Nudist resort owners' banning of children riles the naturist community

[ellisonz]

Judy and her husband, Mike, lounge by the pool at the Desert Sun nudist resort in Palm Springs. The Maryland couple have been making the resort their vacation destination for the last seven years. They agree with the owners' recent decision to ban children. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times / May 10, 2012)

A naked grab for money?
Nudist resort owners' banning of children riles the naturist community, leaving some suspicious of the motive.
By Ashley Powers, Los Angeles Times
May 30, 2012, 3:51 p.m.

PALM SPRINGS — For Elizabeth Young, Desert Shadows was a place where she could shed her blouse, pantyhose, sensible heels — and everything else — and dive into a game of water volleyball.

She and her husband, John, drove from Orange County to the nudist getaway a few times a year to escape their 9-to-5 lives. After its owner filed for bankruptcy in 2007, the Youngs feared someone would raze the hotel, or force guests to wear pants. So they bought the place and renamed it Desert Sun.

At first, nudist groups embraced the couple as a welcome addition to their oft-misunderstood industry. Elizabeth has the blond sunniness of a televangelist's wife, and John the bravado of a salesman closing a deal. They spent millions sprucing up the place, but the goodwill they generated soon evaporated, and they were pilloried on nudist websites as traitors.

Their sin?

The Youngs announced what they considered a business decision but what others viewed as an attack on core nudist principles:

No more children at Desert Sun.

More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-nudist-fight-20120531,0,1326783.story

I agree with the owners, the potential legal issues are too massive to ignore - ban the children - Thoughts?

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. There was a nude beach here in town.

The intent of the hippies was a place to be natural, etc. The perverts came and took pictures. The power of their obsession overwhelmed the pure and free spirit of the place, and that's probably what you also see at these naturalist communities. So its sad there isn't a place where people can dress like they did in Eden without lustful eyes on them, which is the naturalists intent, but if that's how it is, that's how is. You don't want to expose vulnerable people to exploitation by watching pervs.

[Major Nikon]

2. It's just a bad idea to have children at these places

You'd think the nudists themselves would be behind this. Why would they want to be fly-paper for pedophiles?

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. This seems to be an American obsession

nudity =! sex. Which is kind of the point of naturist resorts in the first place. This isn't something that's considered a problem at nude recreation areas in Germany or France, for instance.

[Fumesucker]

5. They don't have pedophiles, digital cameras or cell phones in Germany and France..

Yet another example of American exceptionalism.

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. They don't equate nudity and sex

which is more the point I'm making.

[jannyk]

7. Totally agree with you.

I can't believe the prudish replies or the connotation that a nudist resort has anything to do with sex. Weird!

[FedUpWithIt All]

4. I fully support an adult's wishes as it pertains to nudity but i agree with this decision

regarding children. Children are not able to consent to participation. I wouldn't even have issue if kids were allowed into the resort with their parents as long as they are not being forced or pressured to remove their own clothing, by anyone. Perhaps a rule that no child under a certain age is to be unclothed.

I don't think the real danger is about kids being exposed to nudity so much as it is about their own rights to privacy and the respectful protection of these rights until an age of consent.

[JHB]

11. I think most families that would go to a place like this....

...would have pretty much incorporated it into their lives. Clothing-optional places would be something they deal with pretty regularly. It wouldbe rare for a kid to suddenly deal with this as something out of the ordinary for them.

That said, it's the owners' decision, for good or ill.

[Egalitarian Thug]

8. There have been children coming to these places with their parents for generations.

Why is it a problem now?

[ellisonz]

12. According to the owners...

...the prevalence of camera-phones presents a new level of problem in protecting children and their legal liability to do so.

[cali]

9. they own it. it's their place.

hey, there are lots of adult only vacation destinations. There's a lovely b&b near me that's adults only.

[GodlessBiker]

10. I assume kids aren't walking in on their own.

It's their business and they will live with the consequences of their business decision...

But, nudity does not equal sex and parents/guardians are there with their kids to protect them, as they would in any vacation venue.

I've been to a nude beach on the Jersey Shore and families were naked together without apparent incident.

[HappyMe]

13. It's their resort.

If they wish to ban kids, fine. Years ago, I worked in the kitchen of a small restaurant that was part of a b&b. There was a no kids policy for the inn part of that business.

There are plenty of vacation spots that welcome kids.

[bowens43]

14. Wow. I am amazed at the posts here defending this stupid action.

There is nothing wrong with nudity. Period. The US is becoming more and more like Afghanistan every day.

[Captain Lee]

15. I agree with this decision

I've been to a couple clothing optional spas and hot springs in Oregon and the only time I was ever truly uncomfortable was when I plunked down into a hot tub and realized the girl across from me was 10-12 years old. That, for me, completely changed the dynamic. Whereas before, I could actually relax comfortably in mixed naked company, I was suddenly extremely conscious of both my own body and where my eyes were. After a few minutes, I gave up and left.

No, I don't expect that to be everyone's reaction, but it was mine. Beautiful naked adults, wrinkled naked adults, skinny-impaired adults (charter member here) - all okay with me. Kids, well, they make me uncomfortable. I'd only ever return to a place that was adults only.