ALERTS - Stay in the Know
Linda Weber Wins!
The B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation proudly congratulates Linda Weber, a valued member of our Board of Governors, on her recent election to be the next president of AANR, the American Association for Nude Recreation.
It's a great honor, and we wish Linda the best and look forward to strengthening the longstanding ties between our organizations.
Winners have been Announced!
March 4, 2024
Some of the best prizes ever in a B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Fundraiser Raffle are in 2024!
13 SPECTACULAR PRIZES!
Drawing was held Saturday, May 18 at 2:00 PM Eastern at Haulover Beach
See the prizes and the winners here!
Announcing the 2023 Museum/Library/Institute Raffle
November 21, 2023
December 22, 2023 3:00 Eastern
We have our winner!
Congratulations to
S. MacDonald
Kill Devil Hills NC
Happy Cruising!
NEWS RELEASE
B.E.A.CH.E.S. Foundation Institute
May 19, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
B.E.A.C.H.E.S.’ LEADERSHIP AND ADVISORY TEAMS EXPAND
At our May 10th Board of Governors Annual Meeting, the Governors voted to install two new Board members and four new members of B.E.A.C.H.E.S.’ Professional Advisory Council.
“It is clear to me that the power to lead effective non-profit organizations comes from strong, committed volunteers,” said Martin Novoa, Board of Governors President. “These very talented naturist leaders bring a wealth of professional experiences to B.E.A.C.H.E.S. at a very critical time in our history – a time when family nude recreation opportunities are expanding worldwide while many American politicians are passing culture war bills that have the potential to shut down clothing-optional venues if we don’t challenge them,” said Martin Novoa, Board of Governors President.
NEW BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEMBERS BRING INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Nancy Samuelson Solvin, from Austin, Texas co-founded and led with her former husband the Bare Necessities Tour and Travel Company until her retirement in 2019. With two of her grown children now supporting the business, she currently works as an active advisor.
Nancy helped develop Bare Necessities’ strategy of chartering a ship from top-rated cruise lines and then filling it with nudists—often thousands of them. That seemed a daunting challenge at first, but now—more than seventy cruises later—each trip fills up with about seventy percent repeat customers. The company usually offers a big boat trip each winter and then a clipper ship (sailing ship) voyage each summer. Far-flung destinations have included Tahiti, Thailand, Fiji, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Greek Islands, Russia, Scandinavia and Egypt.
Nancy is also an experienced fund-raiser. When Club Orient was destroyed by a hurricane several years ago, she and her co-workers raised more than $150,000.00 in three weeks to help the employees of the resort and their families.
Linda Weber, from Ventura, Calif. has visited all seven continents and 86 countries to date. She’s a private pilot, skydiver and lists among her affiliations AANR, AANR-West, British Naturism, Irish Naturism, INF, The Naturist Society, Southern CA Naturist Association and the Southern Utah Naturists Society. She currently serves on the AANR-West Board of Directors. Linda co-founded the “Naturist Hub,” an invitation-only naturist social media platform and has been a featured speaker several times on “British Naturism’s Forum.” Additionally, Linda has held regular Zoom conferences with women in South Africa and the U.S. and worked with the Irish Naturist Association. She is a published author of stories within three of the four naturist anthology books that donate their proceeds to Doctors Without Borders.
NEW PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS EXTEND OUR REACH
Andrew Lluberes, from Sarasota, Fla. retired in 2014 after a 50-year career in journalism with UPI and Reuters in communications and public affairs. He’s been a naturist since 1974 and is a longtime member of South Florida Free Beaches, the Naturist Society, AANR and more recently, Sun Coast Naturists.
Evan Nix, who lives in Whittier, Calif. is a multi-talented creative professional with a passion for exploring the cultural significance of nudity. He is a filmmaker, writer, and editor who is known for creating and hosting the “Naked Age” podcast which explores the history of remarkable nudists. Evan is also a producer of the “New Nudist Podcast,” and a contributing writer and editor of the “Planet Nude” newsletter, where he shares his insights and experiences with the naturist community. In addition to his creative work, Evan serves on the Public Relations Committee of the American Association for Nude Recreation, is a director of the Western Nudist Research Library and a member of the Nudist Research Library Consortium committee. Through his various projects, Evan seeks to promote greater understanding of naturism through its history while challenging commonly held beliefs about nudity and fostering a greater appreciation for the beauty and freedom of the human body.
Lydia Proenza is a fundraising consultant and grant writer from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. She has a proven record of winning foundations and government grants. Lydia was employed at Cross International and Cross Catholic Outreach as a grant writer from 2015-2020, raising in excess of $225,000 yearly from winning foundation grants. Prior to that Lydia worked for Alfalit International in Miami, a faith-based international literacy ministry. She handled all areas of fundraising – writing grants, individual donors and fundraising events. Alfalit’s two main sources of outside funding came from USAID and International Grants from The Rotary Foundation and local Rotary Clubs. Recently Lydia has provided grant writing services to Broward Housing Solutions and the Suits, Stilettos and Lipstick Foundation (SSL).
Bill Welsh, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. is our newest IT specialist with thirty years of experience as a software engineer. He is currently supporting operations at a leading data storage company.
To read the biographies of the entire Board of Governors, go to
https://www.beachesfoundation.org/board-of-governors.
For a directory of all of the Professional Advisory Council Members, go to
https://www.beachesfoundation.org/our-organization.
April 21, 2023
Pending Legislation: “This is a three-alarm fire!”
September 24, 2022
Florida Nakations: Great for you, great for the economy. Watch the video below.
Visit FloridaNakations.com
September 21, 2022
Press Release
To: The St. Lucie County Community
From: Carl Flick, President, Treasure Coast Naturists
Non-profit working with St. Lucie County to help manage Blind Creek County Park's clothing optional beach
Re: Blind Creek Beach - Chamber of Commerce focuses on huge growth of naturist tourists to St Lucie County - Video link
Below is a link to a 3 minute YouTube video interview originally broadcast in the summer of 2022. It is a portion of a longer conversation between St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce CEO Terissa Aronson and Visit St. Lucie County Director Charlotte Bireley. The venue is the weekly Chamber podcast "Coffee with the Chair", where local issues and triumphs are showcased.
In the video, Ms. Aronson spotlights the successful administration of Blind Creek Beach's clothing optional beach. She touts the strong partnership between St. Lucie County government and the non-profit Treasure Coast Naturists. The discussion notes that TCN positively assists in the management of naturist visitors to the park with its Beach Ambassador program.
Terissa further mentions that the presence of this County-designated clothing-optional beach continues to contribute significant tourist dollars to local hotels, restaurants and other travel-related businesses. She notes that this particular special shoreline is now the most popular beach in the entire county. It brings in naturist-focused visitors from all over North America and Europe. In terms of the St. Lucie County tourist industry, naturism is now one of the top generators of visitors from outside the area. Hoteliers regularly observe at Chamber functions that many naturist visitors book rooms as part of their visit to Blind Creek Beach. Ms. Aronson states that this recreation choice has become "a huge impact" and is expanding.
St. Lucie County will soon rebuild Blind Creek Beach's parking lot and bathroom facilities to accommodate the high rate of visitor growth. TCN wants to thank Terissa Aronson and Charlotte Bireley for focusing on this local success story.
Link to 3 minute interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugClvtMGqI0
Further Recent Positive Coverage:
This August 2022 article names Blind Creek Beach as one of the 10 best nude beaches in the world.
December 19, 2021
Finally! After decades of leaders failing to design, refine and implement innovative programs to improve the lives and recreational opportunities for naturist and nudists, after constantly reaching out to naturist-oriented businesses and organizations, and after urging the entrenched in Florida to join forces, and resources and collaborate, finally, clothes-free recreation is on the verge of gaining widespread acceptance. We are now seeing the expansion of Florida clothing optional beach venues. Our community acknowledges that this is a viable, lucrative market, and indeed worthy of protection.
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation shares its year-end 2021 Free Beach Unity Coalition Report to keep you in the loop.
Report Topics:
The official kick-off to Phase III – Department of Environmental Protection Rule Challenge
2022 Winter Marketing Campaign
“The Skinny on Clothing Optional Beaches in Florida” presented at the Florida Recreation Parks Association Annual Training Conference
Naturists make strong showing at the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism
Senator Jason Pizzo re-files his Clothing Optional Locations Bill
Your tax-deductible donations at work
July 2, 2021
The below article originally appeared here: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2021/07/02/nude-beaches-florida-naked-recreation-activists-aim-more-sites-naturists/7809730002/
Please note the following errors in the article:
"Pizzo’s district includes Haulover Beach, which may be the most popular nude beach in North America. Its upward of 500,000 (should be 1.2 million) annual visitors generate a million dollars in parking revenue alone for the City of Miami. (should be Miami-Dade County)"
Miami-Dade is home to 34 incorporated cities and the City of Miami is just one. Haulover Park is located about 2 miles north of the northern boundary of the City of Miami Beach at 87th Street. The City of Surfside and the City of Bal Harbour are sandwiched between the unincorporated area of Haulover Park and the City of Miami Beach. The City of Sunny Isles Beach abuts Haulover Beach to its north.
The 500,000 is less than half the visitors to the entire beach at Haulover and those who go to the 1/3 mile clothing optional section averages 1.2 million a year. About 67% of the 1.2 million visitors are both domestic and international tourists.
Missing on the list of non-official clothing-optional beaches is the major site of MacArthur State Beach in Palm Beach County. Skinny dippers still use this beach au naturale.
Florida naked recreation activists still pushing for more nude beaches
Visitors to nude beaches and resorts in Florida spend $4 billion annually, according to reports.
As this Fourth of July holiday approaches, activists say they want more Florida beaches to declare independence from clothes.
The American Association of Naked Recreation (AANR) and Beach Education Advocates for Culture, Health, Environment and Safety Foundation (B.E.A.C.H.E.S.), along with more than 50 clothing-optional social clubs and resorts said lawmakers need to make clear to law enforcement: Floridians are free to be naked in public.
This coalition of Nakationers, an AANR term to describe people who enjoy a naked vacation, was able to get a bill (SB 1486) through at least one Senate committee during the 2021 Session. A similar bill cleared two Senate committees in 2020.
Both sought to protect people from arrest and prosecution for sunbathing and swimming in the buff, an activity that advocates describe as American as founding father Benjamin Franklin, philosopher Henry David Thoreau, and fictional character Tom Sawyer, all who regularly took to skinny dipping — or at least Tom did in Mark Twain’s imagination.
The bill didn’t get another hearing, but the 3-2 vote boosted the spirits of those who prefer naked recreation. The hearing came at a time when COVID-19 restrictions at the Capital denied the groups the opportunity to present lawmakers with a St. Leo University study.
It calculates visitors to nude beaches and resorts in Florida directly spend $4 billion annually when they patronize a public beach, private resort, or join a club where clothing is optional. A legislative analyst computed that this delivered a stimulus impact of more than $7.3 billion to the state’s economy.
And they found nudists, even locals, tend to book longer stays at the resorts and facilities offered by clubs then others do.
“And I can see, right through your masks, a billion-dollar industry in the state of Florida,” said Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, looking directly at two Republican senators when he presented the bill to the Criminal Justice Committee in March.
Pizzo's bill in committee: Legal nudity at nude beaches gets the go ahead in Florida Senate committee
Pizzo’s district includes Haulover Beach, which may be the most popular nude beach in North America. Its upward of 500,000 annual visitors generate a million dollars in parking revenue alone for the City of Miami.
Florida's nude-beach loophole the basis for proposal
Pizzo rooted his proposal in a Florida Supreme Court ruling upheld by a federal appeals court. The justices agreed: There’s a loophole in Florida’s nudity law.
It permits being naked in public if one is not doing so in a vulgar or indecent manner or in a place not provided or set apart for that purpose. Naturists argue nude sunbathing is neither vulgar or indecent, and signage enables for a place to be set apart for that purpose.
Pizzo argued law enforcement officers often jump to file a lewd and lascivious or indecent charge against people they find naked, as was the case of a gentleman drinking a soda along a Duval County beach. He told the arresting officers he was as surprised by what they were doing as they were of him.
The case was dismissed but Pizzo argued such incidents could damage an innocent person’s reputation: “These are charges that, if you get (them) on your record, you never ever want to have to try to explain,” he said. “The aim is, and it has always been, to protect those that are engaging in lawful activity.”
Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, voted against the bill.
“I'm not sure why we have public land that's dedicated for that, no matter how much money it brings in. Just to make the statement that it's optional tends to maybe not go well,” he said.
But the Nakitoners argue it is not only the money for local communities and tax revenues that is on their side They produced polls to show the support of an overwhelming number of Floridians.
The St. Leo study includes a Zogby poll that pegged support for clothing optional beaches at 73%, and found 60% of Floridians were OK with nudity at state parks like Wakulla Springs and others that dot the Panhandle and North Florida, along with those at the coasts, such as St. George Island on the Gulf.
The numbers convince Erich Schuttauf, executive director of AANR, that the time has come to push for more clothing optional beaches.
“If you ever walked barefoot on a beach, you know there’s a difference between walking in bare feet and in sandals. It’s that same kind of feeling all over. It’s natural. You’re in touch with nature and experiencing nature as intended,” explained Schuttauf in a phone interview from the association’s international headquarters in Kissimmee.
The group has 12 employees in its Florida office, one of seven district offices in North America, and counts more than 6,000 dues-paying members, but Schuttauf is quick to add the group helps tens of thousands more seeking information annually about where in Florida can they enjoy the freedom of going without clothes.
The group is scouting locations for clothing-optional beaches along the Gulf Coast in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Charlotte and Lee counties.
Florida currently has 10 locally sanctioned and unsanctioned clothing-optional beaches. Four of the publicly sanctioned beaches — Apollo, Blind Creek, Haulover and Playalinda — are among the AANR's list of the eight greatest beaches in North America.
Another two, Honeymoon Island and Bahia Honda State Park, are among the group's six best unsanctioned nude beaches – where discretion and a quick cover-up go hand in hand, according to the AANR.
Sanctioned (and unsanctioned) nude beaches in Florida
Haulover Beach, N Miami Beach
Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore
Caspersen Beach, Venice/Sarasota
Hobe Sound Beach, Jupiter Island
Hickory Preserve, Lee County
Passage Key Island, off the entrance to Tampa Bay (boat needed to get there)
Blind Creek Beach, on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce
Apollo Beach, Canaveral National Seashore
Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin
Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key
Local clubs in the Panhandle said they long to add a beach in Bay County, but declined to discuss those plans.
“Every year or so this issue does come up (but) it is not anything that our city council would support or really be seriously looking at,” said Debbie Ingram, a spokesperson for Panama City Beach.
Despite the opposition at the Capital and in city halls, AANR is pushing on in its 90th year of operation.
The 4th of July, or National Birthday Suit Day, kicks off a week-long celebration that culminates with International Skinny Dipping Day on Saturday, July 10.
Amid the festivities at public beaches, private clubs, and resorts, plans will percolate about how to add more beaches to the list, and get lawmakers to clarify the law for police and deputies.
Florida law "states that it is legal to be nude in a place set aside for that purpose," said former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, who lobbies for Naturists’ issues.
“The bill filed last year was nothing more than a clarification of existing law. I fully expect legislation to be filed again next year.”
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee
What to do, what not to do when visiting a clothing optional beach or resort
Respect wildlife and environmentally fragile areas. Beaches are often in areas safeguarding endangered species of birds, fish and plants. Avoid endangering the habitat with fire, pollution, or other hazards.
Keep the beach clean. “Take more trash out than you brought in.”
Dress before leaving designated clothing-optional areas and while there use sunscreen and cover up if you feel you’ve had too much sun.
Respect yourself and others by following appropriate rules of conduct.
Be polite to everyone.
Always get permission before taking photographs.
Whenever possible, walk along the shoreline.
Source: American Association of Naked Recreation
May 3, 2021
2021 Florida Legislative Session Report
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute’s 2021 Legislative Campaign - in partnership with the Beaches Unity Coalition and the American Assn. for Nude Recreation/FL - came to an end on April 30th when Florida’s sixty day Legislative Session ended. Thanks to the passion of legions of Florida naturists like you and our well-organized naturist organizations, we have much to celebrate.
Campaign Achievements
Your support of this campaign served to solidify our Free Beach Unity Coalition. Along the way very strong bonds formed between each organization, their members and B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Together we are stronger going forward.
Your support of our Legislator Contact Campaign resulted in Florida House and Senate members receiving hundreds of letters, emails and phone calls that educated them on the subject of family clothing-optional recreation. Your contacts demonstrated a groundswell of support for current clothing-optional beaches while highlighting the need for more.
You drove home the point to these lawmakers that citing and arresting naturists in areas legally designated for clothing-optional use was still occurring, draining the pocketbooks of innocent naturists while wasting taxpayer’s hard-earned dollars.
Your support of our Economic Benefits Information Campaign opened the eyes of our legislators as well as the public to the fact that legal nude recreation brings billions of tourism dollars to our state annually.
Senate Bill 1486 and Its Companion Bill, House Bill 1253
SB 1485 made it through the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, thanks to the support of Committee Chair Sen. Jason Pizzo, who represents the district that includes Haulover Beach. These bills needed to be passed through additional committees but unfortunately, this did not happen. Unlike last year, when our naturist Dream Team of volunteers traveled to Tallahassee to meet in person with our legislators, we could not do that because the public was not allowed access to the Capitol because of COVID-19.
The two dedicated lobbyists, Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and Ramon Maury, worked around the clock to support naturists efforts. Ramon provides this assessment:
“There are a number of factors that caused our bills to stall. Your supporters should know that we are not alone. The Legislature (especially the House) got a late start in hearing bills as they tried to figure out their COVID protocols for the Session. The vast majority of bills stalled and many people are frustrated. Because the Legislature will return to Tallahassee for committee meetings in September (the 2022 Session will begin in January), I think the Legislature was primarily focused on passing ‘essential only’ bills this Session with the idea that they will return in a few months to start working on the 2022 Session.
Despite the fact that our bills were not moving, there has been a very positive and important development this Session. These bills have opened up opportunities for meaningful conversations with Florida’s Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding a rule change that would allow clothing-optional beach use in designated areas of state parks. In fact, we are awaiting a promised meeting with the Secretary and the Director of DEP (it has been delayed because of the Piney Point problem in Manatee County).
We need everyone to stay energized and engaged over the summer as we step up our grassroots efforts. Naturists should be prepared to connect with their local Legislators in June, July, and August in preparation for committee meetings that will begin in September.”
Going Forward
Monumental changes to the management of Florida’s beaches to allow clothing-optional use were predicted to be an uphill battle, but this battle is one that we were prepared to fight because of the dedication of naturists like you and because we built a “Plan B” to carry us forward. We will be releasing details of this plan soon.
Please continue to support Florida’s naturist organizations and our Beach Unity Coalition. We also need you to maintain a steady presence on Florida’s clothing-optional beaches. While you are there, do your best to recruit naturists for clothing-optional beach advocacy.
Stay strong. Stay organized. Stay informed. Together we will continue this fight and win.
“Remember upon the conduct of each, depends the fate of all.” Alexander the Great
March 13, 2021
WORLDWIDE FLORIDA BEACH LEGISLATIVE
Dear Naturists: On Monday March 22nd, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hear “SB1486 Clothing-Optional Locations.”
For Committee Tracking, go to the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Bill Report 3/13/21 by clicking on the following button.
FYI
1. Countless Naturists have been arrested unnecessarily for being nude on legally designated clothing-optional beaches for many years.
2. Current law permits nudity “at any place provided or set apart for that purpose.”
3. This bill simply clarifies the current law by adding the phrase “including, but not limited to, a clothing-optional beach.”
4. This Bill DOES NOT address the opening of additional clothing-optional beaches.
5. Naturism is an Economic Engine for Florida, generating over $7.2B in positive economic impact each year while creating countess jobs and a better and stronger economy.
For more information: https://www.beachesfoundation.org/alerts.
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute
beachesfoundation.org/home
Founded by the Mother of Haulover Beach, Shirley Mason
March 6, 2021
*** WORLDWIDE BEACH LEGISLATIVE ALERT ***
Florida Clothing-Optional Beach Senate Bill SB 1486 Needs Your Attention NOW!
The bill(s) simply clarifies existing law (FS 800.03) and directs DEP to update their Rule to be consistent with the statute.
WHO: Florida Residents and Clothing-Optional Beach Lovers World-wide
ATTENION NEEDED: Florida Legislators to Pass Senate Bill SB 1486, the “Florida Clothing-Optional Location” Bill. Committees to hear the bills.
WHEN: Monday, March 9 at noon the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice Members (NOTE: Click on member name. Under picture of member, click ‘Email this Senator’)
Senator Jason W. B. Pizzo (D) Chair
Senator Jeff Brandes (R) Vice Chair
Bill will be heard and must pass these Senate Committee References:
1. Criminal Justice (CJ)
2. Environment and Natural Resources (EN)
3. Rules (RC)
WHY: Public Testimony Will Be Heard for Consideration/Vote of SB 1486 on Tues. March 9, 2021 in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee..
+++++++++++++++++++++++ (read more) +++++++++++++++++++++++
IMPACT ON YOU:
Safely enjoy more c/o beaches. SB 1486 Supports Blocking Unwarranted Arrests for Simple Nudity on All Florida Clothing-Optional Beaches AND amends blanket anti-nudity State Park ‘Rule’ to conform with FL Supreme Court’s interpretation of the law (that mere nudity is not a violation of the law).
IMPACT ON FLORIDA:
Your Testimony (letter) Will Provide Proof of Economic Benefit of Clothing-Optional Beaches, Which Will Lead to More Safe Nude Beaches FLORIDA SB 1486 and HB 1253 “Clothing-optional Locations”.
Specifying that a clarification-exemption to the commission of the offense of unlawful exposure of sexual organs includes clothing-optional beaches; requiring the Division of Recreation and Parks of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to amend a specified rule to comply with this act.
SKINNY DIPPER PROTECTION:
Too many law enforcers have difficulty in determining the difference between lewd and lascivious behavior and simply being nude. Therefore, we need clarification language put into the law stating it’s not a violation of the law, particularly at clothing-optional beaches. We need your help to pass SB 1486 and its identical companion House Bill HB 1253, to protect Florida’s skinny dippers from being arrested and prosecuted unfairly. In a COVID-ravaged economy, the last thing our state needs to spend money on is arresting, jailing and prosecuting skinny dippers!
ECONOMIC IMPACT:
This bill is about economic development, tourism and jobs. SB1486 clarifies language to protect and expand naturist recreational opportunities in Florida for all Floridians and visitors alike. The numbers don’t lie - check out the attached summary of “Florida’s Economic Impact of Nude Tourism & Recreation in Florida” a Study, conducted by USF and St. Leo University reveals a tourist niche market with more than $7.2 billion in annual economic contributions to Florida's budget.
But wait – there’s more! View the 5-minute Vimeo video link [https://vimeo.com/485912778] states it best. In 2017, $1.2 billion poured into sunny Florida from tourists visiting the 1/3-mile clothing-optional section at Haulover Beach in North Miami Beach! Florida’s naturist recreational opportunities generated much needed jobs as well as a stronger economy.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
WE know and YOU know that naturists protect the beaches they love. Eric Draper, Director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Recreation and Parks knows this too and he supports SB 1486!
IF YOU PLAN TO SEND EMAIL TO LAW-MAKERS AND COMMITTEES, HERE ARE POINTS TO INCLUDE:
GENERAL TIPS FOR WRITING LEGISLATORS
* Keep your letter brief and in a font size large enough to read easily (12 pt).
* Provide your name, address, email and phone number.
* State why you are writing and include passage of SB 1486.
* Avoid the term, "lifestyle," which could be misinterpreted as "swingers." Replace words such as "nude," "nudity" and "naked” with words connoting fun and carefree innocence such as "skinny-dipping," and "clothes-free."
* Tell them who you are and a bit about your family/community/job. (optional)
* Explain that you are an ambassador for naturism (i.e., a skinny-dipper) and that clothes-free sunbathing is your recreational option.
* Share your personal experience of naturism, including its respect for the natural environment. Mention your favorite clothing-optional beaches.
* If you are a Floridian, offer to help them during the next election cycle, including putting a sign in your yard.
* Ask for their commitment to support SB 1486.
* Thank them for their support.
SAMPLE EMAIL FOR FLORIDIANS:
Note: Most legislators disregard form letters. Use your own words. Do not duplicate the following example:
I live in Sarasota, Florida and I am writing to urge you to support the passage of SB 1486 so that my family, friends and I can continue to skinny dip on Florida’s clothing-optional beaches without fear of being arrested. We also want to see more clothing-optional beaches here because that’s where we spend our most of recreation dollars. Currently our favorite naturist beach is Blind Creek Beach near Ft. Pierce and Hutchinson Island. Our trips there include lodging, restaurant dining, shopping and entertainment. It would be great to have clothing-optional beaches on Florida’s Gulf Coast where we live!
I have been a skinny-dipper for XX years. We love all of the Florida family clothes-free resorts. It is such a shame that there are no clothing-optional beaches near them. It would be great to stay at a resort and then go to sunbathe and swim au natural at a beach near-by.
Florida sunshine on all of your skin is a great mood booster. No sticky wet swimsuits for us! We always feel safe around fellow naturists, because no matter which clothing-optional beach we are on, it feels like one big family. We watch out for each other and we are super serious about protecting the environment! We participate in beach clean-ups and we like to inform others about the endangered species on our beaches so we can all work to protect them.
Thank you for your support of SB 1486!
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
EMAIL ADDRESS ° PHONE NUMBER
SAMPLE EMAIL FOR NON-FLORIDIANS:
We love Florida! I am writing to you from freezing Warren, Ohio to urge you to support the passage of SB 1486 so that my family, friends and I can warm up on Florida’s clothing-optional beaches without fear of being arrested. We also want to see more clothing-optional beaches down there because that’s where we spend our vacations. It would be great to have them on Florida’s Gulf Coast too. We are thinking of buying a vacation home there, which may be sooner than later if we could skinny dip on a beach close by.
Currently our favorite Florida naturist beach is Blind Creek Beach near Ft. Pierce and Hutchinson Island. Our skinny-dipping trips always include lodging, restaurant dining, shopping and entertainment near the beach.
I have been a skinny-dipper for XX years at Gunnison Beach in New Jersey and White Thorn Lodge, which is a resort just across the border from us in Pennsylvania. However, we like coming down to Florida in the winter. We love Florida’s family nudist resorts too. It is such a shame that there are no clothing-optional beaches near Tampa where most of the nudist resorts are. It would be great to stay there and then go beach skinny-dipping close by.
Florida sunshine on all of your skin is a great mood booster. No sticky wet swimsuits for us! We always feel safe around fellow naturists, because no matter which clothing-optional beach we are on, it feels like one big family. We watch out for each other and we are super serious about protecting the environment! We participate in beach clean-ups and we like to inform others about the endangered species on our beaches so we can all work to protect them.
We hope to get down to Florida soon. It would be great if we could include more clothing-optional beaches to our itinerary.
Thank you!
YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
EMAIL ADDRESS ° PHONE NUMBER
SEND YOUR EMAILS BEFORE MONDAY AT NOON TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE THAT IS HEARING THE BILL.
Watch for upcoming Senate and House Committees that will hear these bills. Sign up for B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Alerts at the bottom of this page!
December 30, 2020:
GRASSROOTS ACTION ALERT
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute needs you to visit or write to your Florida State Representative and Senator (if you are a Florida resident) or write to Florida legislative leaders (if you live outside of Florida) to encourage them to pass pro-nudity legislation in the 2021 legislative session, which starts soon. Click here for more details.
December 7, 2020
Here's more good news with B.E.A.C.H.E.S. latest and best tool for establishing more clothing-optional beaches in Florida or most anywhere. We encourage every skinny-dipper, naturist/nudist to share this video far and wide. It was specially designed for educating elected officials and the hospitality industry about the documented benefits of establishing and supporting clothing-optional beaches throughout the state. Enjoy!
Tampa Bay Free Beaches 2020 video. Note: TBFB is a member of B.E.A.C.H.E.S.' Free Beach UNITY Coalition.
August 16, 2020:
ACTION ALERT
Da: August 15, 2020 By: Shirley Mason
A CRITICAL STEP IN REGAINING HISTORIC NUDE BEACHES IN FLORIDA
ACTION: - Friday, August 21, 2020 at 10am to 1pm we need YOU and all available naturists to join us for Florida DEP’s Acquisition and Restoration Council webinar meeting. Can you get other naturists to join us?
WHY: As many of you already know, the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute and its partner groups and organizations - collectively known as the Free Beach Unity Coalition - is seeking more clothing-optional beaches in Florida through the state legislature and the Dept. of Environmental Protection/Parks Division (DEP). Naturists must let their voices be heard with not only our elected officials and state agencies, but also with the business and tourism industries, particularly in the areas of the beaches we want to designate for safe family- oriented clothes-free use. This webinar is a timely and critical step in our master plan to influence policy makers. We urgently need the strength of the collective naturist/nudist voice to be heard loudly and clearly in support of skinny dipping on state-managed beaches. Naturists’ presence will demonstrate that there is a public demand and that it fits with ‘community standards’ in the areas we’ve selected for nude use.
WHO: The DEP’s Acquisition and Restoration Council has a major role in selecting new lands for the state to acquire - primarily for environmental protection and recreational uses for these lands, to include beaches and parks.
WHEN: August 21, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EDT via webinar
HOW: This meeting will be held virtually. To participate you will need to register at the link provided. Your unique link will be emailed to you and must be used to access the webinar.
Webinar meeting registration link: GoToWebinar Registration
Contact Name: Allen, Shauna
Contact Phone: 850-245-2713 1(800) 955-8771 1(800) 955-8770
Contact Email: shauna.r.allen@floridadep.gov
WHERE: From the privacy of your home, office or at the beach or pool while on your laptop computer, tablet or smartphone, join in.
With assistance from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection staff and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI), ARC has the following responsibilities:
Acquisition responsibilities:
Reviews Florida Forever project proposals and decides evaluation needs;
Determines final project boundaries; and
Establishes priority ranking of projects and adopts annual land acquisition work plan.
Management responsibilities:
Reviews all management plans for state-owned lands; and
Reviews land use requests on state conservation lands, including easements, subleases and others.
FNAI provides scientific support to DEP staff and ARC in several key ways:
Scientific review of newly proposed land acquisition projects;
Comprehensive analysis and scoring of all Florida Forever projects using the Conservation Needs Assessment and F-Trac; and
Reviews land management plans and participates in land management reviews.
August 10, 2020:
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation is privileged to have Senator Jason Pizzo, the Florida Senator from District 38, to our first podcast. Haulover’s clothing-optional beach is in his District.
In the summer of 2019, South Florida naturist activists and Ramon Maury, the long-time lobbyist for South Florida Free Beaches, met Senator Pizzo and his staff to asked him to sponsor a bill to add clarification language for clothing-optional beaches to be added to FS 800.03, Florida’s “Indecent Exposure” law. He agreed and introduced Senate Bill 850 in the 2020 Florida Legislative Session.
A back-end report from B.E.A.C.H.E.S. lobbyist, attorney and former Lt. Governor, Jeff Kottkamp can be found on this web site's Government and Business page. B.E.A.C.H.E.S. hired Kottkamp and Ramon Maury specifically to shepherd this modification through the legislature and the Dept. of Environmental Protection/State Parks 'Rule' by laying the predicate for re-claiming our historic clothing-optional beaches on state park lands around Florida and for establishing new beaches.
July 19, 2020:
PROGRESS RECLAIMING FLORIDA’s NUDE BEACHES, the NEW LAW FROM THE 2020 LEGISLATURE and BEYOND
By: Shirley Mason, Executive Director
B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute
You can rightly be proud of the targeted actions taken by Florida naturists during the 2020 Florida Legislative Session. Armed with carefully crafted message platforms, professionally produced supporting materials and a whole lot of passion, Florida naturists engaged with individual legislators to both clarify the Florida law regarding non-sexual public nudity and to re-establish our historic clothing-optional beaches lost to the naturist community at a few Florida state parks in the mid-1980s when an anti-nudity “Rule” was established.
We will not rest until we can get clarifying language added to Florida Statute 800.03 - Florida’s indecent exposure law. This action is sorely needed to protect families, individuals and tourists who enjoy skinny-dipping and to protect females who enjoy top-free recreation (an Equal Protection/14th Amendment issue). This language will prevent wrongful arrests, costly citations and illegal prosecutions and convictions by misguided law enforcement professionals.
June 27, 2020:
St. Lucie County Commission Meeting video
The Blind Creek Beach portion (Agenda item 9.A.1) begins at 33:40 ending at 53.12.
June 4, 2020:
After a mere 6 years, on June 2, 2020, Blind Creek Beach on Hutchinson Island has formally been officially designated a clothing-optional beach. The St. Lucie Board of County Commission passed an Ordinance AND a Resolution. The vote to approve both was 4 to 1. Attached find formal documents that were voted on who voted). This is a first in the history of clothing-optional beaches in the United States.
Congratulations to the outstanding work of the Board Treasure Coast Naturist/Friends of Blind Creek Beach and particularly to Carl Flick, TCN and B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Board member for his political savvy and leadership!!!
All TCN Board members attended along with several TCN members. (I was also there representing B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation and South Florida Free Beaches from Miami-Dade County.
Pictures and video of the Commission meeting on B.E.A.C.H.E.S.' new website when the County posts the video of the June 2nd meeting on its website.
~ Shirley Mason
"Mother of Haulover Beach"
June 1, 2020:
Miami-Dade County Mayor has finally given the official Emergency Order to reopen its beaches to sunbathers, starting Wednesday June 10, 2020. Dress attire for this occasion at the clothing-optional section of Haulover Beach is your face mask (on your face).