The International Bear Brotherhood Flag was designed in 1995 by Craig Byrnes. Bear events are common in heavily gay communities. Bear clubs often serve as social and sexual networks for older, hairier, sometimes heavier gay and bisexual men, and members often contribute to their local gay communities through fundraising and other functions. The bear community has spread all over the world, with bear clubs in many countries. Some state that self-identifying as a bear is the only requirement, while others argue that bears must have certain physical characteristics, such as a hairy chest and face, a large body, or a certain mode of dress and behavior.īears are almost always gay or bisexual men transgender men attracted to other men are increasingly included within bear communities. There is ongoing debate in bear communities about what constitutes a bear. The bear concept can function as an identity, an affiliation, and an ideal to live up to. Bears tend to have hairy bodies and facial hair some are heavy-set some project an image of working-class masculinity in their grooming and appearance, though none of these are requirements or unique indicators. Bear is an affectionate gay slang term for those in the bear communities, a subculture in the gay community and an emerging subset of the LGBT community with its own events, codes, and a culture-specific identity.
