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Jesse's Journal
 We've been hearing a lot lately about U.S. Congressman Mark Foley, the Republican from West Palm Beach, Florida. The 48-year-old bachelor got into a tizzy when South Florida's New Times published an article by Bob Norman that claimed Foley is gay. (Here New Times was behind the gay press, which has been discussing Foley's sexual orientation for years.)
Foley responded to this article by holding a press conference where he announced his intention to remain in the closet. "I find these tactics revolting," he screamed. "My mother and father raised me and the rest of my family to believe that there are certain things we shouldn't discuss in public . . . Some of you may believe that it's old-fashioned, but I believe those are good ideals to live by." Foley blamed this attempted outing on a vast left-wing conspiracy perpetrated by "Democratic activists" Foley's insistence that his private life must remain private does not keep him from looking into other people's private lives. Recently Foley went after the Youth Leadership Camp, a teen summer camp run by the American Association for Nude Recreation. Held at Lake Como, a nudist resort near Lutz, Florida, the Camp has 11 to 18-year olds doing what teenage campers do, only naked. According to Kate Zernike, who let the cat out of the bag in the New York Times, "Parents and campers say the camp promotes a healthy body image at an age when confidence can crumble, and better relations between the sexes when awkwardness normally prevails. . . . The nudist association . . . sees this as a place to train 'youth ambassadors' to what nudists call the 'textile' world." Naturists agree that the Camp provides a safe, family-like environment for young nudists, and the locals seem to agree. Bernie McCabe, the state attorney from Pasco County, told Zernike that he had never heard any complaints about it. This did not satisfy Foley, who read the article about the Camp and saw SEX, PERVERSION and the exploitation of innocent children. Foley immediately sent a letter to Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Attorney General Charlie Crist, asking that his fellow Republicans look into the matter and determine if such an outrage was legal. (It is.) Here is Foley's letter: "Dear Governor Bush and Attorney General Crist: "The New York Times today carried an article I found truly disturbing. Headlined "Old Enough to Make a Lanyard, and to Do It Nude," it is a story about a nudist camp for children - ages 11-18 - at the Lake Como Resort in Land O'Lakes, Florida. "Pasco County, according to the story, has long been a haven for nudists and nudist resorts. The reason is that, again according to the story, Florida's laws permit underage nudity as long as there is no "lewdness." "Obviously I have no way of knowing whether illegal behavior is taking place in this camp, but the situation clearly raises legitimate issues that should be addressed given that it involves minor children. I am also deeply troubled that these "camps" are businesses specifically exploiting nudity among minor children to make money. "The New York Times article also clearly raises safety issues concerning these children. For example, the article told of instances where men have made their way to the camp to get a "glimpse" of these naked children. I am sure this was not the first time someone tried to gain access illegally to this camp and I am not sure it will not be the last. The next time, these children may not be so fortunate: the trespasser may have more on his mind than just peeping. "As Co-Chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, I'm asking that current Florida law be reviewed to determine if this camp is indeed legal or if it has simply slipped under the radar screen of law enforcement for the past 10 years. "If Florida law is not sufficient to address these camps, you certainly can count on my support to pursue changes in the statutes. Over the years, while working with John Walsh and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, I have come across many stories of children endangered in even less troubling situations than these camps represent. I have been fighting for years to eliminate both child pornography and so-called "exploitive child modeling" websites and frankly I would put these camps in the same mold: I believe they may be endangering these children. "I look forward to hearing from [you] to see what we can do to ensure the safety of our state's children. Sincerely, Mark Foley, Member of Congress" To Mr. Foley, the Youth Leadership Camp has no redeeming feature whatsoever. "What's wrong with your kids going to Boy Scouts, Campfire Girls or sports camps?," he told James Thorner, of the St. Petersburg Times. "It's beyond the pale that this is a normal way to bring up a 14-year-old child." According to Thorner, "Foley suggested the camps force kids to fixate on nudity during their impressionable, formative years. Normal teen sexual urges can become inflamed by the nakedness around them". "It's putting matches a little too close to gasoline," Foley added. In this, alas, Foley is not alone. According to various surveys, most Americans agree with Foley that teens should cover up.
The belief that nudism equals sex is a common misconception in American society, one that naturists have tried their best to refute. Erich Schuttauf, the executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation, told Jill Barton of the Associated Press that he and Foley are "on the same team. We're about the same thing, we believe in strong families."
Steve Vickers, a former camper who's now a counselor, told Barton that Foley "has the wrong idea about the camp" and that "a strict line is drawn between nudism and sexuality". "When you're nude, it's like family time," said Vickers. Being naked is not illegal, even with minors, as long as there's no sexual activity involved, and Camp rules make sure that nothing lewd occurs: "Do not allow nudity and lust to mingle. No improper touch. Nudity must not be humiliating, degrading or promote ridicule." Foley and his supporters argue that a teen nudist camp will place kids at risk of falling into the hands of sex perverts; what the campers themselves call "creepy outside guys" (COG's). According to the Times' Zernike, during the week she wrote the article "a suspicious-looking man arrived at the pool, counselors quickly herded campers away and guards escorted the unwelcome visitor from the premises." Pat Brown, president of the American Association for Nude Recreation, assured Zernike that the Camp runs "extensive background and criminal checks" on prospective counselors. "Naturists/nudists have by custom, always been extra protective of children and have done an excellent job protecting our youth," notes Shirley Mason, executive director of the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation, a naturist advocacy group. "The record will support this." Mason requested a meeting with Foley, hoping to educate the Congressman about "a major recreation segment that is important to Florida's tourism industry and . . . their existing policies and procedures for providing a most safe and secure environment for its children and adult patrons." After five terms in the House, Foley plans to run for the Senate next year, which will pit him against the conservative Bill McCollum in the Republican Primary. Foley, according to Thorner, "denies that he's raising the nude camping issue to bolster his chances for the Republican nomination for Senate." But Foley wouldn't be the first politician to use children as a tool for advancement. Bringing up the specter of naked teens will draw attention away from Foley's sexual orientation and increase his appeal with GOP conservatives in North and Central Florida. Philip Busey, in the on-line Haulover-Digest, wrote that "Congressman Foley is counting on the idea that if you're gay and in the GOP, you can still earn your [halo] by such acts as voting for the Defense Of Marriage Act (1996) and by casting stones at nudists (2003). How else can a self-loathing 48-year 'bachelor' candidate for the U.S. Senate prove his family values to the holy?" The naturist lifestyle is not for everyone. But there is no reason why there shouldn't there be a special camp for nudist teens, if the kids like it and their parents don't mind. As a Congressman, Mark Foley co-chairs a caucus on missing and exploited children. Unfortunately, there are enough instances of missing and exploited children to keep Foley and his colleagues occupied. He does not need to waste his time going after nudist camps where children are not missing and almost certainly not exploited. If Foley expects us to respect his right to privacy, he should respect the rights of others, including nudists and their children.
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Jesse Monteagudo is a long-time naturist who helped start Florida's
first gay nudist club (Everglades Rawhides) in 1982. He can be reached at