{"product_id":"9780814724125","title":"Fat Gay Men","description":"\u003cp\u003eTo be fat in a thin-obsessed gay culture  can be difficult. Despite affectionate in-group monikers for big gay men-chubs,  bears, cubs-the anti-fat stigma that persists in American culture at large  still haunts these individuals who often exist at the margins of gay  communities. In Fat Gay Men, Jason  Whitesel delves into the world of Girth \u0026amp; Mirth, a nationally known social  club dedicated to big gay men, illuminating the ways in which these men form  identities and community in the face of adversity. In existence for over forty  years, the club has long been a refuge and 'safe space' for such men. Both a partial insider as a gay man and an  outsider to Girth \u0026amp; Mirth, Whitesel offers an insider's critique of the gay  movement, questioning whether the social consequences of the failure to be  height-weight proportionate should be so extreme in the gay community.               This book documents performances at club events and examines how  participants use allusion and campy-queer behavior to reconfigure and reclaim  their sullied body images, focusing on the numerous tensions of marginalization  and dignity that big gay men experience and how they negotiate these tensions  via their membership to a size-positive group. Based on ethnographic interviews  and in-depth field notes from more than 100 events at bar nights, cafe  klatches, restaurants, potlucks, holiday bashes, pool parties, movie nights,  and weekend retreats, the book explores the woundedness that comes from being  relegated to an inferior position in gay hierarchies, and yet celebrates how  some gay men can reposition the shame of fat stigma through carnival, camp, and  play. A compelling and rich narrative, Fat  Gay Men provides a rare glimpse into an unexplored dimension of weight and  body image in American culture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51185139351826,"sku":"9780814724125","price":51.03,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0508\/3093\/4173\/files\/9780814724125.jpg?v=1774733924","url":"https:\/\/bargainbooks.com.au\/products\/9780814724125","provider":"Bargain Books Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}