Talking about Naturism and being open about our involvement in it helps to normalise social nudity. Many people report feeling relieved that people around them know - and can be a real confidence-booster. Bringing the subject up and knowing what to say can still sometimes be difficult and so we have created this set of suggestions to help you. It includes three parts - look out for parts 2 and 3 soon!
Part 1: Good ways to introduce Naturism into conversation
Here are a few ideas that have been found to have a good effect.
Charity – Asking friends to sponsor you for charity is an easy opening because people often raise money by being sponsored to do something that is unusual or challenging. All of British Naturism’s charity events are open to the general public and so if you get a positive reaction, you could invite people to join in!
Holidays – Everyone talks about their holidays and people are willing to listen. Experience shows that people are even more interested when you tell them you found a nude beach while there. It is well known that nudity is the norm at European spas and on many foreign beaches, so it may not surprise the people you tell as much as you think.
Signs and Slogans – Most of us have ornaments around our homes or slogans on our clothing. References to Naturism in those signs or slogans creates the opportunity for friends to ask questions if they are curious.
One-to-one – Some people are intimidated in a group and find it easier to be open in conversation with just one other person. If that is you, those heart-to-heart conversations can be a good opportunity to share your experience of Naturism. You don’t need to “sell” Naturism, it’s all about ordinary, everyday conversation and sharing your experiences with a friend.
Social Media – We post all sorts of things on our social media, so it is easy to make references to Naturism or living naked. Friends will often ask questions and start the conversation themselves if they are interested and simply ignore the posts if not.
Naturism is Fun – You can refer to Naturism in almost joking terms. If the people you are with react negatively, you laugh it off and move on. But if they react positively, even in joking terms themselves, you have just found common ground and a conversation that you can develop.
Negative Reactions – The most common reason people worry about being open about Naturism is fear of a negative reaction, whether from friends, family, or their employer. That can happen, but it is far rarer than we fear. Openness removes the risk of it being viewed as a “dirty secret” so is often safer. Confidence that we are living a positive and respectable life can carry us a long way.
Finally, be aware of people’s reactions and adapt your approach to the circumstances. You will notice that most of the suggested approaches put your audience in control, so you don’t fall out with people by pushing a point. We are looking to share the best aspects of our lives with friends, not force others to accept our point of view.
Part 2 and Part 3 of 'How to talk about Naturism' can be found on these links.