German politician strips naked, calls on ‘open-minded citizens’ to ...

Julien Ferrat, a 33-year-old city councillor in Mannheim, Germany, said an eight-day trip to the swinger hotspot Cap d’Agde in southern France is meant to investigate how it became a global hub for nudist and sex tourism, and how that model could help boost Mannheim’s local economy.

“The naturist village in Cap d’Agde is considered a mecca for nudists and swingers,” he said, adding that it would not have existed without government support. Ferrat invited “curious and open-minded citizens” to join him and take part in a training camp beforehand to ensure no one goes in “unprepared.” The camp includes outdoor sex on the Friesenheimer Insel in Mannheim and will exclude the media to protect privacy. “Having sex in your own bedroom is different from on the beach with a group of masturbating men like in Cap d’Agde,” he said. Ferrat plans to meet with tourism officials and local business owners during the trip, which has drawn interest from 75 people, 22 of whom, including 14 men and eight women, have confirmed attendance.

Some politicians have called the project “embarrassing” and “idiotic,” but Ferrat responded, “Nobody is forced to go there. Anyone who is bothered by it should simply put the article down.” The city administration declined to comment, citing neutrality rules. It's not the first time Ferrat has gone nude in public; last year, he published a similar photo of himself in the official gazette, hands covering his genitals.