With Folsom and Dore Alley behind us — and Halloween quickly approaching — it was the perfect day for San Francisco Bears to come out and play.
Bearrison Street Fair is still in its infancy compared to our other sex, intimacy, and body-positive offerings; at only three years old, the festival celebrates our queer community members with curvaceous, beautiful bodies. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Bears of San Francisco jointly put on the festivities at 11th and Harrison this past Saturday, Oct. 14.
Be warned — or tempted — it’s pretty raunchy: there’s a dildo toss, wrestling, and butts as far as the eye can see. I went in expecting “Folsom-light.” What I found was mellower, much less-crowded, friendlier, and well, slightly weirder. One of the founders of Bearrison, Erik Greenfrost, told me, “Unfortunately the bear scene and the queer scene as well can sometimes have a very narrow view of what is considered beautiful and what is considered sexy. And we’re really looking to change that.”
All are welcome, regardless of gender, race, size or shape, Greenfrost said. This was palpable throughout the event. As a trans man myself, I immediately was struck by how many of my trans brothers I spotted at the event — we are becoming increasingly visible within the larger gay male culture in the city.
People of all genders could be spotted at this fair in a variety of outfits. The Sisters were out with their iconic makeup and bright colors throughout the fair. The Sisters brought humor and liveliness to the stages of this event — and yes, that’s a vibrator in one of their hands, in case you’re wondering.
The “Barbells, Bears, & Butts Deadlift Competition” was one of the main attractions. In true queer fashion, this competition quickly morphed from a competition about deadlifting to one about the best butts.
Also out in high numbers were the pups. One of the more entertaining tasks they had to perform was eating a bowl of dog food, which I confirmed with one of the event organizers were actually just cocoa puffs.
And let’s not forget the wrestling match arena and a wide array of shopping. Trans-run shops like The Spooky Haus made an appearance, along with mom-and-pop domme supplies. I made a stop for this trans pin and took a look at the selection of beautifully crafted floggers from The Frugal Domme.
It was a wonderful day to be queer in San Francisco.
Daniel Lyons is an Oakland-based author, therapist, poet, and queer mental health advocate.
The Bold Italic is a non-profit media organization, and we publish first-person perspectives about San Francisco and the Bay Area. Donate to us today.
