The gender balance question
Why are so many more men, than women; interested in free beaches?
One of the most persistent questions, especially, but not solely, from new nudists with beach experience; is some variation of: 'Why are there so many men and so few women?' There doesn't seem to be any consistent answer to this question. For those who've been in the movement for a while, the question tends to fade into the background - that's just 'how it is.'
But there is a reason. A biological reason. Have you ever wondered why 'beauty contests' don't usually have male contestants? Or why women find it harder to get money from a bank? Or why the majority of magazine covers - and advertisements generally - commonly feature the female form? But rich-lists are predominantly men! Or doctors (interventionists) are traditionally men, and nurses (carers) are normally women. Whatever culture you're brought up in, issues like these are just: how things are. End of story - nothing further to discuss.
International surveys have ranked a series of 'human qualities.' The two most universally appreciated qualities are: kindness and honesty. Not a big surprise. But the third on the list showed a distinct male - female dichotomy. For men it is 'beauty' and for women it is 'security.' So, the fundamental things distinguishing the male and female psyche is the seeking of form or fortune, respectively.
From a genetic perspective the first priority is reproduction, followed closely by survival. It's the management of, and balance between, contestability and accountability which, at all levels from gene up, results in life flourishing over entropy.
For the human species, men are thus impelled by the beauty of form, while women seek security (which these days is conflated with wealth), from the perspective of the best survivability for the offspring, and themselves.
Now, surely: it's obvious! Initially, men are driven to visit a 'nude beach' to 'check-out the chicks.' Women, on the other hand, not having the same biological need, may simply turn up for a bit of relaxation - only to discover a man or two too many, primarily there to ogle. So they don't go back!
Men though, having got to the beach to find virtually no 'chicks', discover a new value: relaxation. So they keep going back, and soon forget about ogling.
For a woman focused on stud-potential, the question of whether a man is naked is of rather less interest than the cut of the suit - not something that's too evident on a nude beach. Yes, women too would like to visit a beach to relax, with about the same level of interest in that, as men. But it only takes the appearance of a gawking man or two, for the experience of comfort and relaxation to vanish completely.
In other words, to engender the best experience for all: men must be controlled!
Explicitly or implicitly, clubs provide such control while beaches, usually; don't. For a place with big numbers it is possible for the gawkers to be swamped, thus permitting a reasonable gender balance without specific measures. (A good rule-of-thumb is: if there are more than twice as many men as women generally evident at any venue, then there is trouble requiring intervention to fix.) So without some sort of mentoring group for the males, it can be quite hard to get a new nude beach established.
In a beach context the mentoring function is quite simply: informing males about how to control themselves in the presence of women; and ensuring that the very few who can't control themselves (and it only takes one, in a small area) are removed.
Of course the degree of this problem is basically a cultural matter. In those societies where manners and respect for women predominate, the establishment of a nude beach is so much easier... The other issue of concern is that of authoritarian attitudes. Any attempt at intimidation (up to mass arrest) will inevitably reduce the family and female numbers, ensuring that only 'resistant' males remain, which also guarantees a rise in public complaint.
So for the survival of a nude beach, control of immature males is an imperative that simply cannot be ignored.
(JL)