It takes only a spark to ignite a fire; in Afrikaans they say n goeie begrip het n halwe woord nodig, and so too it is with Gymnos, the South African Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender Naturist Association. True naturism is proving to be very popular indeed judging by the impressive Gymnos membership numbers that continue to grow daily, spreading like a wild fire all over the country – admittedly fanned on by the inspired leadership of the Gymnos Board and their Chairman, Deon Johnston, who as from the 12th of April now also serve on the Board of SANFED, the South African Naturist Federation, which in turn is the overarching representative body for naturism in South Africa. Johnston is quick to point out the contribution of Carrington Laughton, recently re-elected President of SANFED for the advancement to genuinely represented, true naturism for all in SA.

What is remarkable about the Gymnos phenomenon is that Gymnos is attracting international attention, receiving a substantial number of requests from international visitors to our shores for Guest House reviews, and assistance in planning their South African naturist holiday itineraries. Gymnos itself hosts regular nude weekend getaways that have become famous for being booked out well in advance.

Why, one asks, this sudden en masse falling out of the proverbial naturist closet then? The answer can probably best found in this letter from a member whose first nude social experience was the Gymnos Valentine’s Weekend, and of which he says:
“ It really made a huge impression on me, a lot of positive energy flowed.

At the end of the weekend, I have learned a lot about myself, and that mutual respect for others and nature itself is a cornerstone of this group!”

It is this respect for oneself and for others which our writer speaks about that will no doubt also see Gymnos lead the way in bringing significant numbers of men out of the dark and dirty sex clubs into a healthier alternative, shattering hopefully forever the myth that nudity equals sex.

“Naturism is not about exposing the body(and the shape of it), but rather about exposing the mind (and the shape of that)”, explains Deon Johnston in reply to the Omni-present question of am I not too fat, too thin, too less-endowed or too unattractive to go around naked? “We completely reject the notion of body shame and advocate body acceptance by living it daily,” Johnston continues, punting the Gymnos Olympics, pointing to the ad for this hugely successful event hosted over the weekend of the 23rd to 25th of April that says: Come celebrate with us the majesty and artistry of the nude male in motion.
“Every body is beautiful”.

It takes only a spark to ignite a fire; in Afrikaans they say n goeie begrip het n halwe woord nodig. The Gymnos concept is clearly working very well – great guys, great set of values.

Visit the Gymnos website www.gymnos.co.za for more, or e-mail info@gymnos.co.za