Chub

A big, heavy gay man, fat and proud of it: defined by size rather than hair, and the favorite type of the chubby chaser.

A chub is a big, heavy gay man, fat and proud of it. Where a bear is defined by hair and a beefy frame, a chub is defined by size: the belly, the curves, the weight. He may be hairy or smooth, bearded or clean-shaven, young or old. The word is affectionate inside the scene and most chubs use it about themselves.

The man who is into chubs is a chubby chaser, or just a chaser, and the two words go together like a dance partnership: chubs and chasers have had their own clubs, bars and parties for decades.

Where it comes from

Chub has meant a fat person in English slang for a long time. The gay scene made it its own through chubby chaser, a man who prefers plump or fat partners. Green's Dictionary of Slang finds it in a 1969 personal ad in the New York paper Screw, where a 300-pound man wants to connect with a "chubby chasers club".

The organized scene followed quickly. The Girth and Mirth Club of San Francisco, a social club for big gay men and the men who like them, has records going back to 1976. The short form chub became the everyday name for the big guys themselves.

Chub, bear, gainer

The labels overlap, but each puts the weight in a different place. A bear can be big, but hair and masculinity come first. A chub is about size, full stop. A gainer is a man who enjoys putting on weight, or who is into feeding and watching a partner grow, which is a kink and not just a body type. Plenty of big hairy men call themselves "chubby bears" and keep both doors open.

How it is used today

On the apps chub is a self-label and a type, and there are apps and events built just for chubs and chasers. It is mostly positive, a word of body pride in a gay world that has often been brutal about weight. Said by an outsider with a sneer it can sting, so the usual rule applies: it is ours when we say it about ourselves.

Related terms