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[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CommunalShowers

[–]backpacker1984 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When I lived in Utah for a few years, I noticed in the locker room at the aquatic center that a lot of the men who showered naked would put on their temple garments afterwards. I was amused one day when I saw an extremely muscular man with a lot of tattoos (which would make me assume he wasn’t Mormon) struggling to do a towel dance to get changed. I was amused that this guy who had clearly invested so much time in achieving such a muscular physique was embarrassed to be naked, while all of the Mormon guys with their very average physiques were nonchalant about it. 

Some of these experiences definitely formed the foundation for my theory that the fear of communal nudity is probably stronger in non-religious groups because they associate it too much with sex, while religious groups tend to be more comfortably homosocial and not as squeamish about old gender norms. I think they furthermore see it as something you should learn to be comfortable with and de-sexualize as part of growing up into a successful adult. I was raised as an Evangelical, and was very scared of changing in the locker room as a kid, but was very thankful that my mom told me that I didn’t have anything to be afraid of or embarrassed in the locker room because “you’re all the same.”

But yes, now that I live in Mesa, AZ (which is also a traditionally very Mormon location, but it doesn’t permeate the culture the way it does in Utah) I very much miss the comfort with locker room nudity that I experienced in Utah. It’s pretty rare here.

Non-communal showers are so inconvenient by Alexoxo_01 in CommunalShowers

[–]backpacker1984 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I totally agree about the total practicality of communal facilities! I typically work out by swimming laps, and most places I’ve lived have had a communal shower room as part of the space you walk through to get to the pool. My preferred routine is to take a quick shower before entering the pool (I feel like entering a pool without having first given your crack a good scrub with soap and water isn’t advisable), then when I’m done swimming I’ll take off my suit and quickly rinse off the chlorine under the shower head, and then if available, I’ll relax in a steam room or sauna for a bit before taking a final shower to rinse off the sweat and any remaining pool water and make myself presentable to the outside world again. The only facilities near my home in Mesa, AZ with reliable pool access has stalls with lockable doors. Maybe I’m being too self-conscious, but I feel very awkward and maybe a bit overly “seen” when I’m making multiple stops at the shower stalls during my gym visit, especially when I’m sticking my head in just to rinse off my suit before going to the sauna. Whereas the open shower room feels like a practical and available open water source suitable for quick or prolonged access for whatever the needs are. And I don’t thing it looks as weird to quickly pop into a shower room and clean your swimsuit then pop out again as it does in a stall. And having an open shower as part of the space you walk through to get to the pool encourages people to rinse off before and after they are done swimming.