Bear Brotherhood Flag

History

Craig Byrnes designed the Bear Brotherhood Flag in 1995. The bear community had been organising since the early 1980s in San Francisco, with the Lone Star Saloon and the founding of the first Bear magazine in 1987 serving as early anchors. Byrnes created the flag to give the bear community a visual identity that could be flown at Pride events and bear runs. The diagonal stripe pattern was deliberately chosen to distinguish it from the horizontal stripe convention of most pride flags. The flag has been widely adopted by bear clubs worldwide and is consistently among the most recognisable community flags after the main rainbow.

Colors

brown, orange/rust, golden yellow, tan, white, grey, black (diagonal stripes) with bear paw

The colours represent the range of bear fur colours, from black to blonde, as well as diverse skin tones. The bear paw print is the community's central symbol.

Symbols

diagonal stripes, bear paw print in upper left

The bear paw represents strength, masculinity, and the bear community's identity as a subculture celebrating larger, hairier gay men.