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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2011)
JUNE 3. 2011 Hide Your Honey O r e g o n B e a r s h o ld 1 6 th a n n u a l B e a r T o w n BY AARON SPENCER Before you go all feathers and glitter for Pride, here’s an opportunity to butch it up a little. Droves of hearty, hairy men will romp into Portland the week before Pride, like they do every summer. They’ll take in our scenery, drink our beer and flirt with our men. This year, the sleuth o f bears will come from all over the world for the Oregon Bears’ weekend BearTown event, the group’s 16th. “Anybody can join, no matter how As many as 100 out-of-town bears are skinny or fat or hairy or not hairy expected. BearTown is “kind o f an Oregon Bears you are.” open house,” says Oregon Bears president — BRENT D. MARR, ORE. BEARS PRESIDENT Brent D. Marr. It’s an opportunity for bears to come to Portland and experience the city are 100 percent.” with like-minded locals. Considering the challenges, the bears are BearTown isn't the only event o f its kind, proud they’ve pulled off the lineup as they to be sure. Similar events are held in other have. Other long-running events— like San cities— from Bear Week in Provincetown, Francisco’s International Bear Rendezvous— Mass, to BearWatch in Houston, from H o have flopped. The Bears 6 f San Francisco nolulu’s Lei Bear Day to Germany’s Okto- have said this year’s event will be the last. BarFest. Bears with a penchant for migra Marr says h*e intends to keep the Oregon tion can attend events pretty solidly from Bears lively by keeping the group inclusive. May until October. “Anybody can join,” Marr says, “no matter But Portland is an especially cozy city for how skinny or fat or hairy or not hairy you n the species. Consider the rugged outdoors, are. the hippies au naturel and the general aura of O f course, the group still has its die- weirdness where alternative groups like this hards— “purists,” Marr calls them— but thrive. overall the club has become more diverse. “Portland gives a more welcoming vibe For his part, Marr doesn’t, fit the tradi than any place I’ve gone,” Marr says. tional description o f a bear. He’s not particu The Oregon Bears have planned some larly large, and he’s not particular hairy sightseeing activities: shopping on North (though this reporter did not independently Mississippi Avenue, a night at C C Slaugh verify that claim). The shift in the Portland bear mentality ters and a bridge tour by jet boat. But most o f the events will be held at the Jupiter H o started about five years ago, Marr says, for tel (800 E. Burnside)— the bears’ main no particular reason other than Portland’s growth as a welcoming city. den— and Portland’s bear bar, the Eagle. Now, the bears accept geeks, twinks, trans Over the course o f the weekend, a new Mr. Oregon Bear and Mr. Oregon Cub will people, cross-dressers, even women, Marr be named, and more than $7,000 is expected says. The group stays unified in its mission to be raised for the Sexual &. Gender M i to raise money for charity and provide ac nority Youth Resource Center, or SM YRC, tivities for its members. So what is the thread that holds this this year’s charity. BearTown is the Oregon eclectic group together? Bears’ biggest fundraiser o f the year. “It’s bittersweet because it’s been a very “Generally masculine, down to earth, successful year,” says current Mr. Oregon generous and kind,” Marr says. “As we say, Bear Don James, “but it’s been a long year, fun and fundraising go paw in paw.” For those o f you wanting to take part in and I’m ready to take what I call ‘the bear break.’” some o f the BearTown fun, the bears have The Oregon Bears’ have seen difficulties gobbled up the event packages, but some this year. A few chairmen have resigned. The events will be available a la carte. group is also having some trouble getting Mr. Oregon Bear and Cub contestants to BearTown 16 runs Thurs.-Sun., June 9-12 commit— the bears even extended the con with events ranging from a market ofproducts test's application deadline. and services specific to the community to “A nimal “Volunteering is tough at times, and peo Instincts’“ at Steam to a Bear Brunch and Bingo ple say they need to concentrate more on with the Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indul home than on extracurriculars these days,” gence. Venues vary; admission is S5-S15 for the Marr says. general public. Find details and a fu ll schedule “It’s getting harder and harder to get at beartownweekend.com , and turn to p. 31 for people to sign up, but the guys who are in columnist Bennie Tans take on BearTown. YOU CAN’T BEAT OUR MEAT Our burgers are made with 100% grass-fed Carman Ranch beet They’re lower in cholesterol & catobes and higher in vit*Twts and nutrients. 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