International GoGo Carl Justin: Dancing Through the Heart of the Global Bear Community
From a chance encounter in West Hollywood to a life-altering stage fall in Tel Aviv, Markus, known to the world as Carl Justin, shares how a “double life” led him to his greatest partner.
Life has a funny way of choreographing itself when you least expect it. For a Swedish hairstylist, a sudden lack of travel funds in Los Angeles didn’t just lead to a pair of dance boots and a Chanel wallet—it sparked a decade-long journey through the heart of the global bear community.
From the gritty, high-energy stages of West Hollywood to a life-altering fall in Tel Aviv that almost silenced the music for good, Markus’s story is one of grit, glitter, and a “slightly annoying” club-goer who became his husband. In this candid reflection, he takes us behind the velvet ropes of the world’s biggest bear parties to reveal how a leap of faith led him to his greatest partner, both on and off the stage.
“My name is Markus, though on stage I go by Carl Justin. I grew up in the small Swedish town of Alingsås, but these days I live with my husband David in Sweden’s second-largest city—beautiful Gothenburg on the west coast.
What first drew me to the bear community was pretty simple: I’ve always had a weakness for big, hairy men with great beards. But once I discovered the community, I realized it was so much more than that. There’s warmth, laughter, and a strong sense of belonging. It’s body positive, welcoming, and full of incredible personalities.
The bear scene in Sweden isn’t huge, which honestly just gives us a good excuse to travel. We love visiting places where the bear community is buzzing—cities like Sitges, Madrid, Berlin, and Amsterdam. The energy there is incredible, and every event feels like one big hairy family reunion… just with more dancing and less clothing.
“Carl Justin was born in 2014 out of necessity in Los Angeles, but he found his soul in the arms of a man watching from the front row in Gothenburg.”
Carl Justin was actually born in 2014 during a trip I took to Los Angeles with my ex. My travel money had run out, and suddenly I needed to get creative. I had never imagined myself as a go-go dancer, but I also wanted to challenge myself. Through a friend who worked as a club host, I got the chance to try.
Before I knew it, I was dancing at Eagle LA, Revolver, and Motherlode in West Hollywood. I was incredibly nervous every time I stepped on stage—but the adrenaline rush was addictive. When you see the crowd reacting and realize that you and your fellow dancers are actually part of the party’s entertainment, it’s an amazing feeling. And of course the tips didn’t hurt either… I even managed to buy myself a little Chanel wallet.
During that time I also had the honor of being photographed for Cellblock13, the fetish shop Rough Trade Gear, and a wild photoshoot with photographer Dusti Cunningham where we dressed up as sexy clowns. It was completely outside my comfort zone, but also incredibly fun.
For a while I lived a bit of a double life—traveling back and forth between Sweden and Los Angeles, dancing, doing photoshoots, and meeting incredible people. I especially loved Silver Lake with all the hot scruffy guys and bears. Let’s just say it was a very motivating neighborhood.
Eventually my ex and I started dancing back home in Gothenburg at Club Queer. One night in January 2019, there was a guy standing right by the stage watching us dance. That guy was David—who today is my husband.
He was standing there staring at the stage, waving enthusiastically, and looking very excited. At the time I thought he was slightly distracting… but also very cute, sexy, and charming.
We both had partners back then. When I went backstage to change outfits between dances, he suddenly grabbed my arm and asked if I was a visiting dancer in town. We exchanged social media and decided that the four of us should meet for coffee sometime. Let’s just say my heart—among other things—started beating a little faster.
In February 2020, just before the pandemic, my ex and I were visiting Amsterdam when I ran into Sjag, who runs the Bear Necessity parties. He asked if I wanted to appear on a poster for the club, and we exchanged contact information.
David and I met again in March 2020 just as COVID shut the world down. The clubs closed and go-go dancing suddenly disappeared from my life. For a while David became the “third wheel” hanging out with me and my ex. But over time something shifted. I fell deeply in love with him, and in June 2020 we officially became a couple.
In 2022, when Bear Necessity reopened, Sjag contacted me again. I introduced David and suddenly we ended up on the poster together as a couple. A photographer in Gothenburg named Skurkdennis had taken some amazing photos of us, and one of them became the poster—something like “WE ARE BACK,” which felt pretty accurate.
Soon we were flying to Amsterdam to host the party. At that point David had absolutely no experience as a go-go dancer. In fact, he insisted he would never dance to house or techno—he had been a DJ playing reggae and dancehall.
But after a little encouragement we tried a small dance set together… and somehow it turned into a huge success. After that we started flying frequently to Amsterdam to dance for Bear Necessity, a party full of handsome bears and incredible energy.
“The surgeon told me I would never dance again. My world collapsed, but David was the one who helped me find the beat again.”
Then in 2023, during Pride in Tel Aviv, everything suddenly changed. While dancing for Beef Tel Aviv, I fell from the stage and suffered a severe fracture. I had emergency surgery in Israel and had to be flown home by air ambulance. My surgeon told me I would never dance again. It felt like my world collapsed.
But David stood by me through everything. My family, friends—and even my ex—supported me. After three major surgeries, months of rehabilitation, and a lot of determination, I slowly found my way back.
Today we feel stronger than ever. And also more grateful. Just being healthy, standing on stage again, and dancing together feels like a gift.
People often tell us that our love and connection are visible on stage. Sometimes when we dance we completely disappear into the moment together. The music starts, the crowd roars, and suddenly it’s just the two of us and this electric energy between us.
This year we’re actually fully booked with dance gigs. I balance it with my day job as a hairstylist—I run my own salon, which means I can sometimes swap scissors for dance boots and a stage.
We’ll perform fetish shows for Clash in Berlin, dance during Madrid Pride for M3N, appear at Milkshake Festival, and perform during WorldPride in Amsterdam for Bear Necessity.
In September we’ll bring an international dance team to the We Music Festival in beautiful Nice. In October we return to Torremolinos for the Infinity Festival X Awards, where David and I somehow ended up nominated for Sexiest Couple 2026. We’re still trying to figure out how that happened… but we’re definitely not complaining.
In November we’ll perform again at SNAX in Berlin, and in December we’ll wrap up the year in Madrid during MadBear.
But no matter the city, the stage, or how wild the party gets, the best part is always the same.
“It turns out the greatest thing that ever happened to my stage persona… was the real-life man dancing beside me.”
Every time the music starts and I look over at David dancing beside me, I’m reminded that the greatest thing that ever happened to Carl Justin… was falling in love.”
Follow our adventures, travels, and dance moments on Instagram: @carl_and_cubby and @carl__justin84
