That was a very polarized time, too.
Accepted by individuals in the public is one thing. I was thinking more about the law being more lax. These WNBR things are a parade, and publicized and the vast majority of viewers are not offended, but enjoy the procession. It is harmless.
As for the hair, yup I remember, but I also remember Willy Nelson and country singers growing it out eventually. Hippie culture created a trend and then a fashion, sideburns and longer hair, from crewcuts. In early 2000's I grew mine out again. Walking around in denim western clothing and ponytail length hair, they figured that I was conservative, not homeless, and accepted it. It generally doesn't matter anymore. Back in the day, it was culture in the rural areas to have backward fashion concepts and resist change.
It depends on where you are, too. I get the same concerns wearing a kilt, as I did being a long-haired man back then. We stop in for a taco in a small town and I need to get covered and use the camo kilt and there are snickers, but I'm probably too old to get cracks from people. If it symbolized anti-war, or something like the hair once did, then it would get a tough time. If I wore my camo kilt back then, hair or not, I'd probably get messed with, particularly being a youth.
Same old ignorant intolerant narrow personalities exist today. When there are more of them in an area, the culture gets more intolerant, ignorant, and narrow. But times have changed, most people are more tolerant now. Taking those political/cultural, societal connotations of those long gone days and applying them to nudity now, is comparing apples to oranges. They are only both fruit, only, but very different.
One of the reasons that these protests take on a more carnival atmosphere is that they are less confrontational, dower, serious, scary. There will be a minority that doesn't like it, but most are okay with it. It is free expression/speech.
Jbee
