Nudity is basic and elemental. It is honest, open and real. Clothing conceals and deceives. It is generated and intentional falsehood. No explanation required!” ~ Roger Poladopoulos ~
Frolicking naturally enables the vast majority of us to increase our leisure time dramatically. We don’t have to bother with getting dressed as our attire is our natural skin. We seriously reduce the amount of time needed to launder our clothing as our wardrobe needs are drastically eliminated. More time for friends and fun, which increases our instances of self-worth and happiness. A winning combination for all involved!
Fun 2gether!
So cast aside the long faces and anticipate a season of good cheer! Plan now to strip for the summer and relish the delight of freedom through nakedness during this season of the year!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry for here is planned for Monday, May 23, 2022, and the proposed topic is “Victoria Day!”
This is the final posting of the April Appeal series for this year here on ReNude Pride. The sub-title is “fantasy” but perhaps a sub-title of “initiation” is more appropriate. The two men featured in the above image are our bare practitioner “hosts” for this ritual – the welcoming of one of our textile “converts” into the world of living in the freedom of being a bare practitioner!
My friend, Jay’s partner, Raheem, volunteered to help me with today’s April Appeal installation. I am grateful for his efforts and encourage him to pursue maintaining his own blog! Some of you may remember assistance on my post “BRAT!”(click the title to link).
Unofficial and unstructured, as far as Raheem and I can determine, there are absolutely no guidelines or mandate for actually conducting an initiation ceremony into the bare practitioner community. The fantasy Order of Bare Practitioners (OBP) is an imaginary dream of both Raheem and myself (although it does have a noble connotation)! Nakedness appreciates companionship – that’s why we have “social nudity” – but an official ritual for membership? Removal of clothing is the sole qualification as per our knowledge.
Initiating the textile as a bare practitioner #1!
Initiation Into the Bare Practitioner World!
The two bare practitioner men are stripping the clothes off of a man they are preparing to “induct” into the bare practitioner culture. Our “host’s” duties are to remove the covering (clothing) from those seeking membership into OBP and to present them to all members present, completely bare!
“There is no reason to conceal and hide. Complete nudity is cause for joy and pride!” ~ Roger Poladopoulos ~ April 25, 2022
Bare Practitioner Initiation Ritual:
Initiating the textile as a bare practitioner #2!
All of the bare practitioners (the regular membership) viewing the induction ritual recall their own entrance into the OBP (the mythical society). The initiates, being totally clothed, eagerly anticipate their moment of freedom from being burdened with clothes! That’s the reason all the bare practitioners engage their nudity prior to the beginning of the ceremony!
There is most definitely no humiliation or shame in being publicly stripped of one’s textile deceit! Everyone knows that body and clothes freedom is accompanied with pride!
Initiating the textile as a bare practitioner #3!
As the discomfort of the garments are removed, the initiate is allowed to share with the membership his eagerness and willingness to become one with them in enjoying living naturally! The regular bare practitioner membership is encouraged to ask questions of those who are seeking to join us as members. This exchange helps to open the friendship between the regular members and those hoping to become affiliated with our camaraderie!
Initiating the textile as a bare practitioner #4!
Each prospective recruit is invited to come forward fully clothed and to be publicly and ritually removed of his artificial concealment. The identical process is repeated for each and every one. This allows all of us to witness our newest as they evolve from being textile to their new status as completely “bare with pride!”
Initiating the textile as a bare practitioner #5!
This evolution and induction process empowers us all as members of the Order of Bare Practitioners. We are reminded of our own membership assimilation as well as the unity that we all share with one another. It enables us to appreciate and understand that even though we may be a minority population, we are most definitely not alone in our same gender love nor in our pride in our nakedness. Together, we make a committed team!
Bare practitioner unity!
Embracing one another reinforces our dedication to our ideals of same gender love and of body and clothes freedom. We respect the responsibility of each and every one to determine the path they will follow throughout their life. Our embrace, together, reaffirms this principle!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: Please remember that this particular post is a pure fantasy publication.
The next post entry for here is planned for Saturday, April 30, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “Bottoms-Up! April, 2022!”
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!”
The date was Wednesday, March 16, of this year. At university, a colleague brought in a newspaper from where I lived with my, the city of Richmond, Virginia. He entered my office without knocking and opened the paper and laid it across my desk. I turned from my computer screen and glanced at where he pointed with his finger. A memorial obituary for an acquaintance of mine – Rodney Lofton. He had died from complications with lung cancer on Monday, March 14, in Phoenix, Arizona.
He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in November, 2021. He was pronounced with HIV in 1993. A Richmond, Virginia, native, he returned to the city of his birth after living in New York City for several years. It was while living in New York City that he learned of his HIV status. He immediately became active in HIV+ awareness, education and services not only in Richmond but in Washington, D.C., as well.
Rodney worked to revive and then became a member of the City of Richmond Human Rights Commission. He served two terms in that position.
Rodney served on various boards and commissions nationally and throughout the states. His service in the City of Richmond, Virginia, and for the Commonwealth of Virginia (the focus here for this post), was both beneficial and profound. He was the very first African-American to serve as a senior staff person at the community GLBTQ+ advocacy group, Diversity Richmond. In this capacity he was vice-president and then deputy director. He was instrumental in opening doors previously closed to persons of colour in the former capital city of the old Confederate States.
In his time, he created the Black and Bold Awards to honour the contributions that Black GLBTQ+ persons made to the City of Richmond and to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Later, he created a similar award programme for the Latino community.
Rodney Lofton posing beside his portrait at Diversity Richmond!
In 2015, Rodney was the recipient of the OUTStanding Virginia award presented by Equality Virginia to a person who dutifully positively represented the community in the public eye.
Among his numerous volunteer efforts, he also actively participated in the Red Cross HIV/AIDS prevention education programmes. I will deliver more on this topic in the second part of today’s post here.
Rodney Lofton was the author of two books. The first book entitled The Day I Stopped Being Pretty: A Memoir was published on October 16, 2007. This memoir chronicles his life journey from childhood to adulthood in honest and riveting detail. He relates his bad times, good times and all the moments in between. He bares his soul and affords us the perspective of a gay Black male recognizing his uniqueness in the unfolding world of the “New South.”
Rodney Lofton’s first book.
His second novel was published two years later on June 30, 2009. His second book entitled No More Tomorrows: Two Lives, Two Stories, One Love. Lofton’s second book is a novel relaying the bromance and drama of two contemporary same gender loving men and their relationship. Both titles were nominated the year of publication for a Lambda Literary Award.
Rodney Lofton’s second book!
The current City of Richmond City Council unanimously passed a Statement of Tribute in early March, 2022. It was signed by Mayor Stoney and delivered to Rodney in Phoenix, Arizona, shortly before he died. In the statement, City Council noted: “Rodney served for many years as a local and national GLBTQ+ leader and compassionate voice.”
Rodney Lamont Lofton is survived by his husband, Faron Niles.
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A Personal Thought on Rodney Lofton:
As teenagers, my identical twin brother, Alex, and myself – once we understood our same gender attraction – would frequently visit the riverside park in our city, especially the “gay beach” area where we could “hang out” with our own kind. Twin and I liked the fact that we could be clothes free here while on summer vacation from our residential Deaf school. This was where we met Rodney. He and Twin became friends while Rodney and I remained acquaintances – we’d pass notes while together but that was the limit of our relationship.
Fast forward to the middle 1990’s. Due to the HIV/AIDS crisis, I became a very active volunteer in prevention education with my local chapter of the Red Cross. I worked primarily with teenagers and young adults in outreach efforts to raise knowledge and understanding among their peers. As a Deaf instructor-trainer in the Red Cross HIV/AIDS curriculum, I was frequently sought by the national organization and the various local chapters for advice and service.
I served as a co-chairman on the programme to create, develop and implement a focused curriculum for teens in HIV prevention strategies and techniques. This two-year project culminated with a four-day training conference involving 150 teenage training candidates and the project developers/educators. The name determined for the project was Teen Voice. This provided me the opportunity to renew my acquaintance with Rodney Lofton.
For the duration of the educational sessions, Rodney and I were room-mates at the facility used for the training. At nights after our sessions, we passed notes while naked in our shared room and smoking our cigarettes, expelling the smoke through our open window. Because of our note exchange, we kept the room lights on. At the reception at the end of our programme, one of our co-instructors commented privately that he enjoyed watching the two of us smoking nude in our room at night! We both shared laughter at our “exposure” at the Red Cross Teen Voice conference!
Over the nights and notes, we developed a casual friendship and an understanding of our roles within the Red Cross HIV/AIDS project. We also recalled days at the riverside park in Richmond hanging out nude and skinny-dipping in the river.
The Memorial Service
Memorial Service announcement!
I attended the above memorial service for Rodney. Twin wanted to attend but had a professional commitment that he needed to participate. There was no interpreter present so all I could do was observe the mourners present. It did me good to be there and offer my sentiments internally.
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A shared past and our shared nudity!
Rest in peace, Rodney Lofton!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next planned post entry here is for Monday, April 18, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “April Appeal: Nakations!”
The e-mail announcement was sent the day after Spring arrived. All of the recipients were naturally ecstatic over the return of the warming season so the timing of the notification made perfect sense. Keep the “good news” separate from the welcoming of springtime!
The good news? The reviving (return to life) of our little “partner’s club” of bare practitioners appropriately named the BP’s (bare practitioners). In all honesty, we aren’t legally nor officially named anything. We simply refer to ourselves as the BP’s.
Bare practitioners #2
My identical twin, Alex, our first cousin (9 years younger) Michael and I were the initial members of the BP’s along with whoever we were dating at the time. This was before marriage equality and the calm, progressive time-frame of Mr. Obama’s presidency.
Fast forward to the present and add my spouse, Aaron, to the BP’s members listing plus Dante` (Alex’s current mate), Ropati (Michael’s partner and soon-to-be spouse). Non-related now includes my friend, Jay (and his significant, Raheem) and Paul (Aaron’s older brother and his man, Sudhir). Our oldest brother, Nick, is an ex officio member; he’s same gender loving (SGL) but only a discretionary nudist. Somehow, Nick manages to survive being clothed most of the time!
Our BP’s theme!
We constitute the core-group of the BP’s. Others have affiliated over the years but have either ended a relationship, fallen “out-of-touch” (uncommunicative) or physically moved away from the area. To my knowledge, no one has become textile or married someone of the opposite gender!
The coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic caused a two-year hiatus from our joint adventures together. Travel restrictions and group gathering limitations forced us to simply adhere to public safety guidelines and exchange images of ourselves (no clothing allowed) instead of having several BP’s excursions during the course of a calendar year.
Onward to the revival!
In addition to announcing the resuscitation of the BP’s, the e-mail notice contained other information that was personally rewarding for me. Raheem (Jay’s significant other), volunteered to serve as our “BP-of-contact” for the upcoming future. Another “treat” to welcome the return of the warming time of the year!
I’ll again mention here of Raheem’s creativity. He’s the man who made the BRAT entitlement for my January 3, 2022, post entry here on ReNude Pride. His energy is hopefully contagious to us all!
The first BP’s excursion for this post-epidemic season is planned for the end of May. The replies to Raheem are promising which indicate a positive revival of both bare fun as well as BP’s excitement!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Monday, April 11, 2022, and the proposed topic is: “April Appeal: Social Nudity!”
ReNude Pride: Guys Without Boxers! 