Meet Jeb Brown, Mr. Bear Perth 2024

10th October 2024 John Hernandez

At the end of September Jeb Brown was elected as Mr. Bear Perth 2024. As a Maori transbear and rugby coach, Jeb is a multifaceted titleholder with a fierce passion for inclusion and community. Get to know a bit about them below.

BWM: Can you tell us a bit about your background?

Jeb Brown (JB): I’m Jeb, my pronouns are He/They. I’m Maori, originally from Taamaki Makaurau/Auckland and currently live in Boorloo/Perth.

BWM: What drew you to the bear community?

JB: A couple of good friends introduced me to the bears and started inviting me down to Den nights where I’ve met so many awesome and friendly guys and I’ve been around ever since.

BWM: Tell us about your local bear scene and some of your favorite places to hang out.

JB: The Perth Bears provide such a good and inclusive social scene! Whether it’s catching up over a drink at Loton Park on Den Nights, checking out Drag Factory at The Court, or getting involved in one of our many queer sports clubs, the Perth Bears are really active in our community!

BWM: Bears love rugby! How did you come to play and how long have you been coaching the Perth Rams?

JB: Being a Kiwi, rugby is in my blood. My father, my grandfathers and uncles all coached and played rugby so I was always around it and played throughout school. I got my first opportunity to coach with the Perth Rams RUFC 6 years ago which has been an amazing and life changing experience! Competing at Bingham Cup this year gave me an opportunity to coach the inaugural All Trans Match, which will forever be one of my favourite coaching memories!

BWM: Tell us about your connection to the Perth Bears and what made you run for the title.

JB: I initially heard about the Perth Bears through ex-president Rene Perez, and with Perth being such a small city, a lot of the Rams were members too so I knew I already had a lot of friends there. After I began my transition, I was encouraged by Rene and his partner Shane to come down and check out Den night, and the way I was genuinely welcomed in is a feeling I’ll always be grateful for. The Bears and a lot of the queer community here in Boorloo have helped me to gain so much confidence in myself and they continue to build me up; so running for the title was a bit of a thank you to them and hopefully a way to pay forward all of the kindness, inclusion and general good vibes to our existing and new Bears coming through.

BWM: Tell us about your platform. What was the issue you campaigned on or addressed during the competition?

JB: I grew up really connected to my culture, so being able to express that I am Maori before anything else, was a really cool way to introduce people to my culture, and how we can walk in a modern and ever-changing society and see it all with the beauty and uniqueness of a cultural lens. I’m passionate about diversity and inclusion and I’m keen to reach out to our POC community, and any brother boys (trans men) or just queer men looking to make some friends to let them know we’re here and keen to welcome them to our Den Nights!

BWM: Please tell us about your experience in the bear community as a trans bear.

JB: Overall, it’s been pretty great! I know and appreciate how lucky I am that I’ve had such a good experience with my transition as I know it’s not like that for a lot of us out there. I guess that speaks to the level of community we have here in Boorloo, another thing I’m extremely thankful for. The Bears embracing me the way they have has made an unforgettable impression on me, any time I felt a touch of Imposter Syndrome or self-doubt, the bears have been there encouraging me to just be me, reminding me that I’m enough and that I’m welcome.

BWM: What are your goals for your title year? Where will you be appearing?

JB: My main goals are to promote the Bears in spaces we might not typically walk in yet like with our Trans men and POC community, and also to raise funds for Rainbow Community House, a fully non-profit organisation that provides mental health services and counselling to queer youth between the ages of 12 and 25. I’m really looking forward to repping Perth Bears in this year’s Pride Parade, where myself and 2023 Mr Bear Perth Stewart Wheeler, will be front and centre riding with our Dykes on Bikes sisters! I’ll also be at Pride Fairday and hope to make trips to Broome and Albany Pride to support our regional queer community as well.

BWM: What are some important issues you feel that need to be addressed in the bear community?

JB: I don’t think it’s a Bear-specific issue, but a worldwide issue where POC and indigenous people still face discrimination that prevents them from participating in our communities. As leaders in the Queer community, we have a responsibility to ensure all are welcomed, especially when we have fought so hard for inclusion and equality ourselves. For sure it won’t be an issue solved during my 12-month reign! But if we’re all moving forward to help eliminate that from our communities then that’s a great thing to do together.