Bearing Bodies: Physical Activity, Obesity Stigma, and Sexuality in the Bear Community

• Shaun E. Edmonds ^[1] ; Susan G. Zieff
  1. [1] University of Maryland
• Localización: Sociology of sport journal, ISSN 0741-1235, Vol. 32, Nº. 4, 2015, págs. 415-435
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In recent years, individuals who do not conform to healthist body shape and weight norms are the target of an increasingly fervent moral panic about “obesity” (Gard & Wright, 2005). As a subculture within the gay male community (Wright, 1997a), the “Bear” community offers a site for examining biopolitical resistance to the pervasive body ideals (and associated fat stigma) embedded within, and perpetuated by, mainstream gay values. Utilizing in-depth interviews and participant observation, this study explores the ways in which Bears negotiate physical activity and body image within the ostensibly fat-positive Bear community. In analyzing the stories and spaces of the Bear community, I find diverse experiences that reveal a complex relationship between sexuality, body image, and engagement in physical activity.