Camaraderie: good will and lighthearted rapport between or among family and/or friends; comradeship
Prologue:
The bare practitioner community and culture is based and built upon two distinct characteristics or traits that we all share. They are of equal importance and each one is essential in the bonding and the sense of belonging that being a bare practitioner brings into our lives as individuals and as a collective common entity. These characteristics or traits are our same gender love (SGL) and our nakedness.
The Camaraderie is the fellowship, fraternization and friendship that the spirit of the bare practitioner community and culture instills within us. It provides us with a sense of devotion and trust that we all hold.
The Experience is likewise collective and shared. It creates a bonding that we rely upon. It presents us with a foundation of caring and compassion as both a community and culture within the larger GLBTQ+ movement that enables us to celebrate our SGL and our nakedness.
The Challenge is in the perspective of our daily lives and how our cooperation works wonders and rewards all of us.
Bare Practitioner Camaraderie!
Throughout the years here, ReNude Pride has on occasion alluded to the popular – often widespread – misconception that our “natural” state-of-being-bare, body and clothes free, naked, nude, nudity, open, unadorned is both identical and interchangeable with degenerate, evil, sinful and wrong. Before anyone panics, allow me to assure you that this site is not entering into discrepancy and/or reversal! Aaron, my spouse, and I remain committed bare practitioners! This publication is nakedness encouraging, friendly, receptive and welcoming! And it shall remain so as long as we are involved here!
I have somehow collected this series of pictures of these two men interacting together in either foreplay, fun or jest (or a combination of all three)! The precise cause of their behaviour isn’t really important. The impression is that they’re both having fun together and that they’re both innocent of anything evil, sinful and wrong. They’re both enjoying their nakedness – plain and simple!
In harmony with the title of this post entry here today, they’re both not guilty of any maliciousness or misbehaviour aside from simply “being themselves.” Their body language and facial expressions confirm this as factual and reality. The atmosphere implies cheerful, comfort and harmony. Their eyes convey both affection, innocence and trust! They are engaging in camaraderie. Nothing more and absolutely nothing less than what the above definition offers us. A seasonal rite of rejuvenation and replenishment after the barren winter!
As bare practitioners, all of us know – primarily from first-hand experience – often in our textile (clothes oriented) society that our nakedness is interpreted by many as a subtle tool to foster sexual intimacy. The obvious physical contact between these two men: embracing, staring, touching, and their shared nudity may reinforce this misleading message but it fails to confirm it into actual reality.
Their interaction and their clothes freedom does validate their same gender love (SGL) acceptance and bonding. It likewise reaffirms their shared bare practitioner connection. They both have very similar physical characteristics that suggests a possible familial relationship (cousin or sibling) or perhaps a more bromatic (brotherhood + romance) affiliation.
Discounting all and any homophobic judgments, there is nothing wrong with the sincerity and the validity of confidence and pride between these two men. They both publicly (for the camera lens and for the viewers) have no hesitation in their relationship, whatever nature it may possess.
Witnessing what these two men share the the togetherness they treasure is an example and an inspiration for us all. It is a reminder of our hope, our humanity and our innocence! Our men here today dispel the popular and widespread misconception that nakedness and sex are synonymous. Nudity may enable a sexual advancement but it does not exclusively energize immediate sexual engagement. Casual nakedness interaction afford us comfort. comradeship and convenience.
This series of photographs remind me of the words of the Anglican (Church of England) priest from 400 years ago:
“Full nakedness! All joys are due to thee,
As souls unbodied, bodies unclothed must be
To taste whole joys.” ~ John Donne ~ 1572-1631
Although composed by an opposite gender loving man, the spirit of his thought is applicable today, regardless of the sexuality!
The Bare Practitioner Experience:
“A bare practitioner is a person who is same gender loving (bisexual or gay) and who is a naturist/nudist (no clothing or covering). They also willingly release their body, mind and soul from the frustrations and tensions of always hiding beneath the oppression of garments. A free spirit, uncensored and uncovered, in a complete natural state confidently joined with another of the same gender in companionship, devotion and pride. Accepting and respecting both what and who they truly are!” ~ Aaron and Roger Peterson-Poladopoulos ~
The blatant and unmistakable message that the above images deliver is clearly that bare practitioners have no underlying feelings of embarrassment, guilt or shame in either their SGL life and their nakedness. They can and do embrace both of these aspects of their existence and increasingly find the self-acceptance and confidence within themselves and others that enable them to progress into their future.
Bare practitioners are perhaps among the most accepting and tolerant groupings of the GLBTQ+ culture. Although frequently marginalized others, specifically based on their body and clothes freedom preference and status, they are a most cordial and welcoming social community without concern of a person’s particular clothing status. An exceptional majority of bare practitioners are familiar with the exploratory nature of many SGL brothers and sisters, especially their curiosity concerning nakedness. They are patient and tolerant of those outside the clothing optional culture.
This community has an abundance of the “multiple coming out” survivors. Mot only did they need to “come out” regarding their personal sexual preference, they also took the additional decisive measure of acknowledging their orientation for nakedness. This “double-outing” has forged an open, receptive and tolerant community for all! Out two subjects featured today are reflective of the inclusiveness of both the bare practitioner community and culture.
There was a time in the not-to-distant past where those who were attracted to the same gender romantically were cautious, discrete and obsessively secretive about their sexual desires. Nakedness was seen as degenerate and disgusting. Slowly, those archaic attitudes are being erased and that is one of the predominant reasons that the bare practitioner community is accustomed to those from outside their ranks frequently attending social functions in order to view the social scene.
The two bare practitioners in the photo series published here today are a visual testament that nakedness and SGL are both compatible and natural! We see ourselves as role models of both our community and our culture. One of our priorities is to ensure that newcomers and curious visitors feel comfortable and relaxed while they are with us. All are encouraged to join with us and to remove clothing to their individual comfort level whenever they feel thus inclined and without pressure.
For some, nakedness, especially complete social nudity, is a gradual process. It involves unlearning a behaviour taught to us and requires time to accomplish. Then there are those who boldly discard all their textiles (clothing) and then need to be reminded to dress themselves before leaving the event/facility! The fact that we underwent the “double-coming-out” (nakedness and sexuality) process and survived hopefully inspires others that they can accomplish the same!
The Bare Practitioner Challenge!
The picture directly above is of a pin that accurately reflects the undue amount of attention focused on the male penis. Please remember that the actual object of this essential truth is the message itself. The challenge is this: In the glory of our nakedness, exactly how are se supposed to display our pin? Insert it into our skin?
In the realm of social interaction, it is almost universally recognized that people are more comfortable, forthcoming, honest and sincere around and with others they perceive as most like themselves. This dynamic enables and encourages a bond of sharing and of trust. Among bare practitioners, the sense is supplemented through nakedness and sexuality. This similarity allows us to focus less on generalities and concentrate on uniqueness!
Naked hugs!
Roger Poladopoulos/ReNude Pride
Author’s Note: The next post entry here is planned for Tuesday, April 30, 2024, and the proposed topic is: “Bottoms-Up! April, 2024!”
ReNude Pride 