Wednesday, January 08, 2003

How could I have missed it?
In my unceasing effort to be the one stop shopping source for news of naked wingnuts (cf. 1, 2, 3), I failed to go back to the original source at the Point Reyes Light, the chronicle of Marin County wackiness. As a result I missed the hot news on Jan. 2 that Nude women protest war again; men also demonstrate. It's a breakthrough, they're going co-ed!
Seeking to "reinvigorate the buzz across the country" from its first photo of women spelling "Peace" with their naked bodies, organizer Donna Sheehan and her group, Unreasonable Women Baring Witness, staged a second, much larger nude peace protest and photo shoot near Point Reyes Station on Sunday.

The sandy shore of Drake’s Beach, rather than a rain-sogged Love Field in Point Reyes Station, was the venue for some 94 women along with more than two dozen men who created two new and separate signs for peace.
Everyone needs a hobby, and a 4 to 1 ratio isn't bad for the guys.
Along with creating a statement for peace, the participants also bonded at this weekend’s shoot.

"There’s a certain level of defiance, and it’s also just a fun thing to do," she said. "And after the shot, we all got a little wet to get the sand off."

"It was automatic," said local singer and Point Reyes Station resident Rhiannon of camaraderie after the protest photo. "We all ran into the cold, glorious water. It was a great moment. We were washing each other off - The whole thing was very body, very human, very physical.
Woohoo!

But sadly, you have to read down the page to find out that the co-ed mingling was minimal - the womyn spelled out "Peace" while the myn formed a ruptured chicken. But not to fear, things are "warming up":
Participant Paul Reffell, despite an air of nervousness and uncertainty, said he walked away feeling enthusiastic over the experience of men forming a peace symbol with their bodies.

"Once we were there, we started feeling like we were involved in something different," said Reffell. "It was like family. It was just a wonderful thing."
And some forward thinkers have even got kids and dogs involved (no, they're wearing clothes):
"The more we do, the better," said Bolinas resident Vivienne Verdon-Roe, who said the first photo inspired Bolinas residents to stage their own version of a "Peace" photo, albeit fully-dressed and incorporating children and dogs. A second Bolinas photo is slated for Saturday, Jan. 11, where all who participate will create a "No War" sign with their clothed bodies.
Maybe they can find a farmer to play along and do "crop signs"?