Speedos, Suds and 30 Years of Camaraderie
How Motor City Bears created a home for guys left out of mainstream gay scenes
Every summer, a crew of burly Detroiters strips down to their speedos, grabs their sponges and turns a charity car wash into one of the best shows in town. That's the Motor City Bears for you, where the fur is optional but the welcome is not.
Ask a dozen bears what the label means and you'll get a dozen answers. It broadly points to men who are bigger, usually hairy and often masculine-presenting, but the Motor City crowd wears the term loosely. "There's a little bit of everything," Paul, member at large, tells Pride Source (per the group's preference, all members are referred to by first name only). "There's all ages, some crossover with the leather community, some Lambda Car Club members; it's a wide variety. It's evolved into a little bit of everybody."
What is clear is that the Motor City Bears — their slogan is "Fun, Fur, and Friends" — are a welcoming group with members of all shapes and sizes. "One thing that really stood out to me about this group was how friendly, warm and inviting they were," says Scott, the group's treasurer, of his first meeting with the group decades ago. "Our motto is 'for bears and their admirers.' A lot of clubs have an approval process, almost like you have to prove you count as a bear. But Motor City Bears never had that. You're automatically able to be part of the group if you think you fit one of those categories."
The group holds more than 200 events annually, ranging from monthly meetings to weekly Zoom coffee chats, bar nights and more, with a few flagship events throughout the year. "We have about six major events each year," Paul says. "The Cinco de Mayo party, a Thanksgiving event, a Christmas party, a gift card drive, Pride and the big car wash."
That car wash is the group's calling card, and the spectacle pulls in more than paying customers. "Sometimes people stop by the car wash just to have their picture taken with us," Scott says. "We've even had people arrive on roller blades or a scooter. One time, the Red Bull promotional car, with the big can on top, even stopped by for pictures."
The car wash is a true spectacle, but it also benefits charity. In fact, many of the Bears' events are focused on raising money for vital local organizations, with two in particular — Ruth Ellis and Affirmations. "Ruth Ellis started off as a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth," says Tony, the group's president. "Now it's grown into something bigger, even providing housing and access to medical and behavioral health services. Affirmations is a queer community center that does great stuff, and we even hold many of our meetings there. Being able to support our community is important to us."
During the holiday season, the group holds a yearly gift card drive that also benefits Ruth Ellis and Affirmations. For many Motor City Bears members, the focus on charity is important, and they love helping out their queer neighbors. "On top of being about body positivity," Tony says, "the group is about friendship, family and supporting charity."
A lot of members also enjoy the camaraderie of the group and feel like it's a way to find fellowship and pride, especially for men who sometimes don't feel accepted by mainstream gay culture. "Most of the scene revolves around twinks," Scott says, "so I think bears always kinda felt like it wasn't really our culture. When you're a bigger guy, you can kind of feel like it isn't really your space."
Scott recalled how he ended up finding the Motor City Bears some 20 years ago after searching for a queer space where he felt he could belong. "Me and my husband wanted to find a social outlet, and we were looking to find groups to join," he says. "The whole bear thing was new to us, but we went to a few meetings and loved how welcoming they were."
Paul shares a similar sentiment about what drew him to the group. "I like the camaraderie," he says. "It's a group of close-knit people who have similar perspectives. It's like hanging out with a family."
For many members, that sense of community is the true bond that holds the Motor City Bears together. Scott says there's currently around 200 members. Some don't even live in Michigan anymore. But many continue partaking in events, especially the online coffee chats, even after leaving the state.
Over the years, the Motor City Bears has established themselves as more than a social group for bears, earning a trusted reputation within Detroit's queer community for outreach, advocacy and belonging. As the group's president, Tony isn't just enjoying the group's success; he's looking toward the future as well. "I'd love the group to do more, especially fundraisers," he says. "I think supporting the community while creating a community is the key moving forward."
He also feels optimistic that a new generation of members will one day be able to carry on the torch. "The younger people who are signing up aren't just joining," he says, "they're really getting involved and taking on responsibility."
The Motor City Bears encourages new membership. If you're looking to join, many of the meetings and events are open to the public. Check out their website or their Meetup page for more information, and follow them on Facebook to find out more.
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