Over time, male homosexuality and effeminacy have become indelibly associated, sometimes even synonymous. In Faeries, Bears, and Leathermen, Peter Hennen contends that this stigma of effeminacy exerts a powerful influence on gay subcultures. Through a comparative ethnographic analysis of three communities, Hennen explores the surprising ways that conventional masculinity is being collectively challenged, subverted, or perpetuated in contemporary gay male culture. Hennen’s colorful study focuses on a trio of groups: the Radical Faeries, who parody effeminacy by playfully embracing it, donning prom dresses and glitter; the Bears, who strive to appear like “regular guys” and celebrate their larger, hairier bodies; and the Leathermen, who emulate hypermasculine biker culture, simultaneously paying homage to and undermining notions of manliness. Along with a historical analysis of the association between effeminacy and homosexuality, Hennen examines how this connection affects the groups’ sexual practices. Ultimately, he argues, while all three groups adopt innovative approaches to gender issues and sexual pleasure, masculine norms continue to constrain members of each community.

This revised edition of Suresha's thought-provoking, humorous collection of interviews with men discusses gay male stereotyping, commodification of the human body, the oppressiveness of the "physical ideal," and how body image affects personal growth.

Leather has been covering human bodies since hefty pelts first protected prehistoric cave-dwellers. Since then, we have chiseled leather into an infinite number of different forms, and today, top designers create stunning leather pieces crafted as finely as precious jewels. A living material that is sculpted by the body's own habits, leather has run the gamut of fashion styles in the 20th century, and is able to represent innumerable attitudes, from the tough virility of the Hells Angels to the sleek elegance of a smooth thigh boot.

Mary Ferguson has been harboring a crush for years. Her older brother's best friend, Tyler, used to give her stomach butterflies when she was younger. Now in college, little does she know her brother's Bear Shifter Motorcycle Club is going to spring a little surprise on her. Seeing Tyler again ignites something inside her she hasn't felt in a long time. Tyler Lance was feeling cooped up staying in town, and this little road trip with the Club was just what the doctor ordered. Of course, he didn't know they'd be stopping to pick up Brett's sister. Mary has done a lot of growing up since he last saw her, and something deep within him is drawn to her... This 11,000 word BBW Bear Shifter Romance Novella has all the heat and passion you expect from a Fated Mates story! Keywords: bear shifter, bad boy, bbw, fated mates, paranormal romance with sex, pnr, curvy, gothic romance, new adult romance, clan, pack, series, fantasy, steamy romance, paranormal romance books for adults, reformed rake, contemporary romance, hot romance, hot shifter romance, shifter romance series, instalove, shifter conflicts, new adult, urban fantasy, alpha male, werebear, shapeshifter, wounded hero, romantic suspense, womens fiction, action adventure, military love, outlaw, rebel, thrilling, great chemistry, enemies to friends

The Bear Book brings together an impressive range of bear--usually big, hairy men who favor full-face beards and prefer to wear jeans and flannel shirts--viewpoints to explore this unique social and cultural phenomenon that stretches from America to western Europe to Australia! On the personal level, you learn what beardom means to different people in their daily lives, and on a broader level, its cultural implications for not only the gay community, but also society as a whole. As this book moves across the wide spectrum of bear identities, you learn about the defining forces of identity, the significance of differences among masculinities, and the shapings of the bear movement from different viewpoints. The Bear Book is the first compilation of sociological and cultural analytical investigations of the contemporary gay bear phenomenon. To this end, Editor Les Wright brings together both objective and subjective viewpoints to create a forum where bears can speak for themselves. Through their voices, you’ll learn about: bears and sexual identity gay male iconography socializing on the Internet sexual politics (gender, class, “looks-ism,” and body image) gay mass media, the single most powerful force in the current construction of ”bears” bears, power, and glamor bear-as-image vs. bear-as-attitude Gays, lesbians, lesbigay scholars, bears, and social scientists are sure to find The Bear Book thought-provoking and insightful as it broaches questions such as: Are bears caught up in a utopian-romantic impulse to reinvent themselves? What was radical lesbianism’s impact on the bear movement? To what extent are bears only another group of exploited consumers in a fragmented market system? And, is it possible to establish social liberation through enslavement to your sexual passions? For both your pleasure and your education, The Bear Book examines nearly every corner of beardom, including bear history, identity, social spaces, iconography, and its constituency abroad.