Bear (gay culture)

This article is about the concept of bears within gay culture. For other uses, see Bear (disambiguation).
The International Bear Brotherhood Flag, the bear community's pride flag, created by Craig Byrnes in 1995.[1]

In gay culture, a bear is a man who is fat, hairy, or both.[2]

The bear concept can function as an identity or an affiliation, and there is ongoing debate in bear communities about what constitutes a bear. Some bears place importance on presenting a clear masculine image and may disdain or shun men who exhibit effeminacy,[3] while others consider acceptance and inclusion of all behavioral types to be an important value of the community.[4]

  1. ^ Muzzy, Frank (2005). Gay and Lesbian Washington. Arcadia Publishing. p. 112. ISBN 9780738517537.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Ron Jackson Suresha, (2002). Bears on Bears: Interviews and Discussions. "Bear Ages and Stages", pages 54–58, 149, 179, 236, 260–262, 294. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications. Retrieved on 2008-09-29 ISBN 1-55583-578-3.
  4. ^ John Dececco and Les Wright, The Bear Book II: Further Readings in the History and Evolution of a Gay Male Subculture. Routledge, 2016. ISBN 9781136383274.