The Freedom to be Yourself

Activists Terri Sue Webb and Daniel Johnson are being handcuffed and led away by police after a protest in Bend, Oregon on 2 May 2002.

The Freedom to be Yourself campaign (TFTBY or FTBY) was founded in 1999 by Vincent Bethell. The group, according to Vincent Bethell is about "the right to be naked in public". The campaign is about non-sexual public nakedness. Supporters of the TFTBY organized several grassroots naked protests in public in London; there have also been protests in Brighton, Bristol, Birmingham, Coventry, and some in the United States.

10 January 2001: Vincent Bethell made legal history[1][2] by being the first defendant to stand trial naked in a UK court. The trial was at Southwark Crown Court London. Vincent was charged with the crime of "Public Nuisance",[3] which carries a maximum sentence of Life imprisonment.[4] Vincent was naked throughout this court case, furthermore he was found unanimously not guilty by the jury.[5][6] Prior to Vincent's historic court case he spent 5 months naked in solitary confinement (Segregation Unit) at Brixton Prison (London).[7] In December 2000, fellow activist Russell Shaw Higgs joined Vincent naked in Brixton prison. Russell had a letter about his imprisonment published[8] shortly before being released when all charges were dropped after Vincent's acquittal.

In 2003 TFTBY was renamed Stop Racist Human Skin Phobia (SRHSP)[9] because according to Vincent: "...this clearly highlights the irrational prejudice towards the unclothed human body."

Contents

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1314226/Buff-justice-as-naked-artist-is-cleared-by-jury.html
  2. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/nudist-campaigner-walks-from-court-a-free-and-naked-man-696935.html
  3. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/nudist-campaigner-walks-from-court-a-free-and-naked-man-696935.html
  4. ^ http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/public_nuisance/index.html
  5. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1110330.stm
  6. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4115569,00.html
  7. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/unite-you-have-nothing-to-lose-but-your-clothes-700304.html
  8. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2001/jan/05/guardianletters1
  9. ^ http://stop-racist-human-skin-phobia.org/

[edit] Filmography

  • Naked Protest Documentary by Nick Hillel, 1999. Aired on Channel 4 (UK) as part of "The Other Side" series
  • Being Human A film by Lisa Seidenberg, 31 minutes, 2003 Metro Video

[edit] Further reading

  • Nude and Natural 20.4 Summer 2001. Article by Jim Meyer on TFTBY titled Vincent's Vision: Is Vincent Bethell a menace to decent society? Or the best thing to happen to naturism in years?. Includes an interview with Vincent Bethell. Seven pages with ten pictures.
  • Nude and Natural 21.2 Winter 2002. The Bethell Approach: A Protest Colloquy/The Bethell Approach: Is the Time for Mass Nude Protests Upon Us? Includes statements by Vincent Bethell, Mark Nisbet, Cec Cinder, Paul Rapoport, Les Rootsey, Morley Shloss, T.A. Wyner, and Mark Storey. Eight Pages, four pictures. Briefly Noted Vincent Victorious.
  • Nude and Natural Vol 21.3: 24-28, Spring 2002.Terri Sue Webb: An American Bethell/Beyond Safe Havens: Oregon's Terri Sue Webb (written by Daniel Johnson).

[edit] External links




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