Sunday, February 27, 2005
What is a gay bear?
A lot of people are confused on what exactly is a bear. This will hopefully shed some light!
A History of Bears! - very detailed
From the American Bear Magazine:
"...a sense of comfort with our natural masculinity and bodies that is not slavish to the vogues of male attractiveness that is so common in gay circles and the culture at large."
Definition of gay bear in the Wikipedia.org
Quote from Wikipedia.org:
"These are broad definition as who or what makes a gay man a 'bear' or 'cub' is highly personal and quite charged; some say that bear is also a behavioural/social trait (cuddles, open, likes food, social, sexually open perhaps) as well as or instead of a purely physical phenomenom (ie. you are a bear if you say you are), some say it is just purely physical attraction to larger men who have body or facial hair and no common behaviour traits are implied."
JeffGlover's definition
Quoting from JeffGlover's:
"Many of these gay men (including blue-collar workers, rural folks, & average joes) didn't socialize or identify with other gay men, because they didn't fit the stereotype. They often knew they preferred men, but didn't think they were gay because of predominant gay stereotypes of what gay men are "supposed" to be like."
and
"You'll probably notice that they all have some kinda facial hair. Most bears like facial hair, and if they can grow a beard, will often sport a beard themselves. Other than that, about the only thing these bears have in common is every one of them are genuinely nice guys! Some of them are furry, some are heavy, some are tall, some are short... And you can call them all bears!"
Who is a Bear? (at hotbears.com)
Quoting from the above:
"Some folks say that a guy is a bear because he looks like a bear (big and hairy). Others say it is a state of mind or attitude."
and
"But there is also room for a broader definition because bear groups are certainly NOT composed exclusively of guys of that physical description. Many guys who do not have all or even ONE of these characteristics"
PS> This may contain mature audiences material. If you are offended by such things, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog!
A History of Bears! - very detailed
From the American Bear Magazine:
"...a sense of comfort with our natural masculinity and bodies that is not slavish to the vogues of male attractiveness that is so common in gay circles and the culture at large."
Definition of gay bear in the Wikipedia.org
Quote from Wikipedia.org:
"These are broad definition as who or what makes a gay man a 'bear' or 'cub' is highly personal and quite charged; some say that bear is also a behavioural/social trait (cuddles, open, likes food, social, sexually open perhaps) as well as or instead of a purely physical phenomenom (ie. you are a bear if you say you are), some say it is just purely physical attraction to larger men who have body or facial hair and no common behaviour traits are implied."
JeffGlover's definition
Quoting from JeffGlover's:
"Many of these gay men (including blue-collar workers, rural folks, & average joes) didn't socialize or identify with other gay men, because they didn't fit the stereotype. They often knew they preferred men, but didn't think they were gay because of predominant gay stereotypes of what gay men are "supposed" to be like."
and
"You'll probably notice that they all have some kinda facial hair. Most bears like facial hair, and if they can grow a beard, will often sport a beard themselves. Other than that, about the only thing these bears have in common is every one of them are genuinely nice guys! Some of them are furry, some are heavy, some are tall, some are short... And you can call them all bears!"
Who is a Bear? (at hotbears.com)
Quoting from the above:
"Some folks say that a guy is a bear because he looks like a bear (big and hairy). Others say it is a state of mind or attitude."
and
"But there is also room for a broader definition because bear groups are certainly NOT composed exclusively of guys of that physical description. Many guys who do not have all or even ONE of these characteristics"
PS> This may contain mature audiences material. If you are offended by such things, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog!
