Historian Jock Phillips pronounced in 1987 that ‘the traditional male stereotype is now weakening in New Zealand’ (289), while academic Kai Jensen pronounced, ‘…the mid 1960s…was the end of a thirty-year sequence of growth, dominance and decline in what we may call “high masculinism”’ (107). Sexism in literature is a reflection of a wider societal sexism whereby a deliberately constructed literary masculinity ruled up until the 1970s or at least the 80s. New Zealand has always been a sexist society, a patriarchal panoply of male power, controlling and suppressing female prowess – as so well exemplified in its literary structures. Yes, I have read all the books, all the pertinent material pertaining. ('Without Malice' by Alien in O’Leary 179-180). There need be no rhyme nor reason in it … If you wish to have your photo removed simply contact us on Facebook or email admin (at) and we will delete your photo from our page.In a searing and articulate essay, Vaughan Rapatahana takes Aotearoa New Zealand literature to task for locker room schoolgirl-grooming, women-baiting, and sexism that arises from a violent and suppressed masculinity. Older guys do tend to feel at home in the bear world, and they’ve often got heaps of knowledge they’re willing to share about lots of stuff about being gay, from HIV to politics.Įvent Photos: We are a friendly bunch and from time to time we like to share photos from our events. Younger bears get called cubs in this tribe, or if they’re skinny, otters. Usually you think of bears as being a bit older, but it seems the look and feel is getting more popular with younger guys too now.
Some are serious gym-bunnies, and bulk themselves up, others are just happy to let nature take its course as they age, and relax into a bit of middle-aged spread. And they tend to like facial hair – it’s rare to find a clean-shaven bear unless work has demanded it.īears tend to be bigger – they won’t usually fit into a pair of skinny jeans, and they don’t really care. Some people think it might have started as a reaction to he way AIDS had such an impact in the 80s, and so many guys got so skinny as their infections worsened, so looking a bit beefy and chunky was a sign of health, but that’s only a theory.Īs the name suggests, bears don’t buy into the whole shaved/waxed body look – they like body-hair and see nothing wrong showing it off. Bear Pride, as a subset of our wider gay world really got going in the 90s, and it seems to get bigger all the time. If you ask one just what it is that makes a bear, you’ll get lots of different responses – there is no one fixed pattern. The Gay Bear is not such a new phenomenon anymore, he’s been around and in public for a while. You don’t have to try too hard to have the right body or the right clothes, it’s a comfortable place for guys who don’t feel like they fit in to the mainstream gay culture today. Bears tend to be pretty laid-back and open to any gay man who wants to join in, and that is one of the things a lot of guys like about the scene. You don’t have to fit into any of the stereotypes that come to mind. The main thing about being a bear is a sense of inclusiveness and community. Bears travel from all over New Zealand to join us for this fun weekend! There is usually a Mr Bear Canterbury competition and a bunch of fun activities. In addition to our regular events we run an annual weekend of events in November each year we call BIG BEAR WEEKEND. We work hard to not exclude anyone regardless of orientation. Friends, admirers and others who like their men beary, hairy, chubby, stocky, or just a bit rough around the edges.Īll around the world the Bear Community is known as non discriminatory with regards to body size or shape.
We welcome everyone and it’s not just for bears. We run regular social events as well as one off events. Bears Christchurch is a social group for gay men of all ages.