Are We Having FUNN yet? What FUNN may really mean for US nudists and naturists

Background

On August 13, 2026 a new naturist group calling itself the Federation of United Naturists and Nudists was launched. This group anointed itself the representative organization for all the naturists and nudists in the United States and cited a mission to bring an American presence back to the world naturist stage. The group led by three white men two native born and one immigrant  to America, describe themselves as a federated representative of US nudists and naturists. Though they acknowledge on their web site they have no connection with any of the existing naturist and nudist groups and are for individuals only.

“FUNN is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation, with membership currently open to individual U.S. residents. “

On one hand FUNN says it’s goal is not to replace existing  the nudist and naturist organizations.

FUNN is designed to complement, not compete with, any memberships in existing U.S. naturist organizations.

But is mission is to to represent U.S. naturists and nudists on the the world stage. Huh?

FUNN was founded to give the United States a formal voice in the International Naturist Federation (INF-FNI). In 2026, INF-FNI officially recognized FUNN as the U.S. representative organization. Today, FUNN represents U.S. naturists on the world stage, connecting our community to a global movement of naturists worldwide.

Make this make sense. The FUNN group boldly proclaims that TODAY (that is yesterday August 13, 2026) it represents U.S. nudists and naturists. It begs several question? Which American naturists were asked about representation by this group that popped up out of nowhere? Who are their members? Where is their mandate from? As an American naturist I would like to know. As one overseas observer commented on BlueSky;

“classic community building and no it’s not easy but progress and results have community backing and blessing. It’s not work that can be short cut, missed or avoided – that’s my beef with FUNN.”

FUNN has not shared any bylaws or documents about organizational governance beyond its list of board members. The group does not have a listing in GuideStar There is no public organizational governance statement. But they are collecting membership fees. The group went from no public existence to representing all US nudists and naturists the day it was officially launched how shadowy is that?

FUNN In the Shadows

One of the stated goals and mission of FUNN is to bring a US back to the world naturist stage. Supporters cite the American Association for Nude Recreation withdrawing from the International Naturist Federation as the cause for this absence. This was pointed out to me when I suggested that the history of naturism in the  U.S. is rooted in a kind of elitism and American exceptionalism culture that tends toward separation from international group.

Wrong. They joined, and left in 2009.

However the current and recently re-elected president of AANR Linda Weber shared a different perspective.

The conversation was reopened for @aanr-social.bsky.social to rejoin the @worldnaturism.bsky.social in 2024, when I was elected for my first term as President. At the most recent World Congress, despite a vote and revote, our reapplication was voted down.

This elicited another response about the ease of INF application process from someone who says they were a member of AANR when the organization left the INF citing among other things the cost.

Huh. When the Federación Nudista de México applied to join the INF-FNI in 2013 we were just sent a welcome letter after fulfilling the application requirements, which were very easy to fulfill. I never heard that a vote was involved, especially not at any Congress.

All of this has me wondering why does all of this seem so shadowing. Plato is supposed to have said

Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood let alone believed by the masses – Plato

Maybe that is why a brand new BSky account 0 followers 0 posts quote posted our asking for support of our independent naturist news and information accused me of spreading misinformation by asking questions.

No one is under any obligation to support our work. Everything we deliver is free. And yet the way to gain access to the powers that be in FUNN is through a membership. It’s like this account was suggesting that asking for information about FUNN’s non profit status was fake news. It seems they were implying that asking about fiscal accountability, and governance structure for the hundreds of dollars they reported taking in a single day was a conspiracy. Their declaration that naturists are better off spending their for legit causes that were drafted in closed private conversations is better than supporting a non aligned independent news source. This feels like naturism in the U.S. is being taken by force and truth no longer matters. We are being recolonized from the inside by the powerful elite, who have the means to buy a seat at the international table and offer the rest of us crumbs from the table for a small membership fee $6 through December 2026.

Recolonizing naturism

In this writer’s opinion the situation represents everything that is wrong with naturism and nudism in the United States today. By recolonizing naturism I mean FUNN is returning to a time when only select people get to have a voice in the naturist community. A small  group of elites proclaim themselves the arbiters of nudism and naturism and designate themselves representatives of the “people”. This despite not talking publicly to everyday ordinary naturists.

It harkens back to the days when Ilsley Boone ran American nudism with an iron hand. It seems there is a class of people in the naturist world who can say or do anything they want and get away with it. They work in the shadows to shape the narrative to fit their agenda, then claim and retain power through that agenda. They answer to no one, they are the arbiters of who is in and who is out all the while claiming to be democratic. They determine which  values if any are held and which naturist values get discarded. They are winning because to them everything is a competition. They tap into a kind of toxic individuality that flies in the face of the naturist value of common good articulated by Marc Alain Descamps. They ignore the goals of bringing people into broader

What’s the next move

So many questions remain. Like what exactly is the process for applying and being accepted as a national federation delegate to the International Naturist Federation? And this posed by a commenter on Blue Sky.

Maybe as interesting a question is why the international-community-organisation accepted them as US representatives so quickly.

Was there any due diligence? Is there a public record of the process? Why was there a prepared press statement from the INF president ready to be shared the day that the existence of FUNN was announced? Was FUNN fast track to being a delegate to the International Naturist Federation?

A possible next move for FUNN could be to address the blinding lack of diversity in its board. They could connect with the people who call themselves “ethical” naturists to try to remedy that problem.

In this writers opinion this whole situation would have the international philos of naturism like Marc Alain Descamps and U.S. pioneer and founder of the Naturist Society rolling in their graves. This abject lack of values among the most prominent influencers in the naturist community suggest U.S. naturism has lost its soul. The values that were at the core of naturism have been relegated to the sidelines of history. None of the national naturist or nudist organizations have spoken  publicly about this situation and the INF has likewise been silent since it issued a statement saying will welcome FUNN at the upcoming conference in Hungary.

This feels like FUNN are saying F U naturists and nudists. “We will do whatever we want and declare our right to represent you all because we can.” Ordinary naturists must absolutely accept this and the reward  for your acceptance is proximity to power. As suggested by one British observer this move seems to reflect the adoption of certain practices that are prevalent in U.S. society today.

I for one don’t think this bodes well for U.S. naturists I hope I am wrong.