RECREATION
63
“The first year, we had 123 people in the
water,” Jones says. “In 2016, there were
276. We hope to break 300 this year.”
A 2015 poll by the Naturist Education
Foundation found that 73 percent of
Floridians think people should be able to
enjoy nude sunbathing at a designated
beach.
ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION
Not everyone is thrilled, however.
Ormond Reese, a longtime resident of St.
Lucie County, says that while Blind Creek
Beach is technically open to everyone, it
seems restrictive.
“I don’t like the idea that people at a
public beach could feel uncomfortable or
not fit in,” he says. Naturists, however, say
they are all about acceptance and inclusion.
When TCN arranged a bowling event in
Jensen, complaints poured in.
“The backlash actually increased our
Facebook likes, so we rescheduled,” Jones
says. “It’s not a sex thing. Anything another
group would do — potlucks, picnics
— we do, too. Just without clothes.”
For more information, visit TCN’s website
or Facebook page, or email treasurecoastnaturists@
yahoo.com.
William Raatz of Jensen Beach, who visits Blind Creek often, thinks today’s society is schizophrenic
because companies use sex to sell everything, but there’s ‘prudity’ when it comes to the human
body. His companion, Claudia Levi of Port St. Lucie, believes that nudity promotes oneness.
Treasure Coast Naturists volunteers spend their morning cleaning the portable toilets near the parking area at Blind Creek Beach. TCN members are usually
at the beach on weekends to help clean the area and answer questions visitors might have.
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