Meeting naturists when hill walking - would you be worried?

[JGACC]

Hi all, I'm interested to gather women's thoughts on this. I read a Facebook post by Macclesfield police this morning asking people to report if they see a male naturist in the Peak District (screenshot attached) as there has been a lot of reports over the last few weeks. I was really surprised that the vast majority of the comments are saying it's legal (which yes it is) and to leave him alone. As a young female who often walks in the Peaks on my own my first thought was...I'd be worried and extremely uncomfortable if I came across him and would probably hide behind a tree or rock and try to call someone. Am I paranoid or is this actually fine and something I should take as lightly as the majority of the (mostly, but not all male) commenting public seem to?

I'll admit I was surprised to learn that it is entirely legal to wander round anywhere nude. It does seem a lot of naturists have no sexual intent and are more interested in being at one with nature. The man in question doesn't seem to have been reported as carrying out threatening behaviour and is probably harmless but it still makes me worried and I don't know if I'm ridiculous or not. (I would rather be ridiculous than not in this case!)

Actually I don't want to someone's dangly, wrinkled genitals because they are ugly. My husband doesn’t want to see them either for the same reason.

Taken on its own this is a terrible argument for proscribing something; because you personally find it ugly. Ugliness is a very subjective thing.

@tonynuk

Actually I don't want to someone's dangly, wrinkled genitals because they are ugly. My husband doesn’t want to see them either for the same reason.

Taken on its own this is a terrible argument for proscribing something; because you personally find it ugly. Ugliness is a very subjective thing.

Well, while I see your point, taken from the point that she doesn’t want to see someone else’s dick without giving permission then I think the statement is fine.

I am, for the first time ever, comforted by the thought of horseflies.

Apparently there is a naked ramblers group in our village. I’ve never met them out and about, but if I did I’d probably just say hi like I would to everyone else.

The almost two year old on the other hand would probably yell OOOH NAKED/WILLY/BOT BOT or similar...

Dicks are by social convention covered up in this country. I don't want to see some random man's dick. It really doesn't matter whether I merely find it ugly or whether it causes me greater distress.

The normal social convention is you don't show your dick to someone unless they have consented to see it.

Dicks are by social convention covered up in this country.

That's a nice argument. The ayatollah could borrow it and just swap dick for women's shoulder or hair. Nice and simple way of making people socially conform.

@Floatyboat

Dicks are by social convention covered up in this country.

That's a nice argument. The ayatollah could borrow it and just swap dick for women's shoulder or hair. Nice and simple way of making people socially conform.

When women’s shoulders or hair are used to threaten, molest and rape women, I’ll agree with your point, but...

Hands are used to assault women, should they be hidden also for that reason? I don't see how covering something up makes it safer.

@Floatyboat

Hands are used to assault women, should they be hidden also for that reason? I don't see how covering something up makes it safer.

You’re actually getting does now. Why are you so keen to tell women they have no right not to be confronted by naked men and why they have no right to be offended or afraid?

*getting desperate

We shake hands to show good intent and to show that we are not hiding a weapon. We hide our genitals to show that we are not in sex mode. We only don’t do this in specific socially ordained places - same sex changing rooms and nudist beaches for example. All societies have rules around when and where certain body parts can be shown. You must know this. Or are you the sort of tedious person who goes to a funeral in bare feet because it’s all just social oppression, man?

Floaty your analogies are ridiculous.

Why do people keep trying to use the religious requirement that is enforced by male (therefore the power lies completely with them) as a ‘gotcha’ here.

It is a completely nonsense equivalence.

A man getting a thrill out of being naked in areas that women should expect there to be no naked men, again has the control. Their actions are deliberate. Their actions will not be met with public whippings, with stoning, with death threats. Probably merely a fine. Knowing that women are fearful, that women have been trained by past actions of men, of a very low rate of attaining justice, seems to not warrant any care at all.

I'd be very scared/alarmed if I saw a single man naked if I was walking alone or with my kids.

There are places people can go if they want to do that. I shouldn't have to be confronted by that if I don't want to.

A group of naked ramblers would be less threatening, but oh god, just why?

Why do people keep trying to use the religious requirement that is enforced by male (therefore the power lies completely with them) as a ‘gotcha’ here.

Indeed. The reason I was told to cover my hair was that if a man saw it and had lustful thoughts then I as a woman (well girl actually) would be responsible. It was used to keep us in our place, not unlike waving your dick at women who haven't asked to see it,

It was used to keep us in our place, not unlike waving your dick at women who haven't asked to see it.

Yes. And it has been used at least twice on this thread. Is it simply a lack of critical thought or is there a combination of complete lack of empathy for the women living in those situations in there as well?

I have yet to read of an account of a man being stoned, murdered or raped for being caught naked in a country where it is not encouraged to be naked outside areas set aside for the purpose. They might be asked to put their clothes on and asked to go with the police, they might be fined.

I think the principle though is that the state regulating what people where is a very slippery slope. A naked man is not more risky than a clothed man so the argument to ban nudity cannot be about risk as such, but rather about decency, which is a little stranger for the state to legislate about.

And that naked rambler man was repeatedly incarcerated by the state in this country. I'm not sure what harm he did. In the USA there are very troubling stories of men on sex offender registers for public nudity/urinating in public etc. I seem to remember a court case about a woman urinating near a trump golf course - utterly ridiculous that a natural and necessary thing was viewed in such a manner.

Anyone who disregards social convention and the feelings of women and children in particular by exposing his genitals without consent, is absolutely more of a risk than someone who does not. Anyone invading boundaries that way is. The state isn’t dictating what you can wear, it’s enforcing what society already decided was not appropriate behaviour, that is you can’t go naked. You can wear what you wish, but you must cover genitals. It’s not outrageous at all. It’s fairly standard and reasonable.

A naked man is not more risky than a clothed man

He certainly is to a person who has been traumatised by sex abuse who may suffer non-trivial psychological harm as a result of his selfish inconsiderate behaviour.

Is it simply a lack of critical thought or is there a combination of complete lack of empathy for the women living in those situations in there as well?

Is it a lack of empathy, or is there a 'thrill' in knowing, on some level, that exhibiting your genitals at unsuspecting women will cause alarm/distress?

Agreed Arabella. However, my question was aimed at the posters who seem to be comparing the two analogies.

It seems to be taking an extreme to try to prove that a male facing discipline for being naked in a public area is like women who have to be covered for religious purposes. Oh, and 'how fascist' is society to ask people who wish to be naked outside their own property stick to areas designated for the purpose.

The analogy of valid as both situations boil down to an interpretation of what is "decent" and the presumption to impose that interpretation on others through use of force (the state).

Interesting point about men choosing to walk around naked are in a sense abnormal and they would likely skew from the wider population in many ways, risks and personality traits. I simply don't see it as self evident that naturists are more likely to commit sexual violence. They might be, I simply don't know the data.

@ArabellaScott

I am, for the first time ever, comforted by the thought of horseflies.

Oh, yes ! Or wandering free in the Highlands, with a crack squad of midges just around the corner.

So again, no empathy for women who do not wish to be part of a person’s fetish. No true