What I did last weekend

On Sunday, K & I went to the Folsom Street Fair, which is SF's outdoor leather community festival.

Let me assure you, K & I are not hardcore S&M folk. But we do appreciate the openness and acceptance in SF, and we're both pro-expression. And there's some pretty amazing people watching. It's kind of like the an S&M-themed Pride parade. So it's fun.

And it's fun to dress for the occasion. Not that I own a black leather jock strap. But I've got enough pieces that, when properly assembled, let me seem part of the crowd.

And what's there to see?


Well, lots of gay dudes in various attire, ranging from outfits ala Mr. Slave from South Park to fabulous female impersonation. It's a peculiar experience for me to be in a crowd that large yet be far from the most fit male physique. A full 40% of the male population in that crowd was fit to be in a pin-up calendar of some variety. I say "some variety" since there were beefy body-builder types (Like Arnold in his Conan days), slightly smaller, yet still statuesque and muscular men (like Terrell Owens), and then leaner muscled dudes (triathlete style bodies).

There was some outrageously bad drag. Some 50-something dude with a white dress with polkadots and a wig and the Mary Jane's to look like strawberry Shortcake. With stubble. And then some fabulous outfits ala the person in the black patent platform heels that made him (I'm not exaggerating) a full foot taller.

There were the two ripped black dudes in a cute little "sailor" outfit (mostly naked, plus hat, little blue kerchief tie and collar, white hot pants) and something I can only describe as a black leather jock strap with a silt in the front to advertise the enormity of his tool. On one hand, dude, put that away. On the other hand, dude, if I had one of those I'd show it off, too. He wasn't dispelling any stereo types.

Then there's the activities one may see. There's the usual public spanking. Then there's the unusual public spanking, which this year involved a woman suspended in full rope bondage upside down enduring some sensation play of some sort. There was quite a crowd, so it was hard to see the specifics.

Outside one of the packed bars, there was one dude (built like Terrell) lying prone on the sidewalk, licking the tall black boots of another dude, who had one boot on the licker's back. Boot worship. Hey, whatever floats your boat.

There was a lot of tongue in cheek humor. I thought this sign was funny.

And I found a new tank t-shirt. I'm sure there'd be a corporate lawsuit of some kind if folks discovered these. They came in several varieties. Some depicting the M&M's dudes as gay leather buddies, another with an orange peanut M&M chained to a bondage dungeon cross, another with a red M&M wearing a gimp mask.

I, of course, went with green. She's hot, as always.

K also stimulated the economy by dropping what was, to me, a breathtaking chunk of change on an extremely well made corset. The booth was staffed by cheerful sultry ladies wearing their wares, and helping cinch potential customers into the merchandise.

I was intrigued by K's articulation of enjoying how she felt wearing it. What many feminist types have used as a symbol of "male restriction of female sexuality" she experienced as focusing, celebrating and enhancing her feminine sexual power. My take: Yummy curves. Girl looked good. Behold:




I was addled to contemplate that my girl was wearing a corset and leather pants at the Folsom Street fair because she really wanted to. I'm a lucky guy.