With the attitudes towards the gay community having evolved into a more acceptable phase of the new world, so too have the slang and phraseology associated with the community.
A whole new dictionary of words and phrases now accompanies the gay community.
Two common slang words are “Bears” and “Chasers”.
“Bears” is the term used to describe chubby, overweight gay men. They tend to have both hairy bodies and facial hair, and are often heavy-set.
Some bears project an image of working-class masculinity in their grooming and appearance.
Importance is placed on a hyper-masculine image, and because of this some bears do not like interacting with men who display traits of effeminacy.
Because of these characteristics, there is a wider acceptance of tattoos and body piercings, as these heighten the image of masculinity.
It has become a term that is used to describe an identity, and is also an ideal to live up to.
The term “bear” refers to the animal. This is because the bear is hairy, fat and powerful, with solid proportions and a perceived masculine power. These traits are at the heart of the concept in gay culture.
There is also a link with the American lumberjack, which has also been romanticized and fetished by the gay community.
In 1987 Richard Bulger and his partner Chris Nelson began publishing Bear Magazine in San Francisco.
The magazine grew into an internationally distributed high-gloss format, which idolized bearded, rural, blue-collar and working-class men.
There are now bear clubs where gay men can create the sexual and social opportunities they desire.
There are plenty of websites full of pictures, movies and chatrooms where supporters and fans of the bear movement can pass their time and find enjoyment.
One of the most popular, Gay Bear Movies, provides free xxx bear movies and photo galleries.
“Chasers”, also called “Chubby Chasers”, is the term used to describe the gay men who are attracted sexually and/or romantically to the “Bears”.
Generally, chasers are average-weight males, but overweight males can also call themselves chasers, as they tend to be attracted to overweight males like themselves.
In this event, the term “chub for chub” (which can be abbreviated sometimes to chub4chub) is used. This term is used in personal ads, chatrooms, websites etc. where plus size men are looking for plus size men.
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