About 400,000 attend fetish fair

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Organizers of the 29th annual Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco said an estimated 400,000 people turned out for the fetish-themed event.

Some participants had sexuality-themed gear such as latex bodysuits, leather chaps, face-covering hoods, whips and studded vests, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday.

Demetri Moshoyannis, the fair's executive director, said the event began in 1984 as an anti-gentrification street fair and eventually became a celebration of alternative sexuality.

The fair featured vendors selling bondage gear and pornography and there were food stands, dance areas and DJs and bands playing music.

Organizers said the fair annually generates about $350,000 for local and national charities including the AIDS Housing Alliance, the Mission Neighborhood Health Center, the Queer Cultural Center and Westside Community Services.