Obese gay men

To be overweight in a thin-obsessed gay culture
can be difficult. Despite affectionate in-group monikers for big gay men&#;chubs,
bears, cubs&#;the anti-fat stigma that persists in American culture at large
still haunts these individuals who often exist at the margins of gay
communities. In Fat Same-sex attracted Men, Jason
Whitesel delves into the earth of Girth & Mirth, a nationally known social
club committed to big male lover men, illuminating the ways in which these men form
identities and community in the face of adversity. In life for over forty
years, the club has long been a refuge and &#;safe space&#; for such men. Both a partial insider as a gay guy and an
outsider to Girth & Mirth, Whitesel offers an insider&#;s critique of the gay
movement, questioning whether the social consequences of the failure to be
height-weight proportionate should be so extreme in the gay community.

This book documents performances at club events and examines how
participants use allusion and campy-queer conduct to reconfigure and reclaim
their sullied body images, focusing on the numerous t

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