'Every Bear That Ever There Was' Was at Center's Fun-Filled Fur Ball
By BRUCE-MICHAEL GELBERT, WITH JOSEPH R. SAPORITO
photo by
Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Mike Dreyden, Rollerena & Joseph
LGBT Community Center Dance:208 Coordinator Joe Fiore hosted another successful, fun-filled evening with the spring Fur Ball, on May 9, climax of Urban Bear weekend, with three floors of wall-to-wall fur and muscle. Providing music were DJ Hex Hector and, in the third floor Moustache Garage Lounge, DJ Man Parrish.
photo by
Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Blake Evan Sherman (left) & friend
Designers of a panoply of pinups and paws, plus a man-in-the-crescent moon, for the fur-and-flesh fest, were David Aviles and Manny Goyanes. Co-sponsors of the event were Metro Bears New York, HX, Mark Nelson Events, Will Clark, BearCafe, The Bear Den, Beartopia, A Bear's Life, Bear411, bearwww.com, The Complete Bear, the Ultimate Bear Links, BearParty.com, Bearfilms, Pinups Magazine, and Max Scott Events.
Seen were: singers Bill McKinley, Blake Evan Sherman, and Josh Kaufman (formerly of the Flirtations); Rollerena, Queen of Studio 54; writer Wayne Hoffman ("Hard," and a "Policing Public Sex" editor); Santa Saturday (r) official photographer Mike Prestia; sexy go-go bears Greg Mitchell (also a photographer),
photo by
Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Danny Gonzalez
Jase Woodruff, Joseph, Danny Gonzalez (!), Mike Dreyden and Jonny Mack; flag dancers; party-givers Mike Peyton, DJ Rich King, Paul Short and Michael Mitchell; Imperial Court of New York Prince Royal Josef Boner-Parte; Fire Island Pines' Mark Leydorf (erstwhile Mr. Fire Island Leather contestant), young Matt, and muscular Dean; furry Mark, with Brian; Charlie from Atlanta GA and Plainfield NJ; young Anthony; Billy Bylewski; Chris; the Center's Ector, Louis and Andrew; David Ranada; Deep Bear Dating's Hernan Poza, with Belgian Ronnie; veteran activists Steve Ashkenazy (and partner) and Larry Mass (a GMHC founder); artist Tom Saettle; Leather Invasion's Robert Valin (a former Mr. Eagle NYC); muscular Danny from Allentown; and musician Ernie.
