Standing Together

AANR Is Not Serving Naturist Community Well

When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law House Bill 197, which strictly regulates massage therapy in the state, the bill contained an exemption that the American Association of Nude Recreation had sought, carving out AANR-chartered establishments from the rules that apply elsewhere, including to nudist groups with other affiliations. It demonstrates that AANR is not serious about giving up its divisive stance that has come under fire in the past for serving only its own establishments. Many members of the organization have been trying to prove that AANR wants to serve all nudists and naturists.

HB 197 is designed to prevent prostitution and human trafficking and to ensure professional standards for massage therapy. The legislation bans sexual activity on the premises, requires employers to maintain records on not just employees but also on clients — including their full legal names and their home addresses — and requires that all individuals on the premises must be clothed except for consenting massage recipients.

From the beginning, the bill offered exemptions for lodging establishments and health care facilities, but AANR lobbyists succeeded in adding its affiliated nudist resorts to the list of exempt entities. The bill now states, “This requirement does not apply to an employee, excluding a massage therapist, of a public lodging establishment, as defined in s. 509.013(4), that is licensed as a clothing-optional establishment and chartered with the American Association for Nude Recreation.”