(Photo courtesy the Tampa Bay Bears)
The Good Page features positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. In this issue we learn about the Tampa Bay Bears, an LGBTQ+ social group that fosters community through fundraising events.
Founded in the late 1980s, Tampa Bay Bears is all about building a safe community for LGBTQ+ men as well as raising money for LGBTQ+ charities, explains event director Chris Penland.
Penland says that the group’s welcomeness was what first drew him in, before he eventually joined the board as event director.
“The gay community, we’re broken up into everything,” Penland says. “Whether you’re a twink, whether you’re a bear. It’s just so broken up into niche groups. This felt like a really good group for me to be part of and be comfortable with who I am… and I want others to see that. I want the opportunity for others to feel like they’re welcome as well, it doesn’t matter who you are.”
While the group is called Tampa Bay Bears, Penland advises that everyone is welcome, with all types of people coming out to join their events. Even those who are not members are encouraged to come and check out the group and visit a gathering.
The most frequent offerings from the group are Tampa Bay Bears takeover parties at venues like Kurt’s Place Tampa and The Garage on Central Ave. in St. Petersburg.
Penland says the latter is the group’s home bar, as they organize a hangout there at least once a month. Group members will also frequently host pool parties at their own homes.
The group hosted a pool party on Sept. 20 at Casa Villa in Ybor and most recently held a Halloween bar crawl, encouraging attendees to dress up for participation.
The Bears offer a yearly membership for $20 that gives members access to a range of private events. Non-members can pay individually for any of the gatherings that are not free, with proceeds benefiting local charities.
“This year a big one we’re trying to do is Toys for Tots. Something like, if you do bingo, we’ll give you an extra bingo card for bringing a toy in,” Penland says. “We want to launch that early and give us time to collect items and make it worthwhile.”
Members and other supporters can bring toy donations to Tampa Bay Bears events to collect for Toys for Tots. Penland says the group also has plans to raise funds for GLSEN and Camp Pride at their large annual event Bears in the Buff next August.
Bears in the Buff will feature a lineup of events over the course of a few days while attendees stay at the Holiday Inn Titusville.
The event has never been organized as a fundraiser before, but Penland said the opportunity to do some good with it couldn’t be passed up since they usually see over 250 people in attendance.
The upcoming 2026 Bears in the Buff will include a clothing optional trip to Playalinda beach, a serene beach located within Canaveral National Seashore near Titusville. Lunch and transportation will be included and pool parties with lunch, breakfast as a group, a charity dinner, a silent auction and a variety of bingo games that Penland says may get a “little risqué” are also planned.
The Tampa Bay Bears are also seeking sponsors to donate to the silent auction in the build up to Bears in the Buff.
“It really comes down to bears, chubs, chasers and admirers coming together to build new friendships and strengthen current ones,” Penland said. “We don’t always get to meet people and have a social life. Bears in the Buff is that event.”
To learn more about Tampa Bay Bears, visit TampaBayBears.org.
Interested in being featured in The Good Page? Email Editor-in-Chief Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com in Tampa Bay or Central Florida Bureau Chief Bellanee Plaza at Bellanee@WatermarkOutNews.com in Central Florida.
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