Real Bad

Real Bad is the name of a fundraising party held annually in San Francisco, California immediately following the Folsom Street Fair. The party, which occurs on the last Sunday in September, has been in existence since 1989. It is thrown by a non-profit organization called Grass Roots Gay Rights West (GRGR/West). Most of the money raised by the event comes from ticket sales, which are generated by a network of party hosts who sell tickets to friends.[1] Proceeds from the party go to HIV/AIDS charities and LGBT health and community service organizations. In 2007, the party raised $150,000 for San Francisco Bay Area charities.[2][3]

Because it serves as an unofficial closing event for Folsom Street Fair weekend, the party has a leather and BDSM bent. The event is known for its progressive house music, lighting effects, and flag dancing. Party-goers are primarily gay men. Like some circuit parties, such as the White Parties in Miami, Florida and Palm Springs, California, Real Bad has an international reputation. Although most of the revelers hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, many come from other parts of the United States and from other countries around the world.