NAKED IN THE STREETS!

Reflections on World Naked Bike Ride L.A. 2015

My friend and I drove out of the hot desert sun of Palm Springs and into a surprisingly overcast Los Angeles. We were headed to the World Naked Bike Ride. Both of us were first-time riders. Not knowing how bad the traffic might be, we drove over early, and got there in plenty of time. We were rewarded with close parking and registration was effortless and organized.

I had wanted to go on this ride for years but it never aligned with my schedule. As a sexologist and a body-diversity advocate, I try to find as many ways to affirm everyone’s body in its natural state as much as possible. Due to the hyper conformity of both centuries of puritanical religious dogma and modern day consumerism, one of the worst problems our society faces is that most of the population is disgusted by their own natural image. It may not sound like a big deal, but what we believe about our bodies is what we believe about ourselves, and if those beliefs are self-loathing, it can be the source of any number of mental, emotional, and physical health problems that we are now experiencing in epidemic proportions.

I wanted to support WNBR’s mission to shine a light on the importance of human power and exercise in an urban setting as apposed to “the indecent exposure and excess of cars and the pollution they create.” I also wanted to set an example of body-acceptance and self-compassion. We are all different and we are all beautiful, especially in our natural state. To “drive” that point home, I had my friend write on my back, GOD CREATED NUDITY. I’m not religious anymore, but the message sure exposes how our thinking on the topic is completely turned around!

The weather was perfect – warm and balmy, yet no direct sunlight. Being early gave us the fun of watching the crowd grow and show! People would arrive and start to prepare. Sheepishly, at first, they would undress, but pretty quickly the fun and friendly atmosphere allowed them to “bare as you dare!” The body paints soon arrived and that too gave permission for people to express themselves by writing and drawing right on their skin. A couple of News vans had appeared and a naked comedian greeted them and shamelessly spoke for the event.

I struck up a conversation with a guy who wore nothing but sneakers and bright green gym socks up to his knees. His beautiful cock and balls hung well below the edge of the bench he was seated on. Another exclusively sneaker-clad young man sat down beside him, “Feels pretty good lettin’m hang free, don’t it?” One said to the other, and before I knew it, they were exchanging digits on their phones. Aw… connecting in the buff. It sure can promote a kind of vulnerability that is positively contagious.

By now, start time was close and the waiting area had swelled to around 400 people!!! Wow! There were all shapes and sizes, and degrees of undress and different kinds of wheels to ride – bikes, skates, skateboards, and more! A number of organizers on bull horns advised us of what to do and what to expect. An SUV with a large American flag would be our front runner. A single police officer on a motorcycle was neutrally present to make sure everyone had a good time.

Without delay our naked mob was guided to move out into the street with cries and hollers of fun and excitement! We maneuvered in mass down a warehouse-lined street with the downtown L.A. skyline ahead in the distance. And then… it began to lightly rain! Not enough to soak anyone, but certainly enough to cool everyone down. I think there were even a few who got chilly. Still, it was such an exhilarating experience. Warm, wet, and naked on a bike in downtown Los Angeles with several other hundred people! It was wonderful!

Within no time we were amid sky scrapers and well known downtown sites. Busy streets were full of surprised and vastly pleasant people taking photos, egging us on, smiling, laughing and amazed! As we would run into bikers unaware of the ride, we invited them to join us, and many did!

We made a turn up a street and into a block-long tunnel. How many detective shows or movies set in L.A. had I seen where the characters drove down this very same tunnel? Yet here we were, hundreds of naked people whistling and howling. The collective, primal yell echoed so loudly off this man-made cave I thought it would cause an earthquake!

We turned down another busy street and while we waited for a stop light to change I began to hear whistles and yells… but from far above us. I glanced upwards to see a huge building under construction. All the floors were completed but none of the walls were in place. “Ant-sized” construction workers in orange vests and hard hats were waving and cheering and appearing on all the floors — dozens of stories high! It was a crazy, joyful scene!

We moved out of the concrete canyons into a couple of neighborhoods, a Hispanic one first, where a wedding chapel was filled to capacity. The wedding party was in the parking lot taking photos. What a memory they will have forever on their wedding day! “There we were, getting photos of all the bridesmaids, and then hundreds of naked people on bikes came by hollering ‘congratulations!’ ”

Then came an Asian neighborhood. So many people spilled out of their stores laughing and pointing and giggling and taking photos. I remember hearing a toddler squeal and at first I thought, “uh-oh… are we upsetting the children? That’s all we need!” But then I saw the baby boy and he was tittering with delight, jumping up and down, so very elated to see people naked riding down the street. He has not yet forgotten the fun and the purity of going sans-clothes.

I think that’s what I take away most from the experience – the utter joy and happiness nudity can bring, not only to the naked, but to the clothed as well. Power-hungry aspects of our society, like consumerism, would have us believe that we are most happy when our clothing makes up the layers that insulate us, that separate us, and isolate us. We would like to believe this mass conformity makes us safe and happy, but I have found that the real joy is in dropping our walls, throwing our layers to the wind, and finding that there is great and satisfying connection and joy in completely being yourself right down to the skin!

I want to create and live in a world where I can gather with a few friends, doff our clothes and go for a bike ride every so often. This is the land of the free after all. What better expression of freedom than dropping trou’ ? In the city of movies and models and TV and magic makers, there is room for the naked as well! In fact, why not celebrate it!

JALLEN RIX IS THE AUTHOR OF STAKE IN THE GROUND, A ONE-MAN PLAY ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF SELF-PLEASURING AND SELF-COMPASSION

PHOTOS BY HAIRYGUYLOVER