[soundslides width=”620″ height =”533″ id=”4499″]The first weekend of May was dedicated to embracing the sub-culture in the gay community of burly, hairy men who proudly declare themselves “bears.” New York City’s annual Urban Bear Weekend hosted four days of celebrations from parades and dance parties to hairy happy hours.

“The bear movement celebrates men of all shapes and sizes who are confident about their identity as a man,” said Andy Tonken, the social media manager of theurbanbear.com and a 2010 Lang graduate. “[The Urban Bear] is the opportunity to share the vibrant culture.”

The CEO of The Urban Bear, Robert Valin, noted that the response towards the weekend festivities and movement had been positive. Valin said the event allowed men of all types to be themselves and have fun in a friendly and unpretentious atmosphere.

“It’s a celebration of diversity and, to me, it means bringing a little bit of old New York back to how it used to be,” Valin said. “When we used to go out and meet in bars and socialize in person rather than doing it online or with the help of social media.”

As their online mission statement says, Urban Bear’s main goal is to see their community grow. Through events like Urban Bear Week, they offer fun opportunities for men of all sizes to embrace who they are and be free to be fuzzy.