It comes as no surprise that the boys & girls of Folsom love to show off. To memorialize the biggest fair in its 26 year history–with more than 300,000 people packed into nine square blocks–we sent one of San Francisco’s best chronicler’s of gay life, the photographer
Rick Gerharter , to capture folks in all their sweaty, sun-drenched glory. The consensus? It’s one of the few places on earth where you can be completely yourself.
Yannick Desautels from Vancouver, BC: "It's a great city with beautiful weather and houses. And so open-minded for a US city. It's great to be here and be yourself. This is our first time at the fair, but the third time in San Francisco this year."
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Blanche DuBois (from St. Louis) and Shelley Wilde (from San Francisco), brothers in real life. Blanche: "I love the nightlife of San Francisco. This is my first time in the city and at the fair. I was really looking forward to it and I'll be back." Shelley: "I love it here because I can be who I want to be and nobody gives a damn."
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Ben Ahn and Pearl Malt from San Francisco: "We like the fair because of the variety; people can be themselves or be someone else out here. You can be the other side of yourself. Nobody is judged."
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Kenneth Hawk from Atlanta: "I like San Francisco because of the ocean and the mountains. I like being close to them and I find it very relaxing. This is my first time at the Fair. I think everyone should experience it. It's kind of like Mardi Gras."
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Lance Holman (1st runner-up in the Mr. San Francisco Leather 2009 competition) from San Francisco: "I am very much a part of the San Francisco leather community and I want to support sane, safe and healthy kink." Art Taylor, also from San Francisco: "I like the freedom of the fair. This is the first time I have worn a harness, although it is kind of odd. But I like it. Before I left the house, when I put the harness on and looked in the mirror, I thought, 'oh, so sweet!'"
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Noah Landis and Allen Jordan from San Francisco. Jordan: "This is my first time at the Fair. I came down to show my wiener off because it is big and uncut. This is the only time in San Francisco that you can express yourself in a radical manner. I want to embrace that."
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Lykaios Mavromatides and Timothy Wood from San Francisco: "We like the people watching. Oh, we've seen the usual: the naked people you don't want to see and the people you want to see naked but are clothed."
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Randall Smith from San Francisco: "San Francisco is full of local celebrities rather than the international ones. I like that. It kind of makes for a better social economy."
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Cynthia Smith, Leo Prado and Tamara Jones, SF: "We like to support our friends. The fair is lots of fun. We were born and raised here. San Francisco equals free. We believe you should do whatever you believe in."
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Duke Snyder from Los Angeles, Phenizee McElroy and Sandy Weiss from San Francisco: "For us it's a tradition to celebrate leather, lust and fantasy."
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Joseph White and Marcus Williams, who turned 27 today, both from SF. Marcus: "What isn't there to like about San Francisco? But today it is all about me. I like it because it is my birthday."
More SF on GayCities
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