Abstract
Members of the bear community, a gay male subculture, offer insight into the development and purveyance of a gay subculture. Using Walker and Avant's concept analysis methodology, concept exploration and a subsequent concept analysis of the term bear identity, using existing literature, was conducted to obtain a better understanding of the meanings of the term bear identity. CINAHL, Psycinfo, Pubmed, Medline, LGBT Life, and ProQuest were employed to identify and examine the data surrounding the concept of bear identity. After conducting the literature review, an analysis of bear identity emerged that explores antecedents, attributes, and possible consequences related to bear identification. Lastly, implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.
