We meet Bears Perth, Mr Bear 2025, Mikey Tate.

An exclusive interview with the newly crowned Bears Perth Mr Bear 2025, Mikey Tate, is here! Hailing from a small, dusty mining town in Western Australia, Mikey is a country bear who has found his true home and calling in the Perth bear community. From quiet, late-night internet searches as a young, self-discovering teen to stepping into the spotlight, Mikey’s journey highlights a deep connection to a community that celebrates bodies and identities of all kinds. Join us as we chat with Mikey about his win, the inclusive platform he championed, and his exciting goals to represent the Australasian Bear community in the year ahead.

Richard Jones: Hi there, Mikey Can you tell us a bit about your background, where you are from and current city of residency?

Mikey Tate: I’m 34 years old living in the lovely Perth, Western Australia. I was born and raised in a small, dusty and isolated mining town called Kalgoorlie, where I spent most of my life up until about 5 years ago when my Family and I decided to make the move to the big city! It’s been a fun adjustment, and while I would say I’m still a country Bear at heart, the truth is I finally feel like I’m where I belong.

RJ: What drew you to the bear community?

MT: I first learned about Bears through quiet googling late at night while my Family was sleeping as a young boy, struggling with the realisation of being Gay. And as a teen who was sprouting hair everywhere pretty much from the moment I turned 13, the Bears seemed like the part of the Gay community that I was both attracted to, and identified with the most. The way they were accepting and loving of bodies of all types was a revelation for me, as I’ve struggled for a long time with body image issues. Being a part of a community who not only accepted how I looked but appreciated it as well really resonated with me.

RJ: Tell us about your local/countries  bear scene and some of your favorite places or organizations whose events you enjoy.

MT: Perth’s Bear community is the aptly named social club, Bears Perth! Having begun in 1993, it’s one of the oldest Queer communities in Australia with a long and storied history. Every month, they hold 2 social gatherings, or Den nights as they’re called, for Bears and the folx who admire and support us to get together, have a drink or two and just chat and vibe the night away. The relaxed social atmosphere of Bears Perth is one of the biggest things that drew me to them, and to this day are still one of my favourite events to attend. The other is of course, Western Round-up, Bears Perth’s busiest week; a series of events leading up to the biggest night of the year, the Mr Bear competition!

RJ: Tell us about the Title You have won. 

MT: Speaking of which, the Title I won in September is Bears Perth Mr Bear 2025! Gosh, saying it aloud still doesn’t feel real. Even when they said my name and put the Sash over my shoulder, I was still in shock!

RJ: How was your experience competing? What was the process like? What was your favorite part?

MT: Competing in Mr Bear was an absolutely magical experience! Stressful and anxiety inducing too but bloody hell was it worth it. When I stepped onto that stage for the first time, feeling the energy of the crowd and hearing so many people cheering, it was energising, like I’d been zapped with lightning. It was a beautiful experience, and one of the biggest hopes I have is that seeing me and my fellow competitors up there strutting our stuff has inspired other Bears to put their hand up for next year’s competition.

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

MT: Something that’s always been at the forefront for me is diversity and inclusion. That message is what drew me to the Bears community to begin with, and one of the platforms that I ran on in the competition was to push that even further. I want Bears Perth to be not just a social club but a safe space as well for Bears and folx of all stripes: POC, disabled, Trans, neurodivergent, I want anyone who’s felt isolated or marginalized to see Bears as a place where they’re not only safe to be themselves, but celebrated for it too. Ultimately, I want to find ways to make Bears more welcoming for everyone and be the person in other people’s corner that I wish I’d had when I first stepped out into the Queer community at large.

RJ: What are the responsibilities associated with your title?

MT: As  Bears Perth Mr Bear 2025, I’m essentially the face of the club for the next 12 months! I’ll be expected to attend all Bears Perth events (or as many as I’m physically able to), and generally represent the clubs interests throughout the year.

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

MT: Something I want to achieve in Bears Perth is to have more community open Den nights, where everyone who loves and supports us can attend, as well as Male and Male identifying. We have many people here who want to support us, so why not let them? We only stand to gain from it. Another is to organise more events with other Queer clubs throughout Perth. We are one of the most isolated cities in the world, meaning our community is very intertwined with each other. It’s my hope that we can find ways to be more supportive of each other, because as I said during Mr Bear: we’re all we’ve got! One of my biggest appearances and responsibilities during my Title reign will to represent Perth in June for Mr Bear Australasia! This one is for all the marbles, so to speak, as whoever wins will be the face of the Australasian Bear community! A huge responsibility but also an exciting and humbling one as well.

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

MT: Bears are a community that prides itself on being inclusive, and not to say that they aren’t, but there are ways we could be better at it. Being more inclusive of POC is something that’s very important to me that I believe the Bears community could stand to improve on. In August of this year, there were anti-immigration rallies staged by neo-nazis in every major city in Australia, and in a growing tide of racism and fascism not just here but all over the world, it’s terrifying to watch. I have Friends both in the Bears community and outside of it who are POC who immigrated here and I am genuinely scared that they are in danger of being harmed at any time. Now more than ever, and not just POC, marginalised communities need more people in their corner, backing them up, and supporting them. And I want the Bears community to be one of them.

RJ: Where can we find you? 

MT:  I don’t post very much but I can be found on Instagram under @Spicyginger91.