Last weekend marked the 33rd annual Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco, the annual BDSM and leather subculture street festival held each September. Thousands of men and women turned out to indulge in their wildest fantasies and fetishes.
Related: Flip Flops And Armpits And Corpses, Oh My! Guys Describe Favorite Fetishes
It was a weekend of nonstop sadomasochistic flair. Whips, crops, chains, masks, lace, leather, and, of course, lots and lots of skin, with a few very lost (and very afraid) heterosexual tourists thrown in for comic relief. But don’t just take our word for it.
Scroll down for a roundup of photos from the wild weekend…
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IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
Somehow they managed to make it seem ever so slightly less stuck in the 70’s in these pictures, than the ones you normally see each year.
NCSilverBear
Ho hum . . . Same ol’ same ol’ There is no shock value nor excitement with public, naked debauchery any more.
dwes09
There would have been no “lost tourists” at the Folsom Fair. It is all fenced/barriered/stanchioned off and one must pay to get in. Plus the nature of the event is very clear as you approach. The couple in turquoise were there intentionally and probably had a grand old time. It becomes less and less of an exclusively gay event every year, with heterosexual furries, leather and latex couples pushing strollers through the crowds.
@NCSilverBear: Givden it is FOR as specific community, shock value is not the issue. People are there for a street party, not to titillate provincial types. I stayed away this year as it was in the 90’s and zi have a cold, but it is always a chance to simply cruise, drink in the street and run into folks you have not seen in a while. If you go to be shocked or judgmental, have fun with that.
ErikO
@dwes09: Exactly. There are not “lost tourists” there.
BriBri
It’s a freak show, that’s certain.
Geeker
I love how they try to make it look like all the attendees are male model types with 2% body fat.
seaguy
@BriBri: Sorry everyone can’t be as plain jane as you.
everybodywinsyay
Girls in leather are still girls.
montydaman
It’s not like the Folsom Street fair’s I remember. South of Market men were hot, masculine,sharp,tidy and handsome two decades ago.
The leather/levi’s scene has run a muck. It’s now kooky gone wild.
He BGB
I think San Francisco is known as a gay mecca aND tourists would know that so wouldn’t be that shocked. Besides, they can leave and go somewhere else. If they stay they must be enjoying themselves. I remember Folsom as being more about bears with leather not gym bunnies with harnesses on. But that was 20 years ago.
mz.sam
Andre Lynx is so muthafuggin’ hot!
nmharleyrider
They all have that same look, immediately recognizable as gay men. Same look as in gay magazines for the last 50 years.
RamblingManNJ
@nmharleyrider:
Your internalized self gay hate is showing. What is the matter with looking gay?