Abstract
To better understand the complex and powerful stigmas surrounding body size and sexuality, Jason Whitesel presents a detailed ethnography of an Ohio chapter of Girth & Mirth, an organization that serves as a support group and social club for big gay men. Fat Gay Men examines how this group has been consistently degraded, existing in the margins of both mainstream, heterosexual society and the gay community. Broader society stigmatizes their sexual preferences, while the gay community rejects those who do not fit their ideal body image. This marginalization has many negative implications on large gay men, causing them to consistently feel like outsiders.
After three years of conducting interviews and taking detailed field notes at a variety of social gatherings ranging from casual potlucks to elaborate weekend retreats, Whitesel has made keen observations of how large gay men conceptualize their identities. Though they consistently face animosity for both their size and sexuality, organizations such as Girth & Mirth provide these men with the opportunity to socialize without fear of judgment and create a space where they can take pride in their body size and sexuality. Whitesel concludes that big gay men challenge the fat stigmas imposed on them by presenting themselves as sex objects, by seeking out class validation, and by positively celebrating their unconventional identities. While many big gay men are still haunted by shame, size-positive organizations like Girth & Mirth play an important role in allowing these men to create identities that are defined by more than just this marginalization.
Fat Gay Men will benefit sociologists and LGBT scholars who are interested in questions of identity and the intersection of body image and sexuality. Whitesel’s extensive and careful fieldwork offers a unique and thorough perspective on a previously understudied subculture in the gay community.