9 Reasons Why I fell in Love with Bears

by Byron Howard

We all have preferences on who we are attracted to . They can’t be totally controlled . I eventually accepted my preference. Some people like many types of gay people – young, old, fit, fat,, straight-acting, fem, drag queens, twinks etc.  and some people just like Bears.

I like Bears. I can’t help it. Some of my close gay friends don’t understand why . But I don’t understand why they like skinny guys who complain all day that they are a 32 inch waist and not a 30.

Bears come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and interests.

Bears are one of the fastest growing new subcultures in gay America

Most of today’s bears see themselves as challenging what they consider the unrealistic norms of gay mainstream society, which push idealized & unrealistic  images of gay men .

“One reason I think there’s been such an explosion of interest and activity around the bear community is that a lot of gay guys, as they get older, find [they put] on weight and don’t find themselves fitting the model of the svelte, young guy,” said Stevo Harris, publisher of “A Bear’s Life” magazine. “They look around for new models — and they discover there’s a bear community in which men have real bodies, not the fantasies you see on television.”

I like Bears, on a personal level,  for 9 reasons:

1. Bears accept themselves and are confident . He is not worrying about or comparing himself to others. He is saying that he is a man first and foremost.

2, Bears like to socialize. They are mellow but not boring. They like to talk with each other and not stare into their cell phones. I like that I can see a person looking into my eyes.

3. Bears like to drink with each other and most prefer not to participate in drugs.

4. Bears look tough in the outside but are so loving in the inside. A very endearing quality .

5. Bears have a very rugged appearance. They look like men and not like boys or girls.

6, Bears seem powerful and I want a man to protect me. I am a small guy. I am attracted to guys bigger than myself.

7. Bears indulge in the simple pleasures of life : camping, laying in the sun, or communing with other Bears.

8. Bears help me save money. I don’t have to keep up with fashion any longer. No more expensive Armani for me!

9. Bears don’t discriminate regarding age. If your  facial and body is turning white, your considered a Polar Bear! How fun is that? Cool!

There are a lot of older gay men who never identified themselves with boyishness or effeminate males  that many in the gay mainstream culture tends to worship.

Bears are simply men who like other men. They are not trying to mimic a male-female relationship.

These are the reasons, for me,  why I fell in love with Bears.

Here is a special treat. A  viral video made by Singer Tom Goss explaining his attraction to Gay Bears! By the way, he recently married a Bear!

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