The Bear Share Show

Now that we are all coming out of quarantine, and states/venues are reopening, it is no surprise that the Bears will come out of hibernation and party once again! Seeing friends and reconnecting is something everyone is looking forward to. The good news is that 2021 is not even close to being over, and with summer around the corner, we can now focus on the future and the many events that are still on the calendar! In this episode, I am joined with my friend William Crawford as we break down the upcoming big Bear events as well as the larger scale main gay events still to come in 2021.  

May is officially Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves as far as treatment, but there are still stigmas that prevent people from being aware of and seeking help for their issues. Unfortunately, LGTBQ individuals are at higher risk for developing mental illnesses. You cannot get better if you don't know that you may have an illness. Together with my friend Colin Denton, we break down some of our experiences with mental illnesses, from how it affects us everyday as well as how we work to overcome it. If you feel you may need help, consult a therapist or your doctor. They can provide the best guidance for mental health care. 

Video games have become such an integral part of modern society and it plays such a huge impact on many LGBTQ people as well as many others who grew up with them. Together with my friend Stevie Larsen, we discuss our history with video games, discuss if they are only for children, and through the eyes of Stevie, we will see how video games impacted him so much he has made a career out of it. While you may not think so at first, with further explanation, you may just realize that you too are part of the larger gaming community and are in fact yourself a "Gay-mer".  

Chasers are a subgroup found within the Bear community, which itself is a subgroup of the larger LGBTQ Community. Despite the general inclusivity of the Bear world, Chasers unfortunately often feel left out. In this episode I get to further explore what it means to be a Chaser through the eyes of my good friend James King, while at the same time realizing, that Bears and Chasers have far more in common than we may think. 

The LGBTQ Community is generally very accepting, but unfortunately nothing is perfect. Despite the general sense of inclusion the LGBTQ Community hopes to provide, racism and ignorance can still disappointingly be found within it. Even the Bear Community is no exception. Together with my special guest host Dave Rodriguez, we both will discuss our experiences with racism, as two people of color within the LGBTQ and Bear communities.   

Coming out usually sucks, but it doesn't always have to. Regardless of the outcome, coming out can be terrifying and it involves all sorts of emotions. Here is my story. 

I mentioned that I was a gay Bear, but what is that? Together special guest host Joe Martone and I break down what being a bear means, how we learned of it, what it means to us, and where we hope the community goes in the future. 

Just a modern-day regular dude who also happens to be a gay bear. It amazes me how alone most of us feel, but we all surprisingly have more in common than you’d think. While most topics will be LGBTQ related, not all will as no topic off limits. This podcast hopes to discuss real topics, and break down social misconceptions, all while at the same time showing us all how similar we really are.