In queer culture, the term bear is associated with gay burly, heavy-set men with plenty of body hair. Abraham Hinojosa-Villarreal, a board member of the RGV Bears, considers it more of a mindset than a physical appearance. RGV Bears came together in 2021 when friends saw an opportunity to create a community where they felt represented accurately for their body positivity and as their authentic selves. 

For Hinojosa-Villarreal, it is a space to feel comfortable, “We’re not all one conventional body type, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t be celebrated or that we all can’t be a part of this brotherhood of body positivity.”

The group grew from small get-togethers like brunch and group movie outings to their first pool party called Caldo de Oso. To Hinojosa-Villarreal, the need for spaces like the one RGV Bears create at their social gatherings was a long time coming. Although it was not without the stigma that is often wrongfully associated with the group. 

In 2022, an article on Valley Central drew criticism from the local queer community when they incorrectly attributed a potential outbreak of Monkeypox to the Wet Oso Weekend event held by RGV Bears. Part of the reason the group exists is to deconstruct these harmful mainstream narratives around queer culture. 

“Bears, we are very judgment-free; we’re all about giving people a space to celebrate their own sexiness in a safe space,” states Hinojosa Villarreal, “To feel your own skin, feel your own body in a place of like-minded people that won’t make you feel any shame.”