Wolves in gay culture
“Anniversaries”
Wolves.Gay is an anthology zine edited by Dobes Crusher.
The zine’s aim is simple- to explore lgbtq experiences in an open-ended style themed around wolves. The wolf is a recurring character in myth, folk-lore, legend, natural studies, widespread culture and online subcultures. Humans have always harbored a fascination with wolves and view themselves through the lens of all things wolves represent- whether true or part of the huge mythos surrounding these animals. Wolves possess a history in a variety of cultures that is as rich and complex and storied as our queer histories, so the meeting of the two just feels right.
This anthology contains short stories, essays, poetry, illustrations and comics all themed on lgbtq wolves. Gay wolves, trans wolves, bisexual wolves and more. Wolves in love. Werewolves. Anthro wolves. Online roleplay. Wolves in space and beyond. Wolves at the supermarket.
Contains elder subjects, themes, and language that are not suitable for minors
Part of the fun of researching 1920’s and 1930’s Queer subculture in Modern York City was coming across a wide variety of specialized slang and coded terms that flourished among homosexual men and women of the time. Some of these terms are solely of their time, some have survived into the modern era, albeit often with modified meanings.
Not surprisingly, for a social group that for the most part did not conduct themselves openly in society, a lot of these terms constitute a kind of private language available only to those “in the club”. They describe sexual preferences and types, as successfully as particular places and activities important to homosexuals of the time.
Folding these terms into the libretto of “Speakeasy – The Adventures of John and Jane Allison in the Wonderland” was a lot of fun. For the most part the interpretation of the words should be clear in context. However a little confusion can be fun too, as in this moment, when John Allison eavesdrops on a trio of Gay Florists and Julian Carnation:
FLORIST 1:
You can hold 42nd Street. Give me the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
FLORIST 2:
You and your seafood, Violet!
FL Lesbians and gay men have become normalized in pop customs to a show that terms we use to portray one another acquire become more commonplace. I was even asked by co-worker to define another staff member by these images. In an effort to clarify some differences, here’s how body image types break down for gay men. So let’s start with twinks. Generally speaking, these are younger gay men who have a lean to slimly athletic build. Also, they don’t have a lot of body hair, and the chest is usually smooth. Some guys will shave their chests and armpits to conform to this body image. I think that the term came from Twinkies. You comprehend — young, dumb and full of … moving on. Up next are the otters. They look after to be hairier overall, still with that thin to slimly athletic establish . I’ve seen guys of various ages take the image label of an otter, though it tends to be men under 40. Closely related to the otters are the foxes. Basically a fox is an otter over forty. One buddy of mine described foxes as the cougars of the same-sex attracted male community. Then we have the bears. Like otters, men of various ages identify as a bear. These are larger-bodied or mus Kartik is having an existential crisis. What is it? The inevitability of death? The crushing loneliness of realising all humans inherently are and will pass away alone? The meaninglessness of his dead-end job? The purpose of life? I’ve clearly thought this through. Kartik shrugs, it’s worse. He doesn’t know what his gay tribe is. What is a gay tribe? No, a gay tribe is not a group of still-surviving, nomadic queer men. A tribe is, in proof, a social grouping of gay men based solely on their ~body type~ key physical characteristics. Also a feature of Grindr’s profile settings, tribes exist to help you find men you are attracted to, based on the quantity of hair on their bodies, and muscle on their bulk. You start off with some pretty self-explanatory stereotypes: Twinks, Femmes, Geeks, Jocks and Daddies. And then in descending directive of size/hair (yes, hair) and kink, you’ve got Bears, Wolves, Cubs and Otters. Is this marginalising the gay community or moulding a human zoo? Kartik thinks that gay men shouldn’t be sorted into tribes according to their body type; this isn’t Hogwarts. He also finds it hard to relate to any one Queer Mechanics is a regular feature over on GayGamer – each month, we’ll be presenting a unused game mechanic that could be used in games that include or center on queer culture or culture. Homosexual Mechanics is a thought experiment, to see both what we could combine to games, and to recognise what’s been missing from them; it’s a challenge, both to readers, to reach up with novel, interesting and operative ways to operate them, and to developers, to comprise them in games; and it’s a discussion for a more inclusive, more varied, and more innovative future for the games industry. If you’ve been around the homosexual scene in some form or another – pubs and clubs, online same-sex attracted communities, or virtual dating sites/apps like Adam4Adam or Grindr – you’re bound to have come across terminology like “bear” or “otter”, used as a caring of shorthand to discuss people’s body types. These terms of identity also help foster social groups and subcultures. A quick run-through of the most common of these terms, all of which have some degree of overlap: “Bears” are typically large men, often with plenty body hair and f Guide to homosexual men’s body types
The Guysexual’s Guide To Same-sex attracted Tribes And What They Mean