In response, we conducted two large-scale studies of gay men identifying as Bears ( n = 469) to survey their self-reported physical, behavioral, and psychological traits. While qualitative data document such self-identifiers as masculine-acting gay men who weigh more and have more body hair, there has to date been no quantitative analysis of this group’s characteristics. It rejects the normative idealized male beauty revered by mainstream gay men.

The Bear community exists as a subculture in reaction to the larger gay community.