Key Ring, 'Bear Pride'

This item, depicting the Bear Pride Flag, was sold in The Lisbon pub to raise money towards the running of Liverpool Pride 2015. The Bear Pride Flag was designed in 1995 to celebrate the bear sub-community of gay and bisexual men. The Bear community emerged in the 1980s as a group of gay and bisexual men who celebrated the secondary sexual characteristics of the male, such as facial hair and body hair, and often attributes such as baldness, a muscular build, or a heavier build. There is still much debate about what constitutes a Bear but over the years slang has been developed within the Bear community to identify sub-groups within it such as: Cub – A younger man who displays many of the attributes of a bear. Grizzly Bear – A dominant bear or a man of above average height, or body size. Otter – A thin or slim man with body hair. Polar Bear – An older bear whose facial and/or body hair has turned grey or white. Bears can be found internationally and are key figures in most Pride parades.