We’re way past due for an event of our own, but scheduling during Pride is pretty impossible. We’re all BUSY.  So, we decided to meet up with our friends and followers at Folsom Street East and inject a little of the Natural Pursuits into the event. 

Typically our shoots focus on nonsexual nudity. But, given Folsom Street East’s kinky nature, we had an opportunity to explore a different side of our community. Folsom Street East’s mission is closely aligned to Natural Pursuits. They create safe spaces for public expression of our sexual identities. We create safe spaces to accept our bodies. We both work to break down the fear, stigma, and negativity associated with being queer. So, crashing this party felt…ahem…natural. 

Accompanying this piece, you’ll find a collection of photos taken with the full knowledge, consent, and active participation of the subjects. Each image offers a look at the bodies and kink on display at Folsom Street East. It’s a celebration of the horniness, sex, and the queers who make up our community.

---

---

Within the past few years, a conversation has grown around kink and nudity’s place at Pride. The dynamics of the LGBTQ+ community are constantly evolving and the perspectives on what constitutes an inclusive event evolve with it. If Twitter discourse is any indication, many younger members of the community have a vision of Pride that’s free of leather and jockstraps. 

They want more mainstream and family-friendly environment. For them, the idea of encountering explicit displays of nudity or overt expressions of sexuality during Pride can be uncomfortable or alienating. 

However, Pride has always been a space for diverse voices and expressions, including kink and nudity, which is why events like Folsom Street East are key. They offer a compromise that bridges the gap between various perspectives within the community with a dedicated, private space for people celebrate their kinks and fetishes.

---

---

Admittedly, quickly flashing the camera is very different from spending an afternoon together naked making art. At Natural Pursuits events, nudity loses its novelty–being nude is just a part of the experience. Our goal is for participants to grow more comfortable in their own skin and acknowledging the diversity of human bodies.  

There’s no titillation or shock value.

Whipping out one’s dick at a fetish festival is a very different context. As I caught up with familiar faces from past Natural Pursuits events, I asked if they were willing to be photographed for this piece. Because we’re so used to being nude around each other, this was just standard operating procedure. Pants were unzipped, genitalia exposed, pictures taken, and we were back to chit chatting.

Judging by their reactions, the people around us were far less blasé about the encounter. Many took out their phones to also document the moment. A nice reminder that when everyone’s naked at a nudist event, nudity is the status quo. When one person is briefly naked at Folsom, it’s exhibitionism. Either way, it’s a good time.

---

---

Shop new arrivals