Hello furries of Furtopia.
So, I've been considering being a furry for some time now, and I would like to learn about some things that I need to know in order to become a bipedal dog that likes to play video games and has an obsession with cheese. Of the sort, at least.
1. Telling people I'm a furry.
I love drawing. When there's absolutely nothing to do, I whip out my notebook and pencil and whisk myself to my world of wonder. I draw comics (and even wrote a book) about all the adventures my characters have. I am not one of those pro drawers that you see on DeviantArt; rather just an amateur comics guy that keeps doing his thing until his pencil breaks. And of course, there are anthropomorphic animals in some of them. My comics are a huge hit with my friends and classmates, and they enjoy the character appearances, their personalities, catchphrases ("we're screwed for life!"), and other things that put smiles on their faces which I barely notice myself. They treat my walking, talking animals like they're just another one of "those guys." And pretty soon, my pals will see them more and more times until finally, I admit the truth. The problem here is how I do it. I tell my friends, they look it up, they think it's weird, and they'll tease me. Not my cup of tea.
My own family might also be like them. I've heard that some people just tell their parents they're furry, and they'll walk away (or something like that). My dad will probably tell his pals that he's "worried" about my obsession with furries and that they definitely need to put me in sports or whatever. My mom will see all that "yiff" junk that adult furries do, and she'll ground me from the Internet for a month. My sister will think I'm a weird person, and that I need to "man up." My brother will ask me why I'm a furry, and he'll just say it's crap and he'll keep on telling me that it's a weird thing to be for a kid my age (I'm 14). We were actually bronies, but as time passed, he started to hate it. If he hates My Little Pony, so shall he hate the furry fandom (I think). So I don't have any good reasons to tell them, which is why I depend on you. I'm even more scared to ask my parents' permission if I can request someone to make a fursuit based off one of my characters (that is, if that will ever happen; I heard it gets real hot in there. Also, they're ridiculously expensive). Furry cons are family friendly (I hope), but I'll need to take a plane from Florida to Pennsylvania if I want to go to Anthrocon (that will probably never happen). So, expert furries, I hope you have some answers for, um, thing 1.
2. Requirements as a furry (how to be one).
From sources I've read, it is completely optional to have a fursuit in your repertoire, along with the accessories it uses, like, say, a neckerchief. But how can I become a furry? Do I have to make a bond with an animal I really like? Do I have to admit that I'm not a human anymore and that I have a spirit of an animal? I mean, humans are supposed to be greater in precedence than animals, according to the Bible (I'm a Christian, and I completely respect your beliefs) and I think that in the fandom, furries contradict that. Is that true at all?
Anyway, to also become a furry, I guess you need to develop characteristics for your furry character, called a fursona. In real life, I just walk around like I'm in a fursuit; a happy guy that wants hugs from kids and loves a good conversation. If fursuiters don't do that, then I must be totally wrong. LOL. Well, in my opinion, it is a definition of a fursona, with the missing link being a fursuit.
Artwork of furries are everywhere. Is it mandatory to admire the art to become a furry? I honestly think not; I just have to say all you need is a fursona, and that you feel your inner wolf. But if you are a fursuiter, and you don't have a fursona, then you aren't considered a furry (or so I've heard). That animal spirit thing suits fine with me, but I'm not entirely crazy about it. As I was saying, furry art may be an important reason someone is a furry, but I don't need to be all-for-it, am I right?
3. What I like about furries, and what I don't like (and what can be fixed).
Anthros are humanlike animals to begin with. They talk like humans, sometimes act like humans, and eat like humans. Consider them "man-animal hybrids." Yet the human version of the anthro, the furry, has a dark side beneath its quirky exterior. Why is there yiffing? It is completely wrong and is basically evil. They are taking sex to the extreme. Now the majority of furries do not yiff, but that is only by 70%. Yiffing is something that was made by humans, and ruins the whole furry fandom; which is why many people think furries are weird. As a furry, your main intention is to act human when you're actually an animal. But yiffing would not be something you do, right? It's absolutely criminal in my eyes. It would probably ruin relationships, and people would think twice about being friends with you. So I'm asking this to all the furries out there: PLEASE DO NOT DO SOMETHING THAT AN ANIMAL WOULD NOT, EXCEPT BEING HUMAN. Real-life anthros do not exist; you're just imitating what you would do as one. So be a normal furry, and do it right.
Furries have a bright side, fortunately, and many non-furries miss that. People just hop into a fursuit, go for a stroll in a park or mall, and have fun there. Around kids, furries are kid-friendly. I'm not saying they're not kid-friendly all the time, but it is something that I like. Dance with them, play games, and just pretend that you're like one of those anthros that kids have as plush toys. That is a core concept of the furry fandom, in my opinion. So if I run into a "g-rated" furry that does not have a bad history, that furry is welcome to my affairs.
You just need to remember: don't be completely animal; have a balance. It counts all the time.
I guess that's it. I'm sorry if it's a bit too wordy, but I hope I've given you enough information for you to compile. Also, I would appreciate it if you can give me reasons why I should become a furry. If they are persuasive enough, I may finalize my decision. So, TTYL, and thanks.