In the gay chub community “Chub4Chub” refers to gay chubby men who are sexually aroused by other chubby, bearish men. This is a very familiar theme in the chub community, which includes younger and older men of all ethnicities and types, including those who are smooth (hairless), hairy, muscular, and mature, also known as daddy bears.
For the most part, the Chub4Chub community is an exclusive group of men who associate, date and have sex with other big men in their community and abroad. Many chubs in this scene avoid chubby chasers who are not chubby and bearish, and one particular big man in the Los Angeles area was once quoted as saying, “I’m not sexually attracted to men who are not husky or chubby.” This opinion is shared by a number of chubs in the world who are sometimes displeased by the presence of thin men who attend the various big men’s events in order to meet, date and have sex with heavy set men.
One of the first gay chub organizations in North America was the Girth & Mirth Club of San Francisco. Born in 1976, this club organized social events locally for a year until a Boston chapter was launched in 1977, followed by a NYC chapter in 1978. As the years progressed, the Girth and Mirth clubs expanded to various cities throughout the USA, including Long Beach, Chicago, Minneapolis, Arizona, and other towns. As early as 1978 Girth and Mirth conventions for chubby men were held in larger cities throughout the USA, such as San Francisco, Chicago and New York City. By the mid 1980s these conventions were referred to as “convergence” events that were geared toward bigger men and their admirers. These days convergences still take place in larger American cities such as Seattle, New York City, Denver, Houston, and Las Vegas, among other cities. These events are usually well-attended by “big men and their admirers all across the U.S. and Canada”, and they feature pool parties, cultural excursions, banquets, entertainment, contests, dance events, bear beer busts, and other social events for those in attendance. If a convergence event is held in a town that has bear bars and bathhouses, events at those venues will usually coincide with the chub theme of the conference. The bathhouse events, for example, are great for chubs and bears who want to have sex during their convergence experience.
Some of the US cities that have a profound population of Chub4Chubs are San Francisco, Palm Springs, and New York City. The latter, for example, is a city that has a large population of gay chubby men. There are many places within the city that feature chub-friendly bars and venues, such as those found on Christopher Street in the West Village. Ty’s Bar, The Hangar, Boots and Saddles, and The Monster are bars that have a chub-friendly atmosphere. Although some of the men at these bars enjoy the company of all types of men, there are some men who only befriend, date and have sex with other chubs. A number of these Chub4Chubs frequent Ty’s Bar and the Eagle NYC, which is a leather bar popular with heavy set men, hairy cubs, bears, and mature men. A man at the Eagle NYC was once heard saying, “I just prefer sex with other chubs. You can call it discrimination, but I don’t enjoy sex with thin guys and won’t even consider it. I am Chub4Chub, and I won’t change.” This man’s comment resonates with the opinions of other chubs throughout the world who would never consider having sex with a thin man.
In San Francisco, California, the Chub4Chub scene is vibrant and exciting. There are many bars, events and venues that cater to chubby men, such as the “Planet Big” and the “Massive” dance events that take place regularly in the city. The Lone Star Saloon is another popular bar for chubs who enjoy the company of other bigger men. And across the bay in Berkeley, the Steamworks Bathhouse (during the 4th Saturday of the month) attracts a lot of chubs, cubs and big daddies who enjoy having sex with other heavy set men. In fact, those events are often so packed that the line to get into the venue is at least a 30 minute wait, not including the time necessary to get a room. On the same token, in Palm Springs, California, the Chub4Chub scene is vibrant and probably the most sexual of all the Chub4Chub scenes, considering the fact that this desert resort town hosts many of North America’s most popular weekend chub events, such as ChubFest, Big Men in the Desert, and Big Men’s Weekend. These events are held in local clothing-optional gay resorts, and are well-attended by many men who live locally, nationally, and internationally. The general consensus among event attendees is that the chubs who attend these events are there to meet other big men. Bill, a local Palm Springs chub, put it this way, “Many of the chubs I know are only into other chubs and bears. Some of the bars, events and play parties we have are Chub4Chub oriented. That’s the way we like it.”
As a result, you can see that many chubby men enjoy hanging out and having sex with other big men for various reasons. Some of the reasons are that bigger men have sexier bodies than slim men, and some even claim that chubby men have the best sex drives. The list is endless, but one man in Montreal, Canada, said it best when he was quoted as saying, “I want a big, chubby man in bed with me, someone I can hold onto and feel safe with, not a skinny man who can’t keep me warm at night.”