No nudity in changing rooms
Discussion
I read an article in the newspaper this morning about a surfing club in Australia that has banned nudity in their changing rooms. Apparently surfers have to shower in their costumes and then change using a towel. To be clear, this is in single sex changing rooms, not mixed changing rooms.
Apparently to “protect the children”. Personally I would think it as a good way of giving some children a completely messed up relationship with their own bodies.
I was a bit surprised as even in the UK growing up in the 70s we had to shower naked after sport. Is this of nonsense spreading to the U.K. too?
Having lived in countries where mixed naked saunas are not unusual it does seem a bit baffling.
Apparently to “protect the children”. Personally I would think it as a good way of giving some children a completely messed up relationship with their own bodies.
I was a bit surprised as even in the UK growing up in the 70s we had to shower naked after sport. Is this of nonsense spreading to the U.K. too?
Having lived in countries where mixed naked saunas are not unusual it does seem a bit baffling.
Haven't been swimming with a good while I remember the new swimming baths I attended in the 90's had mixed changing rooms. Very different to the ones I went to which had mens and women's and lots of cubicles and people dropped their drawers with a towel around them. Morning session which was mostly attended by mature women who had no issues strutting around with everything out.
Then I remember being on the Continent as a kid, can't remember if it was France or Spain at a waterpark but it had mixed changing. Men and women standing completely naked having conversations in the showers but then I think nudity is a lot more accepted there.
Then I remember being on the Continent as a kid, can't remember if it was France or Spain at a waterpark but it had mixed changing. Men and women standing completely naked having conversations in the showers but then I think nudity is a lot more accepted there.
Edited by sutoka on Friday 31st March 06:57
This is just Australia being Australia which has developed a virulent strain of American style puritanism in the last few decades.
That being said this sounds like an individual organisations policy, not a law so I guess it's a case of "their gaff, their rules".
Edit: quick read.of the article above, sounds like a bit of Karen-ism as well. Can't say that surprises me either.
That being said this sounds like an individual organisations policy, not a law so I guess it's a case of "their gaff, their rules".
Edit: quick read.of the article above, sounds like a bit of Karen-ism as well. Can't say that surprises me either.
Edited by captain_cynic on Friday 31st March 07:28
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hstewie said:
Attention grabbing headline and sounds a bit silly on the face of it, but the quote from the CEO adds more detail and sounds reasonable enough.hstewie said:the article said:
Surf Life Saving New South Wales CEO Steve Pearce said the signage "probably could have been done better", but was only done as an interim measure until the changing rooms are renovated.
"We're aware the facilities are inadequate," he told the BBC. "But [the club] received complaints from some junior members about being intimidated and uncomfortable".
"Instead of just putting a blanket "no nudity", if the signs explained why people should refrain from being nude while children were in the change room, it would have been better received, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"We're aware the facilities are inadequate," he told the BBC. "But [the club] received complaints from some junior members about being intimidated and uncomfortable".
"Instead of just putting a blanket "no nudity", if the signs explained why people should refrain from being nude while children were in the change room, it would have been better received, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
hyperblue said:
bhstewie said:
Attention grabbing headline and sounds a bit silly on the face of it, but the quote from the CEO adds more detail and sounds reasonable enough.hstewie said:the article said:
Surf Life Saving New South Wales CEO Steve Pearce said the signage "probably could have been done better", but was only done as an interim measure until the changing rooms are renovated.
"We're aware the facilities are inadequate," he told the BBC. "But [the club] received complaints from some junior members about being intimidated and uncomfortable".
"Instead of just putting a blanket "no nudity", if the signs explained why people should refrain from being nude while children were in the change room, it would have been better received, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"We're aware the facilities are inadequate," he told the BBC. "But [the club] received complaints from some junior members about being intimidated and uncomfortable".
"Instead of just putting a blanket "no nudity", if the signs explained why people should refrain from being nude while children were in the change room, it would have been better received, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Nudists might take things a bit far but in general the human body shouldn't be hidden away, we invent the hang ups that lead to costumes being mandated in same sex changing rooms. We then teach these to children rather than letting them develop healthy attitudes.
Puritanical attitudes didn't go away with the decline of religion it just takes new forms.
hyperblue said:
bhstewie said:
Attention grabbing headline and sounds a bit silly on the face of it, but the quote from the CEO adds more detail and sounds reasonable enough.hstewie said:the article said:
Surf Life Saving New South Wales CEO Steve Pearce said the signage "probably could have been done better", but was only done as an interim measure until the changing rooms are renovated.
"We're aware the facilities are inadequate," he told the BBC. "But [the club] received complaints from some junior members about being intimidated and uncomfortable".
"Instead of just putting a blanket "no nudity", if the signs explained why people should refrain from being nude while children were in the change room, it would have been better received, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"We're aware the facilities are inadequate," he told the BBC. "But [the club] received complaints from some junior members about being intimidated and uncomfortable".
"Instead of just putting a blanket "no nudity", if the signs explained why people should refrain from being nude while children were in the change room, it would have been better received, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."
It is inevitable people will be naked in changing rooms, the clue is in the name.
However, a little bit of modesty doesnt go amiss, I go to the gym and there are some men who just wander round starkers, its not really that much of an imposition to put a towel round you is it ?
Doesn't bother me but the gym has swimming classes for kids and there are always parents with their children in there, and fair enough its a mens changing room but personally, I wouldnt want to be seen as someone who wanders round with no clothes on in front of kids. The kids never seem bothered, they dont notice I expect, usually too busy crying, charging about and generally being kids but these days I think its naive for these men to walk round like that, one comment or parent objecting and it could get very unpleasant for them.
Its always the older men, younger chaps dont seem do it. Saw one older gent once with his leg on the counter top drying his undercarriage with a hairdryer, I mean WTF !
Had seen that in a cartoon, it is bang on,
However, a little bit of modesty doesnt go amiss, I go to the gym and there are some men who just wander round starkers, its not really that much of an imposition to put a towel round you is it ?
Doesn't bother me but the gym has swimming classes for kids and there are always parents with their children in there, and fair enough its a mens changing room but personally, I wouldnt want to be seen as someone who wanders round with no clothes on in front of kids. The kids never seem bothered, they dont notice I expect, usually too busy crying, charging about and generally being kids but these days I think its naive for these men to walk round like that, one comment or parent objecting and it could get very unpleasant for them.
Its always the older men, younger chaps dont seem do it. Saw one older gent once with his leg on the counter top drying his undercarriage with a hairdryer, I mean WTF !
Had seen that in a cartoon, it is bang on,
Skeptisk said:
How is that reasonable? If children are getting “intimidated and uncomfortable” at the sight of a naked person of the same sex then the problem that needs to be addressed is why they have that feeling, not stopping people being naked.
I think counselling kids is a bit outside the remit of a surf club.ZedLeg said:
That’s the way it goes isn’t it. You get set up with hang ups about body image and nudity when you’re young and it takes 60 years to get over it 
It's not hang ups that I don't walk around the changing room and naked and dry my balls with the dryer (the old chaps do this in my gym too)Biggy Stardust said:
J4CKO said:
I wouldnt want to be seen as someone who wanders round with no clothes on in front of kids
I see your point but there's a huge difference between wandering around the room naked vs just taking clothes off to change.Biggy Stardust said:
J4CKO said:
I wouldnt want to be seen as someone who wanders round with no clothes on in front of kids
I see your point but there's a huge difference between wandering around the room naked vs just taking clothes off to change.I quite like having no clothes on but dont ever want to impose that on anyone else, time and a place. Main thing is not "exposing" yourself to anything as well these days, unlikely but possible.
Seen one chap stood shaving naked, went for a swim for twenty minutes or so, he was still there which struck me as a bit strange.
J4CKO said:
Doesn't bother me but the gym has swimming classes for kids and there are always parents with their children in there, and fair enough its a mens changing room but personally, I wouldnt want to be seen as someone who wanders round with no clothes on in front of kids.
I swim most days. Plenty of nudity. Yes, dads who aren't swimming use the changing room with their young kids, who can be boys of girls, but at 8 years old they have to use their own sex changing room, unaccompanied if they don't have their same sex parent with them, so I doubt any girls under 8 in the men's changing room are remotely bothered. Weirdest thing we had was a woman who wasn't swimming, who insisted using the men's changing room for her 4/5 y/o son. When told she couldn't be there and to sod off to the ladies, she said "well you don't expect my son to have to see naked women". Errr....yes, we don't expect to see an adult female in the men's changing room. Asked her how she would feel being naked in the ladies with a grown man and his 5 y/o daughter, but were told "don't be ridiculous, that's different".
The staff eventually got involved but she wasn't having it, and continued each week to use the men's. Eventually she was banned completely. Nutter.
Nudity in same sex communal changing rooms is normal.
At my leisure centre if a parent comes in with a youngster to change I will turn away if possible whilst drying/dressing etc to avoid unnecessary waggling of tackle in youngsters general direction.
Seems common sense and polite to me.
At my leisure centre if a parent comes in with a youngster to change I will turn away if possible whilst drying/dressing etc to avoid unnecessary waggling of tackle in youngsters general direction.
Seems common sense and polite to me.
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