Girth and Mirth of Columbus is a social club for men of large stature and their admirers.
Our membership is open to any gay/bisexual
man who is 21 years or older.
Our intention is to provide an informal outlet for members to meet and make new friends through our gatherings.
Q. Are you a "Bear" club?
A. No, we are a "Chub" and "Chaser" club.
Q. What is a "Chub? ...a "Chaser"?
A. A chub is a larger-sized man. A Chaser can be an average-sized, smaller-sized,
or larger-sized man who enjoys the company of a Chub.
Q. What's the difference between a "Bear" and a "Chub"?
A. A Bear is usually a man that is hairy. A Chub may or may
not be hairy. Not all Bears
are Chubs and not all Chubs are Bears. Hope that helps.
Q. I guess I'm a Chub, but I like big men myself. Is that OK?
A. Of course it is. Chub on Chub can be
a very good thing!
Q. What do you do at your gatherings?
A. Girth & Mirth means Fat and Happy! We share meals, laughs, brotherhood,
and
camaraderie. We have some kind of event going on almost every week - at different
restaurants, a coffee house, our home bar, social settings, and member's homes.
Q. Is there any "adult" activity at your events?
A. Normally, our events are in public places, so the answer is no.
If you make a new
friend and want to have some adult activity, you need to take it elsewhere.
However,
if an event is held in a member's home, the host's rules apply after the event is
officially over.
As for MCA, the event we co-sponsor every July in Oklahoma, you can usually find
whatever your heart desires. After all, it's a hotel and all those rooms and beds and
all those
men....
Q. Are there any single guys in your club?
A. Our membership is made up of both couples and singles. Some couples
are in open
relationships, others are not. It's all good.
Q. I know some of your members, and they are into some wild stuff. Is everyone in the club
into
"kink"?
A. Nope. Some members are very private about their sexual likes and dislikes, while
some members are much more open. Both are perfectly acceptable.
Q. That's a lot of sex information. Isn't there anything else?
A. Of course. Some members are very active politically.
Many guys are active in charitable
organizations. Others have a deep interest in religious
activities. Some guys love to
attend sporting events. Others belong to other social
groups and split their involvement
between us and them. Many guys have diverse hobbies and
interests that they share.
Just about all of us love to eat, so we like to try new restaurants.
It's not unusual for
members to contact each other for spur-of-the-moment movies, or "I made too much
lasagna, want to come over and eat?" It's a band of brothers, as it were.
Q. Did you really put those questions on your website?
A. Yes we did. It's important for everyone to know that big
gay men, like all other gay men,
have wants, needs, and desires of all types. Let's face facts:
being gay ain't always
easy. Combining that with society's perceptions and discrimination towards
big
people and the gay community's internalized fat-phobia, life can sometimes be extremely
difficult for big guys and for those who like big guys.
At Girth &
Mirth of Columbus, we do not judge. We accept and celebrate
ourselves just as we are: bigger men who enjoy
life, in all its forms.
Girth and Mirth of Columbus is participating in a research project about big gay men that has been approved and is sponsored by the
Sociology Department of The Ohio State University.
Numerous club members have taken part in a study on big gay men and their supportive others. The purpose of the study is to
present the experiences and opinions of a diverse group of men and to make these views and opinions known to others.
The results of the study will be published in the near future. For more information, please e-mail the research student, Jason
Whitesel, at: whitesel.10@sociology.osu.edu. You can also contact his advisor, Professor Townsand Price-Spratlen at (614) 292-5598
or by email at price-pratlen.1@sociology.osu.edu.
Jason Whitesel
Department of Sociology
The Ohio State University
300 Bricker Hall
190 N. Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210
