Say Hello to the new Mr. Bear Europe: Alex R. Fortes

From the coastal charm of Vigo, Spain to the bustling heart of London, Alex R. Fortes brings a truly European spirit to the international bear community. With roots in Galicia and a professional life at The Pokémon Company International, Alex blends culture, creativity, and compassion into everything he does. Now crowned Mr. Bear Europe, he’s on a mission to amplify inclusivity, advocate for accessibility, and champion the beautifully diverse voices that make up our community. Whether through heartfelt performances, thought-provoking campaigns, or simply showing up and listening, Alex proves that representation isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence, empathy, and connection. We had the chance to chat with him, take a look at what he had to say:

BWM: Can you tell us a bit about your background? Including name, where you are from and Current city of residency?

Alex R. Fortes: Hi! I’m Alex, from Vigo, Spain. It’s very close to Portugal (I have family on both sides of the border) and part of a region called Galicia, which has its own unique culture with Celtic roots. I moved to the United Kingdom 11 years ago and currently live in London, where I work for The Pokémon Company International as a Spanish Localization Editor. With this multicultural background, I feel first and foremost European—a firm believer in building strong connections with our neighbors, and extremely proud to “represent” the European bear community this coming year. Not a big fan of that word because it’s an impossible task for a single person to “represent” such a diverse community fully! But I will at least try to bring with me wherever I go the energy of everyone that voted for me and my fellow candidates.

BWM: What drew you to the bear community? 

AF: Seeing myself represented and accepted. This might sound familiar to anyone who read my interview after Lisbon Bear Pride—sorry for the rerun! When I was a teenager, the media only showed hairless, metrosexual sportsmen. That seemed to be the only way to be. As a short, chubby kid who started growing hair on his face, belly, and back early on, I was often bullied. I stopped going to pools and developed a subconscious dislike for beaches that still lingers today. I actually brought those memories to the stage for my talent show during the Mr. Bear Europe contest in Poznań. Through the bear community I finally learned to love my body. There are so many ways to be, and every body is valid. Each tells its own story. And it's that diversity that makes the world interesting.  Thankfully we have better representation in the media nowadays, but still not for everyone, and still at risk, so work is far from done.

BWM: Tell us about your local/countries bear scene and some of your favorite places or

organizations whose events you enjoy. 

AF:I talked about London in my previous interview, so I’ll invite readers to check that out—and instead take this chance to talk… about Europe! There’s so much to say, I won’t mention all my favorite events (I’m so sorry!) because this interview will be long already as it is. You can get some glimpses of them on my Instagram and a proper list on my website, and if we meet in person I will tell you about European events all night. But just to highlight a few here: Lisbon Bear Pride (sunny weather, pool parties and a world famous bar in the classic area of the city), RVK Bear (I go back every year, amazing hosts and great place to meet friends from all over), Bear Pride Poland (you have to experience a night at Poznań’s HaH club with the bears at least once in your life), and Béar Féile (the Irish bears made me feel at home and it was such a FUN event. Also, don’t miss the city tour, it was a blast.) Honestly, so much more, I’m sorry for leaving so many out.

BWM: How was your experience competing? What was the process like? What was your favorite Part?

AF: I didn’t enjoy the online campaign much,surprising, maybe, since it’s the section I actually won! But I really hate spamming people or asking for things for myself. If you check my campaign, you’ll notice I never said “vote for me” I always asked people to vote for their favourite two candidates. That was important to me. I did sneak in a cheeky “vote for us” in a video highlighting my partner Bruno’s support during the campaign and this past year as Mr. Lisbon Bear Pride. Otherwise, I just tried to make it worth people’s time by sharing fun content—and that part I did enjoy! Starting from my introduction video, a song that many quoted back to me over the past weeks. It was too catchy! I did apologize in advance, but I feel it will never be enough. I also ran a raffle alongside the campaign to raise funds for Bangsafélagið and Bears of Poland. That gave me a sense of purpose beyond my need for votes that helped me reach out for people’s support. The event itself in Poznań was way more enjoyable, even if I was mentally exhausted after the campaign. Being there with the other candidates really helped—they were so supportive, and I’m incredibly grateful to them. And we also had some chances to connect with guests at pubs, a BBQ and a city tour. Everyone was so welcoming, making the weekend truly special. That warmth continued through the election night, from the very moment I stepped on stage for my introduction (where I greeted the audience with my best attempt of Polish) to the very end. For my talent show, I prepared a live song and a video projected onto a semi-transparent curtain for a sort of holographic effect. Singing is not exactly my talent (as my campaign video proved!), but doing it live mattered to me. I wanted to show that my “talent” is showing up and giving things a try, no matter how tough—hoping it might inspire others to do the same. It got… messy, haha. The setup was tricky, and I rushed it to avoid wasting people’s time. Still, I think people saw past the flaws and embraced the concept. The moment I stepped to the front of the stage and locked eyes with the audience was unforgettable. Some friends were in the front row, and the first thing I did when I finished was give them a hug. It was really emotional. The other candidates were also super kind backstage when I thought I’d blown it. Turns out, I hadn’t! I placed first in the online vote, and second with both the delegations and the audience—consistent enough to win overall! I was overwhelmed with gratitude up there on stage. I hope it showed. But just in case: thank you. To everyone who voted for me and for my fellow candidates. Thanks for supporting us all on this journey.

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

AF: Mostly accessibility and inclusivity. When people hear that, “stairs” is the first thing that comes to mind. I met someone recently who, after reading my accessibility post, assumed I was a wheelchair user. And honestly, I get it—most people don’t notice these things unless they’re personally affected. No shade—I used to be that person too. But after chatting with people at various bear weekends, and hearing about what might hold them back from fully enjoying the experience like others do, I started looking at venues and events in a different way. And it’s not just about stairs or sign language, I learned that some stuff many of us consider “our own quirks” actually fall under neurodivergence issues that could be solved with a few adjustments, making events more welcoming for everyone. For instance, I get anxious in loud clubs if people are trying to talk to me and I can’t hear them, and just having a quieter area to take a break helps a lot! Inspired by a BearScots post sharing some accessibility info about their venues, I published on my website and Instagram some recommendations for organizers to let guests know what kind of barriers they could find. It went well, some reached out during the campaign open to implement those suggestions. Bears of Poland actually did so for the Mr. Bear Europe event! I’ll continue tracking and highlighting events that share accessibility info this year—and I’d love to recognize them with some sort of award during my stepdown in Lisbon.

BWM: What are the responsibilities associated with your title?

AF: You know what? The organization hasn’t asked anything specific of me (beyond helping organize the next election!)—and I think that’s because they know what I’ll do: keep travelling across Europe and representing our community, like I’ve done this past year. The difference now is that what I consider “my community” has grown so much this year that it extends to a whole continent! I want to carry forward the goals of my fellow candidates, too. For example, one reason I wanted to win was to be present in Iceland for the first Mr. RVK Bear election. If I hadn’t won, I would’ve encouraged whoever did to attend. That’s the kind of support I want to give across the board. That’s why, as soon as I got home, I booked a trip to join Slovak Bear at Bratislava Pride just a couple days after. I don’t have much experience as an activist, but if my presence helps an association, even in a small way, I’ll try to be there.

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

AF: Compared to some of the other candidates, I’m well aware I have a privilege right now, I can travel a lot. I always say that to do so there’s this triangle of Time, Health, and Money, and it’s difficult to have the three at the same time. I still remember having to borrow money from a friend just to take the bus to work a few years ago; having these three things is a recent development and couldn’t have come at a better time. Living in London also helps (the salaries and currency exchange work in my favor across Europe), and that allowed me to visit many events already. This year I intend to do the same and more. I want to show support for other events and encourage them to participate in Mr. Bear Europe next year. The more, the merrier! It’s been beautiful to see neighboring communities come together—and I want to help keep building those bridges far beyond. You’ll find my travel calendar on my website, and I regularly post updates on Instagram. Those are the best places to keep track of me.

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

AF: I could give it a lot of names. Last year for this interview I said “division and lack of consent”, but… I feel like all the issues I can see in the community stem from a certain lack of “empathy.” How could I explain it… I’m not coming from a place of judgment, we all have blind spots until something or someone helps us see them. But so often, people don’t stop to consider others’ perspectives. Consent issues? It’s not thinking about how your advances are being received. Accessibility or lack of diversity? Maybe you’re fine at an event, but you don’t consider how someone else might experience it. Even things like AI usage in event posters—it may seem harmless to you, but it can alienate your own community, mislead guests from outside, and erase the real body representation other bears need to see. And so on and so on. Again, no judgment—I’ve been there. And I’m pretty sure I still am in some ways I haven’t even considered yet. But the best advice I can give is: throw your assumptions out the window, talk to as many people as possible, especially those different from you. Be open. Be ready to learn. Travel if you can. If we listen, we can change things in the right direction. That goes double if you’re organizing events and want to make them truly inclusive.

BWM: Where can we find you? Websites? Social Media?

AF: You can find everything I’m up to at alexfortes.eu and on Instagram as @kerbearos. Check out my calendar of events around Europe—I hope to see you at some of them! I will definitely look tired sometimes, but I’m always happy to talk and hear from you, so don’t be shy and come say hi. 🙂

All photo’s by HAH Club.