Types of gay bears
Longstaff, Gareth. "4 Bears in Male lover Culture: Histories, Discourses and Anthropomorphism". The Bear: Culture, Innateness, Heritage, edited by Owen Nevin, Ian Convery, Peter Davis, Barrie K. Gilbert, Beatrice Frank, Bryndis Snaebjornsdottir, Elizabeth O. Davis, Gareth Longstaff, Heather Prince, Henry McGhie, Ian Convery, Jeff Meldrum, Jenny Anne Glikman, John Kitchen, Jón Jónsson, Koen Cuyten, Kristinn Schram, Lynn Rogers, Mark Wilson, Melanie Clapham, Miha Krofel, Mike Jeffries, Owen Nevin, Peter Davis, Philip Charles, Russell C. Van Horn, Samantha A. Fresh , Sarah Elmeligi and Tracy Hayes, Boydell and Brewer: Boydell and Brewer, 2019, pp. 45-54. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781787445925-009
Longstaff, G. (2019). 4 Bears in Gay Culture: Histories, Discourses and Anthropomorphism. In O. Nevin, I. Convery, P. Davis, B. Gilbert, B. Frank, B. Snaebjornsdottir, E. Davis, G. Longstaff, H. Prince, H. McGhie, I. Convery, J. Meldrum, J. Glikman, J. Kitchen, J. Jónsson, K. Cuyten, K. Schram, L. Rogers, M. Wilson, M. Clapham, M. Krofel, M. Jeffries, O. Nevin, P. Davis, P. Charles, R. Van Horn, S. Young, S. Elmeligi & T. Hayes (Ed.), The Bear: Cult Hibernation season is finally over! Urban Bear Weekend—that annual festivity in which burly boys and their friends hit the streets for parties, meal and a boozy street fair—is upon us once again. For the uninitiated, the various specimens that make up the NYC gay bear community can be tough to figure out. Here's a quick guide to the major animals you'll find out and about this weekend. Bear Musclebear Cub Otter Some gay men use types to describe, identify and communicate themselves. Who hasn't heard someone speak “he’s my type" or been asked if a guy is yours? There is always some disagreement around the terms we use and whether we should use them at all. Therefore, you should be sensitive if applying a type to someone, bearing in mind some gay men reject them altogether as constricted, superficial, and demeaning. Equally, some use types affectionately and as a convenient shorthand. It's a bit of a bear pit (no pun intended), but here's our take on types, though you are perfectly entitled to hurl them out and be your own gay, your own homo, queer, etc. Physical types and personal characteristics Some guys are primarily attracted to physical types of lgbtq+ men (eg: bears, twinks, and muscle guys) while some detect characteristics in men most attractive (eg: warmth, intelligence, and humour). Others mix and match and understanding these distinctions is important. For example, the type(s) of men we find attractive sexually may not necessarily be the qualities we are looking for to sustain a relationship. Trouble is, we can get so caught up in a type we can lose sight that not far ben As a male lover man, you might detect yourself fitting conveniently into one of the many ‘gay tribes’ of our community, from the hirsute and burly bears to the lean and youthful twinks. The geek-embracing gaymers or the sexually liberated kinksters, there are plenty of gay tribes for everyone. Stereotypes may well be, but just as there was in times of yonder, there´s power to being part of a tribe. A sense of belonging and acceptance can be found in entity welcomed into a collective that has shared experiences, sexual preferences, and interests in common. Also, it’s just a lot of fun really! We often refer to our community’s tribes with our tongues firmly in our cheeks – or between someone else´s – and tribes are a chance to play with our identities, not limit them. Here are eight of the most well-known and celebrated tribes within the fabulously diverse rainbow spectrum of male lover culture: Bears Championing the masculine, bears are big and hairy just like their namesake animal. There´s some wiggle room about what exactly constitutes a bear, but the general consensus is they sport beards and body hair, have more proportionate bodi
Four bear types you'll meet at Urban Bear Weekend
1. Any immense , hairy man, usually self-identified as part of a queer subculture; often launch in metropolitan areas
2. Alec Baldwin
Example: “The bears went to the beer blast at Rockbar.”
1. A bear subspecies defined by a toned physique and frequent public shirtlessness
2. Tom Hardy
Example: “The David Barton locker room was full of musclebears tonight.”
1. A young (or young-looking) member of the bear community
2. The passive companion in a bear couple
3. Tim Tebow
Example: “Did you watch that adorable cub in line at Artichoke?”
1. A fuzzy guy too skinny to be a bear bu
Types
Gay Tribes: Twinks and Otters and Bears, O My!