Due to COVID-19 GNI Gathering 2020 has been Cancelled

As the world continues to be impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, our hearts go out to all who've been affected - their family, their friends, and their loved ones. No longer are there just anonymous numbers being reported daily; numbers have become the names of people we know and love. At the onset of the pandemic, GNI assured everyone that our first priority and responsibility during this time is for the health and safety of our members and Gathering attendees. Our commitment holds true to that promise today.

Over the past few months, GNI has been closely monitoring governmental authorities with the situation of COVID-19 and have been in lengthy talks with the camp. After much consideration, we have made the decision to cancel this year's event in August.

All confirmed registrants will receive a full refund; no cancellation fees will be withheld. If you've paid by credit card, your refund will appear on your bank statement within 3-5 business days after we start to process cancellations. If you paid by check or money order, your refund will be mailed to you within 10-15 business days.

GNI will take this year off to ensure the health and well-being of everyone and will reorganize our 35th Anniversary celebration next year. Keep the dates in your calendar: August 20 - 29, 2021.

Wishing you the best of health. Until next year.

Gay Naturists International

~ May 22, 2020

Excursions Announced for GNI Australia 2019

Great Barrier Reef & Daintree National Rainforest Tours

GNI is super excited to announce the details of our two excursions planned during GNI Australia, February 21 – 28, 2019! We’re heading “down under” and hope you join us, too! There is still time to register and we have availability so if you’re looking to get out of the frigid cold of the northern hemisphere, we’re going to be having heaps of fun in the southern tropics. Take a look at these excursions; these are only two of the exciting activities we have planned throughout the week!

Click here to Register!

FULL DAY OUTER REEF (GREAT BARRIER REEF) - PRIVATE CHARTER

Great memories are built on great experiences.  Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most incredible experiences a person can enjoy. With much of the reef’s color and marine life visible within a couple of meters of the water’s surface, snorkeling offers all swimmers, regardless of their skill level, the opportunity to see this diverse eco-system up close. Giant clams, stingrays, Maori wrasse, cods and colorful parrotfish, are just some of the hundreds of species you will encounter during your visit.

CHARTER INCLUSIONS:

·            1.5 hour journey to the outer Great Barrier Reef

·            Visiting three reef sites on either Agincourt or Opal Reefs

·            New and comfortable vessels with ample exterior and interior seating

·            Morning & afternoon tea

·            Tropical cold buffet lunch

·            Filtered water, tea and coffee are available all day (please note: hot drinks will not be served while vessel is traveling)

·            All snorkeling equipment (mask, snorkel, fins, Lycra suits or wetsuits, flotation devices and prescription masks)

·            Guided snorkel tour

·            Interpretive reef talk

·            Return bus transfers from Turtle Cove

CHARTER EXTRAS:

·            Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (the vessel is not licensed but you can BYO alcohol)

·            Scuba Diving

ITINERARY: (based on visiting 3 reef sites)

·            7.45am – depart Turtle Cove

·            8:15am - Board vessel at Crystalbrook Marina Port Douglas: Once guests board the vessel, they are asked to remove their shoes (and place them either in an allocated shoe container on board or in their own bags) and are fitted with a mask, snorkel and fins.

·            8:45am - Vessels depart Crystalbrook Marina. Guests are welcomed on board, an outline of the day announced and safety briefing conducted by the crew

·            10:15am - Arrive at first reef site. Divers will be briefed while travelling to the reef. Once moored, divers are ready to go while all other guests are joined together for a snorkel briefing. Morning tea is served before moving to our second reef site

·            11:55am - Second reef site. Snorkeling and diving available. Lunch is served and an interpretive reef talk is conducted by one of the crew. Guests can join in on a guided snorkel tour.

·            1:40pm - Third and last reef site for the day. Snorkeling and diving available. Afternoon tea is served.

·            2:45pm - Vessels depart outer Great Barrier Reef

·            4:15pm - Arrive back at Crystalbrook Marina Port Douglas & transfer back to Turtle Cove

SNORKELLING:

The tour provides professional supervision and tuition with a comprehensive snorkeling safety brief and guided snorkel tour. Flotation devices such as noodles or life jackets and in water assistance is provided, catering for first time snorkelers. All snorkeling equipment is provided. Bring extra beach towels.

FULL DAY DAINTREE RAINFOREST TOUR – PRIVATE CHARTER

We will depart Port Douglas to the incredible World Heritage Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. Known as the oldest living rainforest in the world at 160 million years, your day consists of spotting crocodiles in the wild, marveling at the beauty of the area from Alexandra Lookout, sampling delicious tropical fruit ice creams and taking in the rainforest from the forest floor with informative rainforest walks. The guides have extensive naturalist experience (note: not naturist) in this amazing area and enjoy sharing these natural wonders with you. If you're lucky, you may just spot a cassowary.

CHARTER INCLUSIONS:

-                   Experienced guide

-                   Pick up & drop off from Turtle Cove

-                   Comfortable vehicles with air-conditioning and large windows for great visibility

-                   Cooper Creek Wilderness Cruise – 1 hour cruise

-                   Guided Rainforest Walk

-                   Alexandra Lookout – view the mouth of the Daintree River & the Coral Sea

-                   Cape Tribulation Beach – where the rainforest meets the reef

-                   Daintree Ice-cream factory (optional ice-cream at own expense)

-                   Mossman Gorge

-                   Morning Tea

-                   Lunch

-                   Insect repellent

-                   Umbrellas

-                   Onboard library

-                   Applicable National Park Fees

CHARTER EXTRAS:

·            Ice-cream at the Ice-cream company

·            Additional drinks at lunch

ITINERARY

·            7:15am - Guests are collected from  Turtle Cove

·            8:00am - Mossman Gorge. Guests explore the spectacular rainforest so close to Port Douglas

·            10:15am - Cape Tribulation

·            10:45am - Morning tea

·            11:30am - River cruise on Cooper Creek

·            12:45pm - Arrive at lunch location and possibility for a swim in the creek. Time and weather conditions permitting

·            2:00pm - Daintree Ice Cream Company - guests may purchase a tropical fruit ice cream at their own expense

·            2:20pm - Walk through one of the pristine boardwalks in the Daintree National Park

·            3:10pm - Arrive back at The Reef Marina

·            4:30pm - Guests will be dropped back to Turtle Cove

If you’re in the United States, the US dollar is strong which makes this event much more affordable. You can also still find some good deals on flights to Australia, but don’t delay in making those arrangements now before all of the good deals are gone! See you “down under!”

Entertainment for 2018 Gathering Announced

Kinsey Sicks - For over 20 years, America's Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet has served up a feast of music and comedy to audiences at performing arts centers, music venues and comedy festivals throughout the US and internationally! Their phenomenal performance record includes an Off-Broadway show, an extended run in Vegas, two feature films and three concert DVDs, nine albums, and appearances in over 40 US states, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia. The Kinsey Sicks' award-winning a cappella singing, sharp satire and over-the-top drag have earned them a diverse and devoted following.

Bobby Jo Valentine – Bobby Jo Valentine is a nationally touring singer/songwriter who grew up on the seaside of Northern California. His songs are both earthbound and mystical, and speak of the gentle, everyday spiritual awakenings of an openhearted life. He has been awarded Song of the Year three times at the West Coast Songwriter’s Association, and has earned a growing following of listeners and supporters with music and storytelling that is compelling and poetic.

Frank Liotti - Frank Liotti is a stand-up comic living in New York City. He just completed filming a pilot for LOGO, titled "Everyone's a Little Gay." In addition, was seen headlining at Caroline's on Broadway, and performs stand-up comedy across America. His sardonic wit and unique stream of consciousness style have won him praise in the prestigious Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, the Boston Comedy Festival, the Laughing Devil Comedy Festival, the Los Angeles Comedy Festival and the Long Island Laugh Off, and he's been a finalist in every festival he's entered to date. As an actor, he has been seen playing criminals on multiple episodes of Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Fox TV's Jonny Zero, Canturbury's Law with Julianna Margulies, and others. A graduate of Yale School of Drama as well as SUNY Purchase, he landed the cover of The New York Times Arts and Leisure section for the production of Cats Talk Back — a mockumentary of life as a cast member within the Broadway hit Cats — which was the winner of "Best Overall Production" in the 2003 NYC Fringe Festival. It was also performed at Yale Cabaret, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and revived in The Fringe's 2011's "Best Of" series. He also appears in the 2012 film BearCity 2.

Adam Sank - Adam Sank is one of the most recognized and accomplished openly gay stand-up comics in the country, having been featured on NBC's Last Comic Standing and The Today Show, FOX's Laughs, CBS News, Vh1's I Love the 2000s and Best Week Ever, CNN's @ThisHour, CNBC's Street Signs and truTV's World's Dumbest Criminals, along with countless appearances as both a guest and fill-in host on SiriusXM satellite radio. 

His debut comedy album, Adam Sank: Live from the Stonewall Inn, went to No. 1 on both Amazon's list of Comedy Album Downloads and iTunes's New Comedy Releases, and it plays in rotation on SiriusXM's Raw Dog channel. Adam also hosts his own weekly radio show -- The Adam Sank Show (ASS) -- every Sunday at 3PM ET at www.derekandromaine.com, with replays throughout the week.

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Curious about Leather Community at The Gathering?

How to Get Involved at The Gathering - Sponsor a Special Interest Group (SIG):

GNI members have many different interests in addition to being a naturist. GNI is the host of activities that focus on the entire Gathering such as the social hour, dance club, and entertainment in the auditorium. In addition, there are many different activities which are sponsored and funded by cabins or special interest groups.

GNI's official schedule will offer other naked activities to attend during the time when SIG parties are scheduled. Each of us can self-select what we want to do with our time. No one is required to participate in everything, or anything, for that matter. Some special interest group activities attract 5 to 10 people and others attract 100 or more. GNI's goal is to encourage groups to offer activities of interest to a segment of the men attending The Gathering. If the activity is of interest to all, then everyone is welcome. Choose what you want to do and skip the things that don't interest you. 




It's what makes The Gathering fun.

Ralph Bruneau, Mr. GNI Leather 2016 named International Mr. Leather 2017

On behalf of GNI members around the world, congratulations to Ralph Bruneau, Mr GNI Leather 2016, on being selected International Mr Leather 2017 in Chicago this past weekend! This is a huge win for all naturists, for Ralph and for GNI; we are thrilled to have Ralph represent GNI in the international leather community for the next year!! And a special thanks to those of you who made this happen, who supported Ralph, and stood by him every step of the way. It truly is a win for everyone; Ralph will make a fantastic representative and we are proud to have him represent his naked brothers.

Check out Ralph's passionate speech at IML 2017 here.

Also check out Ralph's post about his experiences at the GNI Gathering 2016 in our blog post here.  

White Water Rafting at the GNI Gathering

Whitewater Rafting Returns!

Last year, GNI introduced a new and exciting off-camp excursion – whitewater rafting down the Lehigh River. We didn’t know what kind of interest our members would have but were pleasantly surprised when about 25 men signed up for each of the two day events. And boy, did they have the time of their lives! Upon returning to camp in the afternoon, as the men came off the bus, sounds of laughter and acclimation filled the air. “That was the best $55 ever spent,” said one rafter. “I was a kid again, splashing in the water and getting wet,” said another. Stories of water wars on the river dominated the conversation of who lost and who won. Everyone I spoke to asked me to please offer this event in 2017. And so we are.

This year, we are expanding the rafting options to our group giving everyone three (3) types of trips to choose from. Last year, we scheduled two Family Style rafting trips. It’s an 8-mile run of class I and II rapids, and has a touch of class III rapids; it’s ideal for everyone – beginners, groups, and older adults. This year, we are going to offer one (1) Family Style rafting trip on Thursday, August 24 for the same cost of $55 each.

In addition to the Family Style rafting trip, we’re introducing two more options, and both of them are very different experiences. On opening Saturday on the evening of August 19, we will be hosting a Moonlight Rafting trip. Moonlight Rafting is a nighttime experience like no other. Travel down 8 miles of the Lehigh River with the help of one of our professional river guides. Glow sticks on your raft provide helpful light for your voyage! Come back after your expedition and enjoy a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers. It’s the perfection combination of romance and adventure. Since you’ll be rafting under the moon with an in-raft river guide (you won’t have to do any of the paddling work yourself), when you’re finished, we’ll have an après party waiting for you (including wine, cheese, crackers, marshmallows, etc.) with a roaring bonfire. I’m told that since this is an evening event, nudity is allowed on the river. You can sign up for this option on the GNI registration form and the cost will be $100 each.

The second, new exciting rafting trip we will be offering is the Dam Release Whitewater. You’ll be surrounded by state park protected mountains while enjoying 12 miles and 4-5 hours of Class II, III whitewater rafting and breathtaking scenery. This is a fun, thrilling, and memorable whitewater rafting trip that everyone can do – no experience necessary! You’ll blast through over 17 rapids, laugh, get wet and have an amazing day outdoors. If you were on the river last year, imagine a longer route, more exciting rapids, and fun! Since the state park regulates water releases from which these trips can be scheduled, we’ll be offering this event on Saturday, August 26 for a cost of $75 per person.

These rates include all the necessary rafting equipment, life jackets, change rooms, shuttle service to/from the river and professional river guides, lunches, and moonlight party. There’s something for everyone and if your experience this year is like any of the guys who went last year, you’ll have the time of your life! We’ll have more information on the GNI Gathering registration form which we will be rolling out very soon.

Whitewater Raft during The GNI Gathering!

GNI is thrilled to announce a *new* off-camp excursion full of adrenaline-filled action as never offered at our annual Gathering. There will be two (2) opportunities to sign up for a fun-filled day of whitewater rafting on the Lehigh River in eastern Pennsylvania. You’ll spend 3-4 hours on the river itself and enjoy a complimentary BBQ lunch (hotdogs, potato salad, chips, fruit, etc.) midway down the river and a stop at a swimming hole to round out the day. The whole excursion is a total of 5-6 hours. We will even have buses pick up rafters at 9:00 am in the camp parking lot, take you to the launch location, meet you at the pickup location, and then bring you back to camp around 4:00 pm in time for the afternoon themed social hours. This is an experience you won’t want to miss! Whitewater rafting is scheduled to be held on Monday, Aug. 22 and Thursday, Aug. 25. There is no limit to the number of men who want to participate in this activity, but reservations must be made in advance with GNI. Since this is an off-camp excursion, your Gathering fees will not cover the cost for this exciting opportunity. Your all-inclusive rate for whitewater rafting which includes a round trip bus ride, safety equipment rental, and all-you-can eat lunch, is only $55.00 per person.

Your experienced whitewater rafting guide will ensure you have an unforgettable day while keeping you safe on gentle riffles, and mild Class I and Class II rapids. This section of river we’ll be riding is simply perfect for everyone from beginners to more experienced rafters that want to relax and enjoy the great Pocono Mountains. River photos are taken of every raft on every trip and are available for purchase in the rafting company’s souvenir shop. Whether you’re paddling a rapid, enjoying the passing scenery, kicking your feet over the edge of the raft or taking a swim in the river, you’ll have a great time making memories with your GNI friends. Here are some safety things we need to tell you about: bring a swimsuit, shorts, river shoes or old sneakers. Also, bring eyeglass straps if you wear glasses. And don’t forget your sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, towel, and change of dry clothes as you are sure to get wet. No flip flops, slippers, or bare feet are allowed. Also, no alcohol, drugs, or glass bottles are allowed, but you can bring plastic bottled water and snacks. We are working with the rafting company in cooperation with the state parks to allow some naked swimming time at a private swimming hole, but we can’t confirm that at this time. Just know that it is our priority to give men as much naked time as possible on your vacation!

 If you’re interested in signing up for this excursion, please contact Rick in the GNI Business Office and he will make your reservation. We have also revise the electronic registration form if you want to sign up for this excursion at the time you register. Major credit cards – Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover – and PayPal will be taken. You can also send a short note with your name along with a check or money order for $55.00 to the GNI Business Office to reserve your spot as well.

GNI

5175 W Ajo Hwy #A14

Tucson AZ 85735-9723

And for those that are unsure about signing up in advance, we will take reservations at The Gathering and on the day of the excursion prior to the departure of the bus at 9:00 am making this the most convenient way for you to decide if you want to partake of this exciting activity. There’s nothing to lose and you’ll have a whole lot of wet fun!