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The Bone Island festival in Key West makes no bones about nudity

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Dean Townsend came up with the idea for Key West’s Bone Island Bare It All Weekend in 2006, after his return from a naked cruise on a sailing boat in the Caribbean. After getting home, he went to one of his favourite Key West watering holes, Bourbon St. Pub (724 Duval St., Key West), which has a clothing-optional pool area. After his cruise, he was a little disappointed by the view.

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You can even watch a drag show naked (though not a naked drag show) at the Bone Island festival in Key West. Credit: Bone Island

Townsend, who calls himself the Naked Realtor, tells Pink Ticket Travel, “I was friends with the owner, and I said to him, ‘You know what? I am just tired of looking at all your naked asses. We need to figure out a way to get more naked guys to come down here. How about if I start an event? Can I throw parties here?” Townsend was born in Montreal, grew up in Chicago and moved to Key West in the early 2000s. He has been a nudist for much of his adult life.

Pursuing his idea to bring more naked gay guys to Key West (trans men are welcome), he convinced other local businesses to host naked shopping and dinner events, to round out the no-clothing parties at Bourbon St. Pub and Island House Resort Key West (1129 Fleming St, Key West), the two long-standing gay-focused clothing-optional venues in the archipelago off the south coast of Florida.

Bone Island organizer Dean Townsend calls himself the Naked Realtor. Credit: Bone Island

And so Bone Island, a twice-a-year male-oriented naturist gathering, was born, with the next edition scheduled for November 30 to December 3, 2023. Back in the 1700s, the Spanish called the area Cayo Hueso, or “Bone Island,” which organizers adopted for its double entendre possibilities. That first year, about 30 gay-male naturists attended—the December event now receives more than 300 guys, while the July edition brings in more than 400, says co-organizer Kevin Broomell. It’s certainly an easy festival to pack for—sun screen, towel, toothbrush and maybe a pair of shorts to wear when getting from venue to venue.

A naked long weekend isn’t a big stretch for Key West, a famously relaxed and gay-friendly destination where not just Island House and Bourbon St. Pub but several guest houses are clothing-optional. “There’s one bar, Saloon 1 (504 Petronia St, Key West), where you can be pretty much naked anytime. There’s always generally someone in there naked,” says Townsend. 

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“It’s a very live-and-let-live attitude down here,” says Broomell. “One of the things that makes us successful is that Key West allows us things that other cities don’t. The combination of being able to be naked, buy alcohol, eat food and be in a pool—you can do that all in one place simultaneously.”

With more than 15 parties and events planned for the four days of the festival, not all attendees will make it to everything. But the signature event is Saturday night’s Rainbow Ball at Bourbon St. Pub, where attendees can compete for the title of Mr. Naked Key West 2023.

While some of the pool parties are clothing-optional—there’s even an opportunity to attend a drag show naked—all the nighttime events strictly enforce mandatory nudity. Townsend says it’s a great equalizer. 

“It’s counterintuitive, I know, but once you take off your clothes, it makes for a level playing field,” says Townsend. “It really doesn’t matter how big or how small or anything in between you are. There’s no body shaming. Everybody looks, but it doesn’t really matter.”

“We’ve had experiences where a pair of friends come and one of them is more of a nudist than the other,” says Broomell. “By the end of the weekend, the friend who was not so sure about it is the first in line to check his clothes.”

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Compared to other gay nudist festivals, which tend to skew older, Bone Island has been successful at attracting younger attendees. “We get everything from people who are 21, legal age, all the way up to—I mean, we’ve got a guy who comes who is in his 80s and he’s very popular,” says Townsend. “One of the things that attracted me to Key West is that, for some reason, age doesn’t matter here. I have friends in their 20s and I have friends in their eighties.”

Townsend says the price point may play a part in keeping the festival diverse. The advance pass is less than US$100, which includes all the parties, discounts at local businesses and 24-hour unlimited access to the Island House, even if attendees are staying elsewhere. 

The next Key West’s Bone Island Bare It All Weekend runs November 30 to December 3, 2023; the following one is scheduled for July 10 to 14, 2024. Tickets are available online through the website.

Travel tips and insights for LGBTQ2S+ travellers. In-depth travel guides and inspirational ideas for your next trip.

Pink Ticket is sent out every other week.

Travel tips and insights for LGBTQ2S+ travellers. In-depth travel guides and inspirational ideas for your next trip.

Pink Ticket is sent out every other week.

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