featured
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Liberty Bears of
Philadelphia

Featured Liberty Bear Brian Speakman:

I'm Brian Speakman from the Ft. Belknap Reservation, which is in Montana. I was adopted at 3 months old. My birth mother is from the Ft. Belknap Reservation and the man who fathered me is from the Rocky Boy Reservation - both in Montana. 
I was raised in Utah - yes, a Mormon - and lived there until I first served a Mormon mission to Toronto, Canada in 1981.  From there, I returned to Utah and worked construction, and began to explore gay life. Due to a construction accident which injured my back, my parents discovered to be true what I had been denying for a couple of years. While recovering from the back injury, a love interest I had spent time with, sent a letter going into great detail of what he missed and what he was hoping I'd return and do with him. My parents found it (while I was in San Francisco at my first pride event) and asked me to leave home.
This move put me to Nashville, TN. I spent a couple of weeks being homeless, when the Native American Association of Nashville provided me with funds for my first roof over my head and a bus pass so I could get to work. They also helped me find a job at Opryland. It was a theme park back then, and I discovered a lot of entertainers and

met quite a few. I also did some part time chauffeuring and got to know many of Nashville's famous, and not so famous. This was also where I obtained my nickname of "Juan Valdez".
Once again, my back was injured and this time it required surgery. After the surgery and healing was past, I checked into what it would take to become a Commercial Driver. I went to work for Schneider National, and then for DIGBY Truck Lines of Nashville.
There I met my husbear, Bill Felton. I had an ad out for gay truckers (still do) knowing that they could come to work for Digby and be treated fairly. Bill and I made contact, I taught him how to drive Big Trucks, and we were off. For 3 years we drove team from coast to coast.
There was a brief stint while Bill got his knickers in a twist with Digby payroll and quit, tried Commercial Carrier Corp of Orlando, FL - I followed, and we returned to Digby when he figured out the money is in Over The Road driving.
Bill again got the bug for something different, and that caused us to move up here to the Philadelphia area. Bill is now with Aetna Insurance and I tried working for Keystone Freight Corp of New Jersey, and while there, found out about my current job with Auto Truck Transport Corp, of Jopin, MO.
I deliver brand new Big Trucks - everywhere but Mexico.
I am a musician by natural talent, having played many instruments while growing up, and competing and winning some contests in high school. I love many types of music but can't seem to get into rap much. I throughly enjoy Broadway stuff and still enjoy a classical rendition or two.
Thanks to Bill, my husbear, I have discovered leather and after moving up here - found The Liberty Bears, of which I am a proud member. I travel with my vest and kilt so as to be ready to go out to any event I am close to and represent the club.

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