Every-body Cover Up: Ten Years Since Nude Beach Crackdown

Naturists will pay a high price to let it all out

One slightly obscure consequence of Superstorm Sandy is that Fire Island beaches that were once traditionally clothing optional were no longer open to nude recreation. Ten years ago this February, a decision was made to begin enforcing the 1984 state statute prohibiting the clothing optional status. This law states that a person is guilty of exposure if he appears in a public place in such a manner that the private or intimate parts of his body are unclothed or exposed. This section shall not apply to the breastfeeding of infants or to any person entertaining or performing in a play, exhibition, show or entertainment. It is important to note that since 1992 it has been legal in New York State for a woman to be topless anywhere a man can also be shirtless.

Up until 2013, the National Park Service, who oversees the beaches, tolerated the activity, going so far as allowing locals to put up signs warning people that they might encounter naturists in these designated areas. (Naturist is the term preferred by most people who enjoy nude recreation and advocate for its acceptance. “Nudist” is an outdated term and usually carries a negative connotation.)

According to Susan Rothberg, a member of the board of directors of the Naturist Action Committee (NAC), there is anecdotal evidence of nude recreation at Lighthouse Beach dating back at least to World War II, if not earlier. “There’s a story that the first lighthouse keeper’s daughter wrote that people went nude on Lighthouse Beach. I do know for a fact that a friend of mine, who has since passed away, sat on Lighthouse Beach during WWII and saw people sunbathing nude,” Rothberg said in an email.

For people who participate in naturist activities, there is a sense of community and acceptance that comes with being nude. It is more about experiencing nature fully than being seen naked. Rothberg said “to me, a social nude setting is about body acceptance. No one judges your looks. I found that men on a nude beach looked me in the eye…when we were speaking to each other, more so than in the textile world. We were a family, went to weddings and funerals, and socialized off the beach.”

All of this came to a halt after Sandy. Part of the reason is because the storm flattened the dunes, making the naturist part of the beach visible from Lighthouse Road. Compounding that is the fact that Lighthouse Beach is located in one of the busiest parts of the park. Alexcy Romero, Superintendent of the Fire Island National Seashore, said that “Fifty percent of our visitors do come through Lighthouse Beach, and they come from the west, walking east. We receive close to 100,000 visitors at the lighthouse. So there have been complicated incidents between those who are for it and those who are against it. And so, you have families, you have school groups, you have a variety of different users coming through that area, and we noticed an increase in visitor conflict and concern.”

Additionally, there were people who took the clothing optional status as free rein to indulge in other recreational activities. Both Superintendent Romero and Rothberg acknowledged this as a problem.

“There was a lot of lewd and lascivious activity occurring there… a prostitution ring was suspected to be operating on the beach,” said Romero. Because of the small number of rangers available, he stated that they were spending a disproportionate amount of time dealing with behavior and conflicts on this part of the beach. “It was taking away from visitor safety in other areas of the park; our guys are patrolling up and down the 26 miles of shoreline.”

Rothberg also said there were people being lewd in the naturist portion of the beach, but pushed back against the idea that it was worse there than other sections. “It wasn’t a day at church; sadly some miscreants thought it was an appropriate location for open sex and weed. But it was really no worse than any other beach in the area.”

Romero cited heavy use and people using the dunes as additional reasons for the decision. “Because it is a remote location, we don’t have the public facilities that are needed. So we did see activities of human waste and an increase of garbage up there. Again, we don’t have the staffing to manage that. It had been documented that that heavy recreational use did disturb the threatened Endangered Species Program that we closely monitor here at Fire Island National Seashore.” It is unclear if restricting the beach to clothed-only has impacted the level of use.

The dunes have begun to re-form, but the beaches remain closed to naturist activities. Romero said their approach with people using the beach unclothed is to educate them about the rules. “When we see nude people out there we will educate, we will advise accordingly. So we will approach and share that you know, this is not a clothing optional beach, please dress. it’s usually a warning followed up by what would then be a citation for lewd conduct, something along those lines.”

The consequences for this citation may result in a fine as high as $5,000 and six months in jail.

For those who would like to see the beaches return to clothing optional, the best course is to contact your state representatives.