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The Bear History Project International is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization formed to capture, define, and preserve the history of bear culture for present and future generations. We are preserving the history of early bear community members, bear history beyond the English-speaking realm, and the increasingly diverse of nonbinary bears.
BHPI members are currently involved in projects include cataloging bear history materials at the archives at Cornell, collecting materials being permanently archived at the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago, consulting with Good Pictures’ documentary Bears, supporting bear scholars and enthusiasts who first met at the Bear Studies Symposium (co-organized by a BHPI member, 2025), and continuing our oral history project interviews. 
Our project functions as a vital link for scholars and enthusiasts alike, working closely with academics in bear studies and having been launched at the Bear Studies Symposium. As part of our commitment to preserving this unique subculture, we are actively cataloging materials from the beginnings of the bear movement, ensuring that stories from all corners of the community—across languages and identities—are not lost to time. Additionally, we are honored to serve as a resource for an upcoming documentary chronicling bear history, set to premiere in 2025.
We proudly acknowledge San Francisco as the birthplace of bear identity, community, and culture. 
Les K. Wright, Ph.D.