BN is surprised by the many reports in the media today of a senior RAF officer being investigated by police and suspended by the military for being naked in a paddock at his home.
The reports contain no suggestion that there was any sexual element or intent to cause alarm or distress, and the facts as reported give no reason to suppose a police investigation was warranted.
We’ve said it before (It is perfectly legal to be naked in your garden - About BN - British Naturism) and we’ll say it again: It is perfectly lawful for somebody to go naked in their garden.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 was carefully worded to exclude Naturism. It is perfectly ok to take your clothes off to enjoy the sun and the breeze on your skin, or the life-affirming feeling of swimming without a costume. However, if you do so because you have the intention of causing ‘alarm and distress’ then it could be a criminal offence, though the onus is on the onlooker to prove the intent. Despite what many media reports suggest, merely being ‘offended’ is not enough to warrant a call to the authorities.
It follows that nudity is permissible in all public places…and why should it not be? It’s our natural state. It’s only social conditioning that tells us that certain parts of our body are - choose your own adjective: shameful, disgusting, sexual, offensive, ridiculous - and must therefore be hidden away. Sadly, that same conditioning has led people to conclude that a nude person, especially a man, must be up to no good. No-one, ever, children included, has been harmed by the sight of a naked person.
We’re aware of the sensitivities though. Many people never think to challenge what their parents and teachers taught them when they were very young. That social conditioning, the stigma and taboos are thus ingrained and it takes a lot to change attitudes. We’ve worked with the police and the number of arrests and cautions has plummeted, but still pockets of ignorance remain.
Being neighbourly is desirable, and Naturists sunbathing in their back garden will generally choose a spot that isn’t too overlooked and will often speak to neighbours who can see into their garden to advise them they may catch a glimpse of naked flesh. Anecdotal evidence and long experience shows that most – but obviously not all - neighbours couldn’t care less!