PHOTOS: Up Your Alley in San Francisco, Folsom Street Fair’s flamboyant cousin

Two men stand in a busy street. One wearing a leather harness and face mast, the other dawning a full body red latex suit and batman mask
Kinkster couple Andres and Kirk at the titular Dore Alley

As the vaccination rate in San Francisco continues to rise and COVID protocols disappear, normalcy steadily returns, and nothing is more normal in SF than kink.

This embrace of sexual liberation was again on display over the weekend when the Up Your Alley Fair returned to Dore Alley.

Here’s a round-up of the afternoon’s friskiest fetishists for those who couldn’t make it.

It’s Like Folsom… But GAYER

Two shirtless men stand in a busy street. One wears a leather harness and jockstrap, the other sunglasses and suspenders

Local kinkster Kevin “Liability” Ebach poses with a friend on Folsom Street, which along with Dore Alley serves as the venue for the annual Up Your Alley Fair. The event evokes similarities to the much larger Folsom Street Fair, which is also a celebration of sex and body positivity. The major difference is that Dore has more of a queer male focus: It’s waaaay gayer.

It Takes All Kinds

A group of men adorned in various kink and fetish attire stand together smiling at the camera

Dore Alley celebrates every hue of the queer kink rainbow without judgment. These fetish friends illustrate the heterogeneous nature of the homo event. This kink crew alone consists of members of the leather, rubber, pup, and diaper communities. At Dore, orgasms come in all shapes and sizes.

Finding Dore

A nearly nude man sporting a Dory hat and blue jockstrap blows bubbles in the street

This jockstrap-clad daddy plays on the homophonic nature of Dore by donning a hat of Finding Nemo‘s Dory and blowing bubbles in the street. We’re sure bubbles aren’t the only thing he blew in the streets this weekend…

Handle With Care

A man in all black wearing a shirt that says Handler erotically embraces a man in a dog mask at his hip

Pup players comprise a major demographic at Dore. In their community, non-pup doms like Simon (above) are referred to as “handlers.” Although, according to his badge, Simon prefers the title “Kennel Master.”

Woof

A smiling man stands in a crowd wearing a shirt that says Woof and a chain collar with a lock on it.

Some pups eschew overt trappings, such as masks and mitts, in favor of more subtle cues. This twink advertises his canine kink with a simple “Woof” t-shirt. The chain around his neck signifies he is owned by a dom, possibly a handler, who possesses the key to his lock. And the light blue hanky translates to cocksucking, which when worn on the right side means he wants to give head. Woof indeed.

Where the Wild Things Are

Two people wearing animal masks and full body paint strike poses in the street

At the other end of the pup, spectrum is “furry” play. Normally furries don full head-to-toe animal suits, but this practical pup opted instead for a head mask and summer-friendly body paint. He’s accompanied by his dragon friend, known colloquially as a “scaly.”

Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

A man in an orange jock strap, wearing a tiger mask stands proudly while holding a full beer at his side

Animal play was arguably the most represented kink at this year’s Dore. Here’s a full-figured fetishist flaunting his tiger persona.

Llama-Rama

A man with a giant Lama head piece stands with bondage ropes wrapped around his crotch area

This bondage llama is equal parts kinky and cute. Careful though, they are known to spit…

Baby on Board

A man in a diaper smiles at the camera

Another major fetish represented at Dore was the ABDL (Adult Baby/Diaper Lover) community. This umbrella term encompasses a wide array of activities. Some engage in infantile-age play, sucking on pacifiers and drinking from baby bottles. Others pad up to participate in piss play. Several doms put their subs in diapers as a form of control and humiliation.

As with everything else at Dore, go nuts as long as it’s safe and consensual!

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