What Are Otters in the Gay Community? Exploring This Gay Subtype

There are plenty of gay subtypes you may have heard of, from twinks to bears to foxes. An otter is one particular subtype that is sort of the in-between of a twink and a bear. They’re skinny, hairy, and have a long-standing history in the gay community. In this article, we explain what otters are, talk about their history, body type, and more!

Otter Gay Slang Meaning

In the gay community, an otter is a hairy, lean gay man. Otters are a subset of the bear subtype and come in a wide range of sizes. Otters can be skinny and slim or have an athletic build, but they must be hairy to qualify as an otter. They’re like a combo of a twink and a bear.

Section 1 of 7:

What is an otter in the gay community?

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An otter is a hairy, lean gay man. An otter is a subtype in the LGBTQ+ community that refers to someone who’s lean and skinny, like a twink, but hairy, like a bear.^{[1]
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Dean Modah
Queer Linguistics Educator and Cultural Commentator

Expert Interview} Otters are typically gay men, but the term can be used by anyone to self-describe their hairy, lean body, including bisexual and pansexual men. There’s lots of range in the otter subtype too, as they can be skinny and slim or lean and athletic, with the only requirement being that they have adequate amounts of body hair.^{[2]
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- Since otters tend to be gay men, their pronouns are usually he/him/his, but always ask instead of assuming!

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What is the otter body type?

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Otters have some of the most variety when it comes to body types compared to other gay subtypes. Unlike twinks or hunks, who are always either skinny or well-built and athletic, otters range from slim or lean to athletic and stocky. They never get as big as bears (or else they’d be bears, not otters), but they always sport a hairy body like them. ^{[3]
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Examples of Famous Otters

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There are a bunch of celebrity otters in pop culture. Nowadays, there is more LGBTQ+ representation in pop culture, from icons like twink Troye Sivan to hunk Ricky Martin. When it comes to otters, this is no different, with the subtype showing up in popular shows like Modern Family. Some of the most popular otters in pop culture include:^{[4]
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- Omar Ayuso
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson
- Billy Eichner
- Scott Evans
- Matt Bomer
- Zachary Quinto

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History of Otters & Other Gay Subtypes

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The origin of otters is unknown, but it’s a subset of the bear, which emerged in 1979. When the term bear was first coined in George Mazzei’s article Who’s Who at the Zoo, it was used to describe all hairy gay guys. But larger gay people began to use it to describe themselves, making way for the otter subtype, as slimmer bears needed a way to describe themselves.^{[5]
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Dean Modah
Queer Linguistics Educator and Cultural Commentator

Expert Interview} Mazzei’s subtypes paved the way for other gay subtypes, with his other six being as follows:^{[6]
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- Owls: Owls are older gays who are beloved by everyone. They’re slightly sarcastic and wear outlandish clothes and jewelry.
- Cygnet Swans: Elegant, beautiful gays who dedicate their lives to looking beautiful. They tend to be snobby and have a great fashion sense.
- Pekes and Afghans: Well-postured, even-mannered gays who tend to go overboard with the people they like.
- Gazelles: Warm gays with hearts of gold who take a business-esque approach to love, life, and happiness.
- Pussycats: Chatty, dry-witted gay guys who are independent, clean, and return exactly as much affection as they receive.
- Marmosets: Attractive, smaller, manicured bears with good taste and cold, unfeeling personalities.
- While many of the subtypes outlined by Mazzei aren’t as popular today, the bear has stuck around.

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What symbol represents otters?

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Otters don’t have an official flag or symbol that represents their subtype, but they’re widely associated with the otter paw print.^{[7]
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How to Support Otters

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Show respect and kindness to otters and other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Always treat otters with respect and dignity, as you would anyone else. This extends to the rest of the LGBTQ+ community, as well. Even if you are unfamiliar with the subcultures, pronouns, and lifestyle, treat everyone with respect, be kind, and be there for them if they need it, especially if you’re close. When it comes to individual acts of support, there are many things you can do, such as:^{[8]
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- Creating social settings that bring your straight, cisgender, and LGBTQ+ friends, family, and loved ones together.
- Mention other LGBTQ+ friends and family in open conversations.
- Find opportunities to openly talk with your straight and/or cisgender friends about your LGBTQ+ friends and family and the issues they deal with.
- Casually mention LGBTQ+ people and news about LGBTQ+ issues in a positive, respectful way.

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Other Gay Body Types

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Twink In the LGBTQ+ community, twinks are young or young-looking gay men who are skinny and mostly hairless.^{[9]
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Dean Modah
Queer Linguistics Educator and Cultural Commentator

Expert Interview} Twinks are one of the most well-known body types in the gay community thanks to queer media like Queer As Folk. Some of the most popular twinks include:^{[10]
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- Noah Schnapp
- Troye Sivan
- Austin Crute
- Brandon Flynn
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Hunk In the LGBTQ+ community, the term hunk refers to a well-built, attractive gay man. This body type wasn’t founded by the LGBTQ+ community, but they have adopted it to refer to those types of men. Hunk is also used in sub-subtypes, like twunk and buck. Many straight men are also considered hunks, including:
- Chris Hemsworth
- Idris Elba
- Zac Efron
- Brad Pitt
- Henry Cavill
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Twunk A twunk is a combination of a hunk and a twink. Twunks are slimmer than hunks, but they still have a well-built, muscular physique that differentiates them from twinks. Some of the most popular twunks include:^{[11]
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- Bob the Drag Queen
- Gavin Creel
- BD Wong
- Doug Spearman
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Bear A bear is bigger, burlier, and hairier than an otter. They may be more masculine than other LGBTQ+ body types (which tends to be represented by their body hair). They’re one of the original body types from Mazzei’s 1970s list of gay body types. Some popular guys who fit the bear look include:^{[12]
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- James Dreyfus
- David Ogden Stiers
- Harvey Fierstein