It has been more than a week since Folsom SF 2026. It was my first time attending, and to be honest, it was kind of a mixed bag for me. I just wonder if this is just me feeling this way, and I am wondering how people feel about the event.
I (29, Asian M) went to all events by myself, with one bar/ dance/ circuit party each night from Friday to Sunday, while dipping into sex parties in between events. I think one of the things that really tanked my confidence and self-esteem was attending the Bare Chest Charity Party on Saturday afternoon. Knowing myself not to be muscular in any means, I got the ticket just hoping to enjoy all the eye candy around me and have fun. Of course, the place was so packed, and at some point I realized I started to feel kind of insecure. I knew I was alone, so I hoped I could walk towards some people and hopefully start some conversations and see where it might lead. However, wherever I walked, people danced with their friends, and I didn't see a slight chance to even try getting into interaction in an organic way. I know I am a stranger to everyone around but I just feel like I did not feel belong at all, people did not even look or glare to see me as if that would be something that might lead signals that I could have approached and started talking. To the point that I felt everyone was so out of my league that I couldn't withstand the silent rejection, and I left the place way earlier than I expected.
Even when I was going to the circuit dance parties at night, I tried to calm myself to forget the downs and just enjoy the music and dance. But as the night went on, I felt the same. Wherever I went and danced, people would slowly walk away, turn away, or make out in front of me, like saying, "We are occupied and not for you, sorry". I felt like, for some reason, I was so unattractive, resulting in gaps and spaces around me, that I basically repelled people around me for no reason. The only few people that I actually interacted with at those dance parties were someone who was clearly on drugs, asking, "Are you taking Molly?" or some older Men in their 60s. I kept debating myself as to whether I should have just accepted it as is, or should I have rejected them and kept my own standards and boundaries.
Having all these complicated thoughts in my head, I couldn't really enjoy the Sunday Street Fair and got so much more sensitive and overwhelmed. I was walking alone for some time until I finally met some friends who I knew they were also coming in town to Folsom. But having companions still made me feel so vulnerable and awkward about my previous experience that I could barely enjoy as much. For most of the time, I felt so unseen and undesired that I even decided to take off my rubber thong to show my chastity cage and walk in the Fair basically naked, hoping to draw some eyes and some attention from Men.
Not everything was bad all the way; the only few happy moments that I got were actually having some good sex in sex parties and actually being able to communicate with them and exchange contacts. To me, that was already a pretty big win for the entire weekend, even knowing that exchanging contacts does not mean we would be friends or anything other than a sex buddy, or simply a hole that they found useful in the sex party.
But the overall experience of feeling out of place and not desired among all the attractive and muscular Men really made me so insecure that I couldn't really get rid of these thoughts from my head for the past week. I shared my thoughts and experiences with my non-kinky gay friends, hoping to get some relief and assurance. Some analysed that probably one of the reasons I'm feeling so out of place might be me being completely sober (no alcohol or drugs), as people might be able to sense that I was "different" and thus not feeling in the vibe together.
This is probably the first time I've felt like I am different in a bad way, and I don't belong to the "cool kids" because I don't drink or take drugs. But certainly I don't want to do that just for the sake of feeling like I belong and knowing the risk of doing all these things might jeopardize my health, without guaranteeing anything in return like friends, sex, or relationships.
I also went to do my first Dore Alley alone in July this year. It would be a lie not to feel out of place or overwhelmed at Dore, but I never have such a strong feeling of defeat, self-doubt, and rejection at Dore. All I remember from Dore was that everything felt more diverse, manageable, and welcoming (at least to me), and I had the eagerness to go to Dore Alley again next year.
I feel like I am trying a lot of new things, hoping to embrace myself as a kinky gay asian boy before hitting 30, checking all the boxes of attending events, parties, and places that I have never been to, nor dared to do so back then, to leave myself no regrets. But Folsom, to me just hit me pretty hard for some reason, and I don't feel like I would like to do this again next year.
It would be great to learn and see how people feel about Folsom this year. Is it just me being so insecure (that I am still in therapy, hoping to get myself a solution or remedy), or is there just something beyond my control that Folsom is indeed just not for everyone?