Howdy, Pardners!

A Special "What is GoNaked All About?" to the 7,000+ New Members!

More than 7,000 new members in one month! If you're new around here, welcome to GoNaked. Pull up a chair, pour yourself something delicious, get undressed, and let me tell you a little about this crazy community you've just joined.

About a week ago, I mentioned something that absolutely floored me. Apparently, ChatGPT has been recommending GoNaked Magazine to men searching for a male nudist community. And boy, have you guys been finding us!

In the last month alone, we've welcomed more than 7,000 new members! Then I made a single post on Facebook, and another 150 or so guys came wandering through the door.

I'm delighted, overwhelmed, and wondering where I'm going to put everybody!

With so many new faces (and other assorted body parts) showing up, I thought it was time to introduce myself, explain what GoNaked is all about, and give you a better idea of the community you've joined.

First, Who the Heck Am I?

My name is Nick Vannello, and I live in Cleveland, Ohio. I also have a home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where I escape whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Here's something you might find amusing. For someone who runs a nudist magazine, I'm a terrible hermit and an even worse nudist.

If the temperature drops below 85 degrees, I'm freezing. You'll usually find me wrapped in a robe, buried under a blanket, or clutching a steaming cup of coffee. Hot coffee, mind you. Never iced. I don't understand iced coffee, and at this point in my life, I'm not sure I'm interested in having it explained to me.

So if you're expecting some bronzed, naked, poolside Adonis running this whole operation, I'm afraid you're going to be terribly disappointed.

But I do love naked men. More importantly, I love the community we've created around them.

Thirteen Years of Naked Men

I've been publishing GoNaked Magazine for the last 13 years. But I've been getting naked socially for almost 45 years.

People sometimes assume that I'm the mastermind behind every article, photograph, and feature. The truth is considerably more interesting.

GoNaked Magazine is, and always has been, a community effort.

The articles, stories, photographs, artwork, and experiences come from men just like you. We have writers, photographers, artists, travelers, naturists, nudists, and everyday guys who simply want to share a little piece of their lives.

My job is to gather all those wonderful contributions, curate them, and turn them into a monthly magazine that celebrates who we are.

We also publish this newsletter on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Yes, four days a week, plus a monthly magazine. I apparently have a very peculiar idea of retirement.

And while my name might be the one you see most often, none of this would exist without the generosity and enthusiasm of the men who contribute.

Let's Talk About Those Beautiful Bodies

You may have noticed that some of the photos in the newsletter feature men who look as though they've never missed a day at the gym.

Yes, some of those images come from Tumblr and other online sources. And yes, beautiful bodies attract attention. That's hardly breaking news.

Sex sells. Beauty sells. It's been that way for centuries.

Walk through an art museum, and you'll see idealized male bodies in paintings and sculptures everywhere. We can appreciate their beauty without expecting the guy down the street to look like Michelangelo's David.

I give you enough credit to understand the difference between an idealized image and real life.

But here's what I want you to understand.

The real heart of GoNaked is in the magazine, where you'll find real men with real bodies.

You'll find gym-toned men alongside guys who haven't seen the inside of a gym since high school. You'll see big bellies, skinny legs, hairy chests, smooth bodies, wrinkles, muscles, and everything in between.

Men of different ages, shapes, sizes, ethnicities, backgrounds, and astrological signs. Yes, even the Scorpios.

These are our members. These are the bodies we celebrate. And somewhere among those pages, I hope you'll recognize a little bit of yourself.

You don't need a perfect body to belong here. You just need the one you've got.

And Since Somebody Will Ask, Yes, I Use AI

Let's get this conversation out of the way, too.

Artificial intelligence will never replace the beauty of a real, naked male body. Not in my book.

Do I sometimes use AI-generated images in the newsletter? Absolutely.

Sometimes I need a very specific illustration for an article, and rather than spending hours searching for the right photograph or arranging a photo shoot, I can create an image that communicates exactly what I need.

Technology has been changing how we work for decades. Spell-checking software changed proofreading. GPS changed how we navigate. Now AI is changing how we create images and other content.

We can debate whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, and there's certainly room for different opinions.

In my case, these are generally images I wouldn't have commissioned an artist to create in the first place.

But none of that changes my appreciation for real photography, real artists, and real men. Those will always be the foundation of GoNaked.

There's More Than One Way to Be a Nudist

One of the things I love about this community is that we don't all approach nudity the same way.

Some of us are naturists, men who believe being naked is our most natural state and would happily live without clothing whenever possible.

Others are social nudists who enjoy getting naked when the setting is right. Maybe that's at home, at a pool party, at a campground, or on a clothing-optional vacation.

Then there are exhibitionists, men who enjoy being seen and may even get a sexual thrill from it.

And let's not forget the voyeurs, who might prefer to admire the scenery rather than become part of it.

I don't have a problem with any of those preferences, provided everybody involved is a consenting adult and respects one another's boundaries.

We're a sex-positive community, but that doesn't mean everything has to be sexual.

There's a time and a place for everything. Sometimes nudity is erotic. Sometimes it's social. Sometimes it's spiritual. And sometimes it's just a bunch of guys sitting around a swimming pool complaining about the weather.

All of those experiences can have a place here.

Gay, Straight, Bi? Come on In!

We normally conduct an annual member survey, and I'm about due to send another one out. Keep an eye out for that in the coming week or so.

One thing that surprises some people is just how diverse our membership is when it comes to sexual orientation.

Yes, we have lots of gay men. But we also have bisexual men, straight men, and men who prefer not to label themselves at all.

I couldn't care less which category you fall into.

If you're a guy who's comfortable around other naked guys, you're welcome here.

We're not interested in policing your identity, your body, or your reasons for enjoying nudity.

We are, however, very interested in how you treat other people.

Which brings me to something important.

Play Nice, Boys!

As our community grows, so does the need for a little common courtesy.

We have comments sections, social groups, and Telegram communities where men can meet, exchange ideas, share photographs, and make friends.

We also have some terrific volunteers who help moderate those spaces. They're generous enough to donate their time, and they deserve your respect.

So here's my simple request: Be nice.

You don't have to agree with everybody. You don't have to like every photograph, article, or opinion. But you do have to treat one another with respect.

No personal attacks. No unnecessary drama. No harassing other members.

And remember that sex-positive doesn't mean anything goes. Consent, privacy, and personal boundaries matter.

Put on your nice-guy hat, even if you're not wearing anything else.

We're So Much More Than a Magazine

If you're new, you might think GoNaked is just a magazine and a newsletter.

Oh, baby, we've got a whole lot more going on.

Every spring, we host something called The Love Boat, an all-day online celebration where men from around the world get together on Zoom. We have conversations, presentations, workshops, classes, and opportunities to learn from one another.

And the best part? It's free.

We also have our Friday morning Coffee Talks, where guys get together to chat, laugh, share stories, and simply enjoy each other's company.

There are photo challenges, social groups, travel opportunities, community events, and plenty of ways to connect with other men.

Some guys participate in everything. Others are perfectly happy reading the newsletter and enjoying the magazine in the privacy of their own homes.

Both are absolutely fine with me.

I try to keep as much of what we offer free as possible. When something does have a cost, I work to make it affordable.

This was never meant to be some exclusive club where you need a perfect body, an impressive bank account, or a secret handshake to get through the door.

Meet the Men Behind the Magazine

Here's something I particularly want our new members to understand.

GoNaked isn't just about looking at photographs. It's about connecting with the men in them.

Our magazine features contributions from members who generously share their photographs, experiences, artwork, and knowledge. You'll often find their names, locations, and contact information when they've chosen to share those details.

I strongly encourage you to reach out to these men.

Tell somebody you enjoyed his article. Compliment a photographer on his work. Thank a guy for having the courage to share his body or his personal story.

You never know where a simple hello might lead.

Some of the best friendships begin with one person making the effort to connect with another.

And if you've got something you'd like to contribute, I'd love to hear from you. You don't have to be a professional writer or photographer. You just need something you'd enjoy sharing.

That's how this whole thing works.

One Big Naked World

With so many different things happening under the GoNaked umbrella, I recently created GoNaked World.

Think of it as our central dashboard, where you can find your way to the magazine, newsletter, member map, Telegram groups, travel opportunities, events, and everything else we offer.

If you're new, I strongly recommend exploring it. You'll probably discover a few things you didn't even know existed.

It's all there at GoNakedWorld.com.

And Finally, Thank You

If you've been around for years, you already know that I do my best to personally respond to the men who email me.

I enjoy hearing from you. I love your stories, your questions, your suggestions, and even the occasional complaint.

But with more than 7,000 new members arriving in a single month, my inbox has become something of a circus. And apparently, I'm the ringmaster.

So if you write and don't hear back immediately, please have a little patience. There's still just one of me, and I promise I'm doing my best.

To our longtime members, thank you for creating the kind of community that other men want to discover. You've built something pretty remarkable.

And to the thousands of new men who have recently joined us, welcome.

I hope you find something here that makes you laugh, makes you think, inspires you, or simply makes you feel a little more comfortable in your own skin.

Most of all, I hope you make some friends.

Because after 13 years of publishing naked men, I've learned something important.

The photographs might get your attention, but it's the people who make you want to stay.

Welcome to GoNaked, gentlemen. We're awfully glad you're here.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need another cup of coffee.

Hot, of course.

Take Care, Stay Bare!

Nick Vannello
Publisher, GoNaked Magazine