Some complaining about Lake Willoughby nudity

[simonsebs]

Some complaining about Lake Willoughby nudity (http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS/80515030/1001/NEWS)

I wonder if these people knew the beach was there before they moved to the area. If they did know, why are they having such a problem now. Sometimes you need to live and let live, as long as nothing sexual is going on.

[nimrod]

Well at least the select board did not take any action I think that is a good sign, and good for Cathy Holmes who is a resident saying that the opponents of the beach are lying. Susan needs to stop complaining, if she were a resident her opinion might matter, but she only camps there in the summer. If she is that upset about it find another place to camp and leave the nudist alone.

[nudist1033]

I just did a quick wikipedia search and found out that the entire state of Vermont is the 2nd least populated state in the US of A (2nd only to Wyoming).

If there was a break down of the 3 counties that are closest to Lake Willoughby (Orleans, Caledonia, and Essex) it would be discovered that the 3 counties combined have less than 65,000 people total. My home county
(Burlington County NJ) has 450,000 in a land area of 805 sq. mi. and we still have more than 60,000 acres of mostly undeveloped land area in our one county.

These people don't like the nudism that occurs at the lake.

What, all 6 of them?

Tell them to find another part of the lake. I mean it's only 4 1/2 miles long.

[Jason Lee]

Susan Cheney who camps in Westmore during summer wants the state to ban nudity

I think she should go nude at Southwest Cove Beach

[simonsebs]

At Vermont lake, new controversy over nudity (http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/06/15/at_vermont_lake_new_controversy_over_nudity/)

This article goes into a little more detail.

[Naturist Mark]

Some people buy a home next to lake in Vermont where everybody knows that nude bathing has been traditional for decades, there are even signs warning people about the nudity.

Said people are shocked to discover the nudity at the lake that everybody knows about. Claim they have the right to not encounter nudity at the lake that they and everybody else knows has a long standing tradition of nude use since long before they bought homes next to the lake where they knew there was nude use.

There should be an IQ test in Vermont before you are allowed to purchase property.

-Mark

[simonsebs]

Westmore tables anti-nudity proposal (http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080624/NEWS/80624007/1001/NEWS)

Here's an update to the story.

[Eric6420]

It seems to me that nude beaches are becomming rarer. In the book, The world best nude beaches and resorts, there is a beach at lake Simon that is also not nude anymore for the same reasons. The only nude beach we have left in Quebec is in Oka, and the gardians of the park are not even allowed to tell where the nude beach is. It is not even a legal or official nude beach. So very soon, the only place we will be able to practice naturism, will be in nudists centers.

[Fitz1980]

It does seem that way.

Funny because when places like Haulover (in my stomping ground) became clothing optional it became both busier and cleaner as it used to be populated by drug addicts and what not. Back then you could find used condoms and needles laying around on the ground. These days it's the busiest beach in South Florida and the nudist people even stage annual clean ups of it.

But as textiles and mundanes keep showing up in larger numbers (Trump has a high rise hotel going up overlooking the place) people worry that it's clothing-optional status will be lost. Ironic because if it does than it will become just another not cared for strip of textile beach that no one cares about, rather than one that people come to from around the world.

Even in that article some reader comments say that public areas should all be textile so that they can visit them without seeing nudity. Seems the reverse though; leave most places textile and just set aside a few places here and there as clothing optional since we pay taxes too.

[nimrod]

I thought that tabling was another way of saying, "Thanks for bringing this to our attention, there's the door don't let it hit you on your way out." I do understand the concern of losing more nude beaches, but I read this article as being a positive.

[nuovonudo]

leave most places textile and just set aside a few places here and there as clothing optional since we pay taxes too.

amen, bro!

in his work with naturist life international and his book "vermont unveiled," naturism champion jim cunningham documents very well the traditional c/o status of that portion of lake willoughby. the attempt by these johnny-come-latelys to shut down the nude beach is nothing short of asinine.

given the political climate in vermont (and the outcome of last year's events with teen nudism in the public square in burlington) i doubt the status of lake willoughby will change. but the story does point up the need to be vigilant in protecting the nude/clothing-optional status of free beaches.

[RobertL]

... Claim they have the right to not encounter nudity at the lake


Who says there is any "right" not to encounter nudity? This has no legal foundation.

The fact is that some (or even many or most) people do not want to be seen nude. So, being nude in public is againt the general norm, and therefore gets forbidden by law, or at least "decency rules". People who would like to be nude are simply mad.
These rules and laws are by no way to "protect" others nor to give them a "reciprocal right". Just to force everybody to follow the norm.

[Stu2630]

Who says there is any "right" not to encounter nudity? This has no legal foundation.

There is a generally understood "right" in most democratic nations to be able to use public places without encountering behaviour which is likely to cause offence to a significant number of people. In our culture, "offensive" behaviour includes using certain profane words, public sex and public nudity.

Nudists and textiles must be prepared to enter into a dialogue as to when and where nudity in public is acceptable and, when elsewhere in public places, slip on a pair of shorts.

Stu

[Pete Knight]

There is a generally understood "right" in most democratic nations to be able to use public places without encountering behaviour which is likely to cause offence to a significant number of people. In our culture, "offensive" behaviour includes using certain profane words, public sex and public nudity.

Nudists and textiles must be prepared to enter into a dialogue as to when and where nudity in public is acceptable and, when elsewhere in public places, slip on a pair of shorts.

Stu
You neglect to mention the erosion of the traditional rights to bathe naked at the disputed spot, so where is this support for nudists that you so often claim to show?

Pete Knight

[Stu2630]

You neglect to mention the erosion of the traditional rights to bathe naked at the disputed spot, so where is this support for nudists that you so often claim to show?

Where a place has been traditionally used by nudists for many years, it should, as a rule, be preserved as a nudist place and it is utterly wrong and unfair for someone to come along and withdraw the rights of nudists to enjoy it. In such cases, I'm firmly on the side of the nudists and this thread appears to be a case in point.

OK?

Stu