Community

Has much changed in the Bear community since 2020?

Kyle Jackson

Back in June of 2020, full of frustration about recent events that had come up regarding racism and lack of diversity in the Bear community, I wrote an article entitled “White Bears, it’s time for you to be uncomfortable.”

I think it’s safe to say that this article “broke the Queer internet,” sparking conversations not just in the Bear community, but in the Queer community as a whole. Queerty Editor Graham Gremore covered the article on his site in a piece entitled “White gay bear privilege is a thing and it needs to end,” sharing similar thoughts and concerns about the racism and lack of diversity in the community. Many had a lot to say, both in agreement and disagreement with the messages in both of these articles. Is it safe to say it was a win?

While many often bring up these issues, people rarely take the time to “put their mouths to work” and go the extra mile to actively combat them. In my time as an Editor, Staff Writer and Social Media Coordinator with Gray Jones Media (Bear World Magazine’s parent company), and a gay Black male myself, I can honestly say that I have done what I could to further re-address these issues and make sure that Queer Black people and people of color are both seen and heard. But, this is not just a task for one Black man and a group of people at one LGBTQ media company.

So today, we ask the community: Has much changed in the past three years? Where are we now, and how much more does the community have to do? Below is a survey for you, our readers and followers, to fill out and share your thoughts on what has changed in the past three years. The answers will then be assessed and reported to see what you, the community, think about diversity and inclusion in the Bear community.

Please take the time to complete this survey, as it is imperative as we move forward toward a more inclusive, accepting and loving community!

The Bear World Magazine Diversity Survey can be completed HERE.

Kyle Jackson

Kyle Jackson (He/Him) is Senior Staff Writer at Gray Jones Media, and additionally works as a writer, editor and theatre artist/actor. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, he studied at Dillard University, received a BA in Theatre from Morgan State University, an MS in Arts Administration from Drexel University, and completed the British American Drama Academy’s Midsummer in Oxford Programme in 2017. Having lived in Baltimore, the Washington, DC area, Philadelphia and New York City, he now resides and works in London, United Kingdom.

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