CO
ConnorOriginal Poster
Feb 2, 2026Excerpts from the article:
"Not long ago, after a day of work, a colleague and I met
for a friendly game of racquetball at our university gym.
In the newly designed locker room, I began pulling off my shirt
to change when he quickly stopped me: You cant do that here.
Undressing, it turned out, was nowpermitted only in small private stallswhich struck me as odd.
Its a striking reversal. For more than a century, the cultural norm
in the United States was that nudity was acceptableat least within
same-sex environments. Over the past couple of decades or so, that idea has largely dissolved.
1/2
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- COConnorOriginal PosterFeb 2, 2026
"This decline partly reflects shifts in the culture ...
Although these changes are largely positive, they also introduce a new reality:
Today, the only naked bodies that many Americans will
likely ever see are their own, a partners, or those on a screen. "2/2
ReactReply - COConnorOriginal PosterFeb 2, 2026For the full article:
[strong]www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/11/naked-locker-room-end/684907/[/strong] If you're being asked to sign-up, go to this one:imgbox.com/IYx4fzrdClick the article to get FULL SCREEN. If you click outside the article, you'll get an AD.ReactReply - MEMemberFeb 5, 2026[quote]Excerpts from the article: "Not long ago, after a day of work, a colleague and I met for a friendly game of racquetball at our university gym. In the newly designed locker room, I began pulling off my shirt to change when he quickly stopped me: You cant do that here. Undressing, it turned out, was now permitted only in small private stallswhich struck me as odd. Its a striking reversal. For more than a century, the cultural norm in the United States was that nudity was acceptableat least within same-sex environments. Over the past couple of decades or so, that idea has largely dissolved. 1/2[/quote] It must be asked what genuinely caused this. We all know the answer.....ReactReply
- TD
Tom DFeb 6, 2026[quote]Excerpts from the article:"Not long ago, after a day of work, a colleague and I metfor a friendly game of racquetball at our university gym.In the newly designed locker room, I began pulling off my shirtto change when he quickly stopped me: You cant do that here.Undressing, it turned out, was now permitted only in small private stallswhich struck me as odd.Its a striking reversal. For more than a century, the cultural normin the United States was that nudity was acceptableat least withinsame-sex environments. Over the past couple of decades or so, that idea has largely dissolved.1/2 It must be asked what genuinely caused this. We all know the answer.....[/quote] I can think of 4. 1. Near elimination of single sex locations other than locker rooms. Some years ago, there were many male only athletic facilities where nude swimming was generally expected and at some of these, many athletic activities were clothing optional. 2. Increased awareness of same sex attraction. 3. The AIDS situation. 4. Increased awareness of sexual abuse of children, although this should not have resulted in changes for facilities which were for adults only.ReactReply - ST
StevieLornaFeb 6, 2026[quote] many athletic activities were clothing optional.[/quote] I can find no evidence of this being even an occasional occurrence. Is it the same as your claim about Boy Scouts?ReactReply - SH
ShavedNudist27Feb 6, 2026At the YMCA locker room, the members can be nude while inside and it has a gang shower. I stay nude while in there for as long as I can and I have seen others doing the same thing. I often chat with other members, nude or clothed. There is no problem.
ReactReply - NUnudeyooperFeb 6, 2026
Unless texting and sending nude photos to each other has waned, it strikes me as odd that the push to rebuild locker rooms is occurring among younger generations.
ReactReply - TDTom DFeb 6, 2026[quote]many athletic activities were clothing optional. I can find no evidence of this being even an occasional occurrence. Is it the same as your claim about Boy Scouts?[/quote] I experienced a few times myself in the 80s. A close friend of mine belonged to a health club with separate facilities for men and women and all athletic activities in the men's section were clothing optional. There was a Yahoo group dedicated to the topic.ReactReply
- TDTom DFeb 6, 2026[quote]many athletic activities were clothing optional. I can find no evidence of this being even an occasional occurrence. Is it the same as your claim about Boy Scouts?[/quote] I experienced a few times myself in the 80s. A close friend of mine belonged to a health club with separate facilities for men and women and all athletic activities in the men's section were clothing optional. There was a Yahoo group dedicated to the topic.ReactReply
- STStevieLornaFeb 7, 2026
Growing up in the 80s I experienced it too.
Showering nude and being nude while changing clothes in locker rooms was perfectly acceptable and normal.
What wasnt normal was the occasional weird guy who would use the space as his own perversion room. you know the type, strange guys who whod wear weird shit instead of normal underwear and wander around hoping other men would notice .
ReactReply - STStevieLornaFeb 7, 2026[quote]A close friend of mine belonged to a health club with separate facilities for men and women and all athletic activities in the men's section were clothing optional.[/quote] Whats the name of the health club, Id like to research this.ReactReply
- TDTom DFeb 7, 2026[quote]A close friend of mine belonged to a health club with separate facilities for men and women and all athletic activities in the men's section were clothing optional. Whats the name of the health club, Id like to research this.[/quote] The Coliseum, Voorhees, NJ. This was in the late 70's and or early 80's. Nude workouts ended shortly thereafter.ReactReply
- TDTom DFeb 7, 2026[quote]A close friend of mine belonged to a health club with separate facilities for men and women and all athletic activities in the men's section were clothing optional. Whats the name of the health club, Id like to research this.[/quote] I also had contact with someone on this board who said that he belonged there in the 80's and working out nude was common. Can't seem to locate the conversation now.ReactReply
- COConnorOriginal PosterFeb 8, 2026. When I access the article multiple times at the Atlantic website, there were no paywall. My guess is when an article is accessed multiple times, a paywall shows up. Try this:imgbox.com/IYx4fzrdClick the article to get FULL SCREEN. If you click outside the article, you'll get an AD.ReactReply
- COConnorOriginal PosterFeb 8, 2026. [quote]... what genuinely caused this[/quote] It's not one cause, but how American society approached nudity throughout the years. The author starts in late 18th century to the present time and briefly describes the laws that were created and the cultural shifts in American society with regard to nudity. For those who are old enough(maybe you, your dad or grandfather), they might remember and have told some stories of skinny-dipping at a river, lake, or pond in their small town when they were young. If you attended private school during your high school years, swimming naked was the norm for both student genders. Swimming nude at the YMCA was the norm. Most likely, those days are gone now, one of many changes in American cultural norms. It's an interesting read because these American cultural shifts overlap on what we know as NUDISM/NATURISM.ReactReply