One of my favourite Bear activists Joe Mannetti (aka Joe Falconi - photo - articles - profile) travelled all the way from one end of the US (California - his hometown) to go to Connecticut to be with the Northeast Ursamen (photo), one of the oldest Bear groups around (founded in 1992).

Joe had nothing but good to say about these guys. From Joe: "The Northeast Ursamen were selected by the public as the 'Best Bear Club/Organization' in the 'Best of the Bears' poll conducted by The Complete Bear website, and after this weekend I can see why very clearly. This is a group of Bears who are as dedicated to brotherhood and supporting each other and the community. The positive energy and warmth that the Ursamen exude is genuine. There was never a shortage of hugs or team spirit. Whether we were gathered together for a fundraising event, outreach, or a great meal the loyalty and dedication towards achieving the best outcome was always there! Kudos to their A-list Board and an outstanding collection of members who always put their best foot forward with everyone they meet and everything that they do for the community".

The extremely handsome Joe Mannetti aka Joe Falconi (articles - photo - profile) has been very busy of late. I asked Joe if he could let us in on what he's up to, and this is what he sent. From Joe:

"After winning the Mr. International Daddy Bear 2009 title at IBR in San Francisco, I have been keeping busy with outreach and fund-raising events. I do have a few issues that I consider top priority. One of my main concerns is the HIV/AIDS situation. As an HIV Testing Counselor, I got to witness that people testing HIV-Positive are getting younger and younger. We are losing an entire generation of teenagers and 20-something-year-olds to HIV/AIDS who are getting infected. Older people who are living longer with HIV/AIDS are also experiencing the combination of medical side effects from long-term HIV medication use, living with HIV/AIDS long-term, plus the health issues that many of us experiencing from simply growing older. None of this is good for anybody. I think that we need to start a dialogue with our LGBT youth. We need to listen to them, and we need to do a better job of mentoring them as adults. Ignoring or avoiding a frank discussion about sexuality with youth that are showing high rates of teenage pregnancy and HIV infection is ludicrous! Clearly, they are sexually active! Deal with it! So far, I have given three public speaking presentations in which I got to address youth about homophobia, the importance of diversity, sexuality and LGBT issues. One was at Bienestar La Casa LGBT Center in East Los Angeles at their 15 year anniversary reception on March 20th. The other two were at W University High School in Los Angeles and Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA, where I met with their campus GSA (Gay/Straight Alliance).

I have a few fund-raising events planned for the future. My first event will be my very first step-down from one of my Bear titles. On May 2nd (Saturday), I will be co-emceeing the Mr. Bear/Cub Gay Pride Long Beach contest at Pistons Bar in Long Beach, California! This marks the first event co-hosted by The International Imperial Court of Long Beach and BearsLA ! It is also my step-down as we announce a new winner. On May 8th (Friday), I will be co-hosting an event called Saddle Up LA  with Mr. Long Beach Leather (Matthew McLean) and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at The Bullet Bar in North Hollywood, CA.  The money raised goes to support The Life Group which provides outstanding support services for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. I am leaving for Connecticut in June to be there for their Gay Pride Weekend. At the end of July, I will be in Columbus, Ohio for their Bear Camp Christmas  in July event which should be a lot of fun. I am organizing a fund-raising event tentatively scheduled for August to promote and raise money for the Community Clinics Campaign . I feel very strongly about making this event a success since it is about supporting much needed improvements in clinical care provided to our Transgender friends in Los Angeles. Life is good! More to come!".

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...

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.

If you are looking for some professionally done photos of yourself, then you should seriously consult Tom of PhotoBearNE Photography. "PhotoBearNE is a gay-owned full service photography studio in Northeastern Connecticut for all of your imagery needs. It offers personal portrait sessions, signature sessions, and couple and family portraiture, and is available for civil union ceremonies and events... Tom is looking forward to offering his photographic skills to you to create images of you that make you look your best! Together, you and Tom can make a variety of images from a flattering head shot to full nude. Let him know what kind of images you are interested in doing".

Take a gander around his site to see the work he's done. Tom also stated that he was at 'Bear Week' last year, an event hosted by the PTownBears of Provincetown. He did a lot of photography during the run, truly enjoyed it, and mentions he will be back again this year.

The Northeast Ursamen of Connecticut are celebrating their 15th year and they are opening their annual meeting to the general public. Non members and friends can join them for dinner and party afterwards. This will be happening on October 6th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Make sure to RSVP before October 1st.

His nick is DJFrantik and his real name is Geoff, he's in Connecticut, and he is looking to DJ for you. You can find our more about this young Cub from his MySpace page and even more personal stuff about him from his TubeBear profile.

From DJFrantik: "From my MySpace page, you guys can check out my latest music demos and you can contact me in order to book me for your clubs, pride or any events that are coming up, even parties. This is for me to have other people hear what I spin, and to be able to spread the word; a place for me to get my foot in the door, and check out clubs across the country".