{"product_id":"fat-gay-men-9780814708385","title":"Fat Gay Men","description":"\u003cp\u003eTo be fat in a thin-obsessed gay culture\u003cbr\u003ecan be difficult. Despite affectionate in-group monikers for big gay men–chubs,\u003cbr\u003ebears, cubs–the anti-fat stigma that persists in American culture at large\u003cbr\u003estill haunts these individuals who often exist at the margins of gay\u003cbr\u003ecommunities. In Fat Gay Men, Jason\u003cbr\u003eWhitesel delves into the world of Girth \u0026amp; Mirth, a nationally known social\u003cbr\u003eclub dedicated to big gay men, illuminating the ways in which these men form\u003cbr\u003eidentities and community in the face of adversity. In existence for over forty\u003cbr\u003eyears, the club has long been a refuge and ‘safe space’ for such men. Both a partial insider as a gay man and an\u003cbr\u003eoutsider to Girth \u0026amp; Mirth, Whitesel offers an insider’s critique of the gay\u003cbr\u003emovement, questioning whether the social consequences of the failure to be\u003cbr\u003eheight-weight proportionate should be so extreme in the gay community.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e            This book documents performances at club events and examines how\u003cbr\u003eparticipants use allusion and campy-queer behavior to reconfigure and reclaim\u003cbr\u003etheir sullied body images, focusing on the numerous tensions of marginalization\u003cbr\u003eand dignity that big gay men experience and how they negotiate these tensions\u003cbr\u003evia their membership to a size-positive group. Based on ethnographic interviews\u003cbr\u003eand in-depth field notes from more than 100 events at bar nights, café\u003cbr\u003eklatches, restaurants, potlucks, holiday bashes, pool parties, movie nights,\u003cbr\u003eand weekend retreats, the book explores the woundedness that comes from being\u003cbr\u003erelegated to an inferior position in gay hierarchies, and yet celebrates how\u003cbr\u003esome gay men can reposition the shame of fat stigma through carnival, camp, and\u003cbr\u003eplay. A compelling and rich narrative, Fat\u003cbr\u003eGay Men provides a rare glimpse into an unexplored dimension of weight and\u003cbr\u003ebody image in American culture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jason Whitesel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48272932634875,"sku":"9780814708385","price":107.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/3917\/9771\/files\/CoreSourceHub_61e30c6b-bc1e-4ff3-bddb-dff10b5c9df9.jpg?v=1770996343","url":"https:\/\/indiepubs.com\/products\/fat-gay-men-9780814708385","provider":"IndiePubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}