Getting naked with strangers
Social naturism is my new passion.
One of my current projects is a podcast that's exploring naturism. It's called Naked Men Talking.
Each episode, I'm joined by a different guest and we talk about their relationship with their body, what draws them to naturism, and what they've learnt about themselves as part of that journey.
I'm really enjoying the conversations, and it's got me thinking about my own relationship with naturism.
Growing up in Australia, there really wasn't much awareness or discussion of naturism. I didn't go to a naked beach until I moved to Europe. But it's really only in recent years that I've recognised that getting naked is something that really appeals to me.
Obviously, I like to get naked for sex, but I'm starting to appreciate that I'm also drawn to social naturism opportunities. I really enjoy a homosocial environment - where men are comfortable being naked with each other and just hanging out, literally.
So, I'm consciously looking for more social naturism opportunities. I could pretend that it's research for the podcast, but it's really just because I'm into it. I like getting naked. I like getting naked with other men.
That search for opportunities for social naturism has let me to a site called Oh! Naturist.
It was recommended to me by a guy that I met through the Massage Exchange platform.
I'm still getting my head around Oh! Naturist, but I have already had my first naked hang-out with a guy that I met through the site.
Tom came to my place on a Wednesday night. He lives in Essex but works in the city, so the logistics worked for us both. This was a naked hangout - no sex, just getting naked together and chatting. It was the first time that I'd done something like this.
I had some red wine and some olives ready. Tom arrived after work, as scheduled. We got naked, and talked. I kept our glasses topped up, but what made this whole thing easy was that Tom was really to talk with.
He probably felt a bit like he was being interrogated - I was quizzing him about all things naturism and getting his insights into how a site like Oh! Naturist works. But it was a really comfortable conversation - the fact that we were doing it naked was a bit immaterial.
My meet-up with Tom wasn't sexual - we didn't have sex - but there was a sexual energy underlying our hang-out. Maybe that's just me projecting sex onto everything, or maybe - as gay men - it's inherently sexual when we're around other gay men who are also naked.
I'm going to need to do some more research into this, but even when I'm observing straight men in homosocial environments such as locker-rooms they seem to also be interested in checking out each other's body, making jokes to break the tension, and being aware that getting naked with other men creates a dynamic that we don't often get to experience.
What's clear is that my social naturism adventures are just beginning.
The After Dark edition
If you want to admire every inch of men enjoying some social naturism opportunities, check out the After Dark edition.
