What if we just got naked, and talked?
Vulnerable and with nothing to hide.
It was on a flight back to London that I decided to start a naked podcast.
I’d just spent a week in the south of Portugal, staying at naked guest-houses, soaking up the sun on naked beaches - I’d really loved it, it was exactly what I’d hoped it was going to be.
Basking in the afterglow as I made my way home, I was brainstorming how else I could explore naturism and lean into my naked era.
It sounds like a total wank to say that starting a podcast was the obvious move, but for me it was. I knew how to put together a podcast and I wanted to have conversations with other guys who liked getting their clothes off. A few days later, I was recording my first episode of Naked Men Talking.
At the time of writing, over 100 episodes of the Naked Men Talking podcast have been released, and there’s more in the pipeline.
But what’s the point of it all? It’s a vehicle that enables me to chat with interesting guys, but I could do that without broadcasting it to the world.
The truth is that what started out as a bit of a vanity project has turned into something more. It feels as if this is something that men who are into naturism actually need - honest conversations about why we take our clothes off and how that makes us feel.
What motivates naturists to get their clothes off?
While there are lots of variations and this isn’t an exhaustive list, from the interviews that I’ve done so far, some broad categories of gay naturists have emerged.
The porn-stars
I’ve interviewed a fair few porn stars and sex-workers for Naked Men Talking, and those conversations are always interesting. These are men who are using their body as a tool. I respect their work, but their relationship with their bodies feels different to mine.
Men such as Jordan Jameson, The Cocky Prince, and Ryan St. Michael - they’ve all followed their own path but they’ve each got a confidence in their body that I really aspire to.
“I've always been very in tune with myself and very confident and always naked…” explained Jordi Massive. “The only time that I ever had to myself was when I was outside.I used to just jerk off in my treehouse.”
The exhibitionists
I guess I should have expected it but I was a bit naive about the intersection between naturism and exhibitionism. While some of the guys that I’ve interviewed had a really strong connection with their exposure fetish, guys that are sharing their naturist photos on social media are often less clear about how much of their motivation is the exhibitionist kink that they’re exploring almost subconsciously.
Guys such as Naked Rocky, Noah the Introvert, and Sam Stanley are great ambassadors for the power of taking your clothes off but the pleasure that they get from their visibility isn’t something that I’ve experienced.
“I don't want to offend the naturists that I follow by presenting myself as an exhibitionist, but there is a level of excitement - I can't deny that…” explained Marcus. “But if somebody finds me attractive and they make a comment, I mean, who wouldn't like that, you know?”
The professionals
There’s lots of guys that find themselves in naturist spaces in a professional capacity. Whether it’s masseurs such as Artie, photographers such as Matt Spike, or dieticians such as Robert Cavaliere - these are people who have an affinity with naturism but have also found an alignment with the work that they do.
I recognise a lot of myself in the way that these guys connect with naturism - exploring ways in which we can bring together our enthusiasm for getting naked with a bit of entrepreneurial flair that helps pay the bills.
“I’m a very powerful advocate personally and publicly for non-sexual nudity, and that includes naked yoga…” explained Matt, the Bearded Naked Yogi. “I’m very happy and very joyful that a community has grown up around this teaching practice.”
What have I learnt about naturism?
The origin story
No one can really articulate why they’re drawn to naturism. There’s a general sense of enjoying being naked, initially on their own, growing up, and then a tentative exploration of communal spaces such as naked beaches. For most guys, when they connect with other naturists and realise that other guys feel the same way, there’s a sense of liberation - that it just feels right.
Finding confidence through getting naked
Most of the guys that I talk to report that they struggled with body-image issues when they were growing up - they liked being naked but taking their clothes off in front of other people caused anxiety. However, embracing naturism - and immersing ourselves in naturist spaces - helps to rebuild that relationship with our body and overcome whatever shame we may have internalised.
Not only do we get to appreciate that men come in all shapes and sizes, but being naked also helps us overcome social anxiety - stepping out of our clothes seems to be freeing on many levels.
Sexual versus Social
Traditional naturists - such as the guys at British Naturism - make a clear distinction that naturism events are about connecting with nature and body positivity, not sexual connections.
Gay naturists generally don’t draw that distinction as sharply. We do appreciate that not every naturist event revolves around sex, but there is an undeniable sexual energy when a group of men get together and take their clothes off.
If you’re organising a naturist event for gay men, it’s really helpful to set a clear intention - everyone will respect that.
Keeping the conversation going
There’s no shortage of naked men out there, all with their own story to tell. Hearing about the experiences of naturists around the world really affirms to me that we’re on the right path - being able to shake off societal expectations of behaviour, to leave behind any shame associated with our bodies and our sexuality - all of this is making us better men.
Naturism is a form of radical self-love. Figuring out how to be comfortable in your own skin, how to connect with who you see in the mirror - this is fundamental to engaging authentically with the world around us.
Let’s get naked and keep the conversation going.
You can listen to the Naked Men Talking podcast on Spotify and all other podcast platforms
Follow Gareth Johnson on Twitter
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