In true beauty pageant-style, Ash Unicombe asked for world peace last month while competing for the title of coveted Mr West Oz Bear. Unlike other pageant winners, like Miss Universe or Miss Australia, Unicombe wasn’t adorned with a tiara when he was crowned as Mr West Oz Bear 2011 (he did get a trophy and sash, though). He doesn’t mind though as he has more important plans in the pipeline.
‘I’m pretty blown away by it,’ he told OUTinPerth.
‘…I’ve sort of taken it as the role of a spokesperson for the [bears] community and I just want to get the profile of the bears out there in the greater community.’
And after speaking to the 25-year-old for just five minutes, I believe he will.
‘I grew up playing rugby league and I like drinking beer while I would also lust over my football coach…’ he said.
‘As a young guy, as a teenager growing up, there wasn’t anyone out there in the media or any real role models of masculine gay men.’
Unicombe said people did assume the bears to be the ‘older, gruff, blokey gay guys’ which was a part of the Bears Perth community.
One thing, the young man is passionate about, is educating the wider community that the bears’ are really just a group of ‘average guys’.
‘We had a guy at the last den night who said it was his first time he had come out to a bears’ thing, he was 22 and he didn’t know what to expect,’ Unicombe said.
‘He was really scared, he didn’t know if he would fit in to the bear category and you don’t need to fit into being a bear. He ended up saying it was one of the best nights he has had since he had been out on the scene because he just felt so comfortable and accepted.’
For the moment, the young man’s attention has turned towards the bears’ Australia-wide weeklong festival, Southern Hibernation in Melbourne. Our new WA representative will be heading over in June for the national Mr Australasia Bear competition. So how does feel about it?
‘I’m pretty nervous. I’ve had a couple of people tell me some of the other contestants from the other states are pretty hot, a bit of competition,’ he said.
‘I would like to bring the title home to Perth; we haven’t had someone since 2002. The bonus if I win is I get to go to Chicago which would be great.’
And the challenge is on.
Benn Dorrington
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