Blogger.com, a free blog hosting site owned by Google, took the unusual step of censuring two of the most widely read and respected nudist blogs on the internet: Diary of a Nudist and the Terra Cotta Inn’s blog. The move against the sites came without warning and appeared to stem from complaints by conservative users. Both blogs kept within the boundaries of family-oriented naturism and couldn’t be construed as having adult material, even though they did have a number of photos of nude people, which is perfectly understandable for any nudist site, such as the one you’re reading right now!

Attempts to view the blogs lead visitors to a warning screen, stating that the sites have content of a dubious nature and gives them the option to continue or quit. Diary of a Nudist has been active for three years without a hint of a problem, according to its author, who now will seek to move the blog to paid hosting rather than one of the free services like Blogger, which can go as far as unilaterally terminating users’ blogs. Meanwhile, the Terra Cotta Inn’s blog has also run for several years and is one of the means owner Tom Mulhall uses to promote his very popular clothing-optional resort in Palm Springs, California.

All we can say is: Shame on Blogger, a.k.a Google, for caving-in to special interests.

Now that Poland is part of the European Union, there are no border crossings between it and neighboring Germany. As a result, Poles are flocking to Baltic sea beaches on the German side. The problem is that many German beach goers are nudists, while the vast majority of Poles are devout Catholics and would never dare to slip out of their bathing suits. Poles will stare, point and even laugh at the nude people they encounter. Some will even go as far as approaching nude sunbathers and suggesting that they get dressed. All of this is leading to heated arguments between the nudes and textiles, and many Germans accusing Poles of being voyeurs. FKK is firmly entrenched in German culture, but will nudists hold their ground or give up and seek other places to sunbathe in the nude without the annoyances?

Stephen Gough, a.k.a The Naked Rambler, the UK man claiming his right to be naked where and when he wishes in his native land, made headlines for years, both for his treks across Great Britain and for his frequent troubles with the law. However, the “Nude Messiah” has been but a footnote since his last incarceration in Scotland in January, 2008, where we can only presume he’s still serving a sentence.

Gough has spent lots of time in Edinburgh jail cells, mainly for contempt by refusing to wear clothes in court. The controversial Englishman even got himself arrested for taking his clothes off aboard a commercial airliner, on what was definitely not a nudist flight. Obtaining recent information on Gough is no small feat: To wit, even the site dedicated to him, nakedwalk.org is severely outdated. If we hear anything, we’ll let you know, and if you know anything, please let US know!

Brattleboro, a pretty little town in Vermont, was also the source of intense media brouhaha throughout the world up until a few months ago, yet has stopped being of interest to anyone since then. If you recall, in 2006 a bunch of teenagers decided, on a lark, to hang-out naked in town, and as there was no legislation to make it a crime, continued with their bold little experiment. Things came to a boil when a few persons not from Brattleboro decided to casually walk naked in the burg, including a man who did so during a local street festival, and another who decided to go to Dunkin Donuts au naturel.

Many citizens clamored for action to stop the rash of naked sightings on their streets. If anyone was to repeat the feat nowadays, they would be accosted by local police and fined up to 100 dollars if they didn’t immediately get dressed. Fact is, public nudity is illegal now in Brattleboro, residents thumbing their noses at the media circus, which had tried to paint it as a “Naked City”.

Nudity is a crime in the Muslim world, even in Dubai, the fabled resort city in the United Arab Emirates so popular with Westerners looking to unwind. Recently, city authorities started cracking down on immoral behavior on its beaches. Prohibited acts include topless sunbathing and nudity, both unthinkable in a Muslim nation but normal for European tourists. In their efforts to stop such practices police are going undercover as well as observing beach patrons from watchtowers.

Offenders are given a warning to cover-up, and if they refuse or are ever caught again, they’ll be prosecuted. Around 80 people have been arrested since the campaign began more than 2 weeks ago. Police were compelled to act after receiving numerous complaints from Muslim beach goers, who consider it indecent for women to show any bare flesh and nudism an act of moral depravity. Matters were made worse by hordes of local voyeurs looking to catch a peek of foreign women as they’ve never seen them.

Nudists be warned: Dubai may cater to Western visitors, but it’s still Muslim, so keep the togs on!!!

Chinese society has long been quite conservative, but with the advent of capitalism, the pressure towards liberalization has been increasing. Some are even proposing the unthinkable: Making it legal to be nude on a beach! Mind you, just one beach, where foreigners have been shedding their togs for a while now.
Dadonghai beach near Sanya, on Hainan island, site of the Miss World contest a few years ago, is popular with tourists, some of whom choose to go nude despite the disapproving gazes of locals. Should it actually become a legal clothing-optional beach, many suspect it won’t retain that status for long, if history serves as an example: In 2004, authorities in Hangzhou (Zhejiang) had made a local nudist beach legal, albeit with segregated gender zones. No sooner had the ink dried, waves of protests forced them to repeal their bill. Let’s hope it sticks this time around, for the sake of the thousands of Chinese naturists who can only enjoy their lifestyle when abroad.