Health Reform, Two Centuries Views.

‎"the air bath, as Dr.Franklin calls it, is exceedingly salutary to every one in health, and almost to every invalid. If the whole skin may be considered a breathing organ, then it should not only be kept clean, but for its own health and vigor, and the health and vigor of the whole system, it should be permitted to receive the full ...and free embrace of the pure air -- in short, all the physiological and physcological properties, powers and interests of the human constitution would be better sustained, as a permanent fact, from generation to generation, by entire nudity, than by the use of any kind of clothing. Strictly speaking, therefore, all clothing is in itself considered, in some measure, an evil."

Sylvester Graham. "Bathing, Air, and Clothing," from Graham's Science of Human Life. Water Cure Journal; 1 Jun. 1847; 3, 11.

Naked After Work

It was lovely being naked after work today. I walked down to Harvey Milk Library, picked up a book asnd then walked home through the Castro naked. Going up 18th Street, two blocks from my house, a police officer in a cruiser stopped me and asked me if the police have talked with me before. I responded that they had. He asked me what they told me. I told him what their usual line is, about getting a complaint, and that they know it is not illegal but if the person wants to sign a complaint, blah, blah. He said, that is right. He indicated that a women flagged him over to complain about me and said she would be willing to sign a complaint. He then asked me were I lived. I indicated right up the street. He said he would go talk to her. I asked him if he was planning on explaining to her that what I was doing was not illegal. He said that yes he would. He left and I continued my walk home, naked.

A New Book.

Sex Among the Rabble: An Intimate History of Gender & Power in the Age of Revolution, Philadelphia, 1730-1830, by Clare A. Lyons. I am very excited to begin reading this book which I learned about in the graduate history class I have the pleasure of attending.

On being naked.

Today one person told me it was certainly a great day to be naked, one person told me he was glad to see me out and about, one person called me an asshole, one person told me he certainly hoped we could be persuaded to stop doing this because it just wasn't right, and a black man told me it was only my white male entitlement which allowed me to go around naked.

More to follow . . .

It's February!

It must be Spring!

Public Nudity and the Irksome C. W. Nevius

Walking home from school today, naked, after reading C.W.Nevius' one-sided, inflammatory column in today's Chronicle I passed two little old women on Castro Street. One whispered to the other in a very serious tone, "See, that's what I've been telling you about." Other than that, all of the comments and looks I received were very positive, smiles, nods, one gentleman stopped me to ask if I was taking my responsibility as a tourist attraction seriously. He told me believed everyone enjoyed the nudity. I know I certainly enjoy the nudity, and I enjoy the freedom I have in San Francisco which allows me to enjoy the nudity in spite of some bigots.

Body hatred is a bigotry, we are not born hating our bodies but rather are taught to hate them. Nudity has never caused anyone any harm that I am aware of. When I am naked, I can feel the sun and the breeze on my skin. All of my senses are heightened and I feel closer to nature as there is less that separates me from the nature around me. My animality is exposed, along with my body. I am more equal to nature, rather than removed from it, or above it. I can understand how THAT is a scary and threatening concept for some.

It threatens the status quo, the belief that we are individuals looking out only for ourselves and everything else is put here for our use. That is the paradigm which is getting us in so much trouble: rapid use of global resources, the betting on others losing their homes in the mortgage markets or not being able to afford food in the commodities market, causing untold suffering for millions just so a few of us might profit.

Clothing compulsion is more harmful, I believe, than public nudity. To always hide who we are and seperate ourselves from nature and each other with clothing, no matter what the situation or weather, seems very harmful to me. I believe we would be much better off as a society and a world if we could all experiance casual nudity from time to time. If you have the oppurtunity, and haven't tried it, I would urge you to take a step and work on overcoming some of your fears. You just might like it.