
Every year, San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair—which celebrated its 39th anniversary this past weekend—is an anything-goes, sex-positive celebration of leather culture, BDSM, and almost every fetish and kink in between.
And, if your kink happens to be bumping into half-naked elected officials in public places, then you were in luck: For the second year in a row, out and proud California State Senator Scott Wiener was spotted taking in the fair’s sights and sounds (and smells).
The 53-year-old Democrat is one of the state’s most high-profile lawmakers, representing the 11th Senatorial District—which includes San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County—since 2016.
In what’s becoming something of a tradition, Wiener once again spent the first weekend of fall visiting with thousands and thousands of his constituents (and out-of-town visitors, no doubt) at Folsom.
While he was photographed shirtless at the festivities in 2022, this year Wiener was sporting a leather vest (so formal!) paired with dark-wash denim, Converse shoes, and a fashionable pair of sunglasses.
And, can we just say? You can bounce a quarter off those abs, Senator—or maybe even sign some bills protecting our LGBTQ+ community on them!
“Senator 8-pack,” comments one constituent on Instagram. “Working the washboard, Senator!” adds another.
Related:
Lawmakers honor a drag nun for Pride Month and the GOP is melting down again
Sister Roma, who’s part of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, was invited to commemorate the start of Pride Month.
Wiener commemorated the weekend with a handful of posts on social media, one of which features him standing amongst friends (and some side-cheek) in the middle of the Folsom celebrations.
In another post, the legislator calls Folsom “one of the best days of the year in San Francisco,” and is pictured at Donna Sachet’s 25th Annual Folsom Leather Brunch alongside local drag personality and activist Donna Sachet, as well as Sister Roma, one of the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence.
But it’s not all smiles and sunshines, whips and harnesses; would you believe Senator Wiener’s photos from Folsom have right-wingers in a tizzy?
Just like last year, ultra-conservative internet users couldn’t bare the sight of an elected official’s pectorals in public, so they decided to log on to share their homophobic disgust with the world. (Were these people just as upset last week after Lauren Boebert got handsy at Beetlejuice? Just saying!)
shoot… I was hoping you meant the prison… yeah… that would have fixed the problem for sure!
— Kim Martin (@martinimaas) September 25, 2023
It’s Dark and Hell is Hot.
— People’s Observer (@berlin1920) September 25, 2023
That’s where you will be going.. I’m willing to bet the entire house and the Vegas odd makers agree 109%
When they’re not relying on tired “Folsom Prison” jokes or being outright homophobic, many are veiling their bigotry with the old “but what about the children!” line, tsk-tsking the State Senator for supporting an event that allows for public nudity. Of course, the street fair is very clear that no one under 18 is permitted into the event—though we don’t expect these people to actually do any research, reading, or critical thinking…
Thankfully, there are just as many allies and members of the community showing their support for Wiener and his weekend plans. The only person he’s really letting down is a user by the name of @fitnessgayz, who seems disappointed the lawmaker chose not to rock a harness once again:
Still no harness this year, senator?
— burlington throat factory | fitnessgayz (@fitnessgayz) September 25, 2023
After Wiener’s presence at Folsom last year caused an uproar, the State Senator spoke with The Advocate and shared why he’s not backing down:
“This has been going on for me for years,” he said at the time. “There are a number of pictures of me shirtless from as far back as 2016 that they’ll recycle all the time. It’s just straight-up homophobia.”
“I’m a gay man. I’m a single gay man,” he added. “I enjoy life, and sexuality is part of human existence. If they have a problem, that’s their issue, not mine, and they need to get a life.”
Considering he attended Folsom again this year—and posted about it—even after all the blowback, it seems Wiener really is unbothered by all the haters.
See your at Folsom in 2024, Senator! And don’t forget the harness!
Related:
Scott Wiener is following in Harvey Milk’s footsteps
Wiener has authored legislation to benefit LGBTQ lives.
Herman75
Wake me up when we get to see Lusty Boebert’s stinky cooch.
JTinToronto
Stinky cooch is the same as Skunt, right?
PapaBearPgh
I thought it was a Cooter?
winemaker
So scotty wee wee shoewed his abdominals, big deal. There were hotter men art the Folson St fair than this clown. And are we supposed to get excited, just askin’ for a friend. Must be a slow day if this is news. BTW: wasnt this clown the one advocating the reopening of the long closed bathouses as if he hasn’t had any friends live with this hell and die before their time. All to pander for votes as if he plans to do anything for anyone else but himself like when he was district 8 supervisor and you hardly ever got him to address important neighborhood issues in a timely manner.
dbmcvey
Bitterella, you’re as bitter as your name.
mailliw110
Is everywhere you go “wine” country?
Sheppard87
1) This is newsworthy not because Sen. Wiener is good looking and shirtless, but because he is shamelessly attended a very queer event and is open about his sexuality in a way that no other Senator I know is. People see representation in him and the fact he is not a sanitized/sterilized version of a gay man that fits into straight society.
2) The closing of the bathhouses during the height of HIV/AIDS in the 80s was a controversial decision to start out with. The fact those laws are still on the book in the 2020s is government neglect at best and outright homophobic at worst, especially when we have an all time low in HIV/AIDS transmission and better working medication and education so you can’t really use that as an argument any more.
3) I don’t know much about Sen. Wiener’s time as an district supervisor, but it sounds like you have some actual concerns about him and those should be expressed. But doing it in this manner doesn’t do anything but make you look like a troll. So, do better sir.
still_onthemark
winemaker, your wine has gone a bit sour, it’s amusing but it has notes of bacon grease, rotten peaches and wet dog! We’re sorry but we must send it back. Bring us some E&J Gallo, it must be better than this!
This fact may make you faint, but bathhouses have remained open since the ’80s in Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland, Providence, Philly, Miami, DC etc., often coordinating with local HIV nonprofits – they’ve all provided HIV education and free condoms. And now there’s PrEP.
abfab
Wait a minute, WINEMAKER. WTF is a celibate Roman Catholic like you doing on Folsom? Research for your Priest? Scotty wee wee. Grow up dear.
Kangol2
Of course you completely missed the point again, Winemaker, as always!
The article’s point wasn’t whether there were “hotter men art [sic] the Folson [sic] St fair [sic],” the point was that he is an adult legislator who went to a pro-LGBTQ street fair, wore a very tasteful public outfit that bared his abdomen, and right wing fanatics freaked out.
It really was not that hard to follow, and yet it apparently baffled you. Oh no–wait. You came with a preset rant about Scott Weiner and spewed it, because you couldn’t bear to read, comprehend and respond to what was actually written about him.
And, as Abfab points out, aren’t you a celibate Catholic devotee, so what were you doing trolling around the Folsom Street Fair? Say a few Rosaries to cleanse your memory!
SDR94103
girl, you bitter.
barryaksarben
wtf I bet you are one ugly biggie. You need to grow the f**K UP
bachy
You see a helluva lot more flesh at any beach picnic – replete with pets and children. So why is a shirtless man at a hot street festival such a huge problem?
RoyM
Who cares whether a bunch of conservative trash likes it or not? If it was a MAGA woman with her shriveled old tits out at a MAGA rally, the right would be cheering her on. Conservatives are all just garbage human beings.
ShaverC
Celebrating mental illness, great. Who would willingly want to be abused and demeaned and claim that it’s a healthy way to live?
abfab
You?
ZzBomb
Like you know what is healthy given the vitriol you spew here daily. You got no place to comment on anyone else much less their state of mental health.
abfab
Dr Shaver! At your service!
ShaverC
AzBomb, All you have to do is see how they behave to know it’s not normal. Scott Wiener looks sickly… I know there are people who are naturally thin but his skin doesn’t look healthy.
abfab
Normal. The GOPTROLL’S greatest hits return. Tell us how you ‘celebrate’ Shaver. Please don’t tell us you are the chairwoman of The Million Moms. That would be my guess because you always sound like one of them.
Bitchy, whiney, bigoted, homophobic and judgemental.
ShaverC
abfab, How I celebrate what?
still_onthemark
@Shaver: I have to admit, if I saw Scott Weiner in a bar wearing long sleeves on a warm day, I’d suspect he might be a heroin addict. But these photos are reassuring. He’s in great shape. The surprise to me is that it ever gets warm enough in SF to go shirtless!
Anyway, why do you call yourself Shaver? – did your facial hair finally start growing at age 25?
Kangol2
MAGA fanatics? Everyone who worked for Don the Con?
barryaksarben
what is truly sick is a tired. boring straight pos who cant get a date has to come here trying to upset people even tho we know who you are. I love that we are seeing more and more and more PROUD gay men and yet here is this sad miserable person who cant make anyone happy including himself thinking pissig pn others will make him less of a loser but agin he is wrong
dbmcvey
Mental illness? This is a weird post even by your standard Shaves.
RoyM
@ShaverC being a hate-driven neofascist pig isn’t really a healthy way to live but here you are. Why do you come to Queerty? Wouldn’t you be more at home and more welcome on Brietbart or some other MAGA site? That’s where you belong.
ShaverC
“Neofascist pig”? Yikes, I’m pretty scary. I like to read a wide range of opinions to stay informed.
RoyM
@ShaverC Scary? Pathetic is more like it. What you are is what every conservative is – lacking in intelligence, honesty, integrity, kindness, decency or honor, and totally driven by hate and greed. You aren’t scary, you are just another piece of right-wing garbage, the kind that people scrape off the bottoms of their shoes. Like I said, why don’t you stick to your right wing extremists website. The pathetic crowd on those sites are right up you ally.
abfab
Shaver, when you’re finally ”informed”as you say, look for work.
barryaksarben
informed did he say. IF he was informed by science and would know that we are as natural as air and homosexuality appears in almost every species. But like the true maga he is he just thinks he is finding all the answers from a con man who says only he can fix it – no matter what it is> what kind of idiot would think some guy knows everything. fool
ShaverC
barryaksarben, Who said anything against homosexuality? Do you think because you’re gay, you have to like BD/SM?
RoyM, I’m an extremist because I don’t like BD/SM?
abfab
Shaver—you wrote it! It’s right there! Homosexuals are celebrating mental illness. This is really how you feel about other Gay men, etc. It’s right there. You’re a dangerous right wing homophibe, propping up all who came before you with this exact rhetoric. I won’t list the players. Play dumb all you want.
Here it is hypocrite.
ShaverC
”Celebrating mental illness, great. Who would willingly want to be abused and demeaned and claim that it’s a healthy way to live?”
ShaverC
abfab, As always, you are suffering from a delusional disorder and misrepresenting what I wrote.
abfab
Your damage control skills are severely lacking. Why do you even bother? Who are you trying to convince and what exactly is your point? You’ve had the floor for years but you still come across as a sad old intolerant fool.
Stay away…..people are having fun and celebrating diversity. Don’t ruin it for them.
frapachino
I am sure he is hot to someone, he’s not very well liked here in the Bay Area.
Kangol2
He’s “well liked” enough to get reelected to various posts, so maybe you’re misreading the room again.
abfab
You’re not very well liked here so what’s your point? And I can only imagine that you must be the Queen of The Ball when you make your public appearances. ”Oh, look what the cat dragged in” they all said!
Doug
I live in San Francisco and I can’t stand Weiner. He pushes his agendas regardless of whether any of us want them or not. This a man who worked to ban nudity in the Castro, then poses of all places at the Folsom Street fair.
abfab
So then, how is Scott any different from any other politician? He sounds pretty normal to me, if what you say is true. But we don’t believe you. Why should we?
dbmcvey
frap just means that he doesn’t like him. He doesn’t really have any friends to judge how others feel.
Kangol2
Why is there any controversy about this grown man bearing his stomach at an event for adults? His outfit was very tasteful. More than enough grown men walk around shirtless, with their stomachs out all over the US, including in places where some of the most rigid, right-wing people live. So why is there any issue at all?
The real and only problem is that these right-wing fanatics are anti-sex and anti-LGBTQ, and their infantile rants just show how arrested in development and full of fear (and desire) they really are. When all else fails they mention “children,” which is their projection, because they are always fixated on kids. They probably also are repeatedly returning to images from the Folsom Street Fair to get themselves off and through the day and night!
Diplomat
Thank god the psycho professional transtrolls/ trans victims haven’t busted down the folsom door and demand they be screwed by guys who can’t stand what these psychos stand for these days. Remember, we’re all transphobes if we don’t do exactly what they say. LoL Talk about original victims. If they could bottle it they’d be billionaires.
abfab
?
The Diplomat returns when he finds his SHAVER/INBAMA shtick is no longer effective in getting his convoluted points across
Does anyone have a clue as to what this maniac is trying to say?
Diplomat
Spoken like a true teams victim. ;
Brian
“Demand they be screwed” = nonsense. Nobody is demanding that people have sex with them — except rapists. It certainly can’t be used to describe all transgender people, categorically. You are not living in reality. You’ve been brainwashed by bigots.
abfab
Oh, that’s just boiler plate DIPLOMATE. The Village Idiot.
decrans
He certainly is living within reality. Have you seen the far-left trans segment demanding sex on TikTok and various platforms? They’re not all actors from LibsofTikTok.
Kangol2
Diplo, you do realize that trans people attend both the Folsom Street Fair and Folsom East in NYC, right? If not, you should attend both, and you’ll see that no trans people are “demanding” that they be “screwed by guys,” etc. Or maybe that’s your fantasy and you’re projecting it onto the fairs.
Diplomat
Trans activists are hitting the proverbial iceberg so I’m not worried. I do have great respect for Trans woman Blair White, she owns she’s a man and a Trans woman and thinks Trans activists are screwing the Trans community with their abysmal “I’m a real woman!” screed and their complete disrespect for women’s private spaces and sports teams. Buck Angel also, is a Trans man I respect. They both speak solid truth about Trans on all their YouTube vids. Trans people here can’t even talk truth, they just hide out.
I don’t hate Trans people, I do hate Trans activist’s victimhood with their bull in China shop behavior and their basic fk you to those who call them on their bs, crying at the word NO.
I hate their disrespectful speel like I hate Trump, both throwing a negative lying confusing force on our nation.
abfab
Diplomat in a nutshell:
”bull in China shop behavior” This shit writes itself!
abfab
Diplomat hates Trump. Why so defensive, Dip?
dbmcvey
Hey Dip, there are a lot of trans people who participate. You are super out of touch.
metta
The comments from the conservatives are hilarious! What about the children? It is definitely not an event for children.
barryaksarben
FINALLY a truly out and proud man in office. We need to stop catering to these fake christians and their fear of sex. And of. course some idiot has to say something about children not even taking the time to see that no children are allowed in. Screw em.
abfab
WINEMAKER went to see the sisters, which he read would be in the party parade. Little did he know they were of the Perpetual Indulgent kind. He turned right around and with arms flailing ran screaming, kicking over homeless tents, with his cross held high in hand!
abfab
Discovering (THANK YOU QUEERTY) Scott today was nice. A solid bio and background. What gave him even more street cred was the leather and the loathers. Thank you very much right wing homophobe TROLLS for raising his profile, as well. Every attempt at hate is counterproductive to your cause. But knock yer selves out dudes.
Brian
Very weird to see people freaking out about his lack of shirt and his attendance at a giant outdoor event. This is the same guy who led the charge to make public nudity illegal. During his campaign, he insisted that there would be exceptions for certain special events and special places (like a couple of nude beaches on the Pacific Ocean). But after the policy went into place, they did *not* make exceptions for many of those events/places. San Franciscans were actually calling him too prude for banning nudity at beaches where it had been acceptable for many decades. So, the guy who is too prude is also too slutty…. makes no sense.
abfab
People are messy. Let’s tie him up, hang him upside down and tickle the shit out of him.
Rikki Roze
He’s got my vote!
abfab
Right on Roze!
abfab
What a blast it would be if Scott chimed in and said hello. Hi Scott! Eat something!