The Gay Bear Subculture
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Often mocked and maligned by mainstream gay men bears and cubs are one of the least known part of the queer spectrum.
And like any subculture, the bear community comes with its own distinct taxonomy—its minorities within a minority within a minority. Most bears are bears: big and often balding, with bushy beards and beefy arms; the look is distinctly blue-collar and unfussy. Some consider themselves cubs—usually younger, though that can also just mean smaller and younger-looking. The assumption is often that a cub’s more submissive (Boo-Boo to his Yogi “husbear”) but that he’ll likely grow into a bear. Body types can be difficult to categorize firmly, but a more muscular, hairy man who styles himself as being more sexually aggressive is known as a wolf (especially online, where these distinctions are key for personal erotic marketing). And then there’s the otter, who’s cublike in age and, perhaps, disposition but thin—a not-so-hairy younger guy who’s looking for a “daddy bear.”
