Is being naked inherently sexual?

I recently returned from an awesome week of camp with some genuinely delightful folks (if you have never heard of the Out and Out Club’s annual Jamboree, check it out here). I went with some apprehension, having been informed that the main dock was ‘clothing optional’. Due to my rather prudish upbringing, I feared I might find myself privy to blatant sexual activities or perpetually distracted by sexual imagery...or something.

I did indeed see more naked people than I have perhaps seen in the entirety of my life so far (excluding diaper changes). I saw naked men sunbathing, walking around, and gleefully slipping down a slide. I saw women sunbathing and swimming. (I did not manage to wake up early enough to observe, nor participate in, the daily group skinny dip).

But there was absolutely nothing sexual about it. It was natural and free – people simply enjoying the pleasure of their skin against air and sun and water without the barrier of fabric. After the first twinge or two of novelty wore off, there were times when I walked away from the dock realizing I hadn’t particularly noticed the nakedness at all.

As I ponder this, however, I wonder why it surprises me. After all, there are natural vs. sexual contrasts in other areas of life. One can dance in a friendly or a sexual way. Once can chat with another in a natural or a flirtatious way. It’s the attitude, not the clothing or lack thereof, that makes an action sexual. Of course that raises the fascinating question of what it is about our brains or physiology that can both recognize and produce such an attitude that can instantaneously change an innocent encounter into an arousing escapade. But that’s a bigger question than can be addressed here. There’s also the question of how conscious or unconscious such an attitude is - any times one party feels chemistry that the other is oblivious to. Fascinating mysteries.