The history of the Bear Pride Flag
The International Bear Brotherhood Flag (Bear Pride flag)
Every summer, the Bear Pride flag flies proudly at bear runs and leather bars worldwide. This 7-striped banner with its distinctive paw print is more than just fabric - it's a powerful symbol celebrating thick, hairy men who carved out space in a community that kept telling them they weren’t welcome.
The Bear Pride flag features horizontal stripes in warm, earthy tones with a bear paw print in the upper left corner. Its bold design has become universally recognised - you'll spot it everywhere from Sitges beach clubs to San Francisco leather bars during Bear Week.
The development of the flag
Craig Byrnes created the Bear flag in 1995 in Washington, D.C. Byrnes was studying psychology through the Adult Degree Program at Mary Baldwin College (now University) when he designed it using a box of crayons, seeing the need for a symbol that celebrated bears' unique masculinity. Working with Paul Witzkoske, who created the winning design, they developed a flag for the bear community.
The meaning behind the colours
The design features 7 colours representing different bear species throughout the world:
Dark brown
Orange/rust
Golden yellow
Tan
White
Gray
Black
The flag deliberately echoes the Leather Pride flag's format. Both communities understanding what it means to exist outside mainstream gay culture's narrow beauty standards. The colours symbolise the furs of different bear species as a sign of inclusivity.
Four prototype variations were constructed using a sewing machine. Byrnes won approval to display the four 3-by-5-foot prototypes at the Chesapeake Bay Bears' 'Bears of Summer' events in July 1995.
By 1997, the flag had spread beyond its origins. During Bear Pride Chicago, the Gay-Lesbian Store asked Byrnes for 25 flags, and suddenly this symbol was going global. The design remained consistent: 7 stripes celebrating diversity within the bear community.
Protecting the symbol
What makes this story special is Byrnes' generosity with his creation. Rather than seeking profit, he copyrighted it as the International Bear Brotherhood Flag (Visual Art Copyright 763-760) simply to protect it from misuse. The flag remains trademarked but freely available to the community. A gift that reflects the bear community's values of inclusion and brotherhood.
Other Pride flags
The LGBTQ+ community embraces many flags today. The Progress Pride flag adds stripes for people of colour and trans individuals. The Leather Pride flag celebrates kink with its blue, black, and white stripes. The Trans Pride flag's soft pastels stand for courage. Each represents a different facet of our diverse family.
The flag's continuing legacy
This flag isn't decoration. It holds personal meaning for every bear who's felt too hairy, too thick, too much for mainstream gay spaces. The Bear Pride flag has become a beacon of belonging, especially for men discovering they don't need to apologise for taking up space.
Next time you see a Bear Pride flag, remember those stripes represent more than colours on fabric - they embody the diversity of bear species worldwide and, by extension, the beautiful diversity within the bear community itself. From its humble beginnings drawn with crayons to flying over Pride festivals worldwide, the International Bear Brotherhood Flag continues to remind us that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and levels of furriness.
This post is dedicated to Craig Byrnes and Paul Witzkoske, whose creativity gave the bear community a lasting symbol of unity and pride.
References
bearsla. (2025). History Of The Bear Flag | bearsla. [online] Available at: https://www.bearsla.org/history-of-the-bear-flag [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025].
Mary Baldwin University. (2024). Hidden History: How MBU Helped Invent an International Gay Pride Flag. [online] Available at: https://marybaldwin.edu/news/2024/06/03/hidden-history-how-mbu-helped-invent-an-international-gay-pride-flag/ [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025].
Wikipedia Contributors (2024). Bear flag (gay culture). [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_flag_(gay_culture) [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025].
Wright, L.K. (2024). The Bear Flag: Craig Byrnes and the International Bear Brotherhood Flag - Bear World Magazine. [online] Bear World Magazine. Available at: https://bearworldmag.com/the-bear-flag-craig-byrnes-and-the-international-bear-brotherhood-flag/ [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025].
