There's a Decades-Old Boner War Raging Inside Nudist Camps

[Danee]

Some naturists argue there's nothing more natural than the occasional accidental arousal.  Although only a tiny percent of Americans admit to ever having gone nude in public, and a likely even smaller portion regularly mingle in the buff, "social nudism" holds an enduring utopian allure. Nudism (or naturism) bills itself, fairly convincingly, as liberation, helping people to escape body shame and the stress of self-presentation or to reconnect with nature and a sense of their unmodified place in it. The appeal of this pitch has allowed organized social nudism, as a sporadic practice for some or a lifestyle for others, to endure in America for about 90 years, slowly growing until it now sustains more than 200 nudist beaches, camps, or resorts nationwide.



 A host of social factors stand in the way of the spread of nudism in the US, many quite lofty and abstract. But as some nudist publications acknowledge, for many men, one of their most visceral concerns about getting involved in these mostly wholesome, sometimes family friendly spaces is what to do if they suddenly pop a big ol' boner. Most American nudist groups have a common, easy answer for the issue, which they argue rarely actually pops up. But for all their nonchalance, (sorry about this) stiffies have actually been a historically hard problem for American nudism to get a hold on.



 Based on studies of American nudists and cultures in which nudity is the norm going back years and years, as well as their own observations and analyses, nudists argue that erections just don't happen all that often in nude spaces. "The first time a man is in a nude social environment, he is usually a bit too nervous to have an erection," Nicky Hoffman of the Naturist Society and managing editor of its Nude and Natural magazine, told me. "After [that], he realizes that being nude is not a sexual happening, [but] rather a way to live… therefore no erection would occur."



While Hoffman recognizes that sometimes a little wood may make an unexpected appearance, and while many groups offer men a bit of leeway with them, "we certainly don't want a bunch of men walking around sporting erections," she said. A boisterous, bobbing boner could be taken as a sign of unwanted sexual attention, or the result of sexualized gawking that could make others feel uncomfortable. So, Hoffman said, the usual protocol is for a man with persistent peckerwood to just put on a towel or some other cover-up. Nudists typically always carry around a towel to put on bare surfaces before they sit down and keep some garments handy to deal with weather realities

 This seems simple and fair enough. But not every nudist is down with the idea. On lifestyle forums, young men complain about how these mainstream nudist rules still force them to view a natural bodily function as taboo, even shameful and inconveniencing to others. Critics point out that many men get rigid as a matter of reflex (rather than sexual desire) several times a day, sometimes because of the rushes of blood associated with emotions like stress and sometimes due to automatic hormonal fluctuations, especially in young men. Taking all erections as potentially unwanted sexual attention and seeking to hide them, in their eyes, betrays the core philosophies of nudism.
 "It creates this weird space whereby you have some repression in some spaces but not in others," Brian Hoffman (no relation to Nicky), the author of 2015's Naked: A Cultural History of American Nudism, told me. Going beyond reflex erections, Brian thinks it's also odd that nudist culture attempts to erase any sign of eroticism. As he sees it, even if nudism breaks the one-to-one connection between nudity and arousal, it doesn't mean people won't still get aroused at times, and that is also natural. "Like, clothes are optional, but you'd better watch what you do when your clothes are off."

 asked Hoffman about reflex boners and criticisms about having to suppress a natural bodily function in naturist spaces in a follow-up email. She did not respond. 
 Mainstream nudist rules on erections and criticisms of them reflect a division running back to American nudism's 1930s origins, Brian said. Even then, some groups and thinkers held that nudism ought to be used to claw back stigmas about eroticism and other natural bodily functions, including those that can be misread as erotic, baked into American culture. In their eyes, walking around with a boner ought to be no big deal, so long as no one is a total creep about it.
 But overall, Brian said, "organized nudism was able to survive in the United States by clinging to respectability wherever it could." That often meant hyping up wholesomeness and downplaying the risk of anything that could be read as an erotic or virile response. The imperative to hide hard-ons grew all the more important in the 1950s, as American soldiers returning from WWII (where Brian notes many had used nudist lifestyle magazines for thrills in lieu of porn) decided to check out their own nation's naturist camps, often on their own. "This raises the issue of what the intentions of these single men are," said Brian. A single man's erection, especially a stranger in these formerly insular groups, raised "the specter of homosexuality or adultery" in an era when those things were unacceptable, as well as pedophilia, which remains a deep social concern. "The human body without clothes can be seen in any number of ways," added Brian. "You don't know the origin of that erection—you can see it as the best or the worst."
 The result of the problems were a series of rules. Not only were erections frowned upon, and possibly a cause for ejection if uncovered long or frequently enough, but some settings restricted single men's entry. Many also banned outward displays of affection beyond hugs or handholding and banned erotic clothing when it was worn.
 One might expect that society's slow acceptance and normalization of sexuality would have outmoded some of these rules. Brian does note that there was a strong pushback on nudism's perceived sexual conservatism in the 1960s counterculture and that there always has been and still is a strain of nudism that rejects the mainstream view on erections as hypocritical, stuck in the past, and limiting. But fears about pedophilic gazes, unwanted sexual advances, or triggering memories of assault and other negative experiences of aggressive male sexual norms are all still relevant and legitimate—especially in communities where everyone might not know one another. And for spaces that might not be able to take the fiscal or PR hit of a scandal, minimizing the risk of any unwanted or unfortunate erotic exchange, misread or otherwise, is just plain prudent.
 As modern forum chatter will attest, the great American nudist dick debate still rages on. Even within the mainstream, Brian believes, many camps or resorts probably show a fair deal of tolerance after hours, or when it's just the regulars or lifers who know one another there. "There's always the public face and then what can actually happen," he said. "But is the [major] American Association for Nude Recreation going to go out pro-erection? No."

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/theres-a-decades-old-boner-war-raging-inside-nudist-camps

[MrDude]

Haha the question dates back to the times of Adam and Eve. Probably Adam got his erection quite soon, and was punished for that!
Anyways it can happen and it should be accepted as part of human nature

[Katlyn315]

Great article...... The debate goes on...

-- Nicky Hoffman of the Naturist Society and managing editor of its Nude and Natural magazine, told me. "After [that], he realizes that being nude is not a sexual happening, [but] rather a way to live… therefore no erection would occur." --

One of the best lines I learned from my Human Sexuality class in college was......
" You've seen one naked person. You've seen them all." The stimuli for an erection comes in many forms. Visual and even a brief thought is enough to trigger the hormones which increases the blood flood. Yes it does happen, but when you see men, mainly older men, with an erection, they think it is badge of honor. That is where I draw the line, it is not a badge of honor or ones manhood.

[nakiekitty]

I agree with both sides of the argument. That's a tricky issue! I think there's no single good answer, too.

When it comes to nature stuff, where do we stop? If we always claim "it's just how nature does it" then do we go back to cave man society, going to the bathroom wherever we want, fighting each other for mates and leadership, and things like that?

On the other hand, I don't mind erections, I just mind creepers, and they're creepy whether they have erections or not.

Either way, I'm glad I don't have to worry about this issue. Nobody can tell if I'm a bit excited, I just tell them I'm cold!

[sevves]

On the other hand, I don't mind erections, I just mind creepers, and they're creepy whether they have erections or not.

indeed, creepers dont need a erection to be creepy. your opinion sounds filled with lots of common sense.

there was this moment when me and a couple which was lying about 10m away were quite early at the beach. she was getting some sun screen and put it on her husband. he got an erection while she was touching him all over his body. but nobody of us cared about it and minutes after it was back to normal size. this was the most "erotic" moment for them at the beach.

[Density]

difficult for every beginner and still kinda is; but i have learned to sensitize it from the sex part now but it still an occasional arousal for other factors such as weather. once again this is tricky to identify but the common sense basically tells the intention of someone's erection to begin with.

[Katlyn315]

I agree with both sides of the argument. That's a tricky issue! I think there's no single good answer, too.

You are right, there is no single good answer.

[mike345]

Yes it does happen, but when you see men, mainly older men, with an erection, they think it is badge of honor. That is where I draw the line, it is not a badge of honor or ones manhood.

I think this is the best point. I think most people understand when someone has an undesired reaction and is embarrassed about it compared to a person who is flaunting their state. I had an interesting conversation with a friend years back who said she 'knew when she was being flashed' when explaining an innocent naked encounter opposed to a flashing. I hadn't given it much thought until then but think that most women have a keen sense of when someone is being a creeper or has ill intentions whether it's flaunting a boner or showing themselves off in other ways.

[decoboco]

There's no explicitly rights and wrongs with this subject. I guess it depends mostly on the person in question. Whichever they choose, people should respect him regardless of their own values. It's normal social etiquette.

Unless there are totally bad intentions behind it.

[Katlyn315]

Yes it does happen, but when you see men, mainly older men, with an erection, they think it is badge of honor. That is where I draw the line, it is not a badge of honor or ones manhood.

I think this is the best point. I think most people understand when someone has an undesired reaction and is embarrassed about it compared to a person who is flaunting their state. I had an interesting conversation with a friend years back who said she 'knew when she was being flashed' when explaining an innocent naked encounter opposed to a flashing. I hadn't given it much thought until then but think that most women have a keen sense of when someone is being a creeper or has ill intentions whether it's flaunting a boner or showing themselves off in other ways.

Exactly..... and think of when children are present. It's one thing, if it was just me and a friend, but children are present, my first reaction is to protect my children. If a creeper or pervert was present at a nudist resort, chances are they would have a erection, because they can't control it. So when a older man has an erection, that is the first thing that pops into my mind. I have seen plenty of men that don't have erections, along with younger men.

I guess it all boils down too, creepers or perverts, can't control having an erection. When when a mother of two small girls see's and erection, and no attempt to cover up, the red flag goes up, as a caution. I sorry if this offends some, but the protection of my children comes first above all.

[gbanude]

Yes it does happen, but when you see men, mainly older men, with an erection, they think it is badge of honor. That is where I draw the line, it is not a badge of honor or ones manhood.

I think this is the best point. I think most people understand when someone has an undesired reaction and is embarrassed about it compared to a person who is flaunting their state. I had an interesting conversation with a friend years back who said she 'knew when she was being flashed' when explaining an innocent naked encounter opposed to a flashing. I hadn't given it much thought until then but think that most women have a keen sense of when someone is being a creeper or has ill intentions whether it's flaunting a boner or showing themselves off in other ways.

"So when a older man has an erection, that is the first thing that pops into my mind. I have seen plenty of men that don't have erections, along with younger men."

I'd like to mention that I am so tired of ED medication commercials. It probably is a needed medication. But I'd rather not hear about it while watching "Jeopardy"...lol I'm just sayin'...

[Katlyn315]

[/quote]
I'd like to mention that I am so tired of ED medication commercials. It probably is a needed medication. But I'd rather not hear about it while watching "Jeopardy"...lol I'm just sayin'...
[/quote]
Come to think of it, ED commercials are not  seen on re-runs of the Love Boat. lmao Maybe they should be.

[gbanude]

I'd like to mention that I am so tired of ED medication commercials. It probably is a needed medication. But I'd rather not hear about it while watching "Jeopardy"...lol I'm just sayin'...
[/quote]
Come to think of it, ED commercials are not  seen on re-runs of the Love Boat. lmao Maybe they should be.
[/quote]
Love.
Exciting and new.
Come aboard.
We're expecting you.
Expecting me to...what?

[Jesseintx]

It has happened to me before. The first time I was so embarrassed. I was at a nude beach and a woman noticed my "problem" and my panic in trying to hide it. She walked over and simply told me it was natural and not to worry. Soon after it disappeared. If a guy is trying to show it off then that's out of line. If a guy is casual and does a little to take attention off of it soon enough it will pass.