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Bear (gay Culture)
In gay culture, a bear is a larger and often hairier man who projects an image of rugged masculinity. The bear concept can function as an identity or an affiliation, and there is ongoing debate in bear communities about what constitutes a bear. Some bears place importance on presenting a clear masculine image and may disdain or shun men who exhibit effeminacy,Ron Jackson Suresha, (2002). ''Bears on Bears: Interviews and Discussions''. "Bear Ages and Stages", pages 54–58, 149, 179, 236, 260–262, 294. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications. Retrieved on 2008-09-29 . while others consider acceptance and inclusivity of all behavioral types to be an important value of the community. History In the mid-1980s, gay men in the San Francisco Bay Area who called themselves "bears" met informally at Bear Hug ( sex) parties and via the newly-emerging Internet. The term ''bear'' was popularized by Richard Bulger, who, along with his then partner Chris Nelson (1960–2006), founded ''Bear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bear Brotherhood Flag
The International Bear Brotherhood Flag, also known as the bear flag, is a pride flag designed to represent the bear subculture within the LGBT community. The colors of the flag—dark brown, orange/rust, golden yellow, tan, white, gray, and black—are meant to include the colors of the furs of animal bears throughout the world. Though not necessarily referring to human skin color or hair color, the flag was designed with inclusion in mind. The bear culture celebrates secondary sex characteristics such as growth of body hair and facial hair, traits associated with bears. Background Craig Byrnes created the bear flag in 1995. Byrnes' undergraduate degree in psychology involved designing a senior project about the bear culture that has exploded since the early 1980s, of which he had first-hand experience. He thought it might be fitting to design a flag that would best represent the bear community and include it with the results of his research. To do this, he received help from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
