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Legislative Update:
WA Anti-Nudity Bill
By Claudia Kellersch
Washington state senator Joseph Zarelli (R, Clark County, district
18 ) seeks to amend the current legislation to increase penalties
for indecent exposure.Currently, indecent exposure is a misdemeanor.
Under the amendment, a first offense would become a gross misdemeanor
for everyone across the board regardless of the age of the victim.
Indecent exposure would be added as a punishable crime to the
list of "sex offenses," and would require mandatory
federal registration as sex offender. A second offense would
become a class C felony.
At the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing held Feb. 22, 1999,
the senator who is sponsoring the amended bill, and two ladies
representing the King C. and Kitsap Co. prosecutors offices expressed
their concern that indecent exposure offenses are "precursors
to more serious sex crimes." Often, the indecent exposure
has been "plea-bargained down," and "this is the
only thing they can get them on." Most importantly, if there
is a second offense of that crime if you have a gross misdemeanor
conviction, it would allow law enforcement to do more with that
individual on the second gross misdemeanor than before, as it
would be a felony.
The proponents said that it is a good idea to "reclassify"
the crime. The prosecutor "needs to find an appropriate
charge" for a crime that is sitting on her desk. With indecent
exposure, she "cannot do much." She is very much in
favor of future mandatory registration as sex offender, as they
cannot mandate federal registration right now. This change in
the bill would "clarify the issue," whether or not
the first offense involved a minor.
Claudia Kellersch, Fred Cantu, and Lloyd Sparks, MD, went
to Olympia to monitor the hearing for NAC, but did not give testimony
yet, as requested by Mark Storey. I would have pointed out the
difference between mere nudity and behavior that is lewd or lascivious.
I reject this attempt of criminalizing innocent behavior in the
case of a nude sunbather, and turning over the perpetrator to
the criminal justice system. This is also no solution in the
case of mentally ill persons instead of looking into treatment
options for them, as Lloyd pointed out.
As this issue was going to press NAC urged people in Washington
to email or fax the members of the judiciary committee to urge
them to vote against this bill on March 2. Of course it is too
late for that now, but more information is available from Mark
Storey/NAC at storey@aa.net.
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The Thinnest
Woman with the Fewest Wrinkles Wins
Special review to the SlimeTrail
by Geoff Cole
The audience for the Feb. 19 performance of "The Thinnest
Woman with the Fewest Wrinkles Wins" at On the Boards clearly
liked the show, but it was Dixie FunLee Shulman's "Nude
Solo #73" that set the crowd shouting and whistling its
approval.
The eight pieces comprising the show, which included video and
spoken parts along with dance, both lampooned the absurd commercialized
and media-hyped standards of female beauty, and affirmed the
natural beauty of women of all shapes and sizes.
A biting parody of a conventional beauty pageant opened the show,
with Miss Breast Implants, Miss Liposuction, Miss Low Self-esteem,
Miss Nose Job, Miss Anorexia, and Miss Bulimia (all of them with
"Candy" as their first name) competing for the title
of Miss America. Two later "beauty pageants" were danced
by women of varied sizes and shapes, including at least two grandmothers,
wearing banners such as "Good Bones" and "Strong
Hands." As they danced, the performers told their stories
of being criticized or ridiculed for their bodies. Ultimately,
each realized other qualities were far more important than a
"perfect" figure, and affirmed the perfection of her
physical appearance.
But it was Dixie FunLee's totally nude, 15-minute performance
that stole the show. A little chubby, a little wrinkled, stage-front
and brightly-lighted, her body provided the perfect "in
your face" retort to the self-appointed critics and standard-setters
of female beauty. At rest, her body was stolidly there, insistently
naked, impossible to ignore. Moving, it was so lithe and graceful
you forgot about its nakedness and flew through space with her
for a little while.
As she danced, Dixie carried on a "conversation"
with the audience: "Are you feeling a little nervous?"
she asked as she came to her first full-frontal, full stop. Then,
between whirls and leaps, she talked about her evolving relationship
with her body, calling attention to her "cellulite,"
her stretch marks, her "definitely not perky" breasts.
By the time the lights went down, the crowd was applauding, shouting
and whistling-and it was the women (about two-thirds of the audience)
who were cheering the loudest.
This would have been a great show for a naturist to bring
a female friend, especially a curious but reluctant one. A long
time ago I figured out that its' shame about their bodies more
than "modesty" or moral considerations that keep many
women from trying naturism. If she ever does this or a similar
show (with or without actual nudity), I would recommend it.
Her group, IntenselyFun Dance Theatre, will be one of several
groups performing April 15-17 in a show called "57 Kinds
of Movement" at Seattle Mime Theatre-though as far as I
know it won't be on the theme of female beauty and probably won't
involve nudity. For more information, call (206) 368-9446.
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Nudes & News
Visit Australia
The Australia Tourism Commission is running a television ad featuring
a nude beach. The ad shows a man (holding a beach ball in front
of him) talking to a woman who is reading a newspaper. The premise
is that the guy is trying to get her to put down the newspaper.
He asks if he can read it when she is done with it. She smiles
and agrees. The camera pans to the guy who raises his eyebrows,
and then it says something about the weather in Australia. It
has been running on the Learning Channel and on the History Channel
(among others).
Sauvie Island Law Suit
Two residents of Sauvie Island on the Columbia River in Oregon
have won a partial victory in their suit seeking to restrict
nudity on the beach. An Oregon court of appeals ruled that they
could seek an order restricting nudity. But also ruled that they
could not seek damages from agencies that allow nudity at the
wildlife reserves on the island, saying that the government bodies
are immune from such liability. The appeals court decision will
send the issue back to the Columbia County Circuit Court (which
had earlier dismissed the lawsuit).
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
The 1999 swimsuit issue from Sports Illustrated features a section
featuring models with painted on swimsuits. These suits are more
opaque than many of the "real" suits, and the accompanying
article is written at high school humor level. This is acceptable,
but two kids in their underwear are cause to have Calvin Klein
kill an advertising campaign.
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Behind The Scenes
By David Bentley
We're all familiar with the infamous SLUGS call that can be heard
resounding throughout the pool room during the LARC sponsored
swims. We're also familiar with the secret SLUGS handshake that
identifies fellow club members at various outings. We know that
the manager of the Roundtable Pizza at Northgate refers to himself
as our "corporate sponsor" saying that he would have
tee shirts made for us, but knows that we would refuse to wear
them. But did you ever think about how much behind the scenes
work goes into the planning of all these and the many other events
and activities that we enjoy so much, and often take for granted?
I attended the February 20th SLUGS board meeting where planning
for the coming year's activities took place. I was amazed at
how many naturist/nudist activities take place in our part of
the country, and how difficult it can be to find times for club
events that don't conflict with several other events. The board
literally spent hours going over the elaborate planning calendar
that one of the members had devised. They looked at what events
other clubs had scheduled in which we might want to participate,
and where there were gaps that could be filled with our own events.
Nearly every Saturday and many Sundays are filled with one
or more activities for the next year. With that many activities
available, it was obvious that it would hardly be possible to
attend them all. And from the survey results from our membership,
it was clear that we have a wide array of interests when it comes
to naturist/nudist activities.
Board members are required to organize and lead trips as a
part of their duties as board members, but that doesn't mean
that other members cannot organize and lead trips as well. In
fact, it was brought out at the meeting that if someone wants
to lead an impromptu trip to some event or special location,
they are encouraged to use the club listbot on the internet to
do so. However, if you really want to plan and lead a special
activity or trip, you'd better get in touch with the board quickly.
There aren't a lot of prime dates left.
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Guide To Victoria’s
Clothing-Optional Beaches
by Tony Sansom
Victoria has 5 areas where nude recreation is permitted. Some
of these locations have received official recognition from the
local government. Other areas are to be used at one's discretion.
Areas with government approval are designated with an asterisk
(*) beside the place name.
THETIS LAKE PARK *
In 1978, nude recreation was established by the city of Victoria
at Prior Lake in Thetis Lake Park. Although there is no beach
here, there is a dock and its surrounding area provide people
with a place to practice nudism.
Facilities: None
Directions:
Follow the Trans Canada highway North to the Colwood/Sooke exit.
At the first traffic light, after exiting the highway, turn right
and this road will take you to the parking area of Thetis Lake
Park. The entrance to the foot trail has a large map showing
you the layout of the park. The trail to Prior Lake is approximately
1 mile or 1.5 km. Signs will indicate when you have arrived at
the Prior Lake area.
ISLAND VIEW BEACH *
This is the largest nude recreational beach in Victoria. This
area was designated for nude sunbathing in 1987 in order to separate
the textile sunbathers from the nudists instead of prohibiting
nudism altogether.
Facilities: None
Directions:
Drive along highway 17 North (the road to the Vancouver ferries)
and take a right at the intersection of highway 17 and island
view road (there are traffic lights at this intersection). This
road will lead you to the beach.
Once there, you must walk north along the trail or the beach
until you come to the pillars in the sand. Nude recreation lies
beyond these pillars. The distance to this area is about 1/2
mile or 500 m.
MYSTIC BEACH
This is the second largest nude beach in Victoria. Once offering
seclusion, the beach is now part of the west coast trail. Since
its construction, nude recreation is in jeopardy. It is possible
that changes in its usage could occur here in the next few years.
Facilities: None
Directions:
Drive North along the Trans Canada Highway and take the Colwood/Sooke
exit.
This road is called the old island highway (1A) and becomes Sooke
RD or highway 14 at the Colwood Plaza (a London Drugs is located
here). Continue driving on Sooke RD and for about 40 minutes.
Along the way, you will see some beautiful scenery. There are
signs to indicate the location of Mystic Beach. Once you have
arrived, you must walk down a trail to the beach. The area near
the cliffs is designated for nude recreation.
ALBERT HEAD BEACH
This is a quaint little beach which is home to the Albert Head
Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary. The area for nude recreation is North
toward the gravel loading dock.
Facilities: None
Directions:
Drive North along the Trans Canada Highway and take the Colwood/Sooke
exit.
This road is called the old island highway (1A) and becomes Sooke
RD or highway 14 at the Colwood Plaza (a London Drugs is located
here). Follow this road for about 10 minutes. Make a left at
the Metchosin Rd intersection and drive along this route for
about 20 minutes. You will see signs for Albert Head Lagoon.
Once there, you must walk along the beach toward the gravel loading
dock and to the area where the gravel beach becomes sand. It
is about 100 yds or 90 m to this location.
WHITTY'S LAGOON BEACH
This is another quaint beached tucked in a corner of rural Victoria.
The area beyond the overhanging trees has been designated for
nudist recreation.
Facilities: None
Directions:
Drive North along the Trans Canada Highway and take the Colwood/Sooke
exit.
This road is called the old island highway (1A) and becomes Sooke
RD or highway 14 at the Colwood Plaza (a London Drugs is located
here). Follow this road for about 10 minutes. Make a left at
the Metchosin Rd intersection and drive along this route for
about 20 minutes. There will be signs for the beach along this
road. Once you are there, walk along the trail and wooded stairway
to the beach and go west past the overhanging trees to the nudist
area. It is about a 1/3 mile or a 500 m walk to this location.
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SLUGS Plan Trip
To Victoria
by Claudia
Kellersch
The weekend of September 10-12, 1999, will be a wonderful post-season
opportunity to join our Canadian neighbors and explore naturism
around Victoria, British Columbia, which offers no fewer than
five nude recreation areas outdoors. The Indian summer will keep
us warm and comfortable, and the lower exchange rate and atmosphere
quite happy. My local naturist contact Tony has researched and
written up the locations with directions and advisories, in case
some SLUGS will be in Victoria this summer before our trip (see previous article). Claudia and Tony
will lead this excursion and will make car-pool and other share
arrangements. So mark your calendar now. If you would like to
join us, send me an expression of interest to 74541.535@compuserve.com
or call the SLUGS voice-mail at 206-405-BARE and leave a message.
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Ancient Rainforest
Backdrop: Goldmyer Hot Springs
by Claudia
Kellersch
SLUGS will take over Goldmyer Hot Springs near North Bend, WA,
on Sunday, April 25th. This exclusive trip will require high
clearance vehicles, fording a cold river that can be anything
from ankle-deep to waist-high, good hiking and winter equipment,
and a certain amount of strength and determination. Your reward:
deep relaxation in a natural setting in an ancient forest ecosystem.
Goldmyer Hot Springs are managed as a wilderness preserve
by a private organization who own the land and keep a caretaker
there year-round. Permission is granted to no more than twenty
humans a day for ten dollars each to haunt the grounds; therefore,
advance reservation is mandatory. If you would like to join us
on this unique naturist excursion, please send a cheque for $
15 USD to cover the advanced reservation and a general cost share
fund to the SLUGS P.O. Box made out to SLUGS and an e-mail message
to 74541.535@compuserve.com.
If the weather does not permit the hike on our reserved date,
or the number of 20 participants fills up before you make up
your mind, your cheque will not be cashed and you will be wait-listed
until the day before the trip with regular reviews. Watch for
updates in the next newsletter and via e-mail!
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Juniper Dunes—A
Desert Wilderness Experience
by Howard Williamson
As a resident of Western Washington, I don't get much opportunity
to appreciate the varying types of climate and terrain our state
offers. With our wet climate, it is sometimes difficult to realize
that much of our state is, in reality, desert. The irrigation
of large tracts of fertile land makes me think of Eastern Washington
as a vast tract of farmland, primarily wheat. However, there
are areas where farming has not transformed the landscape to
waving fields of the golden grain. Many years ago, I had occasion
to spend a few hours in the deserts around Tucson, Arizona and
in that short time gained an appreciation for the desert environment,
the plants, and the animals that live there, as well as an appreciation
for the unique beauty of the landscape.
I think that everyone loves to go to the beach, and to play
among the sand dunes. Oregon is especially well known for its
huge sand dunes, but to enjoy them, you have to contend with
the Oregon coastal weather.
Were you aware that some of the largest sand dunes in the
Pacific Northwest are actually located in Eastern Washington?
They are the Juniper Forest Area to the NE of the Tri-Cities.
They are owned and administered by the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM). Like the US Forest Service, the BLM is also a keeper of
public lands, they control tremendous areas of land in all of
the Western States and their lands are generally less populated
and less used than those of the USFS, which makes them good potential
naturist use sites. BLM lands are noted for providing wide-open
spaces rather than highly developed recreation sites.
Back to the Juniper Dunes area - as I said, some of the largest
sand dunes in this region are located there, some measuring 700
feet across and 300 feet high. These dunes, however, are not
moving dunes as you get on the Oregon coast, but rather are "stabilized"
dunes - meaning that they are covered with vegetation and do
not move about. This particular area came under BLM control because
it is a unique environment that has not yet been transformed
into farmland, it has been little changed by human intrusion
and is a fascinating place to visit. The entire Juniper Dunes
area is comprised of approximately 19,860 acres (31 square miles)
of dunes, many of which are used by ATV enthusiasts. Our focus,
however, is an area of 7,140 acres (11+ square miles) that is
permanently closed and enclosed with a fence around its perimeter.
That area has been officially designated as a "Wilderness"
area and no motor vehicles are allowed. The area is little known,
a bit difficult to get to and the fenced area receives few visitors.
A sign-in sheet is used to record visitors at one of several
gates.
I visited the area in October, 1998 on a Friday and a Saturday.
I found that I was the only person who had signed in since the
previous weekend, when 6 people had visited there and stayed
an average of 2 hours. Upon entering, it was very quickly obvious
that there were no trails through this area and that you appreciate
this area simply by "wandering" and enjoying the native
grasses, bushes, wildflowers, and the scattered groves of Juniper
trees. (I need to add that this area is named Juniper Dunes because
it is the northernmost range of the Juniper tree.) It is a series
of dunes (small hills) ridges, low areas, and groves of trees.
I received a packet of information from the BLM, and they list
about two pages of native plants and 1-1/2 pages of native animals
and birds.
One key feature of this area that I fell in love with is its
isolation and feeling of remoteness, even though it is only a
half hour from Pasco. The topography is characterized by flat
or rolling relief caused by wind deposited sands and silts. For
more info see: http://www.or.blm.gov/Spokane/photoalbum/juniper.htm
The SLUGS outing in this area will consist of hiking the area
and camping out on Saturday night. The hiking is easy and is
really a walk. I am hoping that the date chosen will see soft
new grass, desert wildflowers, bearable temperatures - both day
and night. AND - an absence of people. I would anticipate that
we will be able to leave our clothes at our vehicles and not
need them until we return the next afternoon. BLM does not require
permits or fees for individual hikers, but does require permits
for groups larger than 10 people - so I do need to get a firm
head count about a month ahead of the trip. You can contact me
via email at wel@oz.net or by leaving me a message at (206) 405-2273
and I will return your call. We will probably need to arrange
car pools and certainly shuttles across the last mile of sand
roads to the gate. Please let me know as soon as you can if you
want to go as we will probably have to limit the number of people
in our party to comply with BLM requirements. The date scheduled
for this trip is June 12-13, 1999. Ideally, I would like to drive
over on Friday evening June 11 and stay at a local campground
so we can get an early start Saturday morning.
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