Innerview With A Bear - by Eric F. Crow
(In full regalia, photo by Tristan Sutphin)
Eric: How has your title year gone? Where have you been and what have you done with your time?
Heath: My title year and my fiftieth earth year so far has been amazing. I have met so many wonderful people in and outside of our community. The best part was that most of these events I spent with my husband Jonathan McDowell-Daniels (the first North American Pet 2023). My year started off right away in October with a visit to the Northeast Pet and Handler Contest at the Eagle Bar in Providence, RI. Then, I was a judge at Boston Bear, and took a trip to visit the Wicked PAH Alley Pet Night at the Alley Bar in Boston. In November, I was off to Baltimore to support the Mr. Mayhem Leather and Mr. Mayhem Leather Bear contests with a fundraiser we hosted, and I got to see David Sugar, the current World Cub and part of my title family. That same weekend, we visited and supported Mr. New Jersey Leather for a fundraiser at Asbury Park, NJ, and we wrapped it all up with a visit to the Baltimore Bears for flannel night at the Baltimore Eagle.
For Thanksgiving, we got to open our house up to those with no place to go and be with family, everybody sharing in good food and great company. In December, I was a judge for the Mr. Connecticut Bear Contest, followed by a trip to Seattle to pick up my oldest child, and we made sure to stop in and say hi to our friends at Diesel Bar. We spent the rest of December with family and friends, again opening our home to those in our community/family. January was quiet, but I was able to network with the new owner of our local gay bar to schedule the first Bear night in New Hampshire in a long time. This was also the month I lost my sash daddy, Jack Hinkle, so I slowed the pace a bit to reflect and remember Jack and what a wonderful individual he is. North American Bear weekend was in February and although Jack was not there, his energy and kindness was there. March 1 was the day of the Meet the Bears night here in New Hampshire at the Stoned Wall Bar & Grill, which was well attended; most recently on March 5-10, we participated in the fantastic Tropical Bear Week in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Eric: How well have you been received by the Bear/Pet community? The world outside those communities?
Heath: In all honesty, this World Bear is my third title, so my view has changed over the past five years. I started my title career off as Mr. Providence Bear 2019-2020, two months before the world shut down due to of the pandemic. Before this, my fantasy was that if I won this title, I would be asked to travel and stay different places and be invited to various events with no or little cost to me, and that everything would be scheduled by my title producers. Of course, no in person events happened during that time, so no real fundraising or events happened. So, during that time I was able to research about being a titleholder, and my husband Jonathan was also a former titleholder at the time, so we had many discussions about it.
Being a title holder is a lot of work and it’s a balance between title life and home life, and home and self should ALWAYS come first. Travel is the biggest expense you will undertake and time is a personal expense. It can be stressful at times, because you want to be there for everyone in your community, but you can’t, at least not physically. All that said, it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The one thing that will always remain about being a title holder is the people you meet and have an impact on. Those folks who thank you for taking the time to listen to them, or who take the time to introduce themselves, and you support them as best you can, especially if they are new to the community or if this is their first time at an event. I once had a poster in my room, I don’t recall specifically what it was for, but Whoopi Goldberg did a commercial for them, but their slogan was “Give five minutes, what you get back is immeasurable”. Giving a person a few moments of your time to meet them and listen is so necessary in our community.
The challenges are getting most everyone on board with diversity, equity and inclusive practices. Let’s be honest—we have some gaps, and we need to find out why we have those gaps. We need to educate each other by having open and transparent conversations about them.
Eric: How well have you been received by the Bear/Pet community? The world outside those communities?
Heath: So far I believe extremely well. I have met and spoken to hundreds, maybe a thousand people over these last few years with both my North American Bear and World Bear titles. My goal is always for people to see me and meet Candy Bear (Heath) first, and then to show or let them know I am a current title holder. To me, this shows that title holders are just like everyone else in the community, and my title is an opportunity to be a mechanism of community, of leadership, of change, and of advocacy.
The world outside of the community has been kind so far; they have been inquisitive and supportive. Sometime it’s a little difficult explaining what a title contest is to them, but once you have that conversation, they understand and appreciate it and most times, I receive support, recognition and encouragement back. Education of our world outside of our community is so important to do in order for us to receive and continue to receive support.
The world outside of the community has been kind so far; they have been inquisitive and supportive. Sometime it’s a little difficult explaining what a title contest is to them, but once you have that conversation, they understand and appreciate it and most times, I receive support, recognition and encouragement back. Education of our world outside of our community is so important to do in order for us to receive and continue to receive support.
(L to R: Heath Hooper, David Sugar, Mr. World Cub 2023,
Haifisch Katzchen, World Pet 2023 and Daddie Danger, Ms. World Bear 2022-23.
Photo by Tristan Sutphin.)
Eric: Tell me about how your time as Mr. World Bear is going in terms of fantasy vs. reality? In other words, what did you think it might be like vs. what has it actually been like?
Heath: In all honesty, this World Bear is my third title, so my view has changed over the past five years. I started my title career off as Mr. Providence Bear 2019-2020, two months before the world shut down due to of the pandemic. Before this, my fantasy was that if I won this title, I would be asked to travel and stay different places and be invited to various events with no or little cost to me, and that everything would be scheduled by my title producers. Of course, no in person events happened during that time, so no real fundraising or events happened. So, during that time I was able to research about being a titleholder, and my husband Jonathan was also a former titleholder at the time, so we had many discussions about it.
Being a title holder is a lot of work and it’s a balance between title life and home life, and home and self should ALWAYS come first. Travel is the biggest expense you will undertake and time is a personal expense. It can be stressful at times, because you want to be there for everyone in your community, but you can’t, at least not physically. All that said, it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The one thing that will always remain about being a title holder is the people you meet and have an impact on. Those folks who thank you for taking the time to listen to them, or who take the time to introduce themselves, and you support them as best you can, especially if they are new to the community or if this is their first time at an event. I once had a poster in my room, I don’t recall specifically what it was for, but Whoopi Goldberg did a commercial for them, but their slogan was “Give five minutes, what you get back is immeasurable”. Giving a person a few moments of your time to meet them and listen is so necessary in our community.
(L to R: David Sugar, Mr. World Cub 2023: Lord Thundermight,
Mr. Mayhem Leather Bear 2023: Heath Hooper;
and Keron, Mr. Mayhem Leather)
Eric: How well/how much does the Bear community of today understand its history and what kind of future will they have?
Heath: The community is changing so fast that I am not sure how much our history has been embodied in to that change. Change is constant and change is necessary but we need to understand where we came from, so that we can allow ourselves to learn, grow and to make changes where necessary. We all need to stay open minded to the past, as well as knowing how we can change the future. At Connecticut Bear, I was fortunate enough to hold the first Bear Brotherhood flag made. That was huge for me, and it is one part of our Bear community that still holds as true today as it did then. It is a symbol that I am loved and will be protected by anyone who identifies within the Bear community.
In my opinion, the bear community will continue grow and evolve. We are a community of activists, accepting and protective of all. Like the natural bear population around the world, who diversify and adapt to their environments, so must we as a bear community.
Eric: What do you think is your role as our Leader? What should those who hold a WBW title in the future be doing?
Heath: My role as a leader is to listen, educate, protect, motivate and inspire passion for our community and beyond. Leaders of our future should have a clear vision and path on how they want to lead in our community. All eyes are on you, and this needs to be taken seriously. Titles are more than pomp and circumstance, more than cash and prizes, more than a sash or stole. Little care about what you win personally, they want to see you walk the talk.
In my opinion, the bear community will continue grow and evolve. We are a community of activists, accepting and protective of all. Like the natural bear population around the world, who diversify and adapt to their environments, so must we as a bear community.
Eric: What do you think is your role as our Leader? What should those who hold a WBW title in the future be doing?
Heath: My role as a leader is to listen, educate, protect, motivate and inspire passion for our community and beyond. Leaders of our future should have a clear vision and path on how they want to lead in our community. All eyes are on you, and this needs to be taken seriously. Titles are more than pomp and circumstance, more than cash and prizes, more than a sash or stole. Little care about what you win personally, they want to see you walk the talk.
(Heath with his huspet, Jonathan Daniels, North American Pet 2023)
Eric: What are some successes you have seen the Bear community have? What are the challenges facing the Bear community today?
Heath: I have seen just in my short time as a titleholder, that more and more Bear-related, Pet- related and Leather-related events have become more all-inclusive. This is so important to me as a father of a trans daughter, a child that identifies as non-binary, and a POC husband.
The challenges are getting most everyone on board with diversity, equity and inclusive practices. Let’s be honest—we have some gaps, and we need to find out why we have those gaps. We need to educate each other by having open and transparent conversations about them.
Editor’s Note (TW): After I read this answer, I couldn't help but think of the tragic loss of Nex Benedict, the Oklahoma student who was attacked by three other students in a school restroom in Odessa, Oklahoma, whose death was later ruled a suicide. I wanted to ask his perspective as the father of a trans child:
Heath: The loss of this special young person saddens me. It makes me angry and it scares me. I am sad that a brave person like Nex is gone early, and gone because they were their unique self. I am angry at those who took this beautiful persons life, but sad for them as well because they had to be taught to hate from somewhere, and that fuel is very scary to our entire community. I am scared for my daughter, yes, very much so. From a very early age, I knew that there was something uniquely special about her, which her mother, my husband and I have supported that from day one. She is brave, sometimes too brave, and will tell you like it is whether you want to hear it or not. That scares me. She (my daughter) has already been jumped once, and she is lucky we have taught her what to do in defense. I've learned to ask questions if she goes somewhere with friends, school, or even her mentor. She means the world to me, and I want her to be safe and to be happy for who she is. I cannot imagine what Nex's parents are going through, and my heart reaches out to them. I cannot imagine losing a child at an early age.
Eric: Have you thought about what you will do to further your platform once you have stepped down? What is something uniquely you that you are proud to have stamped on the Bear community and our community ideals?
Heath: I will continue to spread my platform of kindness, involvement, participation and self-care/self-worth energy that I carried over from my NAB title. I am inspired by a speech by a KC graduate Kelsey O’Connor. Kelsey overcame a traumatic brain injury and speaks about about finding identity. This resonated for me as a cancer survivor and in coming out at 45, while trying to find my new self or identity in the world. She talks about how she started seeing people for who they are and not what they do. Kelsey started describing by three qualifiers: a person’s attitude, the way in which they treat others, and what makes them uniquely beautiful. The more she looked through that lens, the more she started to see others for who they really are, while seeing that in herself too. She goes on to say three things that I have been trying to work towards in terms of living my life and honoring the platform I want to share with everyone. Those are: “Choose a positive attitude, treat others with genuine kindness, and appreciate your unique inner beauty.” When we live by or embrace those three things, we can see each other and communicate with each other beyond those “labels that confine us”.
Heath: The loss of this special young person saddens me. It makes me angry and it scares me. I am sad that a brave person like Nex is gone early, and gone because they were their unique self. I am angry at those who took this beautiful persons life, but sad for them as well because they had to be taught to hate from somewhere, and that fuel is very scary to our entire community. I am scared for my daughter, yes, very much so. From a very early age, I knew that there was something uniquely special about her, which her mother, my husband and I have supported that from day one. She is brave, sometimes too brave, and will tell you like it is whether you want to hear it or not. That scares me. She (my daughter) has already been jumped once, and she is lucky we have taught her what to do in defense. I've learned to ask questions if she goes somewhere with friends, school, or even her mentor. She means the world to me, and I want her to be safe and to be happy for who she is. I cannot imagine what Nex's parents are going through, and my heart reaches out to them. I cannot imagine losing a child at an early age.
Eric: Have you thought about what you will do to further your platform once you have stepped down? What is something uniquely you that you are proud to have stamped on the Bear community and our community ideals?
Heath: I will continue to spread my platform of kindness, involvement, participation and self-care/self-worth energy that I carried over from my NAB title. I am inspired by a speech by a KC graduate Kelsey O’Connor. Kelsey overcame a traumatic brain injury and speaks about about finding identity. This resonated for me as a cancer survivor and in coming out at 45, while trying to find my new self or identity in the world. She talks about how she started seeing people for who they are and not what they do. Kelsey started describing by three qualifiers: a person’s attitude, the way in which they treat others, and what makes them uniquely beautiful. The more she looked through that lens, the more she started to see others for who they really are, while seeing that in herself too. She goes on to say three things that I have been trying to work towards in terms of living my life and honoring the platform I want to share with everyone. Those are: “Choose a positive attitude, treat others with genuine kindness, and appreciate your unique inner beauty.” When we live by or embrace those three things, we can see each other and communicate with each other beyond those “labels that confine us”.
(Representing. Photo by Out SFL.)
Eric: How well are we holding space for each other in the forest?
Heath: We are doing better and making progress, however we still have some work to do. I go back to Kelsey’s wisdom in saying, “If you embrace those three things, your life will become more rich with seeing the world through a lens and beyond the labels that confine us.” We all have something to bring to the table or in this case the “forest”. Like a natural forest, each living thing is dependent on each other, it a symbiotic relationship. We all should learn from that.
Eric: What words of advice will you give your successor?
Heath: Breath, you did it! Now, take time to relish in your success, and then take time for you and your loved ones. Breathe again. Open those eyes, open those ears, prepare to actively listen, spread kindness, get involved, participate in events in and out of the community, and most importantly take care of yourself.
Eric: It’s your last day before you head to WBW 24. How will people remember you? How will you remember yourself?
Heath: This is a tough question on the emotions already…yikes! I hope that people will remember me for who I am, Candy Bear. A person who is kind, loyal, professional, protective, welcoming, understanding, has empathy, doesn’t hide emotions, who is funny, fun and most of all Human just like everyone else. I will always remember the confidence and love that my community, friends, family chosen and not gave me to be myself, and I was…and I am.
Heath: We are doing better and making progress, however we still have some work to do. I go back to Kelsey’s wisdom in saying, “If you embrace those three things, your life will become more rich with seeing the world through a lens and beyond the labels that confine us.” We all have something to bring to the table or in this case the “forest”. Like a natural forest, each living thing is dependent on each other, it a symbiotic relationship. We all should learn from that.
Eric: What words of advice will you give your successor?
Heath: Breath, you did it! Now, take time to relish in your success, and then take time for you and your loved ones. Breathe again. Open those eyes, open those ears, prepare to actively listen, spread kindness, get involved, participate in events in and out of the community, and most importantly take care of yourself.
Eric: It’s your last day before you head to WBW 24. How will people remember you? How will you remember yourself?
Heath: This is a tough question on the emotions already…yikes! I hope that people will remember me for who I am, Candy Bear. A person who is kind, loyal, professional, protective, welcoming, understanding, has empathy, doesn’t hide emotions, who is funny, fun and most of all Human just like everyone else. I will always remember the confidence and love that my community, friends, family chosen and not gave me to be myself, and I was…and I am.
-----
Worl currently sports, however sometimes they will announce another organization closer to the event: http://worldbearweekend.com/charity
Heath's Charities/links:
Rainbow Railroad: www.rainbowrailroad.org/about
Seacoast Outright: www.seacoastoutright.org/about
Haus of Codec: www.hausofcodec.org/about
Manchester Pride: https://manchestertrue.org/pride-2024
Killham Bear Center: https://kilhambearcenter.org
-----
I think we all know by now that being an ambassador and traveling the world can be expensive; please consider donating to Heath through the following:
Cashapp: $hoopienh
Venmo: @Heath-Hooper-1973
PayPal: @mchoopsta
(Stay tuned for an interview with Heath's huspet, Jonathan Daniels, coming up mid-April, interspersed with some open letter articles and other usual NH4F features.)
Comments
Post a Comment