Gay bears featured in Attitude proudly appear on 15-foot billboard in Los Angeles
Megawoof is touring the "Best Bear Party" across the United States and Europe.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Dennis Leupold
If you happen to be in Los Angeles either right now or in the very near future, and you’re traveling along Santa Monica Boulevard look up and you might just catch sight of the Bears of Megwoof standing proud.
The collection of burly figures will be on display on the 30-foot billboard in West Hollywood for the next couple of weeks. Attitude has also partnered with Megawoof America (MWA) to feature the Bears in all their glory in our new March/April issue – out now.
MWA is the brainchild of DJ and producer Leonardo Abbate (aka Glovibes) and is a monthly bear event that started back in 2014 in Los Angeles at the Precinct DTLA.
Considered the “Best Bear Party in LA” by Gay Cities and is due to tour the US soon with stops including San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Houston. European fans need not worry, however, as there are plans to bring the party to Europe later this year.
As well as being about high-energy house music, nu-disco, and classic dance music, MWA is also all about inclusivity, body positivity, and being somewhere for people to dance freely without judgment or shame.
Speaking about the photoshoot featured by Attitude, photographer Dennis Leupold said: “I really loved working on this project and thankful for Photobomb for making this shoot happen, and to Attitude for giving these photos such a huge platform and exposure.
“I think the Bear community is a pillar of the LQBTQ movement and deserves these moments and visibility. These guys really represent love, confidence, and pride. After going through a pandemic for the last couple of years we need moments like these to uplift everyone’s spirits.
“Hopefully moving forward we will see our cast and Megawoof continue and expand on their huge success that brings happiness to so many people.”
Photobomb Production’s Johnny Pascucci added: “Having been working in fashion for over 15 years now and seeing the industry basically ignore the bear community, which is a huge global community, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to shed some light.
“The shoot was amazing. The cast all brought their A-game. Most of them had never done anything like this before. But the sense of ‘this our moment’ was clearly in everyone’s minds and oh boy they brought it!
“And then when we found out we were getting a huge billboard smack in the middle of West Hollywood – it was just serendipitous. Seeing these Bears on a huge billboard right next to Kylie Jenner – I just melted.”
Check out more in Attitude’s new-look March/April issue is out now.
