I reccently had a conversation with a co worker, in which she asked me “what are you?”. She followed this up with an explanation that she meant where did I fall within the categorizations of gay men. She had been having a conversation with a friend and mentioned me. When pressed to describe me, her friend asked what I was? A twink, bear, jock, art fag? This kind of categorization is not only incredibly delicate but at times pointless. My feelings on this topic may also come from my own inability to neatly fit into a certain category in the gay community.

I was interviewed as part of Documentarian Malcolm Ingram (Small Town Gay Bar), for his new film all about the bear community. I had been contacted by him, in order to get a cubs point of view. But the more we discussed this, the less I fit into the idea of cub as it is typically stated. At one point Malcolm even pointed out how I was 5 to 10 pounds and a good waxing away from being just like every young guy on Church St. And while I pointed out how I didn’t want to be hairless, and that loosing 10 while not hard, would mean doing this I strongly dislike (mainly exercise and eating right). But further more, who creates these guidelines, and why do we need to be put into these tiny boxes?

To some people I am a leather boy, to others a cub or otter. Some people even consider me an art fag. But what does it matter. These labels we place on ourselves and others seem like such a waste of time, and to spit in the faces of our own unique nature. And besides it’s all drag anyway, isn’t it?