Strange Beachfellows by Rob Boyte

Strange Beachfellows

by Rob Boyte

November 1997

Published: HotSpots magazine, Nov. 14, 1997

The Naturist Gay-zette, Winter 1997

  
Naked gay men by the hundreds!  That's the scene at the north end of Haulover Park Beach on any good weather weekend. Seems a lot of gay men do like to hang out together naked, getting an all over tan, or sitting in the shade just enjoying the scenery.  And of course that scenery is enhanced by some beautiful head-turning buffed bodies.

But, the nude beach at Haulover, ever so popular with gay men from Dade and Broward Counties, wasn't always

there and it didn't just happen out of the blue.  Like every other of our hard-won freedoms, it has a history.

The nude beach history actually goes back to Virginia Key in unincorporated Dade County in the 1970s. It was an unofficial nude gathering place for the free spirits of the time, but when the City of Miami took it over in the early '80s, they enforced a city ban on nudity and ended the fun. 

The nudists at this time had formed a group called South Florida Free Beaches, and began a "quest for a clothing optional beach."  It took a while, so in the meantime they enjoyed nude pool parties at members' houses, or chartered nude day sailing trips along the coast, or went to 21st Street on Miami Beach.

Now in the mid '80s, 21st Street was quite a gay place. There was the Seagull Hotel catering to gays, and the 21st St. beach was a magnet for lesbians and gay men.  Women could go top free with no hassles, and T-back bathing suites and G-strings (anal floss) were the next-to-nothing attire.  It wasn't a nude beach, but as close as you could get.

So, in their quest for body freedom the nudists were forced by the moralists to seek refuge on the gay beach, which was pretty much ignored by the prudes.  Strange beachfellows, forced together by a common enemy.  But, the ambience was great, and if you remembered to move the G-string around you could get an all over tan without so much as a pinstripe.  However, 21st Street beach was just a temporary beach head for the nudist group, who still wanted a totally clothing optional beach.

     

They focused their efforts on Haulover Park in unincorporated Dade County.   In 1990 the north end of the beach

was seldom used, had no lifeguards or parking lot and had a reputation for crime, gangs and sexual activity.  South Florida Free Beaches came in quietly, dealt with the undesirable element, and established themselves as a responsible nudist group, gaining the respect of  park officials.  Signs alerting people that they may encounter nude sunbathers were put up and other naturists joined and started using the beach.  Soon, local merchants and county officials saw that a dead beach was coming alive. 

     

The nudist group convinced the county law enforcement and park management that the north end of Haulover qualified as a "place set apart" for nude recreation as stipulated in the Florida Statute on nudity.  While Miami-Dade County has yet to designate Haulover as an official nude beach, since 1991 it has existed as the "de facto" nude beach that we have today and the county has put up signs that warn visitors that they may encounter nude bathers.

     

Now the strange beachfellows, nudists and gays, are again thrown together, only this time it is the nude beach not the gay beach. And, as popular and well established as it is, this unique nude beach is still under constant scrutiny by the radical religious right, who'd love to get rid of it. 

  
   

So, If you enjoy the nude beach, remember that many nudists are into family recreation, and while the kids might be used to seeing naked men, they may not be ready to see naked men with boners, men stroking themselves, or any other public sex. Please keep a look out for this type of behavior (don't just look at it - stop it).  If we don't police ourselves at Haulover, the police will gladly do it for us.  Oh, by the way, the rest room is also being watched.

  
    

Another way to preserve our nude beach would be to join an organized nudist group such as The Naturist Society, International Men Enjoying Naturism, or Gay Naturists International.  Their newsletters will keep you apprised of what's going on in the world of nude recreation and gay nudists.  Most users of the beach have no idea that the same rubes in the state legislature who attack gay rights at every turn, also try each year to pass a strong anti-nudity law that would end our nude beach.   So far, each year they've been stopped by the concerted effort of the organized nudist groups.  So, get informed and get involved, to preserve our place in the sun.

This article, was written about me by South Florida journalist, Jesse Monteagudo.  It was published in The Gay Naturist Informer - July 2000.