Bear In Mind: Q&A With Bear Den Organizer David Joseph

By Tony Peregrin in Arts & Entertainment on May 24, 2010 6:40PM

Big, furry, and friendly gay men—affectionately known as “bears”—have a new reason to grin and “bear” it thanks to the weekly Bear Den events hosted by Big Chicks in Andersonville. “Chicago is probably the last large city in the U.S. that doesn’t have a bear bar,” says David Joseph, 46, a Big Chicks bartender for over a decade. “So, I went to Michelle [Fire, the bar’s owner] and told her I wanted to do a weekly bear event on Thursday nights. She gave me the go ahead, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Thursday nights in Chicago used to be a kick-off for the weekend, and that’s faded in the past several years. I wanted to bring a little “party” back to Thursdays!”

Chicagoist: How do you define a "bear,” “cub,” and “otter,” and why, in your opinion, are these tags and groups so important to our community?

David Joseph: This is a hard question for me. I've never been big on labels. For me, bear means body hair, and usually, facial hair. There are all types of bears: daddy bears, big bears, muscle bears, baby bears, pocket bears, etc. Cubs are smaller bear-ish guys, usually younger—but it all really depends on who you ask. Bears usually have a medium-thick to muscled to chubby build; otters are slim hairy guys. I'm sure there are more “official” definitions out there, but that’s not important to me. For me, if you feel like you are part of this community, you're welcome at Bear Den. A lot of people really get caught up on labels, both in a positive light and a negative light. I don't ever want anybody that shows up for Bear Den or at Big Chicks to ever feel unwelcome because they don't fit a particular label.

C: When you look out, from behind the bar, at the crowd at a Bear Den event, what do you see?

DJ: Wow, it's quite a diverse crowd. I would say that the majority of guys are from their late 20's to early 50's, but there are younger and older guys that show up, too. There are a lot of sexy men! There are muscled daddy bears, chubby bears, cubs and a whole bunch of medium-build guys. A lot of people come in with a group of friends. The vibe is very relaxed and comfortable. It's my favorite night to work.

C: Anyone that knows Michelle, knows that she is a big supporter of the bear community.

DJ: Michelle has always been way ahead of her time. She used to have a "Men with Beards" night back in the early days of Big Chicks. Anybody who walked in on that night with a beard got a free shot. We have always had a large bear clientele—you'll find bears at Big Chicks every night of the week.

C: What is the difference between Bear Den and Bear Den Dance?

DJ: Bear Den is every Thursday, from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. On the first Thursday of the month, I do a Bear Happy Hour from 4:00-9:00 pm. The third Thursday of the month we have a DJ and do a Bear Dance.

C: I saw a posting on Facebook that you were looking for a “hot go-go bear or cub” for one of the Bear Den Dance parties—what defines a hot go-go bear as opposed to a regular go-go dancer? Does Chicago have a lot of hot go-go bears?

DJ: I did find a go-go cub for the first dance party. I define a hot go-go bear/cub as being confident, and of course, body hair. I'm not sure about the supply of hot bear or cub go-go boys (laughs). There are plenty of hot men out there that fit the bill, but most of the ones I know will not get up on the bar and dance.

C: This week is the International Mr. Leather (IML) contest. Is Bear Den doing a special event this week for IML, and next month for Gay Pride?

DJ: This Thursday, we are going to do a fur contest. We are a little off the radar for IML, but I'm sure we'll still be having a great time at Big Chicks. I have no specific plans for the Thursday before Gay Pride. If anybody has any suggestions, they can send them to the Bear Den at Big Chicks fan page on Facebook.