Another quality page linked to Jim's Pen is Central!

So you heard we marched naked in the 1997 Toronto Gay Pride parade?

You're right -- we did!

There was even a photo of this wonderful event in the recent issue of Naked Magazine (the one with the cowboy ranch on the cover). We already published that same photo here (see photo 4), but check out the magazine anyway!

As you may have seen,I carried a placard in that parade with my old e-mail address on it -- NudeBear4U@aol.com (now NoSpamForJim@phdtop.com) -- in case someone liked what he saw. So you're probably here because:

1. You like bears and think I'm hot, so you want to write to me, OR
2. You're not into bears but think marching nude was cool, OR
3. You have an open mind and you want to know why I marched nude, OR
4. You hate the whole idea and think we spoiled things and you want to give me grief.

Whatever. Just send me something and I'll read it. I may even post it on this website's opinions page (see below).

Sections on this page:

• Why I marched nude in the parade
• Why nudists should stop worrying about other people's opinions
• What do you think?
• Other nude resources

Other pages at this site about marching naked in Toronto:

• What happened to me at my hotel after the parade
• Other people's opinions, including a lawyer's letter to the editor
• The photo pages -- page 1 and page 2
• Suggested protest signs for your next demonstration!

Don't miss:

• TNT!MEN's own description of the nude march, including their take on media coverage.

EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! Read what the sensationalistic Toronto Sun had to say about all this in its first article. Read a lawyer's letter to the editor suggesting that what we did was legal after all.

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Me and my reasons

Want to know more about me? Well, I'm a bear (duh) who likes nonbears erotically. I live in San Diego, California. To find out more about me, tell me a bit about yourself and I'll write back with more info.

I can't speak for the other guys in Toronto, but I marched nude because:

• It's fun.
• It's different.
• I wanted to see what it would feel like.
• I believe that the human body is made to be accepted as it is, not covered up in shame or in the belief that it is imperfect and inferior.
• There's a community of gay male nudists in Toronto who are second to none -- nice guys, courageous, intelligent, and cool-headed. I figured that if anyone could pull this off, they could.

The crowd loved us! Even more once we took off our pink-triangle loincloths and went completely nude (from the ankles up). I suppose some observers didn't care for our show of principles, but frankly...

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Nudists should stop worrying about other people's reactions

Everyone says that the human body is beautiful. It was designed by God -- and/or natural selection -- to function beautifully as a marvelous machine. If this is so, then the next logical step is:

Even if you're not a nudist yourself, understand that when you come across people who are nude they are just being true to their beliefs. They are not trying to offend you. If you are offended by their being nonsexually nude, then you are too sensitive. Get over it!

Nudists are not erotic exhibitionists -- like the sleazy fellows who you may have run into (if you're a woman) in supermarket parking lots or parks. Erotic exhibitionism is what sexual scientists call a paraphilia. An erotic exhibitionist (almost always a man) becomes sexually aroused by surprising someone (almost always a woman) with his nudity. He's trying to shock you -- because it turns him on. Nonsexual nudity is completely different: we are nude simply because we want to be comfortable, and because we believe that there is nothing harmful about our nude bodies.

We went a lot farther in the parade than most nudists go. Frankly, I wonder why. I know of no other topic where one side is sooooooo considerate of the incorrect, illogical, and measurably harmful opinions of the other side. Being polite to your opponents is a good thing, but when politeness means the other side always gets its way, that's going too far.

In short: Compromise is good. Giving in is bad.

• Some people think that drinking alcohol is always wrong -- but those who think it is OK in moderation go ahead and drink in front of those who don't. Of course, it would be offensive if they pressured non-drinkers to drink.
• Some people think abortion is wrong, but those who think it's OK don't refrain from it just because it offends the others.
• People differ about whether to vote for Jones or Gonzales, but those who favor Gonzales don't refrain from voting because it might upset Jones supporters.

So if you really think that it's OK to be nude, then why follow the course of action of those who disagree with you? Why let them control your actions?

• It would be wrong to force them to get naked.
• It would be wrong to tease them for being prudish -- although most of them are.
• It would be wrong to pass laws against clothing.
• It would be wrong to outlaw the manufacture or sale of bathing suits -- unnecessary and ridiculous though they are.
• But it's also wrong for anti-nudity special-interest groups to force me to put on clothes when I don't want to, and when no real harm is done by my getting comfortable.

As I said above, compromise is cool. But always giving in? That's wrong.

Note for the squeamish: Nudists typically carry a towel with them to protect chairs and other surfaces with which their bodies come into contact. So calm down.

So what do YOU think about all this?

We had a discussion.

For about a year, I solicited opinions from people on the topics of nonsexual public nudity, marching nude in a gay pride parade, and so on. I posted most of the responses here.

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Where to go from here

 Since Pride Day, June 29, 1997, through 17 July 1997.

 Since 1 August 1997.

Go back to Jim's Pen is Central