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. From Charles MacFarland 's film ''Inoffensive Behavior''.]] Public nudity is Nudity in Public Space s, environments, events. Another common reference is '''nude in public (NIP)'''. It can also refer to '''clothing-optional activities on public lands'''. It is less commonly referred to as '''public Naturism ''' or '''public Nudism ''', '''free range nakedness''' or '''free range nudity'''. This is in contrast to nudity in areas that are not generally accessible to the general public without prior permission including nudity at Home , privately-held offices or studios, Fitness facilities (such as Swimming Pools , Sauna , Gymnasium ) and nudity in privately-held areas such as nudist or naturist Clubs or Resorts . Cultural and Legal Acceptance of public nudity varies regionally. Nudity in public areas is generally not an accepted practice in most modern societies. A naked person is viewed by others much differently than a person with clothing, and public reactions usually include a great amount of surprise and curiosity. DISAMBIGUATION The term public nudity or naked in public (NIP) has two general Vernacular associations. Internet searches yield a majority of references with Sexualized contexts, often focusing on young women. However, much of the nudity that occurs on public lands is in non-sexual contexts. In those contexts social norms dictate that people behave in a certain way to conform to social Mores to avoid conflict between different people and organizations. A common example of this is Clothing-optional Beach Etiquette , which takes different forms in different locales, usually spelling out bans on all forms of Sexual Harassment , overtly sexual behavior (such as Masturbation or Sexual Intercourse ), Predatory behavior, and aggressive Voyeuristic photography. Establishing expectations event in Activities are generally thus classified by whether or not the activities are done in non-sexualized or Sexualized contexts. In high visibility events, this often helps determine whether participants can be cited for Indecent Exposure or whether the activities may be legally deemed Obscene , Lewd or Lascivious . This also helps potential participants who are concerned about sexual activities avoid events that they deem inappropriate. By definition organized naturist or nudists generally operate in contexts of non-sexualized nudity when in public or social (non-intimate) situations. Generally an activity or event has a reputation or is widely known to be of one type or the other, or known to include both. In cases of the latter areas of concern can be segregated with restricted access or by proper signage to warn people of the nature of the activities. In cases where organizers want participants to be clear about what to expect they will either (1) explicitly advertise and label the event as being done in a family-friendly, non-sexual, naturist or nudist context to avoid unwanted behavior and to garnish community support and/or (2) enforce good manners and appropriate behavior as problems occur. Association with movements or organizations Not all people who engage in public nudity see themselves as Nudists or Naturists or belong to traditional naturist or nudist organizations. Several activists, such as Vincent Bethell , claim that associations with naturism or nudism are unnecessary. Others will point out that many people participate in events such as Clothing-optional Bike Rides or visit Clothing-optional Beaches do so casually and without association or formal affiliation to groups or movements. Activist Daniel Johnson believes that labels and affiliations overly complicate a relatively simple phenomena, alienate others from a fear of over-commitment or undesireable stereotypes, and thus get in the way of integrating nudity into everday life. NON-SEXUALIZED , Australia on 6 April 1997. From Charles MacFarland 's film ''Naked Celebrations''.]] Most widely accepted as being family-friendly nudity Artistic Expression
Recreation and Sport Certain activities in public areas are more readily accepted to be done while naked, such as bathing and swimming. Hiking, bicycling, and other sports may also not be viewed as unusual to be done while nude, especially in rural areas in northern Europe. Everyday activities such as riding a train or bus, shopping, or attending school or work are almost never considered by the public to be appropriate without clothing. ''see also Nudity In Sport ''
Activism and Protests . Filmed in Sept. 2000 in Berkeley ]] Public nudity has sometimes been used to attract more attention to a public Protest , a tactic used by the Doukhobor s in the early 20th century, and later (particularly from the 1960s onwards) used more widely. Modern slogans include "Disrobe for disarmament", "Nudes, not nukes!", "Naked For Peace", and "I'd rather go naked than wear fur!". At a Lollapalooza appearance in 1993 in Philadelphia , rather than perform their music, members of the band Rage Against The Machine stood onstage naked with duct-tape on their mouths and the letters "PMRC" painted on their chests for 15 minutes in protest against censorship by the Parents Music Resource Center .
Formalized organizations and movements Clothes free people Legend . From Charles MacFarland 's film ''Naked in Public 1''.]] Legal Resources Further reading
Timeline Quotes Protest in Bend, Oregon on 2 May 2002, activists Terri Sue Webb and Daniel Johnson were handcuffed and led away by Police .]]
VARIABLE SEXUALIZED ENVIRONMENTS Includes phenomena that ranges from being non-sexualized to sexualized in nature.
SEMI-SEXUALIZED OR SEXUALIZED CONTEXT Flashing and Mooning can be offensive to some, but in many contexts, these are not considered offensive, or to those who are offended, generally not nearly as offensive as overt sexual behavior. A ''flasher'' practices a form of Indecent Exposure , such as suddenly removing one's coat under which one is completely naked or at least displays uncovered genitalia and/or (for a female) breasts; Streaking , i.e. running completely naked through a non-nudist Public Place , usually for fun or as a Practical Joke ; Mooning , i.e. exposing only the buttocks. Activities such as Dogging , Exhibitionism , Indecent Exposure , Voyeurism are not generally considered family friendly, and are also widely considered to be outside of naturist and nudist practices. Engaging in these activities can put people at risk for prosecution. FURTHER READING
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