The gay community is ultimately a heterogeneous one with many subgroups and subcultures—one of the commonalities among them being the desire to have same-sex encounters. One such subculture is comprised of gay and bisexual men who identify as Bears. Bears self-present as having the “correct attitude” towards their “naturally developing/aging” male bodies. They consider “real” masculinity to include having comfort with other men’s bodies and eschew the more normative gay male body-model. They favor instead a body-model that may be predetermined by genetics, age, or heteronormative masculine beliefs (i.e., men should weigh more and be hairier). There are many different subdivisions within the Bear community. Men are categorized primarily by their hairiness, but also by their weight, age, and ethnicity. Divisions within the community may consist of: Grizzly Bears (White, hairy, heavier men), Cubs (younger hairy men), Polar Bears (older men with greying or white hair), Big Teddy Bears (men who are hairy, yet heavier than Grizzly Bears), Otters (men who are hairy but thin), and other classifications encompassing ethnic variations such as Black Bears (hairy men of color) or Panda Bears (hairy Asian or Pacific Islander men). Despite physical differences within the Bear community, most of the men subscribe to a shared identity: masculinity is praised and therefore celebrated within the community.