Fetisch

”Anything Goes“ at Folsom Europe

10. Sept. 2014
© Tobias Ertel/MAXIMUS_retouch_MarkHassenpflug/alphadog.de

– It appears our mayor Klaus Wowereit, who pulled a Sarah Palin on August 26 and will officially leave office on December 11, is leaving Berlin something behind other than a non-functioning international airport and staggering rents. And for that the city’s queers can rejoice. Eleven years prior, Wowi and Jürgen Rentzel brought San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair to Berlin, which in turn became Europe’s biggest leather and fetish festival. Ballooning from a crowd of 5000 in 2004 to over 20,000, this year Folsom Europe eagerly anticipates leather enthusiasts, BDSM-lovers and fetish fanatics of all stripes September 13-14.

All stripes means all nationalities, too. Schöneberg’s Motzstraße, already a hub of gay activity in Berlin, expects a tourist count of around 80 percent of the total visitors, according to festival organizer Alain Rappsilber, so if you’re not a master (or slave) of the Teutonic tongue, no need to worry.

One can go back at least to 1981 film „Taxi zum Klo", the iconic and explicit cinematic battle cry against heteronormativity set in West Berlin, for proof that Berlin has long had a penchant for fetish. But according to Rappsilber, these days the festival is the one pushing Berlin’s fetish threshold: „It is because of Folsom that more leather and fetish shops have recently opened in Berlin.” While that may sound grandiose, one can bet that the leather and Schöneberg economies in general have benefitted from the San Francisco transplant.

Folsom Europe’s parent first appeared in 1984, and, like a parent/child relationship, the older one is able to get away with a lot more than its progeny. Unlike in San Francisco, there’ll be no hanky-panky in the streets – someone must think of the neighbors! Working in cooperation with the Berlin police, Folsom’s own security team ensures that sex acts will not be engaged in on the street, but in their appropriate pens. Ironic, considering the puritanical attitudes America still has towards sex and the “anything goes” attitude particularly of Berlin.

But if you want “anything goes” there are plenty of parties to engage your fetish indulgences. Here’s a rundown: It kicks off with official opening party Dungeon 5.0 – Party (11.09., 22:00, Connection). Take note: only for men. Dress code: obviously fetish here. All genders can go over-the-top and over the water with Gay Boat, ahoi! (12.09., 18:00, meeting at Haus der Kulturen der Welt), a Folsom boat tour for water babies promising two boats of DJs, drag queens and partiers. Another one for just the men, the phallicly named Revolver Party XXL (12.09., 23:00, KitKatClub) promises to attract over 1,000 guys, from those with sporty inclinations to the classic leather hunks.

At the high-point of the mayhem is Folsom’s biggest party – PiG (13.09., 23:00, Arena/Glashaus). With a crowd of 6,000 visitors, the night will be a sweaty mix of harnesses, leather, latex and rubber. Also men only. For the women and trans*, Femme Fatalities (14.09., 15:30, Böse Buben) is sadly the only fetish event on offer, but that shouldn’t discourage them from going. Registration is requested. The big farewell party, Matinee Pervert (14.09., 19:00), is hosted by the relatively new event series Dimensions, being the second Folsom event in KitKatClub this year. Get in your goodbye kicks if the leather has to come off due to Monday’s ugly appearance. And then there are some that always hang around: Resteficken (“leftover fucks”) (15.09., 19:00, Scheune) is for those who have the time, money or just too much luck for one last big bang!

Hopefully all that should keep you satiated till Berlin’s next big fetish explosion: Easter!

Walter Crasshole

Highlights auf deutsch in der aktuellen September-Ausgabe der Siegessäule auf Seite  40, Auch online hier nachzulesen

Folsom Europe street fair 2014, 13.09., 12:00, Fugger-/Welserstraße, 
folsomeurope.info

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