![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Bear_Brotherhood_flag.svg/640px-Bear_Brotherhood_flag.svg.png&w=640&q=50)
Bear (gay culture)
Term for hairy and large men in LGBT community / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the concept of bears within gay culture. For other uses, see Bear (disambiguation).
In gay culture, a bear is a man who is fat, hairy, or both.[2]
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Bear_Brotherhood_flag.svg/320px-Bear_Brotherhood_flag.svg.png)
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,[3] while others consider acceptance and inclusion of all behavioral types to be an important value of the community.[4]