TORONTO - GTA BEAR HUNT

Fortunately—unless you’ve got a massive hate-on for Mother Nature and her ursine friends—this isn’t an entry about the systematic extermination of the few black bears left foraging for half-eaten twinkies and rancid quarter pounders on the farthest edges of Toronto. Instead we’re talking about taking stock of the flourishing downtown population of the fuzzy yet friendly, gay human variety that counts some of its most GRRR-worthy specimens among The Bears of Toronto.

Mr. Bears 2006 John Casasanta sat down with VICE in the ultra-exclusive, we-were-totally-the-only-ones-there top floor lounge of Friday night bear bar O’Grady’s on Church. It was fucking hot...

VICE: For the totally clueless, what exactly is a Bear?

John Casasanta: If you take a look at the New York Times definition, a bear is someone who enjoys his natural fur; facial fur, chest hair, body hair. It’s natural. It’s yours. Be proud of it.

Teach me some history.

It all started in San Francisco in the late 80s as an anti-establishment gay movement. If you take a look back at the 60s and 70s, there were some very strict norms for how people perceived gay men. They were either a nurse or wheeling a little cart down an airport runway or in food service. But the first bears didn’t feel comfortable with that mould. They didn’t always want to have perfectly coiffed hair.

Could you lay out some of the subcategories of bear?

There’s the otter, traditionally more of a lean, furry guy. There’s a cub, a younger, lighter weight type of bear. Then there’s the BEAR, your full-figured, Reubensesque type of guy. Then there’s the polar bears, older members of the community who are graying. Then you get muscle cubs and muscle bears. And those are the ones that are constantly working out.

Do bears only mate other bears?

Oh god, no! God, no! Oh! Mate other bears? You mean have sex with other bears. I’ve had somebody come up to me and say, "I really like you but I never wanted to approach you." I went, "Why?" And it’s like, "Well, you’re a bear." And I said, "Umm-hmm and your point being?" They’re like, "Bears only go with other bears" And I’m like, "You know what? I’m not that type of bear."

Most people think they know a bear by his distinctive look. But clear it up. What are some of the staples of bear-style?

If you’re gonna go for a traditional thing. Usually, it’s denim, a t-shirt or tank with facial hair and chest hair.

Footwear?

You’ll see it portrayed as construction boots and so forth. Some bears wear them. Some are in runners or sneakers. Some are just in casual footwear, usually dark. Although, I’m wearing brown today.

How do you feel about the way bears are shown in movies, TV, magazines?

It really disturbs me. They’re viewed as lazy. They’re viewed as the dumb sidekick. All they’re concerned about is finding their next meal. If there’s one thing I want you to take away it’s that we’re more than just all about the buffet. And it just pisses me off that you don’t have a bear character who’s intelligent, solves the crime and actually gets things done.

So I guess you’ve got beef with mainstream gay stereotypes in general?

As long as you’re aware of it, you can laugh at yourself. But when you look at the stereotypes, people will turn around and go, "You can’t be gay." Umm, why not? "Well, you’ll help build a deck." Yeah, I can get my hands dirty. But it’s like, "Fags don’t do that." I know plenty of fags who build their decks. Mind you, they use lesbian help! ‘Cause they have all the power tools! My sister will kill me for that!

Comments

stupid little type.

[Franz]

I can't believe you said 'GRRR' that shit is as corny and played as your dad when he says something is 'dope'

[ysys]

god i fucking love bears, gay or straight. and i'm not even a dude.

[J]

I class myself as a cub on gay profile sites since I'm stocky and have facial hair, and it makes it easier to find body types/particular looks when you use descriptions like "twink","bear" etc. but apart from that I think the whole gay bear subculture is the biggest load of bullshit going. Just imagine a group of fat, hairy guys reveling in the cheesiest macho cliches going and thats the bear scene, and some people take it very seriously. And dont even get me started on the Pawprint tattoos...

[stevie]

I've had a fifteen-year love/hate relationship with the bear "thing."

Love: it gets me laid. Seriously laid. Zero-effort laid. Laid like any time I want it.

Hate: what a bunch of tossers! SO tedious - the lingo, the contests, the posturing, and indeed those embarassingly stupid tattoos...

I think it was Jung that said that any movement spawned as a reaction against the mainstream inevitably comes to resemble precisely what it was reacting against in the first place. Congratulations, bears: you've found yourself standing in front of a fun-house mirror, nothing but a distorted reflection of the twinks and circuit queens that you so adamantly claim to NOT be.

[j]

Is the 'getting laid with ease' part even because of the bear thing though? Isnt it just part of the gay scene in general?

[JR]

OMG you can get laid anywhere in the gay community as long as you dont care about what the dick or butt is attached to.

J --- geez how stagnic and bitter is that bear community you venture in and out of ? If you read the article you would know that guy was saying its up yo you how to treat the label and go to a circuit event with a fur and no muscle and see exactly how you would be treated.... PERSONA NON GRATIA

[j]

I didnt say the bear community was "Stagnic and bitter", I said it was full of guys who's whole look is nothing but a distorted caricature of outdated macho cliches.

[JR]

As opposed to the sterotypical one we see on floats every year. LMAO
yes we are all smooth and lean and do the 2 tic tac a day fiests that the str female press goes swooning over every pride.

[Suçan]

oh man.
i come from toronto, i had no idea there was such a huge bear community. but wait, i have a question/revelation.....my brother is a bear, like he looks like one, he has lots of hair on his face/body and a shaved bald head and he works out all the time but is kinda fat anyway, and he has a bunch of well....embarrassing tattoos.
But he is straight.
Can you be a straight bear? Or is he disqualified? Maybe he's bi? He's engaged. I demand answers.
Now.

[j]

Sucan, you can be straight and a bear. "bear" is a just a slang physical description used in the gay community for a type of look/body type.

[Bear Cub]

Can I be considered a bear if I am not into the Bear scene?

[don]

How do I go about meeting a muscle bear? I live in Richmond Hill & am looking to meet a seriously dominant bear