The bear community has seen its rise in the overall spectrum of gay visibility over the past ten to twenty years, so much so that we are even finding ourselves in several mainstream programs.
Bear parties, which tend to feature hundreds of furry men of all shapes and sizes (not to mention their admirers of sorts), have run the muck in several large scale cities across the world, from The Big Apple all the way to Australia. If you are one of the lucky people out there who get to travel a lot, or live in one of these cities, chances are you have been to at least one of these parties and have some faded memories of the good night that you had with your friends and potential f**k buddies as well.
One of the best, if not the best, bear parties out there is the legendary Furball. Furball has been around for fourteen years now, and spans the country from Atlanta to NYC as well as being part of major circuit parties like Southern Decadence (New Orleans) and Bear Week (Provincetown, Massachusetts).
There isn't much to describe when it comes to how amazing Furball is. But let me explain from personal experience. I started gogo dancing three or four years ago, and my first event was Furball. It was sort of like being thrown into the deep end of the water when you have never swam before. Was I scared to death to dance in front of hundreds of incredibly sexy dudes? Yes. However, the minute I got on that stage and started dancing to the insane beats was when I truly realized how amazing this place is.
Picture you are on top of a platform and internationally known DJ Corey Craig starts spinning Madonna's "Vogue" at 2:30 in the morning. The look you see is truly spectacular, as you span the massive floors that guys are dancing on and having an amazing time in doing so. And this isn't just limited to the dudes that are in shape. No. Everyone is invited, everyone gets on the dance floor with their shirts off, and has a gay old time. This is something you don't see of too much outside of bear parties, and the inclusion and acceptance of all body types that Furball brings is like none other.
Speaking of DJ's, Furball has had some incredible talent walk (or shall I say scratch) through their doors since the party's inception back in the early 2000's. From Grammy winners like Hex Hector to amazing talents like Sean Mac, Jack Chang, Frankie Knuckles and more, this event has seen its share of incredibly talented guys who go beyond the whole "press play" type of scenario and really give you something to enjoy as the night goes on.
Joe Fiore, who has championed Furball for a long time now, has seen the party grow exponentially every single year, especially with its most recent event during Black Party weekend in NYC. This will continue on throughout 2018, as Furball will make its way to Chicago for IML/Bear Pride and many other events.
If you haven't experienced Furball yet… do yourself a favor and go. It's worth the visit. For more information, click here.