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Many of these gay men (including blue-collar workers, rural folks, and average Joes) didn't socialize or identify with other gay men, because they didn't fit the stereotype. The Oregon Bears' press release, quoting the website of a Bear named Jeff Glover, states: "The Bear Movement started when masculine, husky, hairy gay men felt compelled to carve their own niche into society. From an aesthetic standpoint, the image of the Bears as part of a larger trend that has been present for ages: a reaction to the reputation of homosexual males as androgynous, flighty, fashion-conscious, and feminine. On the other hand, being official has other uses as well: It grants a sense of mainstream legitimacy, of public sanction and recognition.Īt least for me, the phenomenon of Bears is far more interesting than the non-profit minutiae of the Oregon Bears. Transforming a subculture into an organized non-profit seems to be the norm nowadays, and not without good reason: It gives groups the power to receive money from tax-deductible donations and distribute it in productive ways (in the case of the Oregon Bears, by supporting People With AIDS Northwest). Pretty average activities for a gay organization-nothing thrilling, unless just thinking about Bears gives you a hard-on (I know there are a few of you). There are over 300 registered members, who enjoy attending Bear events to socialize and raise money for select gay charities.
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Their story is short, and largely devoid of excitement: What began as a small social group in 1995 has grown to be one of the largest Bear Clubs in the US. The Oregon Bears is just this type of organization.
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In my experience, gay men mostly refer to Bears as a kind of fetish, or at least some kind of sexual archetype-certainly not a recognized non-profit organization responsible for a full calendar of fundraising events. Oversimplification, to be sure-but when I think of a Bear, the emerging image is that of a burly man with a beard, a forest of chest hair, a short haircut, and jiggly rolls of flesh hanging over his Levis. Big, hairy, and often overweight: this is how most gay men would describe their subcultural brethren, the Bears.