The Gay Naturist E-former - November 2014
Transcription
The Gay Naturist E-former - November 2014
The Gay Naturist E-former November 2014 Oil wrestling, anyone? “Life is great; live it nude!” In this issue: Dates of interest.................2 GNI Board announces NakedFest 2 and more.........2 I’m here to recruit you........6 Win a nude Caribbean cruise for two .....................8 NakedFest photos by Brian..9 Own a piece of nude beach history!..............................10 Body Electric School Workshops for Men 2014.12 NakedFest photos by Joe...15 Be an ambassador for nude recreation ...............16 Aloha from Hawaii............18 Doug’s travels...................19 Try Camp Buckwood Indianapolis, IN.................20 GNI member finds naked brotherhood and himself..23 BA-MEN plans parties through 2014....................25 Club news.........................25 Naked yoga classes.........27 Club listings......................27 Dates of interest • Bone Island Bare It All Weekend December 4-7, 2014 • GNI NakedFest Tentatively June 4-7, 2015 • GNI Gathering August 21-30, 2015 2 By Rick J., GNI Executive Director The GNI Board of Directors just concluded the winter board meeting held the weekend of October 17-19, 2014, in Pittsburgh, PA. Much was discussed as we engaged in some very needed strategic planning. Here are some of the highlights of the meeting, with special attention paid to important topics. Joe Lonsway Florida nude beach updates.............................13 GNI Board announces NakedFest 2 and more Two naked events in 2015 First, the GNI Gathering is currently in planning and we will be firming up the prices for our 30th Anniversary Gathering; prices will be posted online as soon as we sign off on key expenses for next year. Keep the dates open in your calendar for August 21-30, 2015; shorter attendance options will be available. For those who aren’t able to attend the GNI Gathering next summer, GNI will be hosting a second NakedFest event during the first week of June 2015 in northern Maryland. After this year’s successful event, the Board believes it is important to offer an alternative to men who aren’t able to come to our August event for financial or scheduling reasons. We have dates penciled in on the calendar with the camp and will be finalizing them, along with pricing, soon. We are tentatively looking at a short half-week from June 4-7, 2015, with possible alternate early arrival for those who want to come early and hang out before the official program begins. Stay tuned for details that will also be posted on our web site. On the cover Oil wrestling at the 2013 GNI Gathering in the Pocono Mountains. Photo by Joe Lonsway GNI E-former November 2014 Is The E-former meeting your needs? The GNI E-former has been the primary method of communication with members and the public and has been successful in promoting male naturism, but GNI would like to know if The E-former is meeting the needs of its members and is satisfying the public. Over the next six months, we will invite you to participate in an online survey that we will use to evaluate the effectiveness and appeal of GNI’s official publication. Your feedback is valuable; we hope that everyone will participate at some point. We want to know if we are providing pertinent information to male naturists. We will implement the ideas from the comments once the survey has concluded. Click here to participate in The E-former Satisfaction Survey. The Gay Naturist E-former October 2014 “Life is great; live it nude!” The Body Electric School www.thebodyelectricschool.com GNI E-former November 2014 3 Web site will get a face lift Second, while we have a somewhat newly renovated web site, we are going to be evaluating it for further enhancements and changes. Thus, we are asking that if there are any marketing or web designers that would like to sit on an ad hoc committee to provide feedback to the organization, we are happy to seek your comments and suggestions for this project. You can contact the GNI Business Office for further information. out the direct participation of its valued members. Thank you for supporting GNI and we look forward to seeing all of you next summer! Joe Lonsway Are you getting GNI communications? GNI has lots more on its plate; we encourage you to stay up to date by reading the monthly E-former and announcements as they are issued. If you’re a member and are not receiving announcements, check your spam file. You can also log in to your profile to read all of the messages sent to you from GNI in your e-mail history. We are excited by the direction we are taking and encourage everyone to become more involved. It is truly a volunteer organization that would not exist with- June 4-7, 2015 Tentatively 4 GNI E-former November 2014 Carl’s GUEST HOUSE Provincetown For the Gentle Gay Visitor www.CarlsGuestHouse.com [email protected] 508.487.1650 68 BRADFORD ST. • PROVINCETOWN, MA 02657 S O U T H F L O R I D A FREE BEACHES Partnering to secure Haulover Beach improvements and amenities, and to provide naturist education, legal defense and government accountability. 30th Anniversary Gathering in the Poconos w w w . s f f b. c o m Haulover Beach Info www.naturistsociety.com The Naturist Society Info Join T NS & SFFB Today and Support the Cause! August 21-30, 2015 Connecting male nudists to the people, places and things that matter to us. Travel, reviews, stories, reader photos, and much more. 50K readers worldwide! www.gonakedmagazine.com GONAKED MAGAZINE GNI E-former November 2014 5 I’m a member of GNI and I’m here to recruit you Peter K., GNI Vice President 6 Joe Lonsway Please forgive my casual literary license with Harvey Milk’s famous line, “My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you.” But if you love GNI and want to help propel it into the future, you need to be a recruiter. Or at least an informer. I frequently meet guys, in person or on line, who are either already into naturism or are willing/curious to try it. But when I ask if they know about GNI, in most cases they do not. This is particularly true on social media sites, such as dudesnude.com. I also made it a point to speak with a lot of first-timers at NakedFest, and it surprised me to learn that a large percentage did not previously know about GNI. They were simply interested in gay nude recreation and found us on line through a search engine! (Fortunately, we landed on the first page of results!) To me, that underscores a need for all of us to spread the word about GNI in all the ways we can. We need to inform and educate folks about the existence of the organization, our events, and all the fun activities. Obviously, for the most part, the guys on dudesnude (or truenudists.com, etc.) are already comfortable being naked. On other sites (such as adam4adam.com or recon.com), it may not be that obvious, but you can get clues from their profile. They may have checked off “nudity” as something they’re “into.” Or they may reference nudity/naturism in the written part. It could even be part of their screen name (e.g., naked24_7 or nudecraig). Whenever I encounter the profile of a person that I think would be open to the idea, I generally send him a short message similar to this: “Hey there! Great profile [or pictures or video or whatever]. I see you’re into naturism [or like to be naked or whatever]. Do you ever go to nude resorts or events? Any recommendations? You should check out Gay Naturists International (Google it). They have a 10-day naked event every August (there are shorter stays as well as other nude events). I’ve been going for 14 years and I love it! It attracts literally hundreds of guys from around the world. You should check it out!” I usually get a response that they were unaware of GNI but they would look into it. Sometimes, they have questions and we will go back and forth for a bit. I always try to steer them to the web site and to at GNI E-former November 2014 least become a member. I also stress the social and fraternal nature of GNI and that while sexual activities do occur, it is not just one big sex party. (As an FYI, some social media like adam4adam sites strip out URLs, which is why I suggest they use a search engine rather than listing the link. Also, even if the site does allow a link, some guys may be leery to click on a strange, unsolicited link.) I use this approach for my own group, PartyNakedPgh (Pittsburgh, PA) and I know I have recruited many new members in this fashion. That group currently has over 900 members. I can usually generate GNI E-former November 2014 one new attendee for each event. Obviously, this is a targeted outreach in my local geographic area, but it also works on a broader scale. I call upon every GNI member to make it his goal to invite 10 online strangers to GNI each month until next year’s Gathering. If you don’t belong to a suitable social media site, join one! Even if each GNI member only attracts one new member, that would be a great boost! I hope to see all of you at GNI’s 30th Anniversary Gathering, August 21-30, 2015, with at least one new member in tow! 7 Win a nude Caribbean cruise for two on Bare Necessities’ The Big Nude Boat! By Seth P. the Intracoastal Waterway in Sunny Isles Beach, FL (textile, but near Haulover Beach). Get all the details and order your raffle tickets Click on image for now at www.beaches details and to foundation.org/fundraiser order raffle tickets. Tickets may be purchased on line through Friday, November 28, 2014. Drawing at Haulover Beach in Miami, FL on Sunday, November 30, 2014. Winners need not be present to claim their prize; they will be notified. Give your friends the link or print out a brochure for them from the raffle page. * Donations will be used for naturist education, free beach advocacy, capital improvements to Haulover Beach or other clothing-optional beach sites, disability beach access program, and other purposes as listed in the scope of B.E.A.C.H.E.S.’ mission. Courtesy, Bare Necessities Tour & Travel Reminder: B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute and South Florida Free Beaches / Florida Naturist Association are in the midst of their 2014 “Keep Our Beaches Bare” fundraising raffle, which ends this month. Make a donation* and enter their drawing for a chance to win a balcony stateroom for two on a 10-day, 9-night Bare Necessities nude cruise (mixed, but gay-friendly), sailing February 12-21, 2015 from Fort Lauderdale, FL to the French Caribbean or one of five other, three-day, two-night naturist (except as otherwise noted) vacation packages in Florida, including stays at ●daddy O hotel miami (textile, but near Haulover Beach) ●Cypress Cove Nudist Resort & Spa (two prizes) ●Lake Como Family Nudist Resort ●Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort and two lunch or dinner packages at Werner Staub’s Peppermill Restaurant on 8 GNI E-former November 2014 photos by Brian Becnel GNI E-former November 2014 9 POLITICAL Own a piece of nude beach history! Seven actual signs from Haulover Beach, Florida’s premier nudist beach By Steve W. and Seth P. Two signs read: ATTENTION BEYOND THIS POINT YOU MAY ENCOUNTER NUDE BATHERS. Five others read: ATTENTION - BEYOND THIS POINT SWIM SUITS OR CLOTHING REQUIRED. B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute is auctioning these signs, which were actually posted at the Haulover Nude Beach in Miami, FL until January 2014. Haulover Beach has consistently been rated one of the ten best nude beaches in the world because of its beautiful, white sand, easy access, lifeguards on duty, and regular monitoring by volunteers to keep it clean and friendly. 10 These metal signs are 12” wide by 18” high (30 cm by 46 cm). The text is in either blue or green on a white background. The back of each sign is blank. All of the weathering, rust, scratches, and patina are in as-is condition, exactly as the signs were when they were removed from their original posts. These signs had been in constant use at Haulover Beach for up to 15+ years when they were decommissioned in January 2014 by the MiamiDade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department and were replaced in service with a new design and color scheme. These authentic and collectible signs GNI E-former November 2014 are extremely rare. Each bid is for one (1) sign, which comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by B.E.A.C.H.E.S., South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), and the Miami-Dade County Parks Department. Minimum bid is $100 for the “Nude Bathers” signs and $50 for the “Swim Suits or Clothing” signs. Shipping is an additional cost to the winning bidder. The accompanying photos (with Haulover Park and Beach in the background) are just a sample of the variety of wording and text color. Some signs may vary slightly from these photos in wear and tear. Photos of each individual sign will be posted on eBay when the auction goes live. Auction opens in the near future. To view additional photos and check for auction dates and links, go to: www.beachesfoundation.org/signs Meet Joe Lonsway and Brian Becnel, The E-former Editor and Assistant Editor, hard at work at NakedFest 2014. Photo by Paul Rado About this auction This auction is a fundraiser for B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, a 501(c)(3) (U.S. tax-deductible) educational and charitable organization that works to protect, maintain, and improve the physical, social, and legal integrity of naturist (clothing-optional) beaches throughout North America. Your winning bid, along with the shipping cost, may be eligible as a donation, which may entitle the bidder to a deduction from U.S. income taxes. Please consult your accountant or tax attorney for their professional opinion of the extent of your winning bid’s deductibility in your jurisdiction. Add your e-mail address to receive the monthly newsletter of SFFB, the clothingoptional beach advocacy organization with which B.E.A.C.H.E.S. is associated. I HOPE SOME DAY YOU’LL JOIN US. ™ When you become a member of The Naturist Society you'll be part of an accepting and caring community that has been dedicated to promoting and protecting naturism for more than 30 years. Won't you please join our family, so together we can preserve this freedom for generations to come. SO TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. $60/Year Per Household US rate, please call for Discounted, Canadian, and Foreign costs. Your membership is truly appreciated, and helps keep public lands open for nude use. Receive 4 issues of N magazine with membership. Call: 800-886-7230 www.naturistsociety.com GNI E-former November 2014 11 Body Electric School Workshops for Men 2014 By Nick Padilla GNI and Body Electric School are continuing their partnership to encourage men to explore personal empowerment and erotic awareness in body-positive ways. This schedule shows Body Electric workshops for men for the remainder of 2014. Read about these and other future workshops at www.thebodyelectricschool.com. Workshops marked with an asterisk (*) offer a 15% tuition discount for GNI members! 2014 Workshops for Men Location Contact the Coordinator 11/7-11/9 Tantra 1* Tulsa, OK [email protected] 11/8-11/9 Celebrating the Body Erotic * New York, NY [email protected] 11/8-11/9 Celebrating the Body Erotic * Oakland, CA [email protected] 11/15-11/16 Celebrating the Body Erotic * Atlanta, GA [email protected] 12/5-12/7 Power, Surrender & Intimacy Austin, Tx [email protected] 12/28/141/2/15 New Year Visions 2014 Maui, HI [email protected] Coming soon! Look for the 2015 schedule of events from Body Electric School. Visit www.thebodyelectricschool.com for more information. GNI’s 30th Anniversary August 21-30, 2015 In the Pocono Mountains www.gaynaturists.org 12 GNI E-former November 2014 Florida nude beach updates By Seth P. Courtesy of Friends of Bates Beach Work continued into early fall on the development of additional nude beaches in Florida. Blind Creek Beach in Fort Pierce continued to gain popularity with the tacit acquiescence of authorities, drawing 50 or more nude sunbathers on weekend days. St. Lucie County officials, with whom beach activists have a cordial relationship, are preoccupied with other matters through the end of this year, but movement toward some sort of formal acceptance or recognition is expected to resume in the new year. At press time, monthly get-togethers were scheduled for Saturday, November 1 and December 6. Click on the above link and see the Events page for details. On the Gulf Coast, Free Caspersen Beach Club formed in October to revive the years-long quest of Suncoast Naturists, in Sarasota, to attain clothingoptional recognition for a portion of Caspersen Beach in Venice. The new club’s first strategy meeting was scheduled for Monday, November 3 in Bradenton. Friends of Blind Creek Beach held their first beach cleanup on Saturday, September 20. The weather didn’t cooperate well, so they plan to have another one soon. They took some inspiration from The Nudement in Jacksonville, which had deepened its commitment to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park Beach in Atlantic Beach (a nearby suburb) on Saturday, August 23 with a beach cleanup and food drive to benefit a couple of shelters. As it has for years, Suncoast Naturists picked up periodically at Caspersen Beach. Not all the volunteer action was in Florida. California had its annual coastal cleanup on September 20. September 20 cleanup results at Bates Beach Volunteers organized by Bay Area Naturists turned out at Bonny Doon Beach (between San Jose and Santa Cruz), and Friends of Bates Beach, a division of Southern California Naturist Association, rallied its cleanup volunteers in Carpinteria (near Santa Barbara). Although the beach season has ended for the rest of North America, there will be no shortage of opportunities to lend a hand in 2015. B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute maintains a directory of naturist beach GNI E-former November 2014 13 14 Commissioners for Clay County, FL (immediately southwest of Jacksonville). NAC asked for e-mails in opposition to be sent immediately to the Commissioners, and a number of naturists responded. After four hours of discussion at the Commission meeting, the ordinances remained scheduled for a second reading at the subsequent Commission meeting on October 28. In response to the misgivings expressed in another large turnout of the public, they were then tabled for up to six months for further study and community input. At the October 14 meeting, more than three dozen speakers from the public, including leaders of naturist organizations South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), and AANR Florida, expressed opposition; none spoke in favor. Some local residents asked for the second reading to be postponed and the proposals referred to a public workshop for discussion and refinement. A motion to that effect failed for lack of a second. To monitor the status of this legislation and for information about possible further grassroots action, stay tuned to www. naturistaction.org/clay. Seth P. Right: The haul from Blind Creek Beach cleanup on September 20 Far Right: Clay County (FL) Commissioners at first reading of anti-nudity and related ordinances on October 14 Courtesy of Friends of Blind Creek Beach mentoring groups in the U.S. and Canada, which you can use to find out where you may be able to pitch in. To learn more about naturist volunteering, see the related story on page 16. The September 2014 issue of The E-former announced that dates had been posted for the next four quarterly Beach Ambassador (BA) trainings, starting with late that month at Blind Creek Beach. That session ended up being postponed due to poor weather, and then cancelled due to unexpected travel by presenters. BAs are volunteers that serve as beach monitors and greeters, a combination of block watch and welcome wagon. For their service, BAs at Haulover Beach in Miami get a cool hat, ID badge, and free parking on their duty days. Click above for details and new dates at Haulover. Seasonal residents are welcome to participate. If you have any questions or wish to sign up for a training session, contact Louis. On October 10, the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) issued an alert to Florida residents regarding a package of legislation to regulate “adult” and “sexually-oriented” businesses, including an antinudity ordinance, that was to have its first reading on October 14 before the Board of GNI E-former November 2014 photos by Joe Lonsway GNI E-former November 2014 15 Be an ambassador for nude recreation By Ralph Collinson, President, AANR Florida (Florida region of American Association for Nude Recreation) Naturists often take what we have accomplished for granted. We have clothing-optional beaches and nudist clubs and resorts throughout North America and, for the most part, we are free to live as we want within the confines of our own homes. We enjoy these benefits without considering that they could be threatened at a moment’s notice. Just last year, we lost Lighthouse Beach at the national seashore on Long Island in New York. The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), and The Naturist Society (TNS) are constantly on the lookout for proposed legislation and regulations at the local, state, and national level that could impose on or threaten nudist rights. However, the efforts of the organized nudist organizations are not enough. We need more proactive action at the local level that would be visible to political leaders, park managers, and the general public. Naturists need to become more involved and invested in taking action to preserve and protect the rights and gains that we have earned over the years. One of the best ways to do this is by volunteering. People volunteer for a variety of reasons, such as wanting to help others (hospice, schools, churches, and hospitals), while others want to benefit themselves and people who share their passion for an activity (clearing trails, litter pickup, and protecting wildlife). Volunteers can have an enormous impact on the well-being of their community. 16 Most of our clothing-optional beaches are on public land such as national parks. Most of these parks have established volunteer groups that work with the park staff on collecting fees, maintenance, picking up trash, organizing events, working in the office, etc. As nudists, we need to demonstrate that we care and that we are willing to make a difference. Volunteering is a form of community service and it is a sound investment, clearly indicating that we care enough to help out where needed. This is an excellent opportunity for us to give back to the natural areas that we love. All of the parks, both national and local, have been severely impacted by budget cuts and they must rely on local volunteers to supplement their meager resources. You can make a difference while also displaying to park management and to your fellow beach users that naturists are responsible. It will strengthen our community while also strengthening our ties with park management. It may also give you an opportunity to share unique skills that you may have that could benefit the park. Another option is to volunteer to help out on local political campaigns. Take a look at the candidates in the upcoming November elections and pick out a candidate that you feel shares your views and who might be convinced, if elected, to become a defender of nudist rights. The campaign season is short and volunteering does not require a substantial time commitment. Volunteering to help out on GNI E-former November 2014 making phone calls, stuffing envelopes and mailing flyers, putting up signs, etc., can go a long way toward gaining the support of a candidate. Overall, volunteering clearly demonstrates that the naturist community cares enough to get involved and is willing to invest time and effort into something we support. It showcases our gratitude. Action of this nature will create advocates for nude recreation. While they might not join us au naturel on the beach or at the club, they will support our right to clothingoptional recreational opportunities. They may also support us in advocating nudist rights with government officials. Volunteering is also good for you. It allows you to meet new people, make a difference, and possibly learn new things or skills, improves the community, brings people closer together for a common good, helps you make new friends and professional contacts, and builds trust, and, depending upon the task, you might even get some exercise. Volunteering is one of the best ways we know of to make a difference in your community. If you’re passionate about being a nudist, you need to get involved. Volunteering allows you to have a real and lasting impact on naturist rights. Last, but certainly not least, there are several long-term studies that have shown that volunteers live longer, are in better health, and have lower rates of depression and less heart disease. It’s clearly time to get started! Ramon Maury (CEO, Maury Management Group, Inc.) The author (on left) met on October 13, 2014 with Bill Seccombe (second from right), President / CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, to promote the importance of nude recreation to Florida’s economy. Ralph was accompanied by Shirley Mason (Executive Director, B.E.A.C.H.ES. Foundation Institute) and her husband, Richard Mason (President, South Florida Free Beaches / Florida Naturist Association). GNI E-former November 2014 17 TRAVEL Aloha fellow GNI yoga lovers and friends of tropical naked holidays By Richard Koob Here in Hawaii, at the state’s largest retreat center, there are fifty ongoing activities per week, including four daily yoga classes. The holidays are a special time to be with chosen family, especially friends old and new who like to experience adventure and exercise in soulful, sensual ways. We get naked at Kalani’s four pools plus the nearby beach and waterfalls. Below are links to two weeks of fun in nature, even more spectacular now that our “drive in” volcano is erupting at two locations. Come jump in the dance, the hula of the elements! Contact me for a 10% discount for fellow GNI members: December 20 – Men’s Tropical Holiday 2014 - Week 1 December 27 – Men’s Tropical Holiday 2014 - Week 2 December 27 – New Year’s Men’s Naked Yoga Retreat December 29 – Thrive – A New Year’s Retreat for Gay/Bi Men Sparkling falls, tropical breeze, jungle botanicals, hot lava. Join the hula dance of the elements. 18 GNI E-former November 2014 GNI member, Doug Candler, shares his travel adventures. Clockwise from above: Doug hangs out with the adult film star Brent Corrigan at the Folsom Street Fair, San Francisco. Doug’s first public flogging at Folsom Street Fair Doug always manages to find a naked getaway on cruises. Doug “skin” diving in Bora Bora, French Polynesia on the Source Events Wind Spirit cruise GNI E-former November 2014 19 Try Camp Buckwood, Indianapolis, IN By Denny Colvin While returning to Indiana for a college reunion, I needed to travel a day early due to flight availability. Rather than stay an additional night at the inflated-rate Holiday Inn Express at my destination, I looked for something a bit more fun, yet reasonably nearby. Happily, I found Camp Buckwood, a clothing-optional gay campground and B&B in Brown County, IN, not far south of Indianapolis. Below: The lodge at Camp Buckwood, and surrounding grounds Right: The author enjoys his coffee “comfortably naked.” 20 GNI E-former November 2014 Camp Buckwood has a lodge with two deluxe rooms with private baths, two lessexpensive rooms with shared baths, and a bunkhouse with bath — all include dinner and breakfast. Also available are cabins, RV sites, and tent sites — all with electric. A large, centrally-located bathhouse provides facilities for those not staying in the lodge. Since I wouldn’t be outfitted for camping, I selected one of the deluxe rooms for my day there. Brown County is famous for its beautiful, fall foliage, and I would be there for the beginning, if not the peak, of the color. Located on a country road in rural Indiana, Camp Buckwood was not entirely easy to find (and the iPhone maps app was of no help), so it took me longer to get there than I had expected. But once there, I found it to be a little gem. The owner checked me in with no fuss. Within minutes, I had my luggage in the room and was exploring and photographing the property, comfortably naked. Camp rules prohibit pictures of guests without their explicit permission, so there are no pictures of anyone else, but I met several friendly guys, mostly regulars, on this October Thursday, generally aged 30+. GNI E-former November 2014 The property features a lake with a hiking trail around it, a small swimming pool with a large deck around it, a huge hot tub, and a covered pavilion between them. It is clear the owners are reinvesting profits into the property, and there is a rumor that a larger pool is in the offing. The room I was in, “The Rusty Horseshoe” (with its private bath), was large, comfortable, and fully equipped with satellite TV, stereo, fridge, coffee maker (there’s a commercial drip machine in the dining room), microwave, hot tub, and twoman shower, and abundant windows bring the outside in. The lodge is relaxed and welcoming to those of us who prefer our coffee naked. While I had no expectations about the food, it was very good and nicely presented (and necessary, since the nearest fast food is a considerable distance). I would suggest picking up beverages and toiletries on the way. I highly recommend you check out Camp Buckwood if you’re in the area. If I lived nearby, I’d be there regularly. Left: Spacious bath of “The Rusty Horseshoe” room Right: Cozy swimming pool with plenty of space to enjoy the abundant sunshine 21 Come back GNI’s 30th HOME for Anniversary Gathering August 21-30, 2015 In the Pocono Mountains Swimming Naked Games Theme Parties Campfires Naked Dance Club and MORE! www.gaynaturists.org Joe Lonsway 22 GNI E-former November 2014 PERSONAL STORIES GNI member finds naked brotherhood and himself From Nick Padilla, GNI Member and Body Electric Coordinator Joe Lonsway This account is from Jim gressed at a very comfortNewman, a new GNI memable pace, and since we all ber who attended NakedFest were in the same boat, we this year. Jim followed that became very close . experience by attending Through the various exerCelebrating the Body Erotic cises, we worked with in Philadelphia, PA in almost everyone else in the October. Jim offered to group and got to know each share his story: other better. We all supportI have to admit, I was ed one another and totally petrified of my first became closer, almost like experience with Body brothers. In fact, I believe Electric’s workshop titled, the instructor began using Jim Newman Celebrating the Body Erotic the term “brotherhood” for (affectionately known as CBE). I read the group. The exercises became more about it on their web site and spoke to introspective and thought-provoking. people who knew about it. There were a Admittedly, the event was very hard but lot of unanswered questions; like joining a very rewarding. I was exhausted at night, fraternity, no one will tell you all the but in a good way. I had learned somedetails. I convinced myself I had to go. thing about myself that I had kept hidden. We started out by meeting the workThere were fun and lighthearted shop staff and the other participants. We moments as well. Most of the event introduced ourselves to each other and involved the participants being naked. The chatted. I was becoming more comfortable process of becoming naked was well already! The coordinators couldn’t have done; I’ll never forget Theo and Ray been nicer. They did their best to make us “dancing me out of my clothes.” Quite an more comfortable by chatting, smiling, pro- experience! David, the instructor, taught viding winks, and just making the space us the proper way to hug. I am not a hugwarm supportive. ger! It has always made me uncomfortable We began with simple, guided exercisto get physical. But the so-called “gourmet es led by the instructor. One person would hug” has made me a convert. I love hugask another person a question, such as, ging naked men! “Talk about your favorite pet,” or we would The final activity was a massage and do a stretching exercise. The events prodeep breathing exercise. It elicited a ton of GNI E-former November 2014 23 emotions for most of us. I felt (and saw in a vision) the love and support of the “brotherhood.” I felt safe to be me, supported by these wonderful men who helped me get through this stressful but inspiring weekend. I’ll never forget these wonderful men, and I look forward to seeing them all again. CHOOSE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE If Not You—Who? If Not Now—When? 1. What if it were your favorite beach? NAC needs your support now. Next time, it will be your beach. 2. Mere nudity must not be considered a sex offense, but lawmakers everywhere are working to make it one. NAC is unafraid to challenge sex offender legislation, if it threatens innocent naturists. 3. NAC to naturists: "We've got your back!" Please donate generously TODAY to the Naturist Action Committee. Use your credit card. Donate online. www.naturistaction.org/donate The Naturist Action Committee is a 501(c)4 nonprofit corporation. 24 GNI E-former November 2014 Club news Please submit your Club News to [email protected]. BA-MEN plans parties through 2014 By John E., BA-MEN President Beach Areas Men Enjoying Naturism (BA-MEN) in Southern California is holding another party in Fullerton (Orange County) on Sunday, November 5, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. They would like to invite their brother club members, as well as guys looking for a club in their area (Orange County, plus the greater Long Beach and South Bay areas). Come soak with the guys, watch a movie, and enjoy some great food. All BA-MEN events are open to all guys 18 or older, even if it’s your first time ever at a naturist/nudist event. Please see their calendar on the web GNI E-former November 2014 site for the details of this event and others, as well as more info about their club. Other BA-MEN events in November include a visit to a Korean day spa on November 1, and a “Touch Session” and more on November 15. Looking to the future, BA-MEN is planning a NUDE Year’s Party on December 31 in the O.C., and a trip to Tecopa Mineral Hot Springs and Death Valley is going to be held in the Spring. This year, the club plans to re-visit the county baths that have just returned to free use under county control again! 25 The Gay Naturist E-former is a bimonthly publication of Gay Naturists International, Inc. (GNI), an organization for male naturists and nudists. The magazine reports on male nude and naturist topics, provides a medium for the exchange of views concerning them, and promotes a male naturist lifestyle. This publication is guided by the principles of freedom of expression, the objectives of the organization as expressed in its Mission Statement, and accepted standards of good taste. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors or of the editor and do not necessarily represent the official position of GNI. The presence of any advertisement in this publication should not be construed as an endorsement by GNI of said advertising. All excerpts of articles and photos are printed with permission from Gay Naturists International (GNI), from our contributors, and edited for this publication. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Published in the USA. GNI Board of Directors President Dan [email protected] Vice President Peter [email protected] SecretaryJon [email protected] DirectorsDavid [email protected] Preston [email protected] Staff CFOEd [email protected] Exec. Dir. Rick [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] E-formerBrian Club Liaison Jon [email protected] 26 Gay Naturists International (GNI) 5175 W Ajo Hwy # A-14 Tucson AZ 85735-9723 (USA) Phone: (954) 567-2700 Fax: (954) 567-2070 Web site: www.gaynaturists.org E-mail: [email protected] The Gay Naturist E-former Executive Director Editor / Art Director Assistant Editor Rick Joe Brian GNI E-former November 2014 GNI supports the yoga movement by maintaining an online listing with contact information for Naked Yoga classes open to men throughout the world. It is updated in real time as GNI learns of changes. Please click here to learn more. Although GNI’s listing includes many physical addresses, some groups prefer not to publish their meeting location for reasons of privacy or security. When planning to attend a class, make contact beforehand to verify the group is still meeting, has enough space, and welcomes your participation. As an additional resource, GNI member Bob S., founder / organizer of Naked Yoga for Men in Cambridge, MA (USA), maintains a worldwide Yahoo! Group. You may subscribe (it’s free) to access any secured features. The group also has an archive of messages, some of which could be from others in your area who might wish to organize or participate in a class where none now exists. Joe Lonsway Naked yoga classes Club listings Men’s naturist clubs range from a couple of dozen guys who get together naked for potluck dinners or movie nights to hundreds who gather nude for huge pool or dance parties. There are now nearly 200 groups worldwide. Of those, approximately one-third are formally affiliated with GNI. GNI strongly encourages you to participate in the activities of the nearest nude club wherever you live or travel. It’s a great way to keep that special GNI feeling going year-round! GNI maintains an online listing with contact information for local men’s naturist clubs throughout the world. It is updated in real time as GNI learns of changes. Please click here for more information. GNI E-former November 2014 The default sort is by country (with the United States and at-large locations at the end), state or province postal abbreviation, and group name. (You may refine your results through the Advanced Search feature under the Directory tab on the navigation bar near the top of the screen.) Clubs marked with their own logo or a gay naturist flag are affiliated with GNI. When contacting a club by regular mail, please use its acronym on the envelope instead of its full name to protect the privacy of the individual handling the mail. For mainstream (i.e., mixed-gender) groups, visit The Naturist Society Network (TNS) at naturistsociety.com. (Click on Resources, then Network.) 27