The term ‘bear’ began to be bandied around increasingly in the 1970s for any gay man who was big and hirsute. Soon enough, bigger guys – who appreciated the fact others found their size attractive – were being identified as their own sub-group: bears. This included guys who were hairy or large. They became the places to hang out if you were into Tom of Finland-style, rugged men. They catered for those turned on by bikers and men in uniform. Leather bars, like the Tool Box, began to emerge in the 1960s. The California city, a magnet for LGBTI people since the early 1900s, was among the first US cities to develop an identifiable gay scene.Īs the gay scene grew, it diversified. Friends at International Bear Convergence 2019, Palm Springs, California (Photo: By via on Instagram) San Franciscoįurther strands of the baby bear scene can be traced back to San Francisco. In his seminal and authorative Bear Book, historian Les Wright says there are two entries for ‘bear club’ in the minutes of a Los Angeles-based Motorcycle club in 1966. Most agree that the nascent bear scene gained traction in California.
However, although gay bars – both underground and overground – existed for much of the 20th century, the commercial bears scene is a more recent phenomenon. For those tumbling on to the gay scene for the first time today, it might be tempting to think bears have always been with us.
