Sandy Bay, just outside Cape Town, has a long history as one of South Africa’s best-known unofficial naturist beaches.

It has also been a gathering place for gay men since the 1970s.

Now new signs are warning visitors that nudity and “sexual misconduct” are prohibited on the beach and its pathways. The signs warn that fines may be issued and say the area is under surveillance, including by drones (MambaOnline).

The signs were funded by local community groups and residents, with support from authorities involved in safety operations around the beach.

That has sparked a dispute over what Sandy Bay is — and what it should become.

Naturist campaigners are pushing for the beach to be formally recognised as a regulated naturist space. SANParks, however, says Sandy Bay is part of Table Mountain National Park and has never been formally designated as a naturist beach.

Supporters of the new restrictions say they are responding to safety concerns and sexual misconduct. Naturist advocates say authorities should address harassment and criminal behaviour without treating ordinary nudity as the problem.

The whole debate has an almost surreal modern detail: the signs say drones may be watching.

Comedian Anton Taylor has pointed out that Sandy Bay is not a place people reach by accident. Visitors have to hike to get there. Nobody slips on a banana peel and suddenly finds themselves on the beach.

That matters because Sandy Bay’s history is not simply about nudity. For decades, the secluded beach has offered gay men and naturists a place away from the public gaze — part of Cape Town’s queer heritage.

A remote beach. A community with half a century of history. And now, drones looking for naked people.

If authorities want to address harassment or criminal behaviour, that is one conversation.

But treating nudity itself as a reason for aerial surveillance is another.

📷 AI

Watch more LGBTQ+ stories on B-Gay on YouTube.

For years, Ronen Rubinstein played T.K. Strand, the openly gay firefighter at the centre of one of television’s most beloved queer relationships.

Now he is stepping into a very different uniform.

Rubinstein plays Jude Callan in S.W.A.T.: Exiles, the new Starz spinoff that brings a younger, rougher tactical team into the franchise. The series premiered on September 25.

Jude is a tactical officer with a troubled past — a long way from T.K., whose relationship with Carlos became known to fans as Tarlos.

From Tarlos to tactical action

Rubinstein’s new role offers a striking contrast with the character that made him a favourite among queer viewers.

T.K. was a gay firefighter whose story included love, family and recovery.

Jude is a wildcard with a darker history, joining a team of talented outsiders led by Shemar Moore’s Hondo Harrelson.

In a new interview, Rubinstein says he appreciates the chance to play “very badass people” while still giving them emotional depth.

For an openly bisexual actor, that range matters. Queer performers should not have to choose between playing meaningful LGBTQ+ characters and taking on action roles with physical authority.

A new chapter for Ronen Rubinstein

Rubinstein came out as bisexual in 2021, inspired in part by the experience of playing T.K. His portrayal helped make the Tarlos relationship meaningful to viewers who were used to seeing queer characters defined mainly by trauma.

Now his next role is built around danger, conflict and tactical action.

That does not erase T.K. Strand. It shows what comes after a character becomes part of queer television history.

Ronen Rubinstein can be the tender half of a beloved gay romance and a complicated action hero in the same career.

And in real life, he has the support of his wife, actor Jessica Parker Kennedy.

Read the interview at Out.

📷 @ronenrubinstein / Fox / Starz

Watch more LGBTQ+ stories on B-Gay on YouTube.