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(Added sources and information. Americanized spelling. Edited for wordiness.) |
(Added Otters to list of other bear identities. Minimal proofreading in Culture section.) |
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Bear culture originated in San Francisco in the 1980s.<ref>[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=VH9EAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false "Chapter 1. A Concise History of Self-Identifying Bears" by Les Wright, ''The Bear Book'', edited by Les. K. Wright, Routledge.]</ref> Developing from the romanticization of the solitary nature of working-class manhood (seen in the homoerotic conception of lumberjacks, for example) as well as a response to the expectations of cruising culture, bear culture was solidified in the growth of the gay bar scene and biker communities. Bears created in-groups from these spaces, referred to as “bear clubs.”<ref>[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=tsLsGRfoqoIC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false ''The Bear Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Those who are Husky, Hairy, and Homosexual and Those Who Love 'Em'', Ray Kampf, Haworth Press.]</ref> The main reason behind the development of the bear identity was firmly rooted in isolation from mainstream gay culture, which at the time celebrated urban, middle-class gays who fit the physical description of [[Twink|twinks]] (i.e. young, thin, hairless, and effeminate). In addition, the need to provide a community for lower-class men and those from rural areas, who did not identify with or have access to the idealized city gay community and lifestyle, was urgent.<ref>''The Bear Handbook'', Kampf.</ref> |
Bear culture originated in San Francisco in the 1980s.<ref>[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=VH9EAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false "Chapter 1. A Concise History of Self-Identifying Bears" by Les Wright, ''The Bear Book'', edited by Les. K. Wright, Routledge.]</ref> Developing from the romanticization of the solitary nature of working-class manhood (seen in the homoerotic conception of lumberjacks, for example) as well as a response to the expectations of cruising culture, bear culture was solidified in the growth of the gay bar scene and biker communities. Bears created in-groups from these spaces, referred to as “bear clubs.”<ref>[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=tsLsGRfoqoIC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false ''The Bear Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Those who are Husky, Hairy, and Homosexual and Those Who Love 'Em'', Ray Kampf, Haworth Press.]</ref> The main reason behind the development of the bear identity was firmly rooted in isolation from mainstream gay culture, which at the time celebrated urban, middle-class gays who fit the physical description of [[Twink|twinks]] (i.e. young, thin, hairless, and effeminate). In addition, the need to provide a community for lower-class men and those from rural areas, who did not identify with or have access to the idealized city gay community and lifestyle, was urgent.<ref>''The Bear Handbook'', Kampf.</ref> |
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Bear physicality originally referred to larger, heavy-set cisgender men men who were middle-aged. At first, the assumption was that most bears were gay men. However, [[Bisexual|bi]] men have historically been at the front of bear culture alongside gay men.<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bi_Men/q4P4QsJR9VEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22bisexual+bears%22+%22lgbt&pg=PP1&printsec=frontcover "Coming to Terms" by Ron Jackson Suresha, ''Bi Men: Coming Out Every Which Way'', edited by Pete Chvany, Routledge.]</ref> Since the 2000s, new terms have emerged to describe a variety of bears. Some terms that are in use include |
Bear physicality originally referred to larger, heavy-set cisgender men men who were middle-aged. At first, the assumption was that most bears were gay men. However, [[Bisexual|bi]] men have historically been at the front of bear culture alongside gay men.<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bi_Men/q4P4QsJR9VEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22bisexual+bears%22+%22lgbt&pg=PP1&printsec=frontcover "Coming to Terms" by Ron Jackson Suresha, ''Bi Men: Coming Out Every Which Way'', edited by Pete Chvany, Routledge.]</ref> Since the 2000s, new terms have emerged to describe a variety of bears. Some terms that are in use include: |
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* '''Cubs''', younger bears |
* '''Cubs''', younger bears. |
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* '''Muscle bears''', bears who are generally extremely fit and hairy |
* '''Muscle bears''', bears who are generally extremely fit and hairy. |
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*[[Otter|'''Otters''']], leaner bears. |
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* '''Leather bears''', bears who may be more involved in leather and BDSM cultures than the average bear |
* '''Leather bears''', bears who may be more involved in leather and BDSM cultures than the average bear. |
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* '''[[Ursula|Ursulas]]''', historically '''lesbears''',<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bears_on_Bears/oWQ1Qe3g5hkC?hl=en&gbpv=1 "Lesbears and Transbears: Dykes and FTMs as Bears" in ''Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions (Revised Edition)'', Ron Jackson Suresha, Lethe Press.]</ref> who are sapphic women or women-aligned people who are generally hairier and heavy-set<ref>[https://xtramagazine.com/love-sex/beary-feminine-45486 Article “Beary feminine: Lesbians are claiming an identity gay men monopolize” on ursulas by Tanya Gulliver for ''Xtra''.]</ref> |
* '''[[Ursula|Ursulas]]''', historically '''lesbears''',<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bears_on_Bears/oWQ1Qe3g5hkC?hl=en&gbpv=1 "Lesbears and Transbears: Dykes and FTMs as Bears" in ''Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions (Revised Edition)'', Ron Jackson Suresha, Lethe Press.]</ref> who are sapphic women or women-aligned people who are generally hairier and heavy-set.<ref>[https://xtramagazine.com/love-sex/beary-feminine-45486 Article “Beary feminine: Lesbians are claiming an identity gay men monopolize” on ursulas by Tanya Gulliver for ''Xtra''.]</ref> |
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* '''[[Femme Bear|Femme bears]]''', queer femme people with the typical characteristics of a bear<ref>[https://archermagazine.com.au/2018/06/woman-bear-community/ Article “A woman in the bear community” on being a queer femme and a bear by Iz Connell for ''Archer''.]</ref> |
* '''[[Femme Bear|Femme bears]]''', queer femme people with the typical characteristics of a bear.<ref>[https://archermagazine.com.au/2018/06/woman-bear-community/ Article “A woman in the bear community” on being a queer femme and a bear by Iz Connell for ''Archer''.]</ref> |
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*'''Trans bears''', [[achillean]] [[transmasculine]] people who are hairier and heavy.<ref>"Lesbears and Transbears," ''Bears on Bears'', Suresha.</ref> |
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Some communities use more specific terminology to encompass men who may not be able to fit the general physical stereotype of a 'bear' and to make clear their inclusion in the community, such as "polar bear" for older men. However, the use of racialized terms for non-white bears, such as "panda bear" for East-Asian men, has come under scrutiny amongst bears.<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bears_on_Bears/oWQ1Qe3g5hkC?hl=en&gbpv=1 "Ethnic Bears and Bears of Color" in ''Bears on Bears'', Suresha.]</ref><ref>[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0891243204269408?casa_token=u6fB4eWMY1sAAAAA:uYHpIgsX49gnpz1umUrwKBL429z211qqkCCYDDOovAXJUavMOXmIcT2fPjNgHOJUWV4MBSDzoIc Scholarly article "Bear Bodies, Bear Masculinity: Recuperation, Resistance, or Retreat?" by Peter Hennen for ''Gender and Society''.]</ref> Some heavy-set hairy men attracted to men may not identify with the term bear or else refer to themselves as “post bears” or “ex-bears.”<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bears_on_Bears/oWQ1Qe3g5hkC?hl=en&gbpv=1 "A Space beyond Beardom: Postbears and Ex-Bears," ''Bears on Bears'', Suresha.]</ref> |
Some communities use more specific terminology to encompass men who may not be able to fit the general physical stereotype of a 'bear' and to make clear their inclusion in the community, such as "polar bear" for older men. However, the use of racialized terms for non-white bears, such as "panda bear" for East-Asian men, has come under scrutiny amongst bears.<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bears_on_Bears/oWQ1Qe3g5hkC?hl=en&gbpv=1 "Ethnic Bears and Bears of Color" in ''Bears on Bears'', Suresha.]</ref><ref>[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0891243204269408?casa_token=u6fB4eWMY1sAAAAA:uYHpIgsX49gnpz1umUrwKBL429z211qqkCCYDDOovAXJUavMOXmIcT2fPjNgHOJUWV4MBSDzoIc Scholarly article "Bear Bodies, Bear Masculinity: Recuperation, Resistance, or Retreat?" by Peter Hennen for ''Gender and Society''.]</ref> Some heavy-set hairy men attracted to men may not identify with the term bear or else refer to themselves as “post bears” or “ex-bears.”<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bears_on_Bears/oWQ1Qe3g5hkC?hl=en&gbpv=1 "A Space beyond Beardom: Postbears and Ex-Bears," ''Bears on Bears'', Suresha.]</ref> |
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