Cooking in the Nude books are now on sale for $2.50 each! There's one for Red Hot Lovers, one for Gourmet, and one for Just Married. At this price, you can't afford to pass up the "stocking stuffer," newlywed, and just plain fun gifts! Order yours online, today, through Internaturally's web site, and have the joy of giving a delightful gift at a ridiculous price!
Get a full year of Naturally on CD. These are PDF files that are easily managed, copied, read, and with high quality images, just like the glossy magazine. Each CD includes 4 editions, plus a PDF edition of the Internaturally Catalog. Intended for use on your computer.
Available now are 2008 and 2009 CDs, which include issues 66 through 73.
Naturally on CDs
How would you like to play in Sahara sand dunes at lunchtime, then sit in a lush tropical garden for dinner? When you visit Gran Canaria with us next winter, you will. Magnolias Natura is located on the southern end of the volcanic island, Gran Canaria, off the western African coast. Sun shines daily, with spring-like temperatures on the coolest days; but we’ll try to avoid those cooler days by traveling in early March. With 28 rooms on offer, you’ll get to meet all the other guests around the pool or in the restaurant, where we will breakfast daily. Bern and I are leading a group there Saturday, March 12, 2011, departing Saturday, March 19, 2011, and invite you to join us! We have been advised that February is still a little chilly, and perhaps has a few more showers than we would experience in March, when the island bursts into even fuller bloom than you can imagine.
A 10-minute walk, or free bus service several times a day, gets you to the sand dunes and beach. Playa del Ingles is Spanish for Englishman’s beach, and is a very large, long beach with room for everyone. Textiles are on one end, nudists on the other. Sprinkled along the beach are refreshment stands and first aid stations, but no food. So we’ll all chip in with fruits, cheeses, salami and crackers, etc. to have something to snack while soaking up the sun. The sand dunes are formed by Africa’s Sahara Desert during wind storms. So, you get to enjoy the desert sands from another continent and the cooling breezes by the ocean – quite an extraordinary experience!
Of all the Canarian Islands, Gran Canaria is the lushest, with plenty of things to do. For instance, you could truly experience that Sahara Desert feeling on a camel-ride tour of the dunes and along the beach, where you will probably spot your nudist friends taking in the sun. I’ve never ridden a dromedary, but look forward to that adventure on this trip!
Bus service is grand on the island. There are several outings that might be of interest. On the eastern edge of the mountains, Guayadaque is a national park with breathtaking views, and lush green valleys filled with almond trees. However, the “barranco,” or valley, is more known for its caves, most of which are in use either by farmers or other locals who have converted them into homes. One such area has been carved into a village, complete with cobbled walkways, a church, bar, and street lamps – all from caves! Follow the road as it climbs up through this valley to find the restaurant “Tagoror,” again a spectacular cave with space carved inside for more than a hundred in one sitting with more tables enjoying the spectacular views at the mouth of this cave. Tables and chairs are carved from thick oak trees and the food is excellent. Try the set menu (around €10 for 3-4 courses) for some superb, traditional Canarian food.
An aboriginal museum is located on the road from Maspalomas to San Bartolome and close to the village of Fataga, Mundo Aborigen is best accessed by car. The No.1 bus service runs every 20 minutes from Puerto Rico. This is a museum, situated in a National Park that is supported by the Canarian Government. Aborigen World shows everything about the first inhabitants of the islands – the Gaunche. The aboriginal history has been recreated in the form of a village with a separate museum. You’ll learn about their world of magic, religion and burial rites; see how they lived, their homes and farms. Various shows and demonstrations make this a fascinating day trip. There are also a restaurant, parking, souvenir shop and gardens.
Some prefer the underwater world, and we have a different kind of experience available on Gran Canaria. From the port of Mogán, to the east of Magnolias and reachable by bus, you journey to the sea floor in a yellow submarine! “Sinking times” are at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:30, 16:20 and 17:10 o’clock. Journeying to the bottom of the sea, the submarine has high-tech equipment that assures you won’t end up staying down there! Eight voyages daily, seven days a week.
Skydiving is something I haven’t tried yet, but then, I’m not going to. You don’t need any experience or medical certificates, and only 15 minutes of training as all jumps are tandem jumps with a qualified (certified!) instructor. A 20-minute flight takes you to 12,000 ft where you freefall to 4,500 ft before the parachute will (hopefully) open. Parachutes are equipped with “Cypress- Hightech-Emergency release systems to help make everything extra safe.” Jumps are daily, except Mondays, and the whole thing can be either filmed or photographed for you.
Now, this outing has my name on it… El Salobre Canyon Horse Farm – called “The Black Horse.” The tour starts at the ranch and takes you through the surrounding countryside for 90 minutes. Spectacular, Canarian scenery and amazing views over Maspalomas, are the highlight. There’s some free lounge time around the ranch upon return, or a dive into the pool! Lunch on the ranch, and then back to Magnolias Natura by around 14:30 - 15:00 o’clock. For inexperienced riders there’s an easy one-hour tour, while the more experienced riders go through the countryside on a more challenging route through the woods and a little into the mountains. There are riding routes of 60 minutes, and 90 minutes for €22-50 including lunch and swimming.
We can’t forget our other underwater world – SCUBA. The diving center is located in the Europa Center in Puerto Rico in the south of the island of Gran Canaria and can be reached easily by bus. From here we have access to all the best diving the island has to offer. They are based in Puerto Rico but offer free pickups from Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas, so getting outfitted won’t be a problem.
Another adventure will be checking out local nightlife and restaurants! We shall enjoy our stay at Magnolias Natura, on a half-board basis every other night. So dinner is included the first night, we’ll explore and eat out on Sunday night. Magnolias will feed us dinner Monday night, and Tuesday evening we’ll explore… you get the idea! Those content to stay near the pool and their new friends can dine at Magnolias for an additional charge.
The rooms are large – plenty of space to spread out our suitcases and collect souvenirs. Each unit includes a kitchen with fridge for those late-night snacks!
You’ve read now that there are a number of excursions to enjoy. You can see the picture of a lovely pool awaiting your exploration at Magnolias Natura, and your happy hosts, Bern and Sherry, can’t wait to share with you this exotic island for our winter break. We just have to be patient through February, so we get the warmer temperatures and the lush glory of the island in March. Sign-up sheets are available now.
Call Sherry at 973-697-8099 today!
I have been a naturist nearly 30 years, and have never wavered in my mission to help spread this liberating joy. When I met Sherry, ten years ago, she became an instant convert. We’ve been an enthusiastic team ever since, building together the largest worldwide naturist store.
If you want to gauge the popularity and growth of naturism by the growth of our new catalog, then this edition will surely amaze you; it’s the biggest we’ve ever produced. We’ve compiled the most extensive and up-to-date selection of quality videos, books, magazines, and specialty items anywhere – 1500 items in 88 pages. Whether you are a seasoned naturist or just starting, we think you’ll find this catalog helpful, entertaining, educational, and your guide to heartwarming family recreation, incredible naturist adventures, and extraordinary nude vacation opportunities.
We welcome your suggestions, how we can improve future editions and steering us toward other items that you would like us to include. Please feel free to contact us during office hours, and anyone of our staff will be happy to assist you.
Thank you for your interest, participation, and support.
– Bern & Sherry Loibl
Monday, July 27th will see Bern and Sherry in Cincinnati, Ohio at Paradise Gardens Family Nudist Resort. Our first visit will be a great opportunity to view this 35 acre naturist paradise, which is for sale. We'll be taking pictures, perhaps a little video, and interviewing a few interested members for an article. If you can join us there, please do! If not, you can read about our experience in the winter issue of Naturally magazine.
REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers go public in June and
are being released to telemarketing companies. You may start
to receive sale calls.
YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS!
Even if the message is saved on your phone, you will be charged
for the minutes to listen to it.To prevent this, call the following
number from your cell phone: 1-888-382-1222
It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute
of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years.
You must call from the cell phone number you want to have
blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.
Bern and Sherry would enjoy meeting readers and members at Sandy Hook, Gunnison Beach, on Memorial day. We're going to enjoy Memorial Day as we haven't done for years (and can't remember why not!), from morning 'till 2pmish, so stop by and say "hi" - share a story with us!
Cheers to nude beach days & fun people.
by Paul Rapoport
The "sexting" cases at Spring Grove Area High School have sparked much activity. Phones have been confiscated, students suspended, and criminal investigations launched. But if we look closely, we may wonder if the sky is truly falling.
So, what about those nude photos of minors created or sent by cell phone? How bad are they? First Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Boyles stated, "A nude picture of a child being created and isseminated is a crime. There is no ifs, ands or buts about it." If that's correct, what should happen now?
OK, everyone, it's time to destroy those cute photos of your baby in the bath. And because babies grow physically and emotionally from skin contact, expect the police to knock on your door really soon now. You might have pictures demonstrating this horrible idea.
But you're not the only ones in trouble. How many libraries are there in Pennsylvania? Aren't there famous books in them by Sally Mann, Jock Sturges, and Frank Cordelle? Psst, they contain pictures of naked children, including teenagers.
But we mustn't stop there. Magazines. Did you know that for decades in this country, there have been publications about the philosophy and practice of social nudity, called "naturism"? One magazine puts a few photos of unclothed kids having fun in every issue.
To put it politely, Mr. Boyles is exaggerating. There are also court cases proving that. What he doesn't indicate is that there are different sorts of pictorial nudity, even of minors; and child porn laws (still very ecessary) were never meant to cover sexting, no matter what a photo ooks like.
We should also examine a point Mr. Boyles raised to get teens to stop taking their photos nude. He noted that a sex offender had downloaded an "explicit photo" of a York County student awhile back. Wow, that ught to scare those kids.
What does "explicit" mean? A Wyoming County, Pa. district attorney found photos of two girls in a bra and another without a bra too explicit to allow, but he's being sued by the ACLU. [So he can't send the girls to attend his diversionary program to avoid his criminal charges.] Now,
what about York?
The media often report that a sex offender possessed photos of naked children. What does that prove? Nothing, actually. Solid research from the last 40 years shows that photos of nudity don't increase sex crimes. Commissions established by Presidents Nixon and Reagan -- hardly freaky liberals -- couldn't even find an increase with greater availability of pornography (not mere nudity).
"But," you may fret, "they didn't have the Internet then." Right. So let's look at statistics between 1992 and 2006, covering the rise of the Internet. According to a respected research center in New Hampshire, the incidence of substantiated child sexual abuse declined then. By a little? No; by over 50 percent.
Does this make sexting a great idea? It doesn't. There may still be unhappy results of having photos in cyberspace. Boyfriends may still widely circulate nude photos of girlfriends. Employers may still not hire someone because of a nude photo out there.
To be fair to Mr. Boyles, he's not alone. In the past few months, several law enforcers and news reporters have said what he's said. Unfortunately, they don't address the bigger issues.
America has a very high rate of social pathologies such as sexually transmitted infections, too early pregnancies, and violence against women. It also has rampant body image and self-esteem troubles among teenagers, especially girls, whom it oversexualizes from an early age. The serious problem isn't sexting, but what lies behind it: massive body phobia, narrowness and negativity about sexuality, and commercial manipulation using both.
Do we really reduce those by threatening teens over sexting? By attacking them with the shame and blame game? Do we protect them from rare sexual predators by declaring them to be one?
My colleague Dr. Marty Klein refers to the notion of a predator on every street corner as "propaganda from the vampires of the sexual disaster industry." Such propaganda deals with emergent teen sexuality by ignoring it or denouncing it. But we can't teach teens responsible behavior by fear-mongering or by false statements or examples. It's called credibility.
Are the Spring Grove photos explicitly sexual, nude, or neither? It doesn't matter. The criminal justice system should not be applied to them unless there's demonstrable coercion or abuse. So the folks in Harrisburg shouldn't get involved either.
Yet Mr. Boyles is right about one thing: "We need parents to help us as well, by speaking with their kids." We also need schools in on honest re-education in media literacy, body acceptance, and sexual health.
Then sexting may just become a non-issue.
----
Dr. Paul Rapoport is a professor emeritus in the School of the Arts at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario; consulting editor of the magazine Nude and Natural; and a member of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality.
A Utube love story on the run.
Streakers' Romance
AANR is about to embark on what may be the most extensive public-relations and marketing effort in its history, and seeks support and cooperation of all its clubs.
For the first time in history, Guinness World Records has created a separate category for simultaneous skinny-dipping and the American Association for Nude Recreation has contracted to set this record. AANR will be arranging for certification of simultaneous skinny-dipping events on July 11, 2009 at participating clubs and legally sanctioned nude beaches throughout North America.
This will involve a great deal of coordination, but the potential benefits are enormous. Not only will the event draw people to AANR clubs, but the publicity will focus the attention of the world on the joys of wholesome, happy skinny-dipping as an American tradition proudly supported by AANR.
To prepare for this event, AANR-East has scheduled a conference call for all officers, directors, team leaders, active volunteers, and interested individuals on Thursday April 16th at 8:00 pm EST.
Source: Susan A. Weaver
AANR-East President
Canberra, March 23, 2009. Art Monthly, Australia’s impending April ’09 edition, tackles the issue of naked children in photographs, in its review of David Marr’s The Henson Case.
In his review, Dr. Paul Rapoport criticises Henson’s severest detractors for learning nothing from the controversy. He also rebukes them not only for misunderstanding childhood innocence but for misusing children to advance their own “injurious prejudices and unfounded fears.”
Harsh words indeed; but there’s more. Those who dislike photos of nude children will find the article challenging: it contains three such photos of girls by Frank Cordelle, a distinguished American artist; photos whose publication in Art Monthly, has, in line with the Australia Council’s new “working with children in art” protocols, been given full clearance by the Australian Classification Board (ACB).
Is including those just being provocative? “Not at all,” replies Rapoport. “There’s much to learn from the three girls. They’re nude for good reasons, which they relate in telling us important things about their photos, bodies, and lives.”
Don’t images of nude children increase crimes against them? “No,” states Rapoport. “That’s one big myth of several in this subject. Adhering to them prolongs serious social problems, which I explain in my article. And nudity does not equal pornography or exploitation.”
Rapoport also deplores Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s disdainful remarks last year about photos of nude children, and the Australia Council’s new related protocols, the bureaucratic and moral bungling of which is underlined here by the ACB’s ruling.
“Australia’s official attitude toward child nudity is based on false assumptions,” asserts Rapoport. “It actually harms children by promoting their body insecurity and shame. That makes it harder to stop sexual abuse, which all of us abhor.”
Many women are ignorant of another type of breast cancer that is often misdiagnosed. There's no perceptible lump in the breast, and it looks more like a simple bug bite or rash. Here is important news footage that explains the danger and what to look for.
Inflamatory Breast Cancer warning
Lee Baxandall (front and center) at the 1986 Eastern Naturist Gathering
TO : All naturists
Dear Naturist,
The Naturist Society has announced with profound sadness that its founder, Lee Baxandall, has died in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Baxandall, who had suffered from Parkinson's Disease, was 73 years old at the time of his death on November 27, 2008.
Baxandall began his work as a naturist activist more than 30 years ago. With a background in writing and publishing, Lee's naturist passion led him in 1976 to form the Free Beaches Documentation Center, which he located in his hometown of Oshkosh. By 1980, Lee had founded The Naturist Society (TNS), and TNS had presented its first Gathering for naturists. 'Clothed with the Sun,' the flagship publication of TNS in its early years, was renamed 'Nude & Natural,' or more simply, 'N' magazine in 1989. Today, the magazine has a staff of professional and volunteer writers, but in the early days, much of the content of the magazine was pure Baxandall.
Lee was also the initiating force behind other familiar naturist organizations. In 1983, it was a Baxandall idea (and $70 in seed money that Lee pulled from his own pocket and gave to Murray Kaufman) that led to the TNS special interest group that would become Gay Naturists International. In 1990, Baxandall jump-started the Naturist Action Committee as an adjunct to TNS. The Naturist Education Foundation followed in 1993.
For the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, 'Lee Baxandall's World Guide to Nude Beaches and Resorts' was the standard companion for those seeking information on naturist destinations throughout the world. Each edition of the World Guide reflected Lee's naturist philosophy, not only for growing numbers of naturists, but also for the benefit of an expanding mainstream audience. Baxandall's World Guide is the inspiration for 'The World's Best Nude Beaches and Resorts,' a recent TNS publication that carries on the tradition.
In 2002, recognizing the inevitable effect of his declining health, Baxandall transferred ownership of The Naturist Society to a carefully selected handful of longtime associates. TNS is necessarily a dynamic organization that responds to the changing needs of its members. Nevertheless, owners Nicky Hoffman Lee and Margaret Thornton have remained remarkably faithful to the vision of Lee Baxandall.
DETAILS AND ARRANGMENTS
His wife, Johanna, has announced a secular memorial service for Lee.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
2:00 PM
Seefeld Funeral Services
Oregon Street Chapel
1025 Oregon Street
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902
Lee is survived by his wife Johanna, by his sister Ann, by his son Phineas, by two grandchildren and by thousands and thousands of naturists.
Lee's life and his deeds have affected and influenced many people. Nicky Hoffman Lee of The Naturist Society is compiling specific remembrances of Lee Baxandall. If you have a story you'd like to share, please send it to Nicky by e-mail at: nickyh@naturistsociety.com.
Complete obituaries will appear in upcoming issues of The Newsletter and N magazine. Tributes to Lee Baxandall will be a part of Naturist Gatherings and Festivals in the coming year.
The directors of the Naturist Action Committee and the Naturist Education Foundation join with the ownership and staff of The Naturist Society in marking, with respect and appreciation, the passing of an exceptional individual.
"Body acceptance is the idea. Nude recreation is the way."
- Lee R. Baxandall (1935-2008)
Naturally,
Bob Morton
Executive Director
Naturist Action Committee
---------------------------------------------------------------
Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Director Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org
Naturist Society: Nicky Hoffman Lee - nickyh@naturistsociety.com
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com
September 9, 2008 B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation's concession stand trailer was stolen.
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. has operated its mini beach concession since 2005 in the chickee hut at the main entrance to Haulover's clothing optional beach. B.E.A.C.H.E.S. stored its equipment, supplies and merchandise in its white cargo trailer. The proceeds of sales are used to make many of the capital improvements and amenities at Haulover Beach.
We need your help to replace the trailer and its contents.
Sunday, October 5, 2008, in San Francisco
Free event at Baker Beach, (north end – clothing optional side), San Francisco, easy parking and public transportation available. The Australian Nude Olympics attracts 800-1000 people annually.
Do you think sports and recreation should be nude whenever possible?
Do you admire the ancient nude Greek Olympics?
Do you enjoy fun, sports, and competition?
Would you like the honor of being an Olympic Champion or help making it happen?
Remember. Foggy weather is over. October is in the midst of the mild San Francisco Indian Summer with a probable sunny day and temperature in the 60-70F range. It's great for beach going and athletics. Be there.
Nude Adaptation of Walt Whitman's Iconic Leaves of Grass Debuts At The Cell in Chelsea, September 18
[ *Special Clothing Optional Evening -- Friday, September 19th / 9:00pm
Performance, with reception to follow ]
September 2, 2008 (New York, NY) A daring, completely nude interpretation of Walt Whitman's epic Leaves of Grass will premiere at The Cell (338 West 23rd St.) Thursday, September 18, 2008, through Saturday, September 20.
Conceived and directed by Jeremy Bloom (A Mikvah, The Wendy Complex), "Leaves of Grass" will highlight Whitman's most groundbreaking poem, "Song of Myself", as realized by a chorus of 25 diverse and fully nude performers.
While temperatures and prices are climbing, Internaturally is dropping their prices along with the clothes—at least until the end of November. A 10% OFF EVERYTHING SALE has just gone into effect. Once you're logged in, go to the Internaturally catalog link (visibible only to members) and take advantage.
Happy remaining days of summer! SALE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO NOV 31.
We've had some problems with the program that gives you a new password if you've lost the one when you signed up. So, we're happy to report this software bug has been fixed. Now, if you lost your password and request a new one, you will receive a confirmation email first. When you click the link attached, you will then me emailed a new password. Use the new password to log on, then feel free to change it to one of your own choice. If you still experience problems loging on to Internaturally's member site, just drop me a line, and I'll get you back in no time.
Bern Loibl
The American Association for Nude Recreation, the oldest, largest and most credible organization supporting social family nude recreation, has removed Caliente Resort of Land O’Lakes, Florida, from its organization.
This action was taken following the temporary suspension of the club’s charter because of marketing practices inconsistent with AANR’s principles and standards. In a letter to its clubs, dated July 11th, AANR reaffirmed its expectations of clubs holding an AANR charter and the resort responded by relinquishing their affiliation.
‘Organic’ Band Offers Guests a “Semana Del Rock” at Riviera Maya’s Only Au Naturel Club
MIAMI (June 27, 2008)–Hidden Beach Resort, the only luxury Au Naturel Club in Riviera Maya, Mexico presents “Semana Del Rock,” including a two-night concert series by Shane Gentry and Nekkid Monday, a three man nude band from North Carolina. These special performances will be a part of Hidden Beach Resort’s exclusive Gourmet Inclusive® experience, where guests savor every detail of their environment. The band will perform and participate in Hidden Beach Resort activities July 17–July 23, 2008.
Jack Grant wins the contest for his barbed wire fence and the young nude model, which combine to form a powerful paradox. While each viewer may draw his own conclusion, we liked the premise of nude freedom with attitude – open spaces, combined with the perceived barbed wire message, “off limits.”
Send in your picture for the next edition’s contest. The chosen photo wins a $50 credit towards any Internaturally catalog item.
May 31 – I had the pleasure and distinct privilege of being among the invited guests at Sky Farm Nudist Park, New Jersey, to celebrate the marriage of our friends, Cindy Perillo and Rich Thiboutot. My wife Sherry was unable to attend, so I went solo.
The wedding was pure nudist-style, with bride & groom and most guests sans textile, officiated by Reverend Carmela Vuoso-Murphy, who is herself a long-time member of Sky Farm.
The couple wrote their own wedding vows, speaking of their love for each other as guests listened contendly.
No sooner was the ceremony concluded, the sky opened up with a gift of its own, which was perhaps not as appreciated as the gifts soaking by the bridal table on the outdoor clubhouse patio.
All the guests dashed under the canopies and into the clubhouse, to enjoy the mellow live guitar music and await the grand entrance of the newlyweds, the champagne toast, and the fine food contributed by Sky Farm members.
Rich told me “We’re off to the Bahamas tomorrow for our honeymoon. There’s a hurricane brewing!”
That week, I kept an eye out on the Internet’s cyclone forecast, and I’m happy to report the weather in the Bahamas was calm and beautiful during their stay.
May all their future storms be nothing more than an idle threat with clear sailing into the sunset.
See the photo feature in the next (fall) issue of "Naturally" magazine.
For those of you who are interested in naturist books, videos, and magazines, you can now receive 10% off everything as a registered Internaturally member. Once you get your logon password, you'll see a gateway to the Internaturally catalog, which we discounted just for members and "Naturally" magazine subscribers. As an Internaturally members, you even get Naturally magazine at 10% off. The membership drive discount ends August 31.
Imagine... a naturist website that pays you to join! That's exactly what happens with all the benefits and savings you get once you're registered.
We're doing this to sign up as many new naturist supporters as possible. We want you to be informed about our lifestyle and how it impacts us all.
If you enjoy nude living and recreation, this is a great way to show your support and also benefit in real dollars.
So log on, sign up now to take advantage of our discount catalog and Naturally magazine. Be an Internaturally members; participate and enjoy! It's FREE!
VANCOUVER, March 24 /CNW/ - After four years of processing subscription payments for Going Natural magazine, PayPal has abruptly cancelled service to its publisher, the Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN). Attempts to get an explanation as to how the magazine violates PayPal's "acceptable use" policy have been met with generic e-mails from faceless and implacable customer-service personnel.
Those e-mails falsely claim the magazine is pornographic, and sells "sexually oriented goods or services involving minors" or "services for which the purpose is to facilitate meetings for sexually oriented activities."
Going Natural magazine is devoted to naturism (or nudism), a social movement over a hundred years old and unrelated to sexual activity. The practices the magazine has portrayed for over 20 years have been shown to benefit people of all ages, especially naturist children. In several scientific polls, millions of people in Canada and the USA report engaging in naturist activities such as skinny-dipping.
The FCN is not the first naturist organization to be rejected by PayPal, which arbitrarily denies service to persons or organizations it alone deems socially unacceptable.
"PayPal's decision about Going Natural and its claims about the FCN are unfounded embellishments born of ignorance," notes Judy Williams, Government Affairs Director for the FCN.
PayPal has become synonymous, world-wide, with the convenience of online payments. As stated on its website, "PayPal has quickly become a global leader in online payment solutions with more than 153 million accounts worldwide."
"Organizations such as PayPal with near monopolies in their industries are duty-bound to be objective and fair," says Ms. Williams. "PayPal also has a responsibility to avoid making arbitrary and narrow judgements, as well as issuing wildly untrue and offensive statements about clients."
The FCN Board of Directors is considering a class action lawsuit. It
wouldn't be the first against PayPal, which paid out over $9 million in 2004 to settle such a suit. Any organization which believes it has been refused service by PayPal because of political, social, or religious views should contact the FCN.
Finally, Ms. Williams points to PayPal's hypocrisy for accusing the FCN of sexually immoral and even illegal activities, when PayPal itself supports transactions for "certain sexually oriented physical goods," as detailed on its website.
For further information: Judy Williams, Title: Government Affairs
Director, Federation of Canadian Naturists, Phone: (604) 856-9598, Cellular phone: (604) 308-6336, E-mail: judyw@fcn.ca[email]
This quarter’s winning photo contest entry in Naturally magazine goes to Joseph D. Oliver from Duncan, BC, Canada, for his rendition of “Sleeping Beauty.” This image receives our accolades for color, lighting, and form. The award is a year’s Naturally subscription extension and a $50 Internaturally gift certificate.
