JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – The woman who started a petition to bring nude sunbathing to a 1-mile stretch of Jacksonville Beach now says she's planning a photo shoot on the beach where people will start off clothed, and then strip down to their birthday suits.
Angela Anderson said the photo shoot is all part of a bigger plan to convince city commissioners to designate a portion of the coastline as clothing optional.
The time and date haven't been set yet, but Anderson's efforts are gaining steam. Nearly 1,000 people have signed Anderson's petition on change.org, and it's all anyone is talking about on the beach.
"I went to a nude beach in Spain, but I don't think the U.S. is ready for it," said Laura Zawadski. "We are too conservative."
"Some people like being tanned all over, and that's their thing," said Michael King. "I just want to know about it, so I don't have to go there."
Jacksonville Beach city council members told Channel 4 it's highly unlikely that nude sunbathing will become a reality because Jacksonville Beach is a family friendly destination.
Some local merchants agree.
"You've got to be kidding; this is for our friends, our family," said Pam Ralston of Mangos. "No nudity."
Because we live in a digital world, opponents of nude sunbathing said they are also concerned about the possibility of pictures being taken of people without their permission and then posted on the Internet.
"I do want it be out of the way, but not private," said Anderson.
Anderson said she's proposing a parking fee for the nude beach, and she wants to have patrol personnel present to make sure there's no lewd activity.
"We don't want to expose this idea to people who don't want it. This isn't about vulgarity; I want people who are open to it to join, and those who are not, to not (join), but think about it, you have the whole rest of the beach, and the whole east coast of Florida," Anderson said. "We just want this section."
Anderson said she is going to continue reaching out to public officials and the mayor of Jacksonville Beach until she gets a response. She said she's taking her idea to the city council next month, hoping the public push for nudity will work.
"I'm getting back-to-back messages and people are really supportive," Anderson said.
As far as Anderson's photo shoot plans, Jacksonville Beach police said if people are on the beach without clothing, they can be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor crime: public nudity.