The Vermont legislators who introduced H.683 have the best of intentions, no doubt. If passed, the bill would make public nudity throughout Vermont illegal — as it already is in Burlington — and punishable by a $500 fine.  But it wouldn’t solve any real-world problems, and would exace rbate the scourge of body shaming, which is associated with issues like low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders and many other challenges. That is one of the reasons healthy, nonsexual social nudity can result in constructive and beneficial, even life-changing, experiences. The first time I traveled outside the United States in the 1990s, I flew from the U.S. to Helsinki through Amsterdam, and at each airport I visited, I was surprised to see large images featuring full-frontal nudity advertising things like saunas at luxury spas. I began learning then that the body shame common in the U.S. was neither universal nor healthy. Body-shaming is one of the most harmful forms of demeaning others and can occur through direct insults, unsolicited advice and even well-meaning comments that are perceived as critical. I think H. 683 falls into that latter category, and that its message is unmistakable: there is something inherently wrong with our bodies that makes them shameful. They should be hidden away and kept from public view. READ MORE As a result of laws like the one proposed in H. 683, the only naked bodies most of us see with any regularity are those heavily curated in magazines and Hollywood movies — Photoshopped, made-up and filtered — creating social body standards that are not only unrealistic but also harmful. Vermont’s current laws, which permit public nudity in certain circumstances, provided it is not lewd or prohibited by local ordinance, are one of the things that make our state a special vacation destination for some. People come here to experience the freedom of baring it all for social hiking, biking, swimming and other nonsexual activities. Apart from official public nudist events, like Montpelier’s World Naked Bike Ride, for which advance public notice is provided, I have never personally encountered a naked person in public in Vermont. No one I’ve spoken to has either, and no one I discussed the issue with feels they would be harmed if they met someone naked. While there is the occasional news story about a person or people strolling Church Street in Burlington in the nude, it is certainly not a common experience for most Vermonters. I believe the only people who’d be offended are those who’ve been indoctrinated by our culture of body shaming. Challenging this view is a good thing, even if some people are offended by the sight of a naked person. As a yoga instructor who sometimes teaches naked yoga, I have watched people experience profound emotional transformations resulting from the simple act of disrobing in front of others and then being perfectly accepted as they are. The shedding of body shame is often described as an intense spiritual experience of self-acceptance, which is something we should celebrate, rather than wrongly insisting there is something inherently bad, dirty or wrong with our bodies. I consider our bodies sacred vessels that carry our consciousness through our entire lives. They should be cherished as such and not belittled and demeaned as naughty, offensive or dirty. The problem to be solved is body shaming, not public nudity. Nudity isn’t an actual problem at all, and many religions celebrate it. This proposed law, therefore, has everything exactly backwards, particularly in a progressive state like Vermont that celebrates freedom of expression and freedom from religion. Mike Fry Montpelier, Vt. Read the story on VTDigger here: Mike Fry: The naked truth about Vermont’s nudity bill. ...read more read less