Author: David Hyman

Western SOMA is always the place to be, but especially on Saturday, October 15. Look at the array of activities!

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	Start off early at the SOMA West Farmers Market at Eagle Plaza to get your produce, seafood, and tasty treats for the week. Gumbo Social, YES Pudding!,  Silverwings Coffee, It’s Simple, and BodyGlow by Rosa are staying for Bearrison Street Fair.
Then join us for LeatherWalk 2022 at 11 am at Civic Center Plaza. LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District President Bob Brown, State Senator Scott Wiener, and District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey will see us off as we visit favorite neighborhood spots, stop at 1:45 at Ringold Alley for a commemoration,  and end up at the celebration of body positivity called the Bearrison Street Fair! The ceremonial raising of the Leather Pride Flag outside SF Eagle is at 3 pm.
	Bearrison Street Fair — The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Bears of SF offer a supportive, welcoming, and inclusive event for all members of the adult LGBTQ+ community.  It will happen from noon to 6 pm, on Harrison Street at 11th until 6 pm, featuring performers on the main stage, a wrestling stage, and the first-ever Barbells, Bears, and Butts Deadlift Competition.
LDG Fetish Fair — The San Francisco Leathermen’s Discussion Group presents the return of its annual Fetish Fair at Transform 1060 (1060 Folsom Street)! Starting at 3:30, some of the SF Bay Area’s foremost experts on various kinks will present and share some of their best tools and tricks of their kinky trade. LDG’s Fetish Fair is a great way to see, talk to, and perhaps try scenes with vetted, talented, experienced kinksters in a fun and safe environment.
	Post Fetish Fair Play Party — GearUp Weekend and San Francisco Leathermen’s Discussion Group present a hot, fun, men-only play party, starting at 8 pm, immediately following LDG Fetish Fair, at 1060 Folsom Street.  The doors will remain open until 11 pm, with play continuing until 1 am. You must be 18 or over to attend. Clothing check will be provided by the SOMA Guardians. General admission $20.00. Military, student (ID required) or play party first timers: $10.00. Volunteers: FREE

Have a great day!

Diamond Wave presents the second-annual THEYFRIEND, a festival highlighting nonbinary performers during Transgender Awareness Week, Wednesday through Saturday, November 16-19, 2022, at various locations throughout San Francisco.

 

Now in its second year, THEYFRIEND is the world’s first performance festival uplifting, centering, and celebrating nonbinary identity! This year the festival will expand to five events over four days (November 16 – 19) in partnership with San Francisco arts presenters and queer nightlife venues.  For example:

THEYFRIEND Nonbinary Happy Hour
Friday, November 18, 5-7 p.m.
OASIS (298 11th St, San Francisco)
In partnership with Oasis, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District and Realest Exposure

Curated by Edgar Fabián Frías, KB Boyce and Kevin Seaman, the 2022 THEYFRIEND festival will feature newly commissioned work from writer-performer Rawiyah Tariq, multimedia artist Sharmi Basu and musician Tyler Holmes, with live performances from local nonbinary performers and video from national and international contributors.

THEYFRIEND is supported by the California Arts Council, KQED Live, the Hormel LGBTQIA Center at San Francisco Public Library and Brava! for Women in the Arts, and is presented in partnership with Intersection for the Arts as part of the Intersect SF Series (supported with funds from Grants for the Arts) and the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.

For the full schedule of events and more info, visit https://www.diamond-wave.org/events.

LeatherWalk 2022 had to be postponed due to the weather.  It has now been rescheduled for SATURDAY, October 15, 2022.

Full details are here..

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District was pleased and proud to be part of the 2022 Folsom Street Fair.

We send our thanks to the tireless volunteers who staffed the booth, including Bob Brown, Tessa Antonia Delsener, Richard Dupler, Norm Lynde, JConr B. Ortega, Sumiko Saulson, and Stan Wong.

Our booth also hosted folks from the Bearrison Street Fair, the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, ELSE, and BABKA (the Bay Area Bi/Pan Kinky Alliance).

At the booth, we spoke to hundreds of guests about the Cultural District, signed up more than 50 folks for our mailing list, showed off items from our new Merchandise Store, gave out stacks and stacks of informational materials, (including our popular postcards), and, of course, extended our invitation to everyone to join us for LeatherWalk 2022 on October 15.

Our warmest thanks and heartiest congratulations go out to Folsom Street, who produced a magnificent event.  The return of the full-strength Folsom Street Fair experience had been long awaited and keenly anticipated by our entire community, and the reality did NOT disappoint.

[If you were unable to attend, or want to refresh you memory, may I recommend the uncensored photos of BIRON, here. — NSFW.]

Special mention to everyone involved in the vaccination efforts, both leading up to and actually at the Street Fair; this all-out effort is helping assure that we can enjoy our kinkiness as safely and responsibly as possible.

And kudos also to all the attendees, both locals and visitors, who showed respect, positivity, and common sense, assuring that the event went not just smoothly and safely, but joyfully.  We are exhausted, but proud, happy, and inspired!

See you at LeatherWalk next month!