'Both straight and gay wrestlers share a fundamental ease with the body and with body contact,' says Nick Zymaris of New York City's Metro Wrestling Club. And in a community where physical contact usually implies sex, some gay men misunderstand the tactile male bonding. 'Many gay men associate wrestling with foreplay to a sexual encounter or think it will lead it there,' says Mark Lavik of Rhode Island, who runs New England's East Coast Wrestling Club. Those who initially think of wrestling as an elevated form of playing are often surprised by the physical demands of the sport. But it remains limited to a dedicated few hundred among the thousands of adults who wrestle. With 17 gay-inclusive clubs in North America, and more in Europe and Australia, wrestling in the GLBT community has enjoyed a growing reputation. Yet, despite wrestling's sexy image and revealing singlets, relatively few wrestlers are openly gay.

Grappling With It: Gay Wrestlers Heat Things Upįreestyle wrestlingpracticed at the Olympics, at Gay Games, and most tournaments in Americahas long been a refuge for athletes seeking a demanding winter sport.