What is a “Bear?”

Staff Report

According to the Wichita bears website, superficially, a bear is a chubby, hairy, masculine gay male who likes beer and flannel shirts. However, according to many bears and their admirers, the bear culture is not so much about physical appearance, rather it is about living a particular philosophy of acceptance, respect, and the celebration of diversity.

Further, a bear is a gay man who rejoices in his masculinity (masculinity of a relaxed and undemonstrative nature) rather than suppressing his true gender identity to assimilate into the pretty-boy standards of much of the gay "community." A bear is, well, a big teddy bear of a man - gruff and bristly on the outside but mellow and squishy-sweet on the inside. Bears are considered almost universally friendly and likeable.

Those who study such things theorize that the bear phenomenon is a "maturation of the gay culture (Andrew Sullivan)" in that most bears feel no need to take on conventional gay identities and display - they are simply masculine dudes who really, really like other masculine dudes. Bears see no conflict between being gay and being a genuine man and therefore achieve a kind of identity-based personal harmony that does not require any sort of outside validation.

Unlike much of gay cultural identity - which equates being gay with somehow not being a regular guy - bear culture simply accepts the notion of masculinity. That being said, most bears eschew politics - the politics of being gay included.

The origins of the bear movement are unclear but it is believed that it first began 15 to 20 years ago in San Francisco.

There exist subgroups - if you're not old enough or hairy enough or chubby enough or cuddly enough, you can be a Cub, an Otter or a Wolf.

Cubs are simply young bears, Otters are slimmer and less hairy bear-admirers (BA's) and Wolves are bears that are typically more aggressive and overtly masculine.

Bears are all inclusive - it should be noted that Bears come in all shapes and sizes. You don't have to fit any specific category to be a Bear. All you need to have is an open mind, sense of humor, a giving heart and a desire to be with other like-minded people.

Each Bear group is different, but every group has their own way of supporting their local community. For example, the Wichita Bears focus mainly on LGBT community support through hosting various fund raisers for local groups and organizations. Their fundraising efforts allow them to donate several thousand dollars every year to agencies that support food pantries, AIDS outreach and community support groups.

Bears are also very socially motivated and meet for dinners, attend local events, like the State Fair, Pride and other entertainment events. 

For more information about the Wichita Bears, visit www.wichitabears.org.

The above information was obtained from the Wichita Bears website and also at www.maximumawesome.com/pervfriday/bears.htm

The Gayly – August 16, 2015 @ 11:35am.