Despite the moral panic that surrounds nudism and three bizarre cases of police tasering naked people recently in South Florida, nudists continue to fight to make the region their home.
Naturist David Armstrong is lobbying the city to make Delray Beach clothing-optional, armed with a petition of 45,000 signatures from people who want to embrace a tan-line-free lifestyle.
Armstrong and a group called the Delray Beach
Naturists have been lobbying city officials for a nudist beach for six years.
"We're public citizens. We pay taxes," Armstrong told WPBF 25 News. "They should set aside a section of land for nude recreation."
Anyone who has felt the urge to strip off his or her clothes and stroll down Delray Beach in the buff can head to the city's annual citizen's roundtable discussion tonight, where Armstrong plans to push for a nude family beach.
But
it's unlikely Delray beachcombers will get permission to expose their
bits in public. Vice Mayor Adam Frankel scoffed at Armstrong's request,
explaining that a nudist beach wasn't in the cards for Delray Beach. Why
not? Because people who like being naked don't fit into the squeaky-clean, family-oriented image that Delray Beach brands itself with.
"A nudist beach really would not fit with the child-friendly and family-friendly principles we have here," Frankel said.
This argument puzzled Armstrong, who pointed out that nudists also enjoy family time.
"Naturists have families as well, so I don't understand his point."
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