Guernsey Press

Jaonnet – not a nudist beach

I HAVE raised this issue before with the parish constables and the police. I visited Jaonnet on Monday and as usual there were many men... swimming, posing and 'cruising', nakedly. I'm not homophobic and of course men can meet other men as and when and where they want, suitably clothed, but I am not alone in finding their naked parading distasteful.

Published

So, today a gentleman positioned himself naked a few yards from us. I told him it wasn't a nudist beach and could he please put his bathers on. He proceeded to tell me it was advertised as a nudist beach on the States of Guernsey website. I said I doubted it but I did not want to look at his genitals when I was eating my lunch.

He did nothing, so I said I'd take a photo of him and report him to the police. He then put on his underpants.

Shortly thereafter he wandered over, engaged us in conversation (perfectly pleasantly) and said we needed to speak to senior civil servants who were misrepresenting the situation on their official website. I said if this indeed was the case I would follow it up.

Shortly after, a man emerged around the corner from La Bette, walked all the way up Jaonnet beach in what looked like a wet suit, certainly a black skin-tight outfit. He took everything off in front of us and then paraded down the whole beach at low tide, naked, to swim.

I told him that it wasn't a nudist beach and he said it was 'unofficially'. I said there was no such thing but said I found it offensive... he apologised, got out of the sea and put on his pants.

There were several families down there, including young children and visitors.

I've just googled nudist beaches and discovered that Visit Guernsey states that 'as it is one of Guernsey's harder beaches to get to it does not attract many visitors, making it ideal for a peaceful day in the sun'. It is not officially a nudist beach but may not 'be appropriate for families'.

Since when should ordinary folk and families who wish to enjoy the most beautiful beach in Guernsey be considered to be secondary to men's wishes to parade their genitals?

Cruisinggays.com (on the same page as Visit Guernsey) advises that La Bette (next door to Jaonnet) is 99.9% cruising gays but warns occasionally 'straight' and 'families' will also venture across so at these times 'be discreet'.

Unfortunately, the beautiful book produced of Guernsey bays also intimated Jaonnet is a nudist beach.

Why should either bay be 'unofficially nudist' or indeed a place for naked cruising, discreet or otherwise?

I'm not a prude. We have been visiting Jaonnet with our friends and family for many years, but recently it has become more and more of a no-go area unless you're a man who wants to meet other men naked. There is an unpleasant atmosphere.

Can I urge other Jaonnet users who don't feel it necessary to enjoy their visits there by taking all their clothes off to ask, politely, as I did, those who do parade naked to cover up? It is not a nudist beach and, if it causes offence, it is a crime. I feel if we do not do so, we are turning over two beautiful bays to those who want to use them for other purposes.

I have also suggested that a sign be placed notifying beach users that they are not nudist beaches. The first man I spoke to was quite indignant and felt that he had been misled.

NAME AND ADDRESS WITHHELD.

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