The name NIFTY arose because we wanted an acronym for the group’s name, and came up with NIFTY as a “temporary” moniker until we could decide on a “real” name; however, people seemed to like the name and it was decided to keep it as the group’s permanent title.
NIFTY recognises the fundamental decency, beauty, and non-obscenity of the natural human body. Further, NIFTY affirms the spiritual, psychological and physical health benefits of nudity and body acceptance for the individual and for society. A major part of our mandate is to educate the public about these benefits, and about the harmful effects of our cultures censure of natural nudity. NIFTY is an egalitarian group which always promotes equality of all humans, without regard to sex, race, colour, creed, age, national origin, sexual orientation or any other attribute.
(NIFTY Constutution, Paragraph 4)
While many NIFTY members are nudists and naturists, we are neither a nudist nor a naturist group. Membership is open to any person who supports our vision of Canada and a world free of legislated clothing requirements.
(NIFTY Constutution, Paragraph 3)
Established by BC Supreme Court, 2000 June 8
(Citation: Maple Ridge v. Meyer, 2000 BCSC 902)
“We had a legal opinion and its very clear she is correct. It is not a crime.” – Terry La Liberte, Vancouver Police Board
“Deputy [Vancouver Police] Chief Doug LePard said he would notify the training session of the department to issue a bulletin for police officers.” – Vancouver Courier, 2007 Feb.28
Founded in 1992, NIFTY (Naked Iconoclasts Fighting The Yoke) is a group of citizens who believe that people should be allowed to decide for themselves whether to wear clothing or not in public spaces. Essentially, the group formed in opposition to section 174 of the Canadian Criminal Code, which declares public nudity a criminal offense. However, we advocate for clothing-optional rights for everyone, not just Canadians. Although many NIFTY members are naturists or nudists, NIFTY is not a naturist/nudist group; we are simply a group of citizens who believe in the right of every person to decide what, if any, clothing to wear in public spaces.
All NIFTY events shall be clothing-optional if possible. No NIFTY event or function shall he nude-only or clothed-only unless it is absolutely unavoidable
No individual members may use cameras at NIFTY events. NIFTY may authorise camera(s) to photograph special events; in that case “no photo” wristbands and/or designated photography areas will be established, depending on the event. All participants shall be privately made aware of photography and release options at the entrance to the event.
All decisions at NIFTY meetings shall be made by consensus if possible. In the event that consensus cannot he achieved after reasonable attempts, a vote shall take place, with majority rule carrying.
All public NIFTY events shall be open to anybody without discrimination. There shall be no quotas of any kind, and people can be asked to leave or barred based solely on their own behaviour. Such behaviour must have predictable negative consequences.
Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva was the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. In 1043 Leofric founded and endowed a Benedictine monastery at Coventry. People of Coventry were suffering under her husband’s oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva asked her husband to remit the tolls. Leofric said he would grant her request if she would strip naked and ride through the streets of the town. Lady Godiva took him at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should stay indoors and shut their windows, she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. Just one person in the town, a tailor ever afterwards known as Peeping Tom, disobeyed her proclamation in one of the most famous instances of voyeurism. In the story, Tom bores a hole in his shutters so that he might see Godiva pass, and is struck blind. In the end, Godiva’s husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes.
Arthur de Pins (born in 1977 in Britain) is a well known French artist, illustrator, animator, and character designer. He has graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (2000). His naturist characters are amazing. Most of them are funny and stylish, leaving no doubt that the creator has a great sense of humor.
http://www.arthurdepins.com/
http://www.myspace.com/arthurdepins
NIFTY’s first official meeting was held in 1993, and we began renting Vancouver’s Templeton Park Pool for monthly clothing-optional swims in 1998. Since then, our membership has grown significantly, and several thousand people have been NIFTY members at some point over the years, with about 500 up-to-date members at any given time.
NIFTY is an organization of people who oppose the legal ban on public nudity in Canada, and who are interested in organizing politically towards the abolishment of that ban.
(NIFTY Constutution, Paragraph 1)
For a NIFTY meeting to be valid, reasonable attempts to notify the membership of that meeting, well in advance of said meeting, must he made. At least three members shall constitute a quorum.
NIFTY has held many events over the years: topfree and clothing-optional parades and marches, topfree picnics and book readings, clothing-optional dances and movie nights, and more. We also usually host a clothing-optional picnic following the Vancouver portion of the annual World Naked Bike Ride. While these events are celebratory in nature, they also serve to educate the public about the harmful effects of suppressing the natural body, and to advocate for clothing-optional rights.
NIFTY shall be, as much as possible, a grassroots democratic organization. No president or permanent chair shall exist. A chair shall be elected at each NIFTY meeting for the purpose of that meeting only, their term ending with that meeting. The only table officers are the secretary and the treasurer.
NIFTY is proud of its twenty-plus year history of advocacy, and we intend to continue our fight until all citizens have the freedom to wear clothes if they choose, and not wear them if they choose, in public spaces around the world.
Vladimir Fedotko is a photographer from St. Petersburg, Russia. He is known for his talent to magically combine traditional drawing, photography and computer processing. Fedotko creates unique photos and fills them with fairy-tale characters. His images are bright and elegant. The artist shows a variety of stories that combine surrealism and fantasy.
Digital art appeared about 15 years ago and is very popular today among both beginners and professional photographers. Vladimir creates amazing images full of beauty, and mystery. Most striking in his work that it is not clear where is the photo, and where is the drawing. The artist takes into account everything – color, shade, and the texture of the object. You could say – this is magical realism in photography.
fedotko.photosight.ru
NIFTY also maintains the NIFTY library, a collection of over 600 magazines, books and videos related to the fight for clothing-optional rights.
Pavel Popov was born in 1966 in the city of Perm. In 1994 he entered the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, studied at historical painting workshop led by Professor Glazunov. Pavel is a Member of the Moscow Union of Artists.
Spencer Tunick (born January 1, 1967) is an American photographer known for shooting nude photographs that often include thousands of participants. His first human installation took place in 2003 in in London’s Selfridges department store.
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1. Why in 50's-60's nude swimming was usual thing in YMCA swimming pools?