A public Facebook group for gay men is under fire for openly discriminating against people of color, San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reports.
“Muscle Bear” is a public Facebook group for (white) guys who are into hairy (white) muscular men with nearly 20,000 (white) members. When a person first tries to join, they are confronted with a series of questions/statements.
The first question is pretty straight-forward: “Wherea[sic] are you from?”
The second is a link to an NSFW image of actor/model Matthew Camp.
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But it’s the third statement that has people upset: “If you are Asian or African do not join the group because it will be blocked from this group.”
Once a person completes the questionnaire, they submit their request to join and the admins either approve or deny them access.
Matt Consola, who is a member of the group, recently commented that he’s concerned people will think everyone who belongs to the group is racist trash, like the admins.
“As a member, this makes us all appear to be racists by being complicit,” he writes. “I’m asking people to reach out and ask why this [policy] has been added. And if it’s not removed, I’m asking people to quit and report the group as hate speech.”
Many long-standing members claim they never saw the questions when they originally joined.
Since the story broke, the group has removed the discriminatory statement. Of course, that doesn’t mean POC are no longer being blocked. It just means admins are no longer openly admitting to discriminating against them.
Related: Student explains in plain terms exactly why your Grindr “preferences” are actually racist
Chrisk
Big effing deal. I’m smooth and definitely not a bear so I too would be blocked. Who cares.
NOUHAVENT
It is not a big deal to you, because you’re racist. It’s that simple.
Chrisk
..and your a troll that keeps changing their screen name. Woop woop!
Andy On Queerty
Knowing this, why would anyone choose to remain a member of such a group for another second? Or think racism isn’t offensive if such a statement doesn’t apply to oneself?
Chrisk
Please. You come to a site that discriminates out certain races, bodies, and ages. This site shouldn’t be singled out for being honest.
GetReal101
Why is that question offensive? They prefer people of a certain race to join their group and that’s their prerogative, just like our other sexual and racial preferences.
hassia
….and then gays scream about discrimination!
Johndoes
Wow, this is old. Real gay news sites reported this over a week ago.
dwes09
What makes you think Queerty even pretends to be a “real gay news site”? It is obviously and unapologetically an infotainment blog, aimed at a fairly specific demographic. There is no real journalism, just comments by authors on previously published material that is congruent with their personal agendas.
One comes here for amusement and diversion, not to stay informed.
orfunnyhaha
This is Tigerbeat.
Kieran
@dwes09: So what’s your example of a “real gay news site”? Towelread maybe? LOL
Kieran
People should definitely NOT be allowed to discriminate. It’s very bad and intolerant. UNLESS they’re refusing service to Trump voters or republicans. That’s okay.
NOUHAVENT
Awh Trump supporter, tries so hard, keep reaching.
Kaliforniaboy
Those Fat Nasty White Guys can keep their “FAT MAN’S CLUB”…LOL
Over weight “LIKE SHOULD ATTRACT LIKE”…
Who says “WE” ethnic men wish to be part of their LAME little facebook social club in the first place?
GetReal101
You are a little unhinged, aren’t you?
Coruna2018
If a group of Black Bears had created such a restricted Facebook page, there would (rightly) be no end of trolling and hating by whites and other bears for discrimination. A whites-only Facebook group bans other types of bears? This is 2018 and not 1958? What turns one on sexually has been proven, to some extent, to be formed in earliest childhood, like a block of fresh cement gets imprinted with everything that lands on it, whether by design or not. The same applies to a child absorbing, indiscriminately, all of the messages, said or demonstrated, that it’s parents, family members, and community all spread about different groups of people, on which looks are considered attractive and those that are considered unattractive. Guess which ethic group, overall, thinks that whites-only are non-hurtful nor non-racist? By a large margin, whites favor racially-exclusive groups are not being exclusionary. If that sounds like double-talk, it is. Like so many aspects of American life, if you don’t fit “the norm”, you are truly out and ostracized, until you form your own group. Then, YOU are considered a racist for forming your own ethnic identity-exclusive group. When many American white men (straight, bisexual, gay, polysexual) admit that attractive looks are based, to some degree, on what they were shown what was considered attractive, then they can admit that their preferences were partially created outside themselves and, if they so choose, they can change that and becom more inclusive. Jungian psychoanalysis can do so with Imago Therapy. In what is supposed to be “family” LGBT do a great job to bring the status quo of mainstream society (racism, classism, heteronormative standards of beauty) into LGBT Land. I know what being out of the norm and ostracized means but my uniqueness as me is untradeable for anything in the world. In the end, who I attract reflects more on the person I am. I would want in my life those people that are open to find me attractive in all ways. Like anything associated with negativity, hate, and exclusion, the Facebook Whites-Only Bear Page will eventually cease. By then, all of us non-whites will be members of groups that think we’re just fine as we are.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Guess what there is more than one place to hook up! If you want to be close minded dbs it’s their choice. I personally think Asian guys are beyond sexy…
GetReal101
You are just a plain racist and I don’t find your preference flattering at all.
dinard38
@GetReal101 Wow!!!! Some of you guys who post on this site are ridiculous!!! Just because Plays Well think that Asians guys are sexy, that make him racist??? Seriously???
Chrisk
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS. I’m actually glad they discriminate. I’ll provide the shoulder (and more) for those Asian and black Brothers to cry cry on. 😉
ElPillo
I know That while I enjoy hanging out with everyone that clicks with me at the conversation level, I have preferences that excite me sexually. That is ok. But there is a polite way of letting people down who makes advances at you whom you don’t find attractive sexually, and this is not it.
metta
It is offensive. But I will say that I appreciate knowing things like this ahead of time so that I don’t waste time with bigots.
Truthteller1234
But they DO have a right to choose with whom they want to associate. BUT, Facebook also has the right to remove this group since Facebook is a private company.
rj28590
So it’s not ok for someone to put in profiles that they prefer certain races, but it’s perfectly ok for them to put “No one over 25” or “No bears”, “No chubs” “Must be hwp”? Seems to me that the gay community is our own worst enemy. Talk about discrimination.
Chrisk
I’ve always found that obvious hypocrisy interesting. I guess there’s a hierarchy when it comes to discrimination.
Mark
Can’t help who you aren’t attracted to…just sayin
NOUHAVENT
Can’t help stupidity either but here we are, with you siding for racism. You can have whoever you want to sleep with or not. But denying entry to a group, ie that does encompass Asians and blacks that’s racism.
Dancegod1
I thought a FB page is supposed an openly friendly page celebrating people of all walks of life and highlighting their differences. The ” Bear ” community was about the overlooked guys in society and gave them a voice and welcome everyone to celebrate them!!!
surreal33
The “policy” is far less offensive than covert racism which is pervasive in the gay community. As vile as the “policy” is at least they are willing to admit they are racist unlike the majority of America.
scotty
who uses facebook? not me and defintely not now.
NOUHAVENT
Maybe just stop using all social media, then?
Truthteller1234
We do still have the right of “freedom of assembly” do we not? I don’t think Obama and the Democrats were able to outlaw that during the 8 year Obama reign of terror, right?
Kangol
What “reign of terror”? You mean when the GOP wasn’t totally screwing everything up under a mediocre maniac like George W. Bush from 2001-2008 or Trumpkin now? And Facebook is a private company so “freedom of assembly” doesn’t apply. But you can organize your white supremacist rally in a nearby park, that my tax dollars pay for, provided you get the proper license. That’s “freedom of assembly.”
DHT
I would not join because I am not a racist and I appreciate Black, Asian, Latino, and every kind of man under the sun. That being said there are a lot of groups that ban Caucasian men, I think that is equally racist.
DHT
I like it when groups allow their “admirers” in, that is so sexy.
Kangol
Which groups “ban Caucasian men”?
Doug
I’m wondering if Facebook admin overlooked this, I don’t think they allow it.
oz1967
I dont get this if your hot who gives a crap what your colour or origin is, as for me i’m white but I still would not get in not hot and dud lay.
LOULOULOU
Lets talk about parties like this, where white men are not welcome.
Racism and discrimination is awful both ways.
https://www.thelaspot.com/about
Lookyloo
Matthew Camp as a pin-up for this group?
WTF kinda ‘muscle bear’ has such light body hair, a wispy beard, and very short statured?
The guy is an otter at best.
That fb groups seems confused about a lot of things.
Prax07
I’d join. If there was a meet-up/party put together by this group where guys were hooking up I’d happily go knowing there wouldn’t be any races (blacks) there that I wouldn’t be comfortable with.
QueerTruth
You must be terribly insecure to be uncomfortable around non-white people.
Seriously. That’s a sad situation for anyone, but for a minority like yourself, well, it’s just pathetic.
Josh447
QueerTruth,
It’s called being honest. People can throw bigot racist etc till the sun burns out, it’s just sexual preference. Like attracts like. It’s human nature. Heck I don’t turn on to most white guys and I’m a good looking white guy. And most don’t turn onto me. Am I belly aching like a stick cow? Not a chance.
All this whining about minorities not getting laid by white guys is useless frivolity falling on deaf white ears. You can’t guilt trip anyone into being attracted to whom they are not attracted to. It’s laughable. I suggest you and them come up with a different strategy. This angle is dead in the dirt before it drops from anyone’s lips. So trying to buck human nature of selectivity and do something more useful for a positive result.
gymmuscleboy
If someone were to create the “Chinese Bear Group”, nobody would care. You are allowed to appreciate non-white ethnicities all you like, but to appreciate anything white is taboo and racist. It’s a double standard.
andrew.agee
When did any for of rejection become a “thing.” If you get “triggered” because I prefer left handed guys over right handed guys, thats on YOU princess.
https://www.queerty.com/student-explains-plain-terms-exactly-grindr-preferences-actually-racist-20170325
tghost54
Cries about this but no media outrage about Ebony magazine, Bet channel, bet awards, Miss black America pageant, Blsck history month. The list goes on and on.
We can’t have anything exclusively for ourselves?