These clubs may have bylaws, membership requirements, and charities the clubs support. Clubs are formed for bears to hang out with their own kind.
Bears often form clubs modeled on biker clubs. There are many different labels for different kinds of bears, based upon amount of fat, muscle, hair, masculinity, and age, though higher amounts of each of these qualifications are what more commonly define the bear community (Also called the International Bear Brotherhood).įeminine traits and typical traits of more common gay men aren't often seen as attractive to bears, as they are less definitive of the group, which has lead to discrimination in the past. Bears also exhibit masculine behavior comparable to romanticized brotherhood, often engaging in masculine hobbies such as outdoor activity, sports, and gaming with others from their community in a romanticized fashion. Some bears present a very masculine, over-the-top image of a ruggedly masculine man. A bear typically projects an image of rugged masculinity.
It describes a hairier and/or heavy-set gay or bisexual man.
