Common Gay Body Types
Twink This is probably the most commonly referenced body type. A twink is a guy who’s young (or just young-looking) and also slim and somewhat effeminate. They’re petite, have low-body fat, and lack body hair. Twas are former twinks or twunks who gained weight or aged out of the type. When this happens, some people call it twink death.
Twunk Twunks are twinks that have a little more muscle mass, but not enough to be considered bulky. They’re still slim and trim, but you can tell they hit the gym and get some lifting in, too, though they might seem like a twink before they take their shirt off. You can usually tell by looking at their arms, though. If they look like a twink but they’ve got a good set of biceps poking out of their short sleeves, they’re probably actually a twunk.
Bear A bear is a guy who’s hairy, has a good amount of body fat (big bellies are common). They're usually older, around 40+, though younger people can be bears, too. They almost always have beards and chest and body hair, making them fuzzy, like a bear! Muscle bears are bears who have visible muscles (but probably not abs). Polar bears are older bears with white hair.
Cub A cub is a younger bear. They're usually someone who’s chubby or thick who doesn’t have as much hair. There’s no real age threshold to be considered a cub, but they’re typically under 40 years old. Sugar cubs are more effeminate, younger bears.
Jocks Jocks are exactly what they sound like. They’re guys who have very athletic builds from playing sports and wear things like tank tops and running shorts. If they’re out of high school, they probably played football or maybe lacrosse back in the day. Maybe they even have a club or pickup team, and they definitely follow pro sports religiously. They’re usually fit, surprisingly chill, and generally pretty masculine.
Wolf Wolves are guys who are trim, fit, and muscled. They’re the gym rats and the fitness enthusiasts, and they almost always have abs. They’re traditionally masculine, and might have some body hair, a beard, or even some gray hair, though wolves can also be young. Some people describe young wolves as pups, though this word has another connotation in the gay community, which we’ll get to.
Otter Otters exist in a sort of in-between space. They’re hairy, but not as hairy as bears. They’re lean, but not as skinny as twinks. They’re sometimes fit and muscled, but not as fit as wolves. They’re in the middle of the twink-bear scale, and you might describe them as “average.” They also usually have smaller frames, but aren’t petite. If nothing else, otters aren’t hairless. The hair is key, even if they don’t have a lot of it.
Fox A fox is an otter that’s over 40 years old. They’re hairy, trim, and oh so svelt. Usually, they’ve got some gray or white in their hair, and when you see them you think something like, “Woah, he looks great for his age,” though you definitely shouldn’t say that out loud.
Bull A bull is a masculine guy who’s got huge muscles. We’re talking creatine-taking, protein-pounding, body-building, crush-a-melon-with-their-bicep guys. They’re usually around 200-300 pounds, and it’s all muscle. They tend to congregate in groups, usually in the gym.
Chubs Chubs are larger men who, for one reason or another, don’t quite fit into the bear category. This is usually because they’re not quite so hairy, or because they identify their personality with being chubby or fat and take pride in it, maybe more so than a bear. A superchub is a very large man. Keep in mind that this is one of those words that is okay for chubs themselves to use, but it’s not really okay for other people to use it (unless a chub says you can).
Less common body types The options we’ve gone over are the most common body types, and many people in the gay community will fall into one of them. However, this isn’t the case for everyone—there’s no one-size-fits-all system, and there isn’t a common word for every body type out there. After all, everyone’s different. If you don’t seem to fit into one of these categories, that’s okay! That said, here are a few lesser-known and less-used terms for some body types that you might fit into: Fauns are guys with hairy legs, but less hair up top. Porpoises or seals or guys who are chubby and don’t have much hair. Walruses or manatees are chubby guys with facial hair but no body hair. Gym bunnies are younger, fit guys who spend time at the gym but not playing sports, like jocks would. Gym rats are bunnies with an obsession. They live for the gym. The gym is everything.
Finding What Type You Are
Consider your body type and hair level to find your “animal.” The first section of this article is all about gay body types. To find yours, just take off your shirt and look in the mirror—it’s as easy as that! Ask yourself if you’re slim, average, muscled, or chubby (and be honest; there’s no shame here, and every body type is celebrated). Then ask yourself if you're hairless, sorta hairy, or super hairy. Based on those criteria, match your answers to these results: Thin and hairless = Twink Trim and sorta hairy = Otter Muscled and hairy = Wolf Chubby and hairy = Bear Chubby and hairless = Chub Muscled and less hairy = Bull
Consider your personality and lifestyle to find your other gay type. The rest of the gay types in this article have more to do with your personality and interests than your body type, and only you can decide which “type” you are. You can be more than one type, or you can choose not to identify as any type. The beauty of the queer community is that you can express yourself however you choose! Maybe you’re a geeky circuit gay, or a leather pup, or a drag queen who’s also masculine. It’s all possible!
Are gay body types just stereotypes?
Yes, but they can be useful for finding community. We’re not going to pretend that gay body types aren’t sometimes restrictive or played out. These days, social media users love to call any skinny male celebrity a “twink,” even if that word doesn’t entirely fit. Any time you’re categorizing people by any trait, things get hairy (pun intended). But they’re a thing for a reason, and that reason is that they help gay people find identity and community within the broader queer umbrella. For example, bears and chubs are often discriminated against for their weight, but they find acceptance and celebration within the bear community. Wolves, jocks, and bulls often have a passion for fitness that other types don’t, so identifying as wolves or bulls helps them find other enthusiasts.
Gay Personality Types
Circuit gays The circuit gays are the hardcore partiers. They live their lives on dancefloors, in nightclubs, and at beach bashes. They’re probably shirtless, holding a beverage, and wearing sunglasses. There’s a lot of companionship and kumbaya vibes within the scene, but circuit gays have been criticized for being cliquey and a little obsessed with body image.
Pups Pups are younger gay men who are often naive or a little green behind the ears. Either that, or they’re dudes who are into putting on leather dog masks and walking around on leashes. It depends who you talk to. In either case, they’re usually very sweet, and you can give either of them a pat on the head. They need it.
Drag queens Where would we be without our drag queens? Stonewall was started by a drag queen, you know (may Marsha P. Johnson rest in peace and power). Drag queens are, at their core, artists and entertainers who form the foundation of the queer community. They’re fearlessly themselves and blaze the trail for the rest of our free expression. Drag queens are different from transgender people. A drag queen is someone who dresses up as a woman for self-expression, while a transgender woman is a woman. That said, a drag queen can be a transgender woman.
Masc Masc is short for masculine. It describes any gay guy who acts more in line with traditional gender norms (and is also applied to lesbians who act masculine). They might be bearded, muscled, macho, or just a plain dude. What “masc” means is different for everyone, but often, these are guys who, for one reason or another, you might not guess are gay at first glance.
Femme Femmes are on the other side of the gender expression spectrum. You could probably guess it’s short for "feminine," and is used to describe more traditionally feminine gay guys (often twinks). They might wear makeup, dress androgynously or femininely, or just have a certain je ne se quoi that sets them apart. We love our femme queens!
Leather Leather gays are into leather, simple as that. Straps, stirrups, harnesses, masks, pants, vests. It started as a sort of “reclaiming” of masculinity modeled off of 1940s motorcycle club aesthetics. But leather gays have also historically served important roles as protectors and bouncers of the gay community, and they are often the first to respond to discrimination.
Geek Geeks are another self-explanatory archetype. They’re geeks! They’re into video games, science fiction and fantasy, and conventions. They’re also often into Pokémon specifically, a phenomenon scientists are still trying to explain. They might also be referred to as “gaymers,” if video games are their forte.
What’s the most attractive gay male body type?
Everyone has different tastes, and that’s why the types exist. Sure, the gay community isn’t magically exempt from classic male beauty standards: a tall, fit build with the perfect amount of chest hair, things like that. But it’s also somewhat more accepting and diverse than other communities, so we can’t say there’s an “ideal” body type here. Some people prefer twinks, others go wild for bears. That’s the beauty of it! At its core, it’s about self-acceptance and self-expression. No matter your looks or interests, there’s a community for you within the greater LGBTQ+ community.
Do you have to be gay to have a gay body type?
The gay body types usually describe gay people, yes. Sure, you can be straight, chubby, and hairy and someone might call you a “bear.” Nobody’s going to come after you for that. But if you’re a straight person who calls yourself a “twink” or a “bear,” gay people will think you’re one of us, because those are our words. Just be aware of the words you’re using and why. The gay body types also represent certain queer experiences, not just physical traits. Twinks are often femme, bears are often masculine and sometimes queer mentors, etc. So keep in mind that they’re not always “just” labels, they’re parts of the gay experience, too!
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