I like the fact your willing to bring up the fandom's dirty laundry. (iii.- d.) Please remember this. It's not the person who started the fight. it's the person whining about the fight no one wants to listen to. If you go up there and say "we're not' and play the victim card they will eat you alive. Tell the truth. These things happened. Sensationalism is a self inflicted wound the fandom is still dealing with. I'd hit them with something I don't think I've ever heard anyone say. "If this was still going on one one in their right mind would allow us in convention centers." Then I'd give them the numbers. Go to this page
http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Template:Upcoming_events . Just form this year. Start with the lower ones and go all the way up to Anthrocon.
It would be really cool if you could show video. Get permission from Kijani Lion or Wild Bill Tex or from others. Videos showing the publics reaction to furrys. Everything form parks to the bar across the street from Anthorcon. With these vids playing with out sound behind you, tell people who we are. Tell them we create our own characters. People see it. Tell them we're a fandom with a large number of artists and musicians. People see it. Tell them about fursuiting in public. People see it. Tell them about meetups and gatherings. People see it. All positive. All the truth.
Tell them the truth about how the fandom started it's problems. Tell the truth about who we are. Please don't whine about either one.
These ideas are from my own personal experience. I found out about the fandom earlier this year. Yes wile searching for porn. What I found disgusted me. Absolutely disgusted me. Then I came across videos from Kijani Lion. This was not what I expected. The I found out there are conventions. large numbers of people getting together. NO WAY. There is no way anyone would have 1.000 people doing that in a place of business. So I dug in and well, after learning allot about the fandom, here I am. I've had a Whinny the Po like world going on in my head for a good 20 years. Used it for stress relief. In a nut shell. Sensationalism is what got me interested. Digging behind all that and finding the truth is what got me in.