A common Issue people have with Naturism/Nudism is they have trouble convincing their partners to join in. This is something that should be addressed carefully as it is not something many people would ever consider doing. We are not here to convert but rather educate people about how wonderful our lifestyle can be. Its not the conversion that is important but rather acceptance. Being accepted by the rest of society with an open mind and non-prudish attitudes will naturally bring more to the ranks of nudism. Unfortunately most of society will follow the salmon run and not think for themselves but rather latch on to sensationalist media and poorly presented press about a lifestyle that is so often miss represented. This in turn creates a miss interpretation of what we are all about.
If you are in a relationship and have recently revealed you are a nudist, depending on the reaction of your partner you may get a very different response to the suggestion of joining the fun of such a wonderful lifestyle.
If your partner accepts what you do and holds no objections or reservations about how often you are undertaking your love of nudism then you may be well received in an invite to your local nude beach. How well received will depend on a few elements within your relationship. Firstly, how long have you been together? If you just started dating good luck!! Unless your partner is very open minded and has no hangups about trying new and adventurous things. If you have been together for a while there may be enough trust and enough discussion about the ethos behind what you do to open a small window of curiosity. This may lead to a healthy growth toward a open view on an alternative lifestyle.
Have you had discussions about what naturism is and why you love it so much? If not then now is a good time to start. Never lead in with "Do you want to give it a try? or Get naked with me". This can be off-putting, especially for one who had probably never thought about being naked for any other reason than having a shower. Uplift the lifestyle by talking about the positives in your life and how it has made you who you are today. Be sure to address the negatives also but make sure they are kept in context and re-affirm the the good far outweigh the bad. If we don't discuss how we feel about naturism/nudism and open peoples mind to the concept that nudity does not equal sex then there will be no advance in the acceptance of a relaxing and beautiful lifestyle.
If you have had discussions about Naturism and they have all shown positive response then it may be a good chance to offer an experience at a nude beach. Remind them that they don't have to be nude and they can remove as much or as little of their bathing suit as they wish. It is far better they see the locations and how everybody there behaves than them taking the plunge and freaking out about a first public nude experience.
If on the other hand you are in a relationship where your partner does not like what you do, then your pretty much stuck between a rock and a hard place. Your partner will most definitely not want to join you and will most likely not like you frequenting nude beaches and nudist venues. For reasons only they know they will forever be closed to the concept of nude recreation until somebody opens them up to it. The only way find out what makes your partner dislike your activities so much is to front up and ask. It may be the kick-start to a conversation (or feisty debate) giving you the chance to demonstrate that your lifestyle choice is nothing more than a relaxing way of life sans clothes.
The most common problems I've heard from nudists is that they cant tell family or friends what they do because of fear from being ridiculed or that their family wont accept it and call them dirty or other nasty names. It is also often that I hear the partner does not like what they do. Of all the people that should support you it is your partner... but this is about converting others. When we talk about converting others as mentioned above, we are not trying to convert them to nudism/naturism, we are trying to convert their thoughts or opinions about nudism/naturism. They way someone percieves you and what you do is very important in being able to change their opinion on what they dont understand.
The reason I led with partners is because it is usually the partner that carries the most influence on a persons personal life and the support they get from this person is important to how they feel about their lifestyle. If you are made to feel like nudism is wrong or dirty then you will eventually portray it that way. You will do it in secret and never talk about it openly with others and make a conversation out of it. With full support you can talk about it more openly and not be ashamed about you love of the lifestyle.
People who know you and have known you for many years or since you were a child would probably surprise you in the response they give when you tell them you are a nudist/naturist. They might have a bit of a poke at you and tease you a little but they know you as a person and they know your character so in all reality will probably support you and most likely not really think much of it. I did reveal via Facebook not so long ago because I was tired of hiding my lifestyle and picking and choosing who to tell and who not to tell so I decided to just open up and reveal to all. Every one now knows in my family and friends and nobody really cares. I still cant be nude in their company, except for the few friends that already knew and have already told me I can do so whenever they are around, but the main point is that it is out in the open.
So now to the question of how to convert them. Well it not really that difficult really. There may be some who have very strong opinions about what they believe the lifestyle is all about and may offer a quite strong resistance to being swayed from their views. Don't be discouraged, there are not that many of them around and they probably wont really care what you do with your personal life any way. The best way to convert a person it to talk to them, be open about this aspect of your life and be straight forward about your views, the positives and negatives of the lifestyle. Don't let peoples fears of the unknown draw you into a firestorm debate but rather help address them and show them that Nudism/naturism is simply another way of life.
Invite your friends to your local nude beach so they can see what goes on. They don't have to get their kit off but go as a group and show them how great it can be and introduce them to some of you nudist buddies. Just tell them you want to show them first hand what it is like out there in the nudist community. If anything it will be an experience they will never forget. Who knows they may get their kit off any way!!
If you love this lifestyle and you want to become more involved in promoting it then you have the obligation to be honest with yourself and the people around you and let them know what you are all about. You may as well because if you end up getting a lucky break and get an interview on a major TV network they will find out any way. You are your ambassador for your way of life, be proud of who you are and what you believe in. We aren't trying to convert others to nudism, we are trying to convert them to accept nudism.
