Young, gifted and black
Charting the progress of the stereotype-shattering Black Naturists Association.
INTERVIEW: BLACK NATURISTS ASSOCIATION
YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK
When Patricka Hogue and friends realised that naturists of colour were under-represented in the USA, they decided to do something about it. Naturist Travel charts the progress of the stereotype-shattering Black Naturists Association.
The USA has several naturist associations. You obviously believed there was a need for another.
Yes, along with a group of friends who also enjoyed the naturist lifestyle. Without getting too hung up on the race issue, it was clear to see that whenever we went to a naturist beach or venue, black faces were very much in the minority. Even at places such as Hedonism, on a very black island like Jamaica, you’ll find more white people there than not.
Do you think that is due to discrimination?
Not overtly. But I think some black travellers aren’t necessarily made to feel welcome in certain places, or at the very least feel uncomfortable themselves if they are such an obvious minority. And within black culture in the USA, there is often a resistance to naturism, so we have set out to try and demystify and destigmatise it a little. But in a fun way!
And who is the ‘we’?
Most of the current committee, if you want to call it that, know each other from way back, even though we are now spread all over the country. We’re all in our late thirties or early forties, and came up with the idea back in 2016 of launching a travel club, with the joint aim of helping to promote healthy body image and self-esteem through naturism.
So even though you are called an association, the organisation is much looser than that?
Absolutely. We all have days jobs. I’m an airline service manager. The others include an attorney, an auditor, a financial planner and a project manager. We have a few rules and regulations, but nothing too weighty, and are primarily involved in organising naturist-related events and holidays, epitomised by laughter and new friendships. We engage in similar activities to other trips where people are clothed: we sunbathe, swim, lounge by the pool, bowl, have game nights, sing karaoke…
And the destinations?
We’ve been to places like Miami, Orlando, Mexico, Haiti, Curacāo and Jamaica, and this year we’ll be heading to Europe for the first time, as we’re running a naturist cruise in Croatia.
Which is already sold out, I gather?
Yes! It’s been incredibly popular. And we have people on the waiting list. It proves the value of membership. Our events are open to anybody, as we want to encourage participation and spread the word, but members get priority on event bookings.
You’re in charge of BNA membership. What does it entail?
The annual fee is US$96. Once an application is submitted, we will perform a basic sex offender search to make sure we are doing our best to keep all members in a safe and secure environment while within the group or on our trips. Membership offers access to a private Facebook page where people can share and learn in a secure environment, priority on event bookings, discounts on events, and an annual membership to the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR).
What are some of the key tenets of BNA?
Regardless of race or colour, there’s that age-old perception to deal with that all nudists are swingers, and engage in sexual activity whenever they get together. However, we are categorically not a sex or swingers’ club, and we have very specific rules around sexual activity while on a BNA trip: of course, sex is healthy and natural, and can happen anywhere in private between consenting adults, but we also want to make nudity normal without it being automatically associated with sex or sexuality. We also have a zero-tolerance policy on harassment of any kind.
Many members are corporate professionals. How do you ensure their privacy is respected?
We take safety and privacy seriously; pictures are never allowed unless first approved by everyone involved. We occasionally take group photos for promotional use, but before doing so we make sure to get everyone’s consent. Before pictures are posted, we double-check again check with participants if there are any concerns before releasing.
And how do you help women, in particular, embrace the naturist experience?
For any women who might still be a little hesitant, we try to ease them into getting naked at a nude beach or BNA trip. They can start with going topless and then take more off as they become more comfortable. The bottom line, if you’ll pardon the expression, is that once they get naked, they’ll see that everyone is enjoying the space they’re in and isn’t worried about, or judging, how anybody looks. We all have the same parts; they just look different on each person, and we embrace it all.
And despite the ‘black’ tag, you don’t exclude anybody from joining BNA?
No. The majority of our members, by definition, are currently black or mixed race, as that has been our USP, but we also have members who are white and Latino, and see this growing as we become more established. At the end of the day, it’s a joint interest in naturism that unites us.
And how do you think naturism is perceived in general in the USA?
In a country where some of the most popular television programmes show nudity during primetime hours, it’s strange just how shocked or uncomfortable a lot of people still are with the naked body, especially in a normal, natural setting like the beach. We love beaches like Haulover and Gunnison, and have had great support from venues such as Cypress Cove, but we’d like to try to expand our activities outside of the usual suspects. Covid however has hit the domestic travel industry hard in terms of further investment, and getting approval for new naturist beaches is always a hard-slog through local or state legislation, so we’re not holding our breath for too many radical changes soon.
So where does that leave BNA?
We’ve been pretty pleased with our progress so far, especially as almost every aspect of life the world over has been in limbo for two years. We currently have approaching 400 members, and around 6000 followers on Facebook, so word is getting out. We’re adding to our range of merchandising products, improving our social media presence, and are aways on the lookout for new partners, venues and destinations, whilst continuing to push our message that naturism is liberating, empowering and life-changing - whatever your colour.
