AIBU to think this is absolutely disgusting and unecessary.

[Gettingbysomehow]

So this happened a few miles away from where I live.
Call me old fashioned but I think this is totally inappropriate and somebody should have called the police.
I have been a naturist for 40 years but the old fashioned kind who doesn't think dangling your genitals in front of families and young children who have gone for a meal is at all appropriate.
I would question why they found the need to do this. There are plenty of naturist clubs in the area.
People go to naturist clubs to get an all over tan and be a member of an organisation that usually has a pool and cheap membership.
My non naturist friends think I'm being stuffy and ridiculous am I?
Diners shocked as naked pair enjoy meal in Burnham-On-Sea pub

Do you feel comfortable exposing your genitals to strangers?

For one aspect of it https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/storage/advfy/documents/adolescent_sexual_health_in_europe_and_the_united_states.pdf
In a recent interview Professor Keon West, a social psychologist at Goldsmiths University of London said something like "the results are astonishingly consistent and the effects shockingly big". Search for Keon West Naturist Living Podcast. It is worth listening to.

You, and many others on this thread, have been claiming that nudity is harmful. Either that or you are advocating curtailment of a harmless activity. Since you, and others, started this whole thing off with accusations of harm please provide some evidence to back up the allegations.

Safeguarding kids from inappropriate behaviour = you are as bad as the Taliban

Uh? Where did I say anything of the such? I talked about trauma and forced exposure in a place that would seem a safe space from that kind of event.

I have no problem with nudity and children exposed to it where it's expected (naturist places, changing rooms, biology books, whatever). I have a problem with this couple forcing their bodies on everyone there without consideration for people who might have suffered trauma and might feel unsafe when confronted suddenly and without warning to nudity in an environment that in principle one would not expect that. People who are in the process of healing and dealing with this on their own terms. It's very disrespectful to impose something that it's a hobby and lifestyle choice onto dozens of people with very different views and who clearly were uncomfortable (as they left). More so without considering the real impact it might have for some.

Yes but why not? What is actually the problem?

And I go back to that quote on "surprise penis" and the fact that for me the problem comes not from the nudity itself but from being unexpected and forced upon people, you cannot just close the laptop or delete the pic. You might be in the middle of your meal, or just paid, or need to pay, etc. They took the agency, the control of the situation or the choice to see nudity, away from everyone dining there.

Of course. A publican can refuse to serve anyone he likes, provided he is not committing discrimination against a protected group.

That sounds a reasonable point

Not going over and looking at “their bits” might be a solution?

Leading to, one hopes, you being nicked and then banged up for GBH

Why do you think you might lose your job?

Ah, the old “hope you don’t” tactic… care to play the, ahem, ball, not the man?

Just seen this.

If I had been in the pub alone, with friends or even with my child, I don't think I would left because of it. Unless the person I was with wanted to, of course.

It does, however, feel unnecessary to potentially offend others in this way, so all in all I think the couple were in the wrong.

This actually reminded me of a time I was at a beach abroad with my daughter, where many women were sunbathing topless as this seemed to be the norm there (tho the beach wasn't advertised specifically as a topless or naturist beach from what I recall.

My daughter expressed no problem being there per se, but when I suggested I might sunbathe topless myself she was strongly anti it (so I didn't).

There was no obvious reason for her to feel like this. We have always shared rooms when we have gone away and I will have got changed in front of her often, she has seen me sleep topless, she will have come in and spoken to me in the bath, etc etc etc. She has no massive problem with seeing my body. She just felt uncomfortable with me getting it out in public, and I respected that.

We don't have to agree with other people's mores in order to go along with them. I am relaxed about nudity and would happily eat in the presence of naked strangers were I called upon to do so. But others wouldn't so they should keep their clothes on.

(Rationally I know you could use this argument to suggest women should never wear short skirts because it offends some people. That view is abhorrent from me. I can't rationally defend why these two cases are different, but I strongly instinctively feel they are )

@AmateurDad

You haven't quoted or tagged anyone in your posts so we don't know who you are responding to / referring to in them.

It's not that nudity is harmful in itself. It's that transgressing and breaking social taboos is disturbing and can be upsetting.

We have a pretty settled social contract in this country that adults cover their sex organs in public. Its taboo to show them naked.

Someone breaking this taboo is shocking. It suggests they are deliberately undermining or challenging the social agreement, which further suggests they may be equally unwilling to respect other tacit social contracts.

Different cultures have different social mores.

Nudism in itself isn't an issue, I took my dc to the nudist part of a beach in the UK as it was the prettiest and most secluded.
I wonder about hygiene, bodily fluids on restaurant seats, etc 😫. Non of us would put on someone else's dirty underwear for example.
I think they were being unfair to the business owner, who was put in a no win situation.

I hope the bloke didn’t drop anything and bend to
pick it up.

🤢

Weirdos.

I agree that it's completely inappropriate.
Interestingly, a look at the woman's facebook profile shows she studied at the London school of HYGIENE (the irony 😂), and has started a gofundme for the pub in question as apparently the whole experience has been so 'stressful' for them.

Some of the comments from the gofundme:
"This is a chance for naturists to set a good example and help give everyone more body freedom"

"I admire both parties involved in helping spread absolute positivity and kindness. Bravo!"

What exactly was 'positive' or 'kind' about it?

Naturists who feel the need to extend their hobby into the mainstream without any condideration for the effect it may have on others are a tiny minority of a tiny minority. Their rights not to wear clothes in a venue not designated for that purpose should not trump the right of the majority who dont want to witness their hobby. There may well be significant benefits of nudity to the naturist. However there is no particular benefit in being naked specifically in front of clothed people, or detriment to covering up for a couple of hours while eating.
The pub appears to have fallen victim to the propaganda of a niche group in a culture where upholding social conventions that harm no one and protect some, are shamed as regressive and prudish.

I can’t think it’s anything a kink. We have social norms for a reason. I also don’t want someone to come into the pub in their PJs or wearing stockings and suspenders and nothing else.
They’re exhibitionists and trying to normalise it.

What if there were some very religious people in the pub, what if a Muslim woman was having a meal, would her needs not matter.

I have an autistic teen, she could not cope with this at all.

So a child says I saw "Uncle Kev's willy yesterday when he was babysitting" then you say "Well you see Neil's all the time in the pub, it is just part of his body".

Indeed, it’s just a body part. Likewise if Mr Nelson pops his out while teaching Maths to his Year 2 class, it really isn’t a problem at all. Or at least, not to these brave boundary-breakers who don’t follow the herd.

Absolutely. Teachers have a great opportunity to educate the children in their care, they could lead the way in this wonderful penis positivity and acceptance movement.