Rules & Conditions

The 2024 Delaware Bear Contest will be on January 27, 2024.  If you are interested in competing in this year’s contest, please review the information below and submit your application today!

Eligibility

To be eligible to compete in the Delaware Bear Contest you must meet the following requirements:

  1. You must be born on or before January 27, 2003.  (21+ only)
  2. You must be a member of the LGBTQ+ community
  3. You must be willing and able to complete the tasks outlined below.
  4. You must agree to comply with the Code of Conduct.

Contest Tasks

Prepare

1. Complete the Online Application
  • You must complete your application and submit your entrance fee prior to the registration deadline.
  • Please complete the application fully and completely. Failure to complete the form will delay your registration.
  • Please be sure to proofread your entry. Your responses will be used to build your contestant page on the website, introduce you to the audience, and give the judges a feel for your style. We reserve the right to edit your entry as necessary to fit our publication requirements (grammar, spelling, length, etc.).
  • You must submit a profile picture which meets the following technical requirements:
    • Must be of high quality with an approximate resolution of 1200 x 1800 pixels or better.
    • Must be submitted in a JPEG, HEIC, or WebP format
    • Must be a vertically oriented portrait
    • Must feature only the contestant; no other people should be present.
    • Due to copyright issues, must not include any company logos or artwork not of your own making in the background or on your clothing.
    • Must be "Facebook appropriate". Nudity, or depictions of other prohibited activities, are not acceptable.
    • Must be an original photo. You may crop, rotate, (lightly) color balance, etc., but the use of filters or other digital retouching is prohibited. Do not add any additional stamps, icons, watermarks, etc.
    • If your picture was taken by a professional photographer, you must ensure you have a copyright release prior to submitting.
  • Finally, if you have any questions, we are happy to help, but if you wait until the day before the deadline, then it may be too late.

Contestant Application

2. Prepare Category Appropriate Outfits
  • You must prepare four signature outfits for the competition:
    • Theme Wear - This year's theme is Fun and Games
    • Under Bear - What's under them garments? Be Creative!
    • Bar Wear - Whatever you would wear to the bar to impress your suitors
    • Formal Wear - Show off your best formals to impress!
  • Each event will feature one of your signature looks.
  • You outfits will be judged on their appearance, how well you met the category specifics, and your creativity.
  • For a slightly longer brief on each category, click here.
3. Prepare Charity Raffle Basket
  • Contestants are required to prepare a basket for the charity raffle valued between $50 and $100.
  • The basket should represent yourself, the theme and be very beary.

Present

4. Check-in On Time
  • Designated check-in time is Saturday evening at 5:30PM
  • Contestants must be at the venue, with everything they need for the event, by the check-in time
  • There will be a brief mandatory Orientation Meeting on Saturday evening to discuss more information for all contestants
5. Participate in Charity Raffle Saturday Evening
  • Contestants are required to sell raffle tickets to raise money for the winners' chosen charities throughout the event on Saturday between 6:00-10:00PM
  • Contestants will be interacting with each other, the audience, and the judges during this time
  • Category is... Bar Wear
6. Present Your Personal Speech on Saturday Evening
    • After the happy hour Raffle the contest will start with:
      • Category is ... Under Bear
    • Then we move on to the Theme Wear presentations. Contestants will have to strut their stuff and present their interpretation of our theme.
      • Category is ... Theme Wear
    • Next up is the Question and Answer. The judges will prepare a number of questions in advance, but with no idea who will answer. Contestants will select a question at random to answer. The contestant will then have two minutes to present their answer.
      • Category is ... Formal Wear

Represent

8. Represent your community, and Delaware Bear Contest, with pride, dignity, and respect
We ask all winners of the Delaware Bear Contest to represent DBC and the Bear Community in a positive manner for one (1) full year. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Future Delaware Bear Contest events
  • State & local Pride events
  • LGBTQ+ activities (bear/non-bear) in the winners' home areas
  • The subsequent Delaware Bear Contest
9. Host a charity fundraiser
Each Winner must use their title to host at least one charity fundraiser over the course of their title year to help give back to the community. The charity can be any accredited 501(c)(3) charity of the winner's choosing.

Scoring

The judging panel consists of three to five (3-5) judges selected by Delaware Bear Contest. The panel will judge all aspects of the contest to determine our winners.

Scoring Rubric

The scoring is weighted as follows:
Bar Wear Category (15% of Overall Score)
Under Bear Category (10% of Overall Score)
Theme Wear Category (20% of Overall Score)
On-Stage Question (20% of Overall Score)
Formal Wear Category (15% of Overall Score)
Interview (20% of Overall Score)
During the contest, judging will include:
  • Contestant's interactions with each other, the crowd, and the judges
  • Contestant's personal presentation
  • Contestant's adherence to, and interpretation of, the given category or activity

Tie Breaker

In the event of a tie, we will use the contestants' raffle ticket sales tallies to determine a winner. The contestant with the highest amount of raffle ticket sales will be awarded (1) additional point to break the tie.

Code of Conduct

ALL PARTICIPANTS in the Delaware Bear Contest (both those receiving titles, and those NOT receiving titles) are expected to conduct themselves in a positive and courteous manner at all times before, during, and after the competition. This includes, but is not limited to, winning or losing gracefully, respecting other participants, assisting winners with achieving DBC goals, hosting events, and representing their local contests and organizations in a positive manner. DBC contestants NOT conducting themselves in a positive manner (e.g. verbal abuse, negative actions, spreading rumors, making false statements, creating/sharing disparaging social media posts, etc.) may be banned from competing in any future DBC contests or subject to additional restrictions solely at the discretion of the organizers.

Contestant Acknowledgement

Contestants applying to the compete in the Delaware Bear Contest must agree to all of the following.

  • I have answered all information truthfully & accurately.
  • I assume total responsibility for my personal actions.
  • I confirm that I am at least 21 years of age, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
  • I acknowledge that I am not allowed to be intoxicated and/or under the influence of recreational drugs during the competition. If it is proven that I am recreationally-impaired, I will be disqualified and removed from the contest for my own safety, and that of the organization and event venue.
  • I will not hold the Delaware Bear Contest (DBC), it's owners, judges, venue, nor any other entity associated with the former, liable for any type of injury, physical or otherwise, sustained as a result of any involvement with the organization and/or this event.
  • I release DBC, it's owners, judges, venue, and any other entity associated with the former, from any and all liability arising from any publications with my likeness. Photos will be limited and personal preferences regarding photos and usage will be abided by when promoter is notified.
  • I do hereby agree to conduct myself (win or lose), with grace and dignity. I accept that I may NOT win a title, but will accept the judges' decision as final.
  • I agree to be a positive role model before, during, and after the contest, and refuse to participate in verbal abuse of guests, fellow contestants, event staff, coordinators, judges, the event, the contest, chairpersons, or venue.
  • I agree to not make disparaging remarks, share negative social media posts/comments, nor spread rumors or innuendos.
  • I accept that the DBC, and it's owners, judges, venue, etc. have no control over technical difficulties associated with the music, lighting, or props that may affect a contestant's time on stage. While the organization puts forth great effort, I accept the fact that DBC cannot anticipate defects/errors on the night of the contest, and I accept that "Murphy's Law" can occur at anytime. I will not hold DBC, it's owners, judges, venue, nor any other entity associated with the former, or any other contestants responsible if such problems occur.