Your Guide To The Debauchery Otherwise Know As Folsom Street Fair, 2015

It’s been quite a summer. We’ve window shopped for go-go boys, indulged a merman trend, and celebrated Pride with a purpose following the landmark marriage ruling.

But in San Francisco, there’s still one more rite of Summer passage waiting in the wings — the annual Folsom Street Fair, the largest fetish wonderland of its kind in the world.

Here’s a look at what makes Folsom weekend shine like polished leather boots:

Leather Walk – Sunday Sep 20 from 10 am-2pm

Can’t wait for the fair? Folsom Street Events presents LeatherWalk as the official kick-off for SF’s Leather Week which culminates one week later at the fair.  Participants walk together to celebrate leather, kink, family and community — all while raising funds for three great agencies. Each year, hundreds  of LeatherWalkers take over Market Street and march from the Castro to SoMa. The route includes stops at some of San Francisco’s favorite watering holes including Powerhouse, Oasis and BeatBox and ends with raising of the Leather Pride Flag at the SF Eagle.

Bearracuda – Friday Sep 25 from 9pm-4am

As the name suggests, this party is all about embracing bears, whether you are one or just want to, well, embrace one.

Full Fetish – Friday Sep 25 from 10pm-3am

Gear up as RECON returns to SF to host the “men only” Friday night play party of Folsom weekend. Recon expands on their sleazy, Euro-style playroom, cruising maze and dungeon to build the atmosphere for what is sure to be one of the hottest fetish, kink and underground play parties during Folsom.

Magnitude – Saturday Sep 26 from 9pm-4am

An infamous, expanded play space returns along with massive laser light shows, hardcore video projections, and men from the hottest studios. Magnitude is the official Folsom eve party.

The Fair – Sun Sep 27, 2015 from 11am-pm

Join nearly 250,000 fetish enthusiasts for interactive demos, shopping at over 220 exhibitor booths, hot food and cold drinks, and much, much more. Don’t miss the main stage entertainment and two sun soaked dance areas. If you think you’ve seen it all, come prepared to be proven wrong.

Deviants – Sunday Sep 27 from 6pm-2am

Want to keep the vibe of Folsom Street Fair going all night long? Well, that’s exactly what you get at Deviants. All the fun, scary, and crazy sights and sounds are on display for you at this official closing party. Join for an amazing spectacle of debauchery just blocks from the fairgrounds. Pups, ponies, and leather folks of all persuasions will be present.

Check out the GayCities complete 2015 Folsom Guide

Dan Tracer

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/bUJ1k_AGEvM/your-guide-to-the-debauchery-otherwise-know-as-folsom-street-fair-2015-20150907

Ghana’s presidential candidate, if elected, will kill gay people by firing squad

A Ghanaian politician fighting to be president has said, if elected, he would have all gay people killed by firing squad.

George Boateng has vowed to unseat President John Mahama in the National Democratic Congress party’s presidential primaries in November.

And in doing so, has already started making pronouncements about what he will deliver if he is elected.

Speaking on Kasapa radio, he said it was time to ‘eradicate’ homosexuality from Ghana.

He said: ‘There is too much indiscipline in Ghana, under my presidency when a corrupt person, gay or lesbian are arrested the law will make it possible for the courts to sentence the offender to death by firing squad.

‘It will be a public event to be witnessed by all to serve as a deterrent. There must be a house cleaning exercise to clear all such terrible acts from the society’.

Gay sex is currently illegal in Ghana, punishable by up to three years in jail if it is consensual. There is uncertainty over whether female homosexuality is illegal. Violence against LGBTI people is widespread but highly under-reported and not prosecuted.

The post Ghana’s presidential candidate, if elected, will kill gay people by firing squad appeared first on Gay Star News.

Joe Morgan

www.gaystarnews.com/article/ghanas-presidential-candidate-if-elected-will-kill-gay-people-by-firing-squad/

Caitlyn Jenner Waffles on Her Name and Wows 'Em at the ESPYS

This week’s I Am Cait episode is part one of the season-ending finale, and gives viewers a behind the scenes look at Jenner’s struggles with her transition. 

read more

Dawn Ennis

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/09/06/caitlyn-jenner-waffles-her-name-and-wows-em-espys

Trans Indians beg for mercy killing rather than life of discrimination

Three Indian transgender women have begged for mercy killing rather than live lives of discrimination.

Frustrated with the government assistance and job opportunities, Grace Banu, Living Smile Vidya and Angel Glady submitted their petition to Tamil Nadu state on Friday (4 September).

‘If we are considered third rate citizens, if we can’t sustain our livelihood with dignity, then let us die with dignity,’ Vidya wrote on Facebook.

The Supreme Court recognized transgender people as a ‘third sex’ in April 2014, and ordered central and state governments to set quotas for them in education and employment.

But the women said little has changed since the landmark ruling.

‘I tried to get financial assistance from the government to lead my life with dignity,’ Banu, who is studying engineering, told The Hindu newspaper.

‘I do not want to beg or carry on with the other tasks traditionally associated with transwomen in society. I have never thought of doing such work for a living.’

Even highly-educated transgender women are denied jobs because of their gender identity, and many are forced into begging or sex work.

Vidya holds a postgraduate degree from Tanjavur Tamil University but said she did not earn enough to make ends meet.

The post Trans Indians beg for mercy killing rather than life of discrimination appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/trans-indians-beg-for-mercy-killing-rather-than-life-of-discrimination/

Edward Snowden: Russia’s treatment of gays is ‘fundamentally wrong’

US whistleblower Edward Snowden has said Russia’s treatment of LGBTI people is ‘fundamentally wrong.’

The fugitive, who has been living in an undisclosed location in the country since he was granted asylum there in June 2013, made the comment while accepting the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression’s Bjornson prize by videophone.

Snowden described the country’s crackdown on internet freedom as a ‘mistake in policy.’

‘It’s wrong in Russia, and it would be wrong anywhere,’ the Guardian quoted him as saying.

‘I’ve been quite critical of [it] in the past and I’ll continue to be in the future, because this drive that we see in the Russian government to control more and more the internet, to control more and more what people are seeing, even parts of personal lives, deciding what is the appropriate or inappropriate way for people to express their love for one another… [is] fundamentally wrong.’

Russia passed a gay ‘propaganda’ law in 2013, banning the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality to minors.

The founder of a LGBTI youth website was fined under the law last month.

The post Edward Snowden: Russia’s treatment of gays is ‘fundamentally wrong’ appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/edward-snowden-russias-treatment-of-gays-is-fundamentally-wrong/