The Naturist Society

The Naturist Society (TNS), founded in 1980 by Lee Baxandall (1935-2008) has been pivotal in promoting body acceptance, personal freedom, and harmony with nature. Through its magazine Nude & Natural, the World Guide to Nude Beaches and Recreation, national gatherings, and advocacy efforts, TNS has united naturists, fostered public understanding, and defended rights to clothing-optional recreation. Tim Chizmar interviews Nicky Hoffman who has been working with TNS since 1985. She took over the leadership of TNS in 2001 when Lee retired. She was part of a group of staff members that included Margaret Thornton and Judi Ditzler that purchased TNS.

Thank you to the PODCAST PRODUCERS GUILD for recording this interview for Tim.

Links to useful information and items mentioned in this episode:

Episode CLXII

Photo: The 1990 issue of the TNS magazine when it changed from “Clothed with the Sun” to “Nude & Natural” (later also called N Magazine) as well as the 1991 edition the “World Guide to Nude Beaches and Recreation” – two emblematic publications that were key to promoting both TNS and naturism in general.

Become a Patron!

A.I. and Naturism

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is developing at breakneck speed. This episode goes against our normal policy of creating “evergreen” content that should stay relevant years from now. But the potential impact of A.I. on naturism is too important to ignore. ChatGPT first came out two years ago. That first version now seems primitive and various other versions of A.I. are infiltrating all aspects of our lives. It could be an incredible tool for naturists yet we are often excluded because of body-phobic policies similar to those of social media. We discuss what it all means with Evan Nix, the publisher of Nude Planet and the Naked Age podcast.

Links to useful information and items mentioned in this episode:

Episode CLXI

Photo: the A.I. generated image created when prompted for a nudist man and woman in a studio recording a discussion for a podcast (Jetpack AI-Generated Featured Images) – Surprisingly, and contrary to the commentary in the podcast, this particular non-porn A.I. did generate people who appear to be nude. This was the third attempt. The first two prompts generated people with some level of clothing despite using words like “naturist” and “nudist”.

Become a Patron!

Protecting Children

The mainstream world assumes that a naturist environment would attract child predators. Does it? What motivates them? Do people understand sex offenders? Can you identify one by the way they look or how they act? We discussed these questions and more with a psychologist who has decades of experience dealing with sex offenders in the criminal justice system.

Links to useful information and items mentioned in this episode:

Episode CLX

Photo: mother and child at Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park

Become a Patron!

GNI – Gay Naturists International

Gay Naturists International states that their mission is “to serve as a resource to male naturists by hosting and sponsoring men’s naturist events and providing information and resources to individuals and local clubs. In addition, GNI is a voice for gay naturists in wider naturist efforts to educate society about naturism and to advance the interests of naturists worldwide.” Some might wonder why gay naturists need their own organization in a movement that talks about inclusivity and acceptance. Rick Johnson, GNI Executive Director, explains.

Links to useful information and items mentioned in this episode:

Episode CLIX

Photo: Celebrating at Viv’s Salsa Party by Brian Becnel

Become a Patron!

Naked Comedy Show

Meet Billy Procidea who is both the producer and host of New York City’s long running Naked Comedy Show. The comedians are all nude but most of the audience is clothed because only the first two rows are clothing-optional. Listen and find out why.

Links to useful information and items mentioned in this episode:

Episode CLVIII

Become a Patron!