Bears are one of many gay subcultures. The Bear community embrace gay men that are brawny, chubby, bulky and/or possibly hairy. In recent years, the Bear community has opened up to persons of all genders that have similar characteristics. 

According to Wikipedia the Bear movement started In the mid-1980s, gay men in the San Francisco Bay Area who called themselves “bears” met informally at Bear Hug (sex) parties and via the newly-emerging Internet. The term “bear” was popularized by Richard Bulger, who, along with his then partner Chris Nelson (1960–2006), founded Bear Magazine in 1987. George Mazzei wrote an article for The Advocate in 1979 called “Who’s Who in the Zoo?”, that characterized gay men as seven types of animals, including bears.

Created by Craig Byrnes in 1995, the International Bear Brotherhood Flag is the Pride Flag of the Bear Community. Representing the colors of fur found on animal bears, the colors of the flag are Dark Brown, Orange/Rust, Golden Yellow, Tan, White, Grey and Black.  Many people believe that they are representing human skin and hair colors.  That was not the original intent, but the flag was designed with inclusion in mind. 

To learn more about the latest community news, visit Bear World Magazine.