Let's Talk About: Furries
This week I’m going to tell you the TRUTH about furries. The one that the mainstream media doesn’t want you to know! From attending the largest Furry Convention in the world (Anthrocon) and extensive internet research I have learned their secrets and will share them with you.
Furries have a bad reputation. People think that furries are a bunch of perverts who have some sort of weird fetish or kink and that they’re up to all sorts devious and dirty things both online and off. People assume that a furry convention is going to be a great big orgy with people in animal costumes engaged in acts of defiant sexual congress in every corner.
The thing is, the truth is, this reputation is largely unearned. I’ve been to many conventions, a few furry conventions, mostly your standard Sci-Fi/Nerd/Fandom conventions and I can tell you, with absolute certainty, the furries are no more sexually active than any other convention. What’s more, they are keenly aware of their bad reputation and their cons are pointedly PG and family friendly. AnthroCon is so PG that I had to change the name on my badge, “Magic Condom Fairy”, because the word Condom was too risque and there were kids around. I changed it to “Magic Safety Fairy”. To be totally honest, despite having a reputation for being sex maniacs, Furries are kind of uptight about sex, at least at cons. Very few people are going to want to have sex in a fursuit, because they’re hot, heavy, and don’t lend themselves to sexy times.
Here’s the other thing: Even *IF* furries were a bunch of kinky perverts having sex in their suits, what would that matter? Really, why would that matter to anyone who isn’t a furry? Why would that matter to anyone who isn’t actively engaged in kinky furry sex?
Anyone in Pittsburgh can tell you that the furries are so sweet to this city. This year Anthrocon donated $34,000 to Hope Haven animal sanctuary. They have a parade every year, so that the city can enjoy some of the magic too, even though it’s boiling hot out and they’re all wearing huge fur suits. I brought my 5 year old to the parade and he had a great time, taking pictures and getting high fives.
So, what are furries? Furries are members of the Furry Fandom. The Furry Fandom grew out of the whole Fandom scene, think Comic Co
n and Sci Fi conventions, not to mention countless online messaging boards. For people unfamiliar with the idea of a fandom, it’s basically people who are all into the same thing and like to talk about it. Anything can really be a fandom, I’m in the Harry Potter Fandom, The Lord of the Rings Fandom, the Marvel Fandom, and more. The NFL can be considered a fandom, there are people who like to dress up and go to a place with lots of other fans of the same thing. They like to talk about their teams and decorate their homes with art and memorabilia. It’s a fandom. The furry fandom is based around a mutual love of Anthropomorphic animals. Think Disney’s 1973 Robin Hood, where all the characters are animals. Or the Lion King. Or Zootopia. There are lots of cartoon animal movies, and books about animals living like people (Watership Down or the Redwall Series). People have loved these things for as long as the media has been out there, but the whole concept of “Fandoms” grew out of the sci fi convention and Zine scene of the 80s. However the word “Fandom” wasn’t coined until the first internet boards focused on the tv series the Xfiles in the 90’s. The Furry Fandom grew out of the same movement and became it’s own subculture, both a part of and unique unto itself.
What’s super cool about Furries is the creativity that springs from the fandom. Many members of the furry fandom create their own characters, called Fursonas. There are writers who write new stories for people in the fandom, artists who draw fursonas, comics, and incredible works of art. Builders and crafters who create intricate suits and costumes and more. Some of the art and writing are aimed at adults, not PG friendly. However, any fandom if you delve into it, you will find adult only sections. There’s erotic art and fiction about pretty much every fandom, no matter how wholesome. If you don’t like the erotic art and fiction in your fandom, you can just stay away from it. Most fandom sites are really good about keeping things PG or PG13 unless you are actively looking for more adult content.
Another amazing thing about furries is the acceptance of diversity in sexuality and gender. I’m not trying to say that the furry community is a perfect example of acceptance and love, because there are furries who are bigots and assholes just like anywhere else. However, overall, the community encourages personal expression and exploration for everyone. It’s often a safe haven for people who feel like they can’t express themselves in their day to day lives. All over the con I saw ribbons and buttons with “My Pronouns are..”, encouraging people to both accept and insist on gender diversity. Furries are also largely men. 80% of respondents to a survey about identity in the community identify as men. Many are gay men too, although estimations are hard to pin down and can be unreliable 25% of furries identify as something other than “Heterosexual”. Which is much much higher than the general population. However, as I said, it can be hard to pin down. Some estimations put the number as high as 50 or 75% but I had a really hard time finding data to support numbers quite that high.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find much reliable data on the ethnic breakdown of the Furry fandom, though I’m sure it exists somewhere. Just from my own observations it seems to be mostly white people, though that is true of a lot of the nerd fandoms. In the furry fandom your physical human self matters much less than it does in other fandoms. Your gender, race, body type, or anything else is not the face that others see, your fursona is. In speaking with a couple Furries of color they said that they felt safer and more accepted in the furry community than other fandoms for this reason. I didn’t get a chance to discuss their thoughts further though, and at the time of writing I haven't found any Furry of color blogs or accounts that deal with racism or the question of erasure directly, although I’m sure they exist and I will keep looking.
I can’t say enough good things about the furry community. They’re a wonderful group of people who are inviting, accepting, and fun. Being a nerd, and a cosplayer myself, I’m already on board with getting dressed up and partying with your friends. It’s like Halloween, all year long. There’s a power and beauty in cosplay of all kinds. Really dedicating yourself a transformation is powerful. And the furries get it. It can help you feel l strong when you feel weak, beautiful when you feel ugly, mysterious, sexy, unique, or anything else you can imagine.
The only negative thing I can say about furries is how contagious they are. It’s impossible to go to a Furry con and not start looking around and desiring a pair of ears or a tail all your own. After two you might find yourself lurking on boards and twitter feeds. Recognizing your favorite suits from online and asking for pictures. Making friends and suddenly…. You find yourself wondering “At what point do I *become* a furry?!” And that is the worst thing about furries. They are so welcoming, so fun, so delightful that it’s easy to get sucked in and suddenly- You’re a furry too!
Until next week, Stay safe. You are worth protecting!
-Erin
Hey! If you enjoy the work I do and want to help me be able to do more of it please consider donating to my Patreon so I can go to more conventions, give more face to face presentations, and hand out more condoms to more people! If I get enough patreons I’m going to start doing regular videos to accompany my articles! Patreon.com/TheMagicCondomFairy
Also if you’re interested in learning more about Furries, or maybe in becoming a part of the community yourself please check out these sites:
