Many world-class cities accommodate clothing optional beach and park spaces for nude enjoyment. Natural freedom and liberation from body-shaming are just two of the benefits. Third Beach in Vancouver’s huge Stanley Park is the ideal spot. If you agree, kindly sign the petition!
I am one of the most liberal people you will ever meet regarding nudism. I believe clothing should be 100 % optional except where there is a health or safety risk. I would allow nudism in all parks, public streets, shopping malls, etc. I would not allow it on construction sites, public transport or hospitals (hygiene). Churches would be allowed to decide for themselves (morality issue).
However I think we have to be reasonable in our expectations in what society is ready to allow. The Vancouver Parks Board, being an elected body, would never take a political risk so huge to allow nudism at such a super high profile location such as 3rd beach, with thousands of tourist streaming by on rental bicycles.
There is no place for even a bit of privacy for those of us who don’t want hundreds of tourists with telephoto cameras taking photos and posting them online. Cameras would be impossible to police. That is one of the reasons Wreck is so successful is that it offers a bit of seclusion from the mainstream.
The Parks Board will be brief and dismissive. They will not take naturist organizations seriously if you make requests for clothing optional areas in super high profile locations. (I.e. behind closed doors their reaction would be “are they crazy?”)
I suggest you revise your petition to a slightly lower profile location and save 3rd beach for another time when it might have a chance. Currently it would cause the Parks Board to slam the door and not take nudists seriously.
Your location should be at least a little to the side and it is essential that it offers at least a partially secluded area for a bit of privacy. If that does not happen then you would only get a tiny group of people who strongly believe in nudist philosophy (mainstream would not use it, except to voy). I suggest a place like a corner of kits beach near the cliffs or near some trees, or perhaps an area of a city park with some hills or other backdrop like Queen Elizabeth Park.
I love that you are forward thinking. The idea certainly opens up a conversation but it needs revision for others to take naturists seriously.
NIFTY did not start the petition. We just published a link to it. Many of the people who go to Third Beach would go nude if it was allowed and they wear minimal clothing as it is. Some of them visit Wreck Beach too. But as for changing the location — you would have to contact the petition creators themselves.
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.
Anastasia Chernyavsky is a Russian-born photographer who currently lives with her husband and their two children in Foster City (San Francisco Bay Area), United States. Her first photographic equipment was a Zenit E camera her father have her as a gift when she was 15 years old.
After her first child being born, Anastasia started taking photographs of here loved ones. During that year she discovered a great talent to capture a beauty and became a professional fine art photographer specializing in creative portraits of pregnant mothers, babies, couples, and family. Anastasia is a freelance photographer for agencies, magazines or private clients, having worked as a professional photographer for civil events. She became famous in 2013 when her series of self-portraits, featuring her and her children naked, went viral in social media and the blogosphere, and subsequently censored by Facebook, with some commentators from the mainstream press comparing her compositions to neoclassical paintings, such as the “Madonna del Parto” of Piero della Francesca.
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.
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.
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.
Mark Mathews Alberich is an American photographer living in California, United States. His photographs, usually portraits and nudes, emit an aura of originality and mysticism, the results are spectacular. Photo aquatic effects of layers of fabric and cascades of smoke, a visual delight.
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.
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 shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of sex, race, colour, creed, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other basis unrelated to behaviour.
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.
If the NIFTY swims are too infrequent for you – or if you live too far away from Templeton Pool to participate as often as you’d like – you may have thought about starting a clothing-optional swim of your own at a local pool. We here at NIFTY strongly encourage you to do so, and would like to help if we can! Here are some suggestions if you take the plunge:
1. Contact the pool and make an appointment with the programmer to discuss rentals. (This is their title in Vancouver Park Board sites, it may be different in your area.) Arrange an in-person appointment. There’s no need to mention at this point that you intend to have a clothing-optional event, but if they ask you if this is the case you should certainly (of course) say so, just as you would answer any initial questions they might have about your rental.
2. You will likely have to buy insurance. In BC, you should contact Sport BC insurance to discuss rates and terms. This would be a good thing to have looked into before your meeting with the pool programmer. If you know another group that rents the same pool, they might be willing to share their policy with you. Talk to them and to Sport BC.
3. It’s best to bring two people to your meeting with the pool programmer, a male and a female. (Sex shouldn’t matter, of course, but given societal stereotypes about people who like to do things naked, it helps to present your group as one whose membership represents a wider cross-section of your community.) Sorry (but needless) to say, you should really wear clothes for the meeting.
4. Use your judgment as the meeting unfolds, but you should probably explain your intention to have clothing-optional events early on during the meeting, as one of the parameters of your rentals. Most programmers will probably be at least willing to consider the idea, though they may say they have to check with their superiors first. At this point, be sure to mention all the other groups (like NIFTY) that have sucessfully run clothing-optional swims and events for years without any significant problems and with wide community support. Offer to meet with their superiors yourselves if needed.
5. If the meeting ends without a firm yes or no, give them a week or so to get back to you before calling to follow up. If you do so, start the call by thanking them for having met with you to consider renting their facility to your group. (Also do this when they call with their answer, if they do.)
If you need any help with the process, just call us here at NIFTY – we’ll do what we can. Good Luck! And let us know about the responses you get.
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.
Disclaimer: All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All media, unless otherwise noted, are assumed to be in the public domain, or used for criticism, review or news reporting in accordance with fair dealing or limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In the event you see your copyrighted material here not in the manner described above, please contact NIFTY.
Anastasia Chernyavsky is a Russian-born photographer who currently lives with her husband and their two children in Foster City (San Francisco Bay Area), United States. Her first photographic equipment was a Zenit E camera her father have her as a gift when she was 15 years old.
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.
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1. Why in 50's-60's nude swimming was usual thing in YMCA swimming pools?
3 comments
I am one of the most liberal people you will ever meet regarding nudism. I believe clothing should be 100 % optional except where there is a health or safety risk. I would allow nudism in all parks, public streets, shopping malls, etc. I would not allow it on construction sites, public transport or hospitals (hygiene). Churches would be allowed to decide for themselves (morality issue).
However I think we have to be reasonable in our expectations in what society is ready to allow. The Vancouver Parks Board, being an elected body, would never take a political risk so huge to allow nudism at such a super high profile location such as 3rd beach, with thousands of tourist streaming by on rental bicycles.
There is no place for even a bit of privacy for those of us who don’t want hundreds of tourists with telephoto cameras taking photos and posting them online. Cameras would be impossible to police. That is one of the reasons Wreck is so successful is that it offers a bit of seclusion from the mainstream.
The Parks Board will be brief and dismissive. They will not take naturist organizations seriously if you make requests for clothing optional areas in super high profile locations. (I.e. behind closed doors their reaction would be “are they crazy?”)
I suggest you revise your petition to a slightly lower profile location and save 3rd beach for another time when it might have a chance. Currently it would cause the Parks Board to slam the door and not take nudists seriously.
Your location should be at least a little to the side and it is essential that it offers at least a partially secluded area for a bit of privacy. If that does not happen then you would only get a tiny group of people who strongly believe in nudist philosophy (mainstream would not use it, except to voy). I suggest a place like a corner of kits beach near the cliffs or near some trees, or perhaps an area of a city park with some hills or other backdrop like Queen Elizabeth Park.
I love that you are forward thinking. The idea certainly opens up a conversation but it needs revision for others to take naturists seriously.
Thankyou.
Respectfully yours
I think it’s a great idea thank you for your help and support
NIFTY did not start the petition. We just published a link to it. Many of the people who go to Third Beach would go nude if it was allowed and they wear minimal clothing as it is. Some of them visit Wreck Beach too. But as for changing the location — you would have to contact the petition creators themselves.