Put on your birthday suit!
And come out this Friday! Naturists invited.
Hey horny readers! It’s my birthday week and I was thinking about birthday-related topics. I decided to focus in on nudist (or naturist) communities.
Before we get to it, please remember the next ADULT SEX ED Live Show is THIS FRIDAY June 7th at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles!
This show means a lot to me, and it’s not just the stellar line-up of guests. Everyone has a favorite show they’ve done and my favorite was at Dynasty Typewriter. I’m sooo excited to bring the show back this Friday (and it will be my birthday at midnight). Stand-up, strange deep dives, and a birthday toast—what could be better? My special guests are Dylan Adler (Late Late Show), Joanna Hausmann (Netflix), Jeena Bloom (Comedy Central) & Jeremiah Watkins (Netflix). MAKE SURE TO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
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Adult Sex Ed comedically challenges why we think what we think about sex. In case you’re new, I’m Dani Faith Leonard, a comedy writer, film producer, and performer. In 2018, I started a comedy show called Adult Sex Ed and launched this newsletter last year. Each week, I take a fun deep dive into a topic that I’ve been researching. Want to know more? Read the whole description on substack here.
Ready to get a little smarter? Okay, let’s go!
My birthday is this Saturday. I’m usually not a huge celebrator, but this year I’m reveling in the opportunity to get friends together. I was searching for topics to match the theme and it was between birthday sex and birthday suits.
The term “birthday suit” was first recorded between 1745–55. Originally, it referred to the clothes that one would wear on the king’s birthday. Later on, it was jokingly transferred to mean nakedness, like the condition of a newborn baby.
Different cultures have varying acceptance levels for nudity and the United States is pretty erratic on this front. Sending nudes over text has become so commonplace that hardly anyone bats an eye (unless there’s a celebrity leak). We’ve always been a puritanical country and it seemed like the conversation around nudity reached an intense peak when Janet Jackson’s nipple seemingly broke television. But just last year, a principal of the Florida charter school was forced the resign after parents complained about their sixth-grade students being shown images of Michelangelo’s “David” statue. One parent likened it to pornography, even though Renaissance art is a sixth grade curriculum requirement. Listen, it’s hardly the worst thing this kid probably sees daily in fucking Florida.
Nudity isn’t inherently sexual though. In fact, when I snuck onto a nude beach on Long Island with friends as a teenager, I was struck by just how non-sexual it was. Mostly senior citizens, completely nonchalant about their nakedness, who couldn’t be bothered about some gawking teenagers. After we got over our giggles, we were pretty much over it. Years later, I finally went topless on a beach in Miami and it felt incredible natural.
There are people who make nudity a lifestyle. Nudism, or naturism, is generally defined as the practice of going nude, especially in a mixed social setting. According to the Naturist Society, naturists include anyone who practices nude recreation, social nudity, or both. For naturists, participating in clothing-optional activities is much more about freedom and body acceptance than it is about sex. The society also publishes a quarterly magazine called Nude & Natural (sometimes just called N) which features naked people doing mundane things, like fishing (sunburned dong) and ice skating (frozen schlong):
Sports that involve hooks and blades seem really dangerous for a swinging cock!
In America, members-only communities started popping up all the way back in the 1920s. Here are some fun facts:
The first nudist camp in the United States was in New Jersey, established by German immigrants in 1932. (Better than the other camps they were building. Don’t kill me, it’s my birthday.)
Every state in the US has a statute prohibiting indecent exposure, but nudity isn’t always “indecent.” The laws are usually murky. In New York State, it is not illegal for women to expose their breasts anywhere, but sometimes it can be considered disorderly conduct.
FYI, there is specific etiquette for an accidental boner. According to the Naturist Society, “if the unexpected arises, a guy can always step into the pool or turn over on his towel.”
There were nudist meetings held over zoom during the pandemic, which frankly sounds like hilarious fun.
So, I’ll be celebrating this weekend, hopefully with the full freedom of a naturist (in spirit). Although I won’t go tits-out on stage at Friday’s show, it’s lovely to know it’s an option in some places. The state that has the most clothing-optional places? You guessed. It’s fucking Florida.
Don’t miss these recent newsletters:
You can access all past newsletters here!
Happy birthday Dani. Free the Nipple!