No nudity policy

[SuperMumTum]

At the swimming pool today I noticed a sign in the ladies changing room/showers stating that they had received "feedback" from customers concerned about nudity in the presence of children and so they now have a policy of no nudity in the changing rooms during lessons and minimal nudity at other times.

Now I'm not usually one to strip off in communal areas and generally feel more comfortable in a cubicle so I don't feel personally attacked but WIBU to provide my own feedback that I am happy for whatever level of nudity people require to change after swimming to continue and that I am happy for my children to witness naked women in this environment where applicable.

I didn't say anything but it has annoyed me all day. I have no idea if a similar policy is in force in the mens changing room.

When I was 10, I would have just died If I'd had to go into the women's changing room with my mum. He's old enough to get changed in the men's now.

I thought you were supposed to strip off and shower before you got into the pool to minimise the amount of grime in the pool?

I once saw a woman in the steam room in our gym wearing an 80s style ra ra skirt.

I wish nudity both in and out of the swimming pool was optional. No silly hang-ups or indiscretions then. As a regular nude swimmer, although not all that frequent, I see it as the future. We are, after all, the same species .

The pool I used to go to (Hammersmith) was brand new with changing cubicles for all, and then men's showers and women's showers. The showers were communal. Within a few months signs had appeared saying that nudity was forbidden in the showers.
It became quite a conversation point ranting about it with all the other women ignoring the policy, given that I and most other women wanted to actually get clean in the shower (blissful peace away from small children...)

Where I live now is also new, cubicles for changing (or a large room for schoolkids) with some open showers and a bunch of closed shower cubicles and you're just asked to use a cubicle if you want to have a naked shower.

Totally agree with you vienna.
I was brought up in a family of nude bathers, and when I have to wear a costume in a public pool it feels so unnatural and restricting. Luckily we have friends with a nice pool so we can be comfortable there.

Topless bathing and sunbathing is gradually becoming normalised on UK beaches, and eventually we may look forward to getting rid of the remaining silly bits of covering so that everyone can experience the real pleasure of swimming.

Sallyingforth. Hello. I knew you'd agree .

What bloody idiots. Dowser, thanks for the mental image!

What a strange policy!

I live in the Middle East where nakedness is seen as more offensive than in the UK. In female changing rooms there is usually a sign asking you to "wear a towel" to avoid causing offence. They mean don't walk from the shower to the benches naked. However, actually taking your clothes off to dress again is perfectly acceptable. They certainly wouldn't accept someone using a hairdryer for intimate areas

This is a bit of a strange one. Why would women be warned not to be nude in the women's changing room?

Having lived in Germany for a while you get used to nudity (of both sexes) very quickly and it ceases to be an issue.

But I've had a situation where a man was going nude in the communal showers when I used to workout and swim early in the morning.

And when DH was taking DD2 swimming there was a female teacher who was in the male changing rooms with her male pupils that she was taking swimming.

Overall I think the British have to become less prudish though. And obviously we need more helicoptering.

Why is it so bad to be prudish anyway? I prefer to be that way.

woodhill
I would claim to be one the least 'prudish' people around, having been brought up in a family of naturists who in private only wear clothes when required for warmth.
But, if your own choice is to wear clothes to cover up your body, that is entirely your own business. It's a free country and you are fully entitled to go around in your clothes. I wouldn't seek to stop you.
However I would also expect the same freedom of choice in return. I would object to any other 'prudish' person trying to project their choice onto me.
That's why I would personally ignore any sign like the one reported in the OP.

I don't believe it's necessarily prudery.

In some cultures people may have more reason to be aware of their vulnerability when naked when compared to other cultures/nations.

In the countries where communal nudity is more common what is the cultural, political and legal landscape like when it comes to sexual assaults and sexual intimidation ? Ditto the landscape when it comes to vocalised and widespread social sanction for those who would taunt, snicker, point and laugh or otherwise made somebody feel uncomfortable about revealing their body ?

I live in Europe. Beach, swimming pool, gym... by and large even in all female changing areas women tend not to practice communal nudity. It's not exclusively a British thing. But what does seem to be a bit more British is the shaming of those who prefer not to be naked in company and categorising them as prudish, ashamed of their bodies, and/or wierdly repressed. Never seen or heard that happen here.

As per the new "no nakedness" rules popping up. Woman as a term is less tightly defined than it used to be. The new rules may be a pre-emptive strike against any potential hassle this may cause the facility. Outlaw seen nudity in a changing room and there is less potential for people complaining they have seen a nude person/been seen nude by a person they would prefer didn't see them nude/not to see nude. Cos you just point to the rule and sanction whoever didn't adhere to "no stripping off" rule rather than get all caught up in trying to avoid being seen as picking a side ... whilst in the glare of media spotlights.

Well if they dont want nudity they need to install more changing cubicles.

My pool has very few cubicles and lots of benches etc for changing, yes there is nudity, but everyone is just busy getting on with their own business so its just not an isdue. If you dont like it you use a cubicle. I have to get naked to shower due to my eczema its really impirtant i shower well and i need to moisturise really well after as well. I try to drape a towel around myself as i do so but cant cover up completely.

In the countries where communal nudity is more common what is the cultural, political and legal landscape like when it comes to sexual assaults and sexual intimidation
That's a good question.

I would suggest (I have no proof) that in places where nudity is common there is less titillation or temptation because everyone is so used to seeing bodies of every shape and size.

India is in the news at the moment because of the frequency and normalisation of rape. But women there are amongst the most heavily covered, in spite of the hot climate. So there seems to be no correlation between nudity and sexual assault.

India is in the news at the moment because of the frequency and normalisation of rape. But women there are amongst the most heavily covered, in spite of the hot climate. So there seems to be no correlation between nudity and sexual assault.

Not sure that's entirely true. Would the Scandinavians be so keen on mixed nudity if sexual assault was treated there in the same way it is in India ?

Coming back to India , or say other more conservative (when it comes to female modesty) Europen counties where women are anticipated being naked or near naked together, say in public bath houses, or similar. Is there not an expectation of a full-scale "no men allowed" policy ? Some of the posters here have mentioned male attendants coming into the female changing room. Would that happen in counties in such as ... I dunno.. Turkey ? (I think that's in Europe. Pretty sure it's in the Eurovision Song Contest)

Perhaps one of the reason why in some countries women are less likely to let it all hang out when together is that there is no such guarantee that a female environment will exclude a male popping in and out with a mop, or a clipboard.

In countries where men, women and children are on occasion all naked together perhaps there is more emphasis laid on not making people feel uncomfortable when nude and more rigorous social/legal sanctions for those unable to stick to a mainly respected line in the sand. Not entirely convinced that could be compared to the state of play in Britian. At least not the Britian I remember. Been a long time.

Dunno. Just don't believe there is something wierd in the swimming pool water that makes British women, and the women where I live, more ambivalent about being naked in a changing room. I'd expect there to be (potentially unrecognised) factors that increase their sense of physical, or emotional vulnerability.

Or it might just be an aversion to being wet, naked, damp and chilly. Which is my number one reason for juddering in a goose pimpled fashion under a towel while trying to get my knickers up legs that are still damp. Everybody thinks it's hot here. Well not everywhere it fecking isn't. Not year round. But the heating systems appear to have been installed in conjunction with the belief there is an eternal summer.

that's fine Sally . don't care that much about other people but you won't catch me doing the same

So I went for a swim again today and after this thread I had been thinking about the signs. There was an additional sign that I hadn't previously noticed at the entrance to the ladies changing rooms which said something along the lines of "to comply with our safeguarding policy we ask that you please shower with your swimming costume on" which puts a slightly different slant on it. Perhaps there has been an incident or a very specific complaint. I can't imagine that these signs would have gone up after one or two people mentioning it generally. Next time I'll ask the staff but they seemed s bit busy for an in depth discussion about the pros and cons of communal nudity. Thanks for all your thoughts though everyone.

I would ask for a copy of their "safeguarding policy", since that is what that is all about.
How can you have a proper shower with your costume on?

The world has gone mad!

I think the only safeguarding required here is for inadvertently exposed penises, breasts, buttocks and vulvas (vulvae). Heaven forbid they should break cover whilst an outraged Victorian is wielding a machete.

Something has obviously happened. I do wonder as another poster suggested whether a trans woman has showered naked and still had their penis. Otherwise this makes no sense.

I do wonder as another poster suggested whether a trans woman has showered naked and still had their penis. Otherwise this makes no sense.

I was thinking more a pre-emptive strike. News stories pop up from time to time so it's not an unknown in terms of media attracting powers and Hoo Har causing terms. Possibly in Swishy Leisure Centres & Bog Standard Pools Weekly (or whatever their professional journal is called) the subject has been covered and discussed from all angles, like Legal, PR, Marketing, Customer Care etc. And maybe this is the all new industry "from on high" advice at the moment. Make the customers cover their arses as a way of covering your own.

last i checked, the few pre-op trans women i know are more body conscious than i am, they really aren't up for doing a 'last chicken in sainsburys' impression with their genitals in front of anyone.

its more likely to be someone with no sense of that fact not everyone wants to see their boobs wandering about in front of someone who likes to complain.

I'm not a prude, i walk around my own house in the buff, but i have no interest in seeing a strangers bits in a changing room.

If that were the case, the staff should have just told the complainer to get over herself.
But the fact it is being framed as a child protection issue makes me think that is not what happened.

Well, I hope there hasn't been a nasty incident that's prompted this but if there has, I suppose they're justified. I'd ask about a) the safeguarding policy and b) if they're allowed to say, the incident itself, though.

If it turns out just to be some silly individuals making complaints then I'd definitely give feedback to the staff along the lines of 'I've no problem with nudity and in fact have more of a problem with being told to shower in my swimming cozzie'.