Though ostensible similarities and overlapping traits exist between Bears and other gay male subcultures (e.g., the Leathermen), research indicates that their expressions of masculinity, tolerance of behaviors, and values may be unique ( Wright, 1997). This suggests that the Bear identity not only is “conventionally gendered” but includes a specific presentation of self ( Hennen, 2005). Bear culture is complex and inextricably tied to heteronormative and hegemonic masculine ideologies. Because there is a dearth of general research regarding this community, and no studies to date that use quantitative methods, we decided to explore this community quantitatively-using an Internet-convenience sample, followed by a purposive sample.Īs suggested, the Bear culture exhibits and values a greater sense of dominant (but not necessarily domineering) “authentic masculinity” in comparison to other subcultures within the gay community (e.g., twinks or drag queens) ( Hennen, 2005). Despite physical differences within the Bear community, most of the men subscribe to a shared identity: masculinity is praised and therefore celebrated within the community. Divisions within the community may consist of: Grizzly Bears (White, hairy, heavier men), Cubs (younger hairy men), Polar Bears (older men with greying or white hair), Big Teddy Bears (men who are hairy, yet heavier than Grizzly Bears), Otters (men who are hairy but thin), and other classifications encompassing ethnic variations such as Black Bears (hairy men of color) or Panda Bears (hairy Asian or Pacific Islander men) ( Monaghan, 2005). Men are categorized primarily by their hairiness, but also by their weight, age, and ethnicity. There are many different subdivisions within the Bear community. They favor instead a body-model that may be predetermined by genetics, age, or heteronormative masculine beliefs (i.e., men should weigh more and be hairier) ( Wright, 1997). They consider “real” masculinity to include having comfort with other men’s bodies and eschew the more normative gay male body-model (i.e., one in which thinness, youth, hairlessness, and muscularity are revered) ( Drummond, 2005 Duncan, 2007). Bears self-present as having the “correct attitude” towards their “naturally developing/aging” male bodies ( Monaghan, 2005). One such subculture is comprised of gay and bisexual men who identify as Bears. The gay community is ultimately a heterogeneous one with many subgroups and subcultures-one of the commonalities among them being the desire to have same-sex encounters. Future analyses of the community’s health are warranted. This condition may produce the low self-esteem exhibited and may explain how the Bear culture developed to ensure that even the heaviest, hairiest, and/or shortest individual can partner. The partners they can attract may be limited and, in response to this limitation, they may be particularly attuned to seek out partners who will not reject them. We speculate that Bears are viewed as less attractive than what is traditionally considered to be attractive. We concluded that Bears are intensely sexual.
Bears had lower self-esteem but were no less (or more) hypermasculine than non-Bears. Bears were more likely than mainstream gay men to enact diverse sexual behaviors (e.g., fisting, voyeurism) and were comparatively more masculine. They were less likely to reject sexual partners and the partners they did reject were more likely to be young or weigh too little (i.e., were not bearish). They reported wanting partners who were hairier and heavier. Our studies indicated that Bears were more likely to be hairier, heavier, and shorter than mainstream gay men.
In response, we conducted two large-scale studies of gay men identifying as Bears ( n = 469) to survey their self-reported physical, behavioral, and psychological traits.
While qualitative data document such self-identifiers as masculine-acting gay men who weigh more and have more body hair, there has to date been no quantitative analysis of this group’s characteristics.
It rejects the normative idealized male beauty revered by mainstream gay men. The Bear community exists as a subculture in reaction to the larger gay community.