Nudity and protest
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Nudity is sometimes used as a tactic during a protest to attract public attention to a cause. The use of the tactic goes back to the Doukhobor social movement in 1914. The tactic has been used by other groups later in the century, especially after the 1960s. Like public nudity in general, cultural and legal acceptance of nudity as a tactic in protest also varies around the world. Some opponents of any public nudity claim that it is indecent especially when it can be viewed by children; while others argue that it is a legitimate form of expression covered by the right to free speech.
Even in places where public nudity is tolerated, it is still unexpected enough that its use by activists as a deliberate tactic is often successful in attracting publicity from the media.
Some nude activism is not to promote a particular cause, but rather to promote public nudity itself, or to change community perceptions of the naked human body, or as an expression of a personal desire to be nude in public.
See also
- Timeline of significant non-sexualized public nudity activities
- Social nudism
- Clothes free organizations
- Civil disobedience
- Lady Godiva
- Naked truth
