Bears Most Likely To Suffer From Low Self-Esteem, Engage In Risky Sex

"Members have described harassment and discrimination from both heterosexuals and homosexuals."
From: NewNowNext

 New research suggests that gay men who identify as bears are more likely to experience lower self-esteem and lower physical health and engage in riskier sex than members of other gay tribes.

Academics at the University of Miami reviewed 11 studies on the bear subculture in the United States, finding that assimilation into gay culture is harder for huskier bear types.

 “Before discovering the bear community, members have described harassment and discrimination from both heterosexuals and homosexuals throughout their lifespan based on weight, which led to lower self-esteem,” reads a report published in The Clinical Journal of Nursing.

“Perpetuating this perception of low self-esteem,” it continues, “is the stereotypical image of a gay man who is usually young, slim, and smooth-skinned, an image which many men who identify as bears do not fit.”

For this reason, bear communities “[offer] a sanctuary for these men as a buffer against discrimination” while also giving them “a sense of belonging.”

Once bears begin to embody this identity, however, some research shows that the pressures to achieve the idealized bear body—whatever that might mean to them—can lead to the same anxiety about body image and sexuality they hoped to escape.

“Despite the health risks that are associated with increased BMI, the promotion of a certain physical appearance that includes a higher BMI is important for men who identify as bears. It helps them to recognize one another, strengthen communal bonds, and promote a gay identity that is masculine, sexual and mature.”

Researchers found that bears were more likely to engage in high-risk sex activities than their peers—including unprotected anal sex, fisting, asphyxiation, voyeurism, and exhibitionism. It was also noted, however, that bears also get tested more than any other gay subculture.