Naturism in the United States is the practice of social nudity as a lifestyle that seeks an alternative to the majority view of American society that considers nakedness and sexuality to be taboo based upon the legacy of Puritan and Victorian attitudes.
[1] The mainstream American view of nude recreation (more often referred to as nudism than naturism) is that it is "tolerable deviant leisure activity" classified with moderate drinking and gambling.
[2]: 45 Psychologists Jessica Hamblen and Kim Mueser list "going naked" among over 250 other pleasurable activities in a book about aiding mental wellbeing in the context of disaster aftermath.
[5] Two members of LPC, Katherine and Herman Soshinki, founded the American Gymnosophical Association,[6] and later started the Rock Lodge Club also in New Jersey.
A New York Times article in the summer of 1974 noted the number of nude beaches and other signs that American attitudes and behaviors regarding nudity were approaching the openness associated with Europeans.
However, many naturist resorts have the amenities, including beauty salons, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, that upper-class patrons have come to expect.
[9] AANR maintains a presence at state lobbying events, not to advocate for new legislation but to make lawmakers aware of any action that they take which may have unintended consequences on the nude recreation industry, which generates billions nationwide.
Its stated purpose is to provide "communication and coordination for the clothes-optional recreation movement as a natural solution to many problems of modern living.
Indecent exposure does not apply in public spaces where removing one's clothes is expected, such as in a locker room, if the behavior is within the locally understood norms.
[18][19] In September 2011, San Francisco city supervisor Scott Wiener introduced an ordinance to put certain restrictions on public nudity in response to complaints about a group who regularly gathered at an outdoor plaza in the Castro.
Washington State still has indecent exposure laws in effect; however, these are limited to conduct that the naked person knows is "likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.
"[30] A similar law exists in Oregon, but local jurisdictions and federal parks have their own restrictions, including bans on adult nudity.