Larry

Hi, I'm Larry. I was born on October 7, 1949. I am 5'11", weigh 218 pounds, have hazel eyes, and am furry. I was born and raised in New Brunswick, about an forty-five minutes from Fredericton. I'm a very gentle teddy bear who loves to cuddle.

In the summer of 1997 my life changed when I met and fell head over heels for Jason. People see us together and think we look a lot alike and we are in many ways. But its not a bear/cub or father/son relationship, we're equal partners in a loving relationship. Finally I have what I longed for, someone to love and share with. In 1995, I discovered bears, a large group of guys who were just like me. The Bear community was very friendly and helpful with advice and information. I thought there was no one out there interested in someone like me. I'm just a fat hairy guy with a beard! I now have bear friends all over the world and our home is open to bear-friends who travel through the area. Jason and I enjoy meeting them and showing off our city.

As a teen I had nobody to talk to about my feelings. It would have been nice to have an opportunity to sit down with someone and ask all the questions that were racing through my mind, and NOT be judged. The religious-right seem to feel that being gay is something that can be "cured", like a disease. It's not! I did not wake up one morning and choose to be gay, nor was I recruited by someone who was gay. Who would choose this lifestyle? I was born that way and my religious upbringing taught me that God doesn't make mistakes!

At age 12, my cousin took me on a tour of the radio station where she was working. I was totally fascinated and knew immediately that this is what I wanted as my career. Currently I work for CBC (public radio and television). All through my life I've had to keep my sexuality quiet for fear of embarrassment and shame. Maybe it comes with age, but I decided to sneak out of the closet a few years ago and see what would happen. To my surprise, nothing! Jason is also very open at his workplace with complete understanding from his managers. You can't imagine how many emails we receive from guys who thank us for being open, honest, understanding, and for presenting a positive image of the gay life and what it can be. A lot of these people have gone through, or are currently going through exactly the same thing we have experienced without the opportunity to talk to anyone about it.

Update: I was never told by my parents that I was adopted, but found out in 1970 for certain. I never felt the urge to look for my birth Mother until late August 2003. I felt it would be good to know the family medical history, and get some closure for both of us. I called the government agency that looks after the adoption records. Within two minutes on the phone, they matched us up. Then after faxing a lot of documents to them, they put me in contact with my sister-in-law. I didn't ever consider that there might be other siblings. She and I talked and I learned the story of what happened at my birth and how my birth Mom (Charlotte) had gone through hell all these years wondering what happened to me.

For the first three days she had me, she never put me down, then on the third day, they took me from her and she never saw me again. I never realized how much that hurt her and has affected her for all these years. I also learned I had two half-brothers. After that conversation my sister-in-law called my birth Mom and told her about me, and Jason.

The phone rang about an hour later and it was a very terrified woman who said: "Larry"? I said "Hi Mom" and she began to cry. She never figured I would call her Mom but that I'd resent or hate her for giving me up. I told her that was not the case at all and was so happy to find her. We met for the first time in October 2003 when she visited my half-brother and his family who lives only 15 minutes from us.

Growing up, the first pictures of me were at age 6 months. I always wondered why there were no baby pictures. Charlotte took me out behind the hospital during those first three days, and another woman who was in the same room with her had a camera. She took three small black and white photos of Mom holding me. In one, I was looking right up and smiling at her. Charlotte had one of them enlarged and framed (picture on the right) and presented it to me when we had our first meeting. It meant so much to me and seemed to give me closure.

In December 2003, I lost my Dad to cancer. We were very close. He loved to go out in the boat with me fishing and we spent many great days together on the water. He was a special man who took no crap and made sure I knew right from wrong. I miss him. My adopted Mom misses Dad a lot but her life is empty without my Dad. After 68 years of marriage, how could it not. I love her her very much. She now knows about finding Charlotte and is handling that pretty well. She will always be my Mom.

I'm real lucky to have not one, but two great mothers. My life is very happy now. I have something I always hoped and longed for. I'm married to a wonderful man who listens to my long rambling stories, consoles me when I'm hurt, mothers me when I'm sick, cuddles and warms me up on cold winter nights, makes me laugh -- but most importantly, loves me. And I can ask for no more in life!

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