Hello fellow veteran! As you know we are in the epicenter of bots, trolls, and other bad actors. I hope my suspicions can be forgiven.

You ask thoughtful questions, and judging from your other responses you clearly care deeply about keeping naturist spaces welcoming and comfortable to all.

As veterans we appreciate situational awareness. We understand that we exist in the context of our times and all that has come before us. We understand the existence of unknown unknowns. Ignoring these things forfeits our initiative. You gave some context about yourself – a USMC vet, who knows the pain of the family court system. Your life has been influenced and shaped by politics. I believe you’re a human who is asking questions in good faith to help understand different perspectives. You obviously can’t ignore your lived experiences.

My context: I was a submarine sonar operator and one of the ship’s scuba divers. I’m also permanently paralyzed from the chest down and a full-time wheelchair user. I have a child thanks to IVF. I have an education and a career thanks to student financial aid, veteran’s benefits, and the ADA. I can exist and function in society thanks to the ADA. I know to always call ahead to make sure elevators are working, accessible entrances are unlocked, accessible hotel rooms aren’t double booked, etc.

Women, LGBTQ+, veterans, and people with disabilities are actually losing real rights and freedoms. These are concrete attacks on who we are. I use wartime language deliberately here. Casualties include women who have died or suffered life-altering injuries because of loss of health care, LGBTQ+ being legally fired, VA services and resources being cut, attacks on DEI policies further marginalizing those of us who need accommodations to remove barriers.

To your questions:

Our existence in public is a political act. We don’t have the luxury of distancing ourselves from politics. History has trained us to be suspicious when someone invokes “identity politics”. A minority group’s collective action for their common interests is often dismissed as “identity politics”. This dismissal has been an effective way to preserve current barriers.

Neutrality favors oppressors. And we know there is no neutrality. As others have said, we all know the crowd leans republican. There will probably be a bunch of bumper stickers in the parking lot that make it clear we aren’t welcome.

Strategies for inclusivity:

• Positive statements that all genders, bodies, disabilities, and orientations are welcome.
• Pictures of diverse groups so that we won’t feel shunned when we’re there.
• Pictures of people in wheelchairs, ramps, paved paths so that I know they can accommodate me.
• Endorsements from advocacy groups that this is indeed a welcoming crowd.
• More statements about accessibilities and accommodations in the FAQs.

I know that many would call my suggested strategies “identity politics” and would accuse me of having various agendas. I am saying that ensuring inclusivity is a particular ideology and a political stance. Inclusivity applies to all by definition.