Last month, I took part in the World Naked Bike Ride, a mass protest in which 10,000 Portlanders rode in various states of undress throughout the city. After a brief dustup with Christian protesters, the ride culminated in a dance party near the Willamette River. This time, I didn’t care who watched or recorded it. I didn’t care if I looked too straight or too gay. I didn't think about what my friends back in LA would think of it. I was ready to own up to, and be an evangelist for, a life of kink, sex, and nudity.
Living a Sex Positive Lifestyle
For many of the people I live and work with here in Portland, being sex-positive isn’t just a hobby, it’s a calling. One friend helped found LoveTribe, which hosts cuddle parties and events to foster a “heart-conscious, touch-positive world.” Others attended this year’s EcoSex Convergence, which envisions sexuality as a “powerful source of personal, social & ecological transformation.”
We gather in cobb saunas, at clothing-optional beaches, and at kinky salons on a regular basis. The NW has a vibrant tradition of holistic sexuality that spans from body-positive burlesque classes to female-friendly sex toy boutiques. I’ve never had so many opportunities to take off my clothes: at the bustling Ritz sauna at the Oregon Country Fair; the gender-inclusive hot tubs at the Common Ground Wellness Center; or in the warm waters of the Columbia River.
It’s not that I never expected to reach this point; I just never expected for it to happen so soon. Each step towards greater openness and transparency leads to more connections, deeper relationships, and a healthier sense of self. Recently, I posed nude for a series of pictures with a professional photographer — something I’d wanted to do for years, but never tried. I’ve submitted an erotic video to Make Love, Not Porn, and shared some of my most personal stories in a collection called "The Pansexual Labyrinth."
Rather than just dipping my toes into the water, I’m going all in. I may still have some boundaries, but I no longer find myself looking over my shoulder or in a hurry to cover up and put my clothes back on.