Tonight is Bear Party night. Bear Party features some of today's best DJs, Big and Burly Go-Go dancers, Drink Specials, Raffles, Door Prizes and great food. It's $5 at the door and a portion of the profit from the dance benefits will go to selected local not-for-profit groups such as Magnet San Francisco and Stop AIDS Project. The party will begin at 6PM on tonight ~ Sunday, November 30th in San Francisco at The Stud which is located at 399 9th Street at Harrison.

Proposition 8 (articles) is going to have its date in court. The following is from the LA Times (article): "The California Supreme Court voted 6 to 1 on Wednesday to review legal challenges to Proposition 8, the voter initiative that restored a ban on same-sex marriage, but refused to permit gay weddings to resume pending a final decision".

The court is going to also discuss the fate of those who did get married prior to Prop 8. As for Prop 8 going to court so quickly after it was passed, this says nothing as to whether they will uplift the ban to same-sex marriages or not. The Supreme Court should come to a decision on this by spring. Oh, and what does Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger think of all this? He expects "the court to overturn the proposition and indicated that he favored that outcome".

The latest DVD from BearFilms - it's called Bears of Venice. "Pre-order now and save $20 off the regular price of $49.95! This offer expires on December 1st. Join VeniceCub on a XXX tour of his hometown... watch him and 6 of his pals fuck, suck, and get nasty! VeniceCub shows us all of the hot, hairy, man-on-man action that makes California like no place else! Starring Geo Salvatori, Kyle Miller, Matt Taggert, Michael McQuaig, Rusty McMann and Scott Jordan".

After hearing how same-sex marriages are no longer permitted in California due to 'Proposition 8' (article), there's news from the other coast that Connecticut is now recognizing and permitting gay marriages. From this CNN article: "The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on October 10th that same-sex couples have the right to wed rather than accept a civil union law designed to give them the same rights as married couples". Will the east-coast Mormons come out and formulate their own Prop 8...? If so, there's always Vermont... or Canada...

The last I heard from photographer John Rand (website) - he stated he was still doing Bear photos as well as landscapes yet everything was on hold as he was in the midst of building a log cabin as his new permanent home. That was at the beginning of the year.

Here on PlanetBears, I've mentioned John Rand before when I posted an article about his cute little book called 'Ten Bear Men'. With that article I posted some of the photographs he's taken. And a small reminder ~ the book is available for $10. Contact John if you're interested.

Well I was checking out my archives and I found some more of his excellent work to share. Check them out here. Also, here is a Flash video that Thom Collins consisting of a John Rand logo. He made this for me way back in '01 and it's still an incredible piece of Flash design even to today's standards (and Thom is another one who I haven't heard from in awhile - his website is still on hold - I think I need to contact him to see where he too is at in his life).

Below is a bio I posted on Bear-Pics in '01: "I was born on October 1st, 1956 in Oakland, California and spent the first years of my life in the Alaskan wilderness. My father was a forest ranger. At age 6 asked for a dollhouse for my birthday because I wanted to be an interior decorator. By high school I decided I wanted to be a graphic artist but during the second semester of college my interest shifted to fine art and photography. I received a Masters Degree in Fine art from University of California Irvine in 1987. Later that year I was hired to teach photography at one of the local community colleges. In 1988 I began to photograph Bears exclusively because I felt there is a need for a broader erotic esthetic than was available in the gay press. I have done work for American Bear, Bear, Bulk Male, Drummer, Power Play and others. My work has also appeared in Artforum, Artweek and various journals and newspapers. Bears are my first love, I have always been attracted to hairy, heavyset men. Photography is my second love".

I usually skip over 'gay' news and leave it to the bigwigs like Gay.com and PlanetOut, however the recent news about Prop 8 in California has caught my attention. I first sent out a RIM to my buddy list about it, asking if people knew about it. I got a few people saying they either don't follow gay news either or they don't live in the States. I myself live in Canada and same-sex marriage is legally binding from coast to coast (thanks CBELA).

About this Prop 8... in California, back in May '08, they became the 2nd state to recognize same-sex marriages. I remember the hoopla it caused and saw the stream of photos that poured thru as gays and lesbians took pics of their newly bound matrimony. Well just very recently, Proposition 8 surfaced... it's a ballot and the title of this ballot wants to 'Eliminate (the) Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry'. From Wiki (article): "Proposition 8 is a California State ballot proposition that would amend the state Constitution, to limit marriage to unions between a man and a woman".

From what I understand, not all the ballots have been counted for yet, however if it's reversed - meaning if it goes thru and same-sex marriages are no permitted in California... what happens to all those who did get marry? There's lawsuits right now involving those who did get married and those who planned on getting married.

2ndly - what interested me about this case - is that the church has gotten involved. 8 such religious groups have supported this ballot (the Mormons being the best known) and have poured a ton of money into it.

So... from what I understand... it's still up in the air. Here's a few videos I found in relation to this. This one a little cartoon which explains this Prop 8 (it's more for Prop 8 than against)... and here's one showing people protesting (chanting 'separate church and state' and 'shame on you').

Anyhow, as I mentioned, I sent out a RIM (Recorded Instant Message) to my buddies on TubeBear and I got quite a few responses back. Here's a fine response from DJ Reed (profile - what a fantastic beard he's got going there). DJ is one of the coordinators for Maximus - a group that organizes quarterly socials for butchy men who enjoy a good smoke:

This product is just such a turn-on... it's called a BearWrap and it's a towel that just doesn't fall off. As they mention on their site, they customize each BearWrap to your size... just give them your waist size, tell them what kind of accessories you'd like and they'll custom make it for ya. "Each light weight terry BearWrap comes with a thick Velcro closure in the front and elastic sewn in the back to ensure a custom fit that won't fall off!". There's a front pocket and a terry loop sewn into the left side for you to carry keys and stuff with a clip. If you need more convincing, just check out this hot gallery they put up. Gotta love all the cute Bears and Cubs chilling by the pool with a beer. BearWrap is made and manufactured in San Diego, CA. For more info, contact them.

What do Bears like to do...? They like to party! Come and join Bear Party as they are offering a new and unique atmosphere where some of the hottest men in the community can celebrate their Bearness.

Bear Party features some of today's best DJs, Big and Burly Go-Go dancers, Drink Specials, Raffles, Door Prizes and great food. It's $5 at the door and a portion of the profit from the dance benefits will go to selected local not-for-profit groups such as Magnet San Francisco and Stop AIDS Project. The party will begin at 6PM on Sunday, November 30th in San Francisco at The Stud which is located at 399 9th Street at Harrison.

Who's the cutest Bear model and actor out there...? Well that would be Joe Mannetti (profile - articles). Many of you know him as Joe Falconi while many more just want to get to know him, however you can get to meet him this upcoming November 8th as the BearsLA gang are organizing a fund raiser at the Pistons Bar in Long Beach, CA. This is the 1st event that Joe is hosting since he won the Mr. LA Bear '08 title.

The event is called 'Bears for Brother (& Sistah) - Hood'. It is a "a fund-raiser for the 'Say Sistah! Stop in the Name of Love (Project B.R.U.C.E.) organization providing HIV/AIDS outreach and education aimed specifically at the African-American and Latina Female communities in the Long Beach area" (photo by Christopher Leonhardt).

First off - congratulations to Bob & Mark (photo) for getting married. Actually, there have been a lot of same sex couples that I know of that have been getting married, ever since California and Connecticut have permitted gay couples to get married (Massachusetts has allowed it for some time now, since 2004).

So Bob & Mark went to Los Angeles and tied the knot. You can read all about it on Mark's LJ page 360 Sound. To see more of Bob, check out his profile BearBob1952, and make sure to send them a congrats email.

The fall issue of BearParty Mag (website - articles - profile) by the makers of CyberBears is now available and should be hitting your local Bear Bar. There are 25,000 copies printed so surely you can find a copy of one somewhere (cover).

From BearParty: "With the strange weather we've been having lately, there's no way to know what kind of fall we should expect. 2008 has been one of those years full of wild contrasts, from celebrations of gay marriage in California to financial and political turmoil all around the globe. Global warming is changing the face of our planet, and divided economic, political, and religious interests are battling. Somehow, as resources get tighter, the interests of disenfranchised gay people always seem to end up out in the cold. But as we struggle to see light at the end of the tunnel, let's focus on the things we can all be grateful for, such as this community of Bears and Bear-lovers we're all a part of, wherever we may be.

Whether you're on your own right now, or sharing the company of friends and lovers, our convenient Bear community event guide has listings for places to gather and beat the cold all around the world. And if you can't get away, we've also put together a warm and sunny gallery featuring a hot, furry daddy Bear named Dave. Just the sort of guy you would want to curl up with on a cold night, and maybe share a Black Russian, like the one we have featured in our Open Bar section. Then you could pop in that Elijah Black CD, kick back, and maybe check out the hot artwork by Bear artist Danyol on the wall. And hey, if the evening goes well, you might want to get some inspiration from a video or two directed by our featured backroom interviewee, Chris Roma from HotOlderMale ".

It's time to vote for your favourite Bear site. That's right. Head on over and vote for both PlanetBears and TubeBear.

Actually... it's the CyberSocket Web Awards and this is their 9th annual year of running the event. You go to their site and vote for your fave webpage. "The Cybersocket Web Awards is the only event of its kind honoring the best GLBT websites. Each year, outstanding websites are recognized for their achievements in both 'Surfer Choice' categories and 'Industry Choice'" categories. The 9th Annual Cybersocket Web Awards will be held in Los Angeles, California in conjunction with the 2009 XBiz Hollywood Conference in February 2009. Industry leaders, executives, porn stars, and celebrities from around the world will be out in full force to join Cybersocket".

The Hairrison Street Fair (website - poster) is coming once again, it's just around the corner, and it's gonna be big. It's their 5th year doing this and it's all taking place in San Francisco over the Labour Day Weekend ~ August 31st.

Not only that, but it's gonna be Bear Week soon as well. A full 10 days of Bear bustin' events starting August 23rd and running right thru until September 1st.

"The Hairrison Street Fair and San Francisco Bear Week are organized by PrideWorks, a California non-profit corporation. It is a celebration of Bear community pride but is welcoming to all - we like to say 'The Bears are having a party and we want everyone to come!'. The fair and events during the week support different LGBTI community organizations. The fair raises more money per capita than any other gay fair in San Francisco. We also organize Team Bear (articles) which raises funds for AIDS services. Last year the team raised $150,000 and our goal this year is to raise over $250,000!".

Over at our VOD page (Video on Demand with PPVNetworks), they have added some old BearFilms favourites however they have been redigitized, these being 'Woof!' and 'California Bears'.

"Woof! - Announcing our brand-spanking-new video, fresh from the guys at BearFilms. Woof! is nearly 2 hours of steamy sex with 13 hot Bears and Cubs! Redigitzed for optimal playback! And 'California Bears' - we've got over two hours as well of sweaty Bears getting it on at the Lone Star in San Francisco and all over LA. These frisky husky hunks sure had a good time and we know you will too! Redigitized as well".

"The revival of BEAR Magazine (website - profile) is upon us! Come down to the Eagle LA (website) on August 29th to celebrate the rebirth, along with the release of 3 classic Jack Radcliffe movies on DVD for the first time ever! Those movies are: 'Palm Springs Vacation', 'Leather Bears at Play' and 'Big Bear Trucking Co'. Not only will participants receive a free issue of the new issue #65 and a BEAR bumper sticker (while supplies last), the man himself Jack Radcliffe will be available to sign copies and photos! This is a rare opportunity since Jack Radcliffe has been formally retired from the adult industry for the past several years! BEAR movies and gifts will also be raffled off to lucky winners!".

The Golden State Bears from Fresno, CA are planning for their upcoming Bear Frenzy 14 which is just around the corner ~ August 15th thru the 17th.

Bear Frenzy is their annual Mr. Golden State Bear contest weekend. The title winner helps them all year round by raising money at their events (selling raffle tickets and being charming) for the club and gets to represent their club at selected events, including IBR in San Francisco (February). The basic schedule for the weekend is: Greet Your Meat, Pool Party & BBQ, Contest, and Victory Brunch. Visit their site to see photos from prior years.

The latest issue of BearParty Mag is out (website - articles - profile). It is their summer edition (from July to September). The following is from their current issue: "Don't pronounce the name of our Summer CoverBear like the tragic hero of the popular Shakespeare play. It's pronounced Ro-MAY-oh. But however you say it, Romeio's one hot Bear! In this issue you can see more pictures of him, along with stories about leather mentor and author Blade T. Bannon, and the productive team behind Bear Omnimedia (website - articles). We've also got the final chapter of Ken Slater's popular guide to hooking up online, a new episode of the Frankie & Roque comic strip, a history of the 'red rum' Shanghai Cocktail, and all the rest of our usual features.

It's the 'Summer of Love' all over again in California. Bears and other same-sex couples are enjoying the newly recognized right to marry, bringing California into sync with much of the rest of the civilized world in its support for gay marriage. Among the hundreds of Bears enjoying this new reality is the editor of the popular Bear-oriented adult magazine 100 Percent Beef ( website  - articles - profile), Scott McGillivray (website - articles), whom we profiled in the last issue of BearParty Magazine. On June 17th '08, Scott was married to Gregory Bessmer, his partner since 1996, in Riverside, CA. Wouldn't it be exciting to publish a social registry, to commemorate the furry nuptials being celebrated by Bears all over the world? Let’s all join together to wish the newlyweds a lifetime of happiness together. Woof!".

This might seem a little early to mention, but it seems that this event sells out quick. It's Chubfest 6 and it will be taking place in Palm Springs, CA from February 6th thru the 8th, '09. All the info concerning can be found on their site ChubsRule.com.

From their site: "Have you ever wanted to go some place to meet hot Chubby men who really appreciate having a good time with you? Socially and otherwise in a very nice clothing optional resort? Of course you wanted to do that, and Chubfest  is the place for that to happen. Not only is Chubfest social and playful but affordable".

Author Les Wright, editor of The Bear Book I and The Bear Book II and founder of the Bear History Project has many projects in the works yet he's needing some assistance, mostly from webmasters. The following is from Les, and if you're interested, then make sure to contact him:

"I launched the original BHP (Bear History Project) around 1997. In a matter of a couple of years it grew and grew and grew; I organized the BHP into a 501c3 nonprofit, called it the Nashoba Institute, and it continued to grow... and to be funded out of my pocket. By 2004, I could no longer afford to fund the whole of it, and I had decided to quit my teaching post and move back home to San Francisco. I have also been doing a lot of serious self-examination and re-viewing of what the Bear community has become since the 1980s.
 
After three years back in San Francisco, I have been able to find part-time teaching, but am now following through on a massive career and life calling changes. I have very limited finances at this time, I am looking to develop some of what I propose to do into gainful employment, some will be donated to the community. I have three web site projects to develop and launch. I am open to partnership, collaboration, or barter and, eventually, service for fee as I can afford to do so.
 
1) www.bearhistory.com will be a web-based resource for Bear history and related gay men's tribal homo-masculine communities: basic factual history, grassroots and academic content, oral histories (transcribed), videos, photo/pictorial galleries; social, sexual, spiritual, aesthetic aspects of 'culture', progressive, eco-friendly, global village perspectives, non-commercially defined subcultures, etc.
 
2) www.leskwright.com will be my personal professional page, to include my bio, resume academic CV), selections published writing (web-based and print), bibliography of published materials, links to a new blog, and professional services and activities - writer, editor, photographer, video documentary project, the Lazarus Generation (AIDS survivors essays book project), etc.
 
(3) www.thinkingbear.com will be my entrepreneurial web presence, for a new Cultural Events business I have been brainstorming for a long time now - it could include revitalized 'Bear Icons & Beyond' art exhibition type projects (as commercial business venture, not developed and donated out of my now nonexistent purse); Bear Camp weekend retreats in the manner of Easton Mountain, Hillside Campgrounds, etc. (I have a site available in northern California). These would be alternative type events, something a bit different form the Bear circuit events now held, hopefully".