Wednesday 3 August 2022 02:09 AM San Francisco gay leather festival went ahead despite monkeypox state of ... trends now
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday declared the monkeypox outbreak a state of emergency in California, despite a gay, leather kink festival taking place in San Francisco over the weekend - a little more than a year since kids were banned from going back to school due to COVID.
California became the second state in three days to take the step, after New York, and Newsom said the declaration will help state officials better coordinate a government-wide response, seek more vaccines and lead outreach and education efforts on where people can get treatment and vaccination.
'We'll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization,' Newsom said.
A booth offers information on monkeypox at the 'Dore Alley,' or also called the 'Up Your Alley' fetish and leather festival on Folsom Street in San Francisco on Sunday, as the viral disease keeps spreading in California. Nearly 800 cases of monkeypox have been reported in the state
Nearly 800 cases of monkeypox have been reported in California, according to state public health officials.
But that didn't stop the LGBTQ+ community on Sunday from organizing a street fair called 'Dore Alley' or 'Up Your Alley,' a leather and fetish event that is commonly compared to to the Folsom Street Fair — California's third-largest single-day and outdoor spectator event — as well as the world's largest leather event and showcase for BDSM products and culture.
Festival officials made sure that this year's venue was more spread out and that hand sanitization stations were seen
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over monkeypox on Monday, becoming the second state in three days to take the step after New York -- the epidemic of the viral disease
Kinky games and street vendors selling leather apparel including chokers, collars, whips and bondage kits are a common at the venue, which mostly attracts gay men out of any demographic. A sound stage was also set up for festivalgoers to dance.
'I like to think of it as the biggest leather block party,' Executive Director Angel Adeyoha told ABC 7.
She raised her concerns, however, over the timing of this year's festival, especially as it took place soon after the City of San Francisco announced a state of emergency over monkeypox on July 28.
'I don't know if you came in previous years, but you would be body to body. Clearly that's not the case now, we've made room for folks,' Adeyoha told ABC 7.
In 2020, both the Up Your Alley Fair and Folsom were canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the San Francisco Department of Public Health was on-site to inform the local community about the viral disease and to keep them safe by adding hand sanitizing stations.
The festival was also more spread out than usual so people could freely roam around.
'I think probably more risky things in both Outside Lands and Dore Alley will be the things that happen after the event or around the private event spaces, where people are intimate with each other,' UCSF infectious
