Recreational Nudity and the Law (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A collection of 101 abstracts of cases dealing with recreational nudity and how they were handled in the legal system.

Many people equate their nude recreation experience with being in the biblical paradise known as the Garden of Eden. There is a freedom that comes with being nude with your family and friends on some ocean beach that many believe is as close as one can get to that mythical place on Earth.

Not everyone accepts simple nudity as innocuous and innocent. Laws have even made it illegal!

The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden by Masaccio (1401-28) seems like an appropriate image for those people prosecuted for being nude. This compilation reads like an anthology of short stories developed about the general theme of being nude in a recreational setting.

Some of the stories seem a bit implausible. Others are down right funny. Some are titillating. While others are nothing short of bazar.

The thing that makes this book all the more interesting is that the tales are all true. Each "story" is an abstract of an actual case that has been heard in court.

Taken collectively the stories reveal how nudity in a recreational setting has evolved over the years from 1934 to 1995.

From the Inside Flap

Masaccio's fresco, The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden seems an effective illustration of the materials summarized within this text.

With the expulsion of Adam and Eve also came the first prohibitions against nudity, at least mythologically. A prohibition that early on crept into the judicial system occasionally still appearing in some contemporary judicial opinions ruling against public nudity.

Perhaps it is not surprising that the advocates o nudity in a recreational context often equate its manifestation with the paradise of the Garden of Eden.

In this volume Gordon Gill summarized 101 reported U.S. court decisions involving recreational nudity.

Author Gordon Gill first perceived a need for such a book after observing a succession of judicial decisions dealing with its legality, not all of them consistent. A bit of research revealed some early decisions - beginning in the 1930s when the American nudist movement was becoming firmly established - wherein prosecutors successfully obtained criminal judgements against persons engaging in innocuous nudity in private swimming pools, etc. Subsequently, the laws of a number of states changed so that engaging in recreational nudity on private property now is generally deemed acceptable.

As is evident from an analysis of recent cases herein, courts are rendering mixed decisions in the legality of casual nudity in public beach and park areas. The Supreme Court of Florida has held that in the absence of accompanying lascivious conduct, outdoor public nudity did not fall within the provisions of an indecent exposure statute. Similarly, the New York Court of Appeals has held that prosecutors could not apply a criminal statute governing lewd behavior to bare-breasted women enjoying public facilities in a city park. Meanwhile, other state and federal courts have proscribed casual nudity. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Dr Leisure (June 15, 1995)
• ISBN-10: 1887471014
• ISBN-13: 978-1887471015
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,528,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overview of shift in law and legal attitude toward nudity., September 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Recreational Nudity and the Law (Hardcover)

It is facinating to read the details of the 101 cases covered by Gill in Recreational Nudity and the Law. In the early days (1934) people were convicted of "outraging public decency" for being nude inside a building! Today nudity at the beach is becoming more commonplace and the legal attitude mixed.

One thing for sure is that more often than not it is OK for a woman to appear at the beach top free. This freedom has not come without the considerable effort of a lot of women who took the time to stand up for their rights. Cases dealing with this aspect of the woman's movement are included in this text.

A fun read that yeilds some interesting insights into the human condition. Highly recommended by Dr. Leisure for anyone concerned about the trends in the acceptance of public nudity in this country. Most importantly Gill just presents the facts and leaves the interpretation of those facts regarding trends up to the reader.

Dr. Leisure sees some very positive trends in this area. Make up your own