Several people have been vocal about the conservative attitude towards sex. (Representational Image)
A town in the southern Netherlands has launched a campaign to discourage tourists from having sex at nudist beaches and in the dunes, as per a report in The Guardian. The Veere municipality posted beachside signs warning its visitors on Thursday and said that public sex is prohibited, the dunes are legally forbidden and there is "increased monitoring" to prevent "sexual meeting place activities in the dunes, nature reserve and beach".
Several complaints to the local government, water board and nature organisation about "sex acts performed by naked recreationists" and hints that some groups were setting up dates in advance led to the development of "Project Oranjezon" which translates to "Orange Sun". The Mayor of the town, Frederiek Schouwenaar, said in a statement, "The dunes are hugely important to the local community and must be protected from undesirable behaviour that damages the natural environment and can disturb other holidaymakers." According to him, this will serve as an important step to ensure public order and safety. The government will no longer issue warnings, instead, quick "verbal" enforcement and eight new information boards have been set up to inform the visitors.
Additionally, naturist associations think it's critical to separate sexual behaviour from naked sunbathing. A spokesperson for the NFN Open en Bloot (Open and Bare) naked recreation association said, "Sex outdoors is not naked recreation, and people who come to sunbathe find it just as much of a nuisance as other people do. Naked recreation gives a real feeling of freedom and it's very healthy to see real, naked bodies that are not photoshopped. But we distance ourselves from sex outdoors."
However, several people have been vocal about the conservative attitude towards sex. "It has become a bit of a trend in the Netherlands and other countries that, because of a conservative movement, people who are less happy about sexuality and nudity have a louder voice. That's what we are seeing with this outdoor sex in the dunes (ban). Who does it bother? Someone who does it in order to be seen is breaking the Dutch law by confronting people with sexuality against their wishes," said Yuri Ohlrichs, a Sexologist at Rutgers, the Netherlands Centre on Sexuality.