Bear open season fast approaching
VicBears put in a tremendous effort to coordinate and bring us year after year an entire week full of exciting events known as Southern Hibearnation, or, as I like to call it, the bear open season.
Members of the bear community from all over Australia, and even overseas, gather in Melbourne for this magnificent event. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you identify as bear, grizzly, polar, red bear, cub, panda, otter, musclebear, wolf or any other classification.
Chances are, in June, you might attend and enjoy at least one of the many events at Southern Hibearnation. Or, maybe like me, you will submerge yourself in the bear culture for the entire week.
In theory, the 鈥渂ear community鈥� organised itself back in the 鈥�80s in response to an unwelcoming attitude from the rest of the gay community. Long story short, these guys got together because they didn鈥檛 fit the popular mould of the time.
However, there鈥檚 plenty of discussion about the bear community being as, if not more, cliquey as any other group from the GLBTI community.
I identify as a 鈥渂ear鈥�. My experience is very subjective, based on the fact that I鈥檝e felt very welcome in the bear community. But I admit there鈥檚 room for improvement. For instance, I鈥檝e witnessed how rigid concepts such as masculinity (whatever version you choose) can be used to quickly disregard people who don鈥檛 fit the moulds we create.
I recognise that, physically, I鈥檓 attracted to furry guys and I consider this when choosing mating partners. But I try not to stop there, as this will enormously limit the opportunities for good times, and there is nothing wrong with a 鈥渂alanced diet鈥�.
Online, we don鈥檛 often concentrate on the characteristics that we look for. Instead, we can be very upfront about what we don鈥檛 like. There is a lot of no fat, fem, Asian, Black, smooth, hairy, short, and the list goes on.
For Southern Hibearnation 2012, I invite the entire bear community to welcome everyone with open arms. It doesn鈥檛 matter who or what you are. If you come to Melbourne and/or are participating in the events that VicBears organise, make an effort to talk to people, smile at others, and say 鈥淕鈥檇ay!鈥� After all, the main objective is to have a fantastic time and support the Anti-Violence Project Victoria.
The LGBTI community is already discriminated against, so let other groups do that for us. Remember how the bear community started: we didn鈥檛 fit in a mould, so let鈥檚 not make others feel the same.
Let鈥檚 have a gay time and Happy Southern Hibearnation 2012 to all!
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By Carlos Sepulveda.
