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Nudists could soon be allowed to get naked in Paris

The Local France
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Nudists could soon be allowed to get naked in Paris
Photo: AFP

Nudists in Paris will be cheered by a new plan to finally allow them to hang out in a designated open air area, without fear of being arrested.

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Naturists in Paris have not felt themselves for a long time. 
 
The problem: They've never had anywhere to let it all hang out.
 
Sure, there is the Roger Le-Gall swimming pool in the 12th arrondissement that allows nudity on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings, but members say it's getting too cramped there. 
 
"There were 150 of us on Wednesday night," Denis Porquet, a member of the Nudist Association of Paris (ANP), told the 20 Minutes newspaper
 
The group's 372 members are forced to look elsewhere for their nudist outings, hiring out bowling venues, spas, archery clubs, and even restaurants for private events.
 
And with French law stating that nudists found baring all can be slapped with a €15,000 fine or the prospect of one year in prison, it's no surprise that Paris naturists are keen on the idea of having their own designated spot to strip off.
 
And all this could be about to come to fruition, with the Green Party of Paris set to propose a designated nudist park during a meeting at the Paris city council on Monday. 
 
The exact proposal for the nudist spot remains unclear, but some nudists have already shared their ideas. 
 
Jacques Frimont, vice president of the Association for the Promotion of Naturism in Liberty (APNEL), envisions a designated area at the near the Daumesnil lake in Bois de Vincennes to the east of the city, the same lake that the government plans to turn into a public swimming zone by 2019. 
 
Lac Daumesnil‎ in the Bois de Vincennes. Could this be the new nude zone? Photo: Christian Bortes/WikiCommons 
 
He told 20 Minutes newspaper that France was wrong to associate nudity with sexual exhibition. 
 
"We disagree strongly with that. A sexual pervert is someone who spies on their neighbours or masturbates in public, for example. A just nudist just wants to get rid of their clothes," he said. 
 
Paris is gradually becoming more and more open-minded toward the nudity in public. 
 
Plans for a pop-up naked restaurant in the city have been set in motion after the concept’s success in London and this month's Fête de l’Humanité included a designated nudist stand.  
 
While opening a designated nudist spot in time for next summer might seem like a long shot, the idea has already captured the interest of deputy mayor Bruno Julliard, who has expressed a favorable view on the proposal. 
 

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