Bear Chaser
A bear chaser is someone who is especially attracted to bears, gay or bisexual men, who are often larger, hairy, bearded, or masculine-presenting.
A bear chaser does not have to be smaller or less hairy. They may even identify as a bear themselves. The term describes who they are attracted to, not their own body type.
Unlike some other "chaser" terms, which can be seen as fetishizing, the words is comparatively neutral within bear culture. It has long functioned as a recognized community label alongside bear and admirer. The bear/chaser distinction helped people who were attracted to bears participate in bear spaces even if they did not identify as bears themselves.
Origins of the Term
Bear chaser developed alongside modern gay bear culture. The earliest documented gay use of bear may date to 1966, in meeting minutes from the Satyrs Motorcycle Club in Los Angeles. The identity became much more visible in the 1980s, especially after BEAR Magazine launched in 1987.
Related Terms
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