Furries are confusing, apparently.

[Yip]

I'm sure many of us have encountered times when the fact that we are furries has confused others. So I thought it might be fun to make a thread about it.

[Yip]

The idea for this thread came from experiences with Amazon.   I sometimes buy what they'd deem "children's merchandise": things like plushies and books. From example, even if it's written for kids, I still find the Dragonbreath series enjoyable.   As a result of these sort of purchases, it sometimes suggests things like diapers or other child care products.  Um... no, I don't have kids.

[Kaiden]

To be honest with you I've never had an experience like that.

More people seem to know about the furry fandom than they used to, and when I first joined almost 10 years ago, a lot of people knew about it then.

There are those out there that still ask what it is, and I'm sure there are people who are part of furry subculture or are furry fans who might be confused on things, or things like furry terminology or "furspeak" but I think most people get the idea.

I have encountered a lot of hate though.

[Blackrose13]

I have not encountered as much hate, but a lot of curiosity.

One would think, in the smallish town i live in, that there would be more hate, but indeed, there is plenty of acceptance, and even some curiosty.

Confusion, unfortunatly, is also in scores. I have had people gently inquire if that means i had sexual interest in animals (NO), while others are confused as to whether I actually THINK I am that animal (therians), if scalies count as furry (Um...I guess?), if I have a suit (not yet!), etc.

The curiosity ranges from probing, to almost frightened.

[Subzerus]

if scalies count as furry (Um...I guess?)

Of course we do count! 

[Yip]

if scalies count as furry (Um...I guess?)

Of course we do count! 

But you don't. have. fur.  How can you possibly be a furry. Next you'll be telling my that avians count too.     Isn't it bad enough that we have to include those... hooved animals.   .......     

[Old Rabbit]

Being furry is a hobby to me. I get a kick out of acting like a  silly rabbit
here on the forum.. But it's only a hobby. In RL I am as serious
as life requires.

I enjoy young peoples literature, especially about fantasy and animal
characters. Even cartoons like Franklin as long as they aren't too infantile.
I have a few animal plushies for fun as well.

Heck life is bad enough without reading adult stories of murder
and war. or history of bad events.  Or dwelling on bad news.

I say have a little fun in life. We aren't  around that long anyway. 
I don't want to spend it frowning and fussing all the time.

[Subzerus]

if scalies count as furry (Um...I guess?)

Of course we do count! 

But you don't. have. fur.

But I thought furries meant anthro animals...  I need a lawyer now!

[Yip]

But I thought furries meant anthro animals...  I need a lawyer now!

Considering that dragons are very popular in the fandom, I don't think you have to worry.


Concerning the topic, I have talked with someone that had a vague idea of what furry was, but they seemed to think you had to have a fursuit to quality or something. So I had to explain to them why this isn't the case.

[Loc]

But I thought furries meant anthro animals...  I need a lawyer now!

Considering that dragons are very popular in the fandom, I don't think you have to worry.


Concerning the topic, I have talked with someone that had a vague idea of what furry was, but they seemed to think you had to have a fursuit to quality or something. So I had to explain to them why this isn't the case.

We get a lot of new-to-the-fandom furries come on the IRC and ask if they are a furry even though they don't have a character or a suit. It's a common misconception because both are right at the front of the easily visible part of the fandom.

[HazardJackal]

Before i didn't tell people i was a furry cause i didn't really care if they knew or not.  Now i don't tell people because i'm not sure if i AM a furry, not that there's any one final definition of the term.

So yeah, the people who wouldn't know about the fandom didn't learn anything from me, and most of my friends don't really care.  Cause of that, there hasn't been much in the way of confusion... other than my own confused feelings about my involvement in the fandom, or course.

[some_random_wusky]

basically, its almost like rule 34. if it exists, it confuses someone. everyone is confused by something to the point taht everything is comfusing.

[Rocco]

Rule 34?

[Yip]

Rule 34?

Rule 34: If it exists, there is porn of it on the internet.

[some_random_wusky]

Rule 34?

Rule 34: If it exists, there is porn of it on the internet.

exactly, so its like that.

if it exists, it also confuses someone

[Jakoo]

Personally I only told 1 person IRL that I'm a furry. He didn't know what I meant so I told him to read about furries on the internet (I'll never make that mistake again) and he was just like "okay". The idea seemed a bit silly to him but we had quite a nice talk, especially about fursuiting.

For me, both scalies and avians count as furries. Although I have no idea why anybody would count cockroaches and worms in.

[Rocco]

Personally I only told 1 person IRL that I'm a furry. He didn't know what I meant so I told him to read about furries on the internet (I'll never make that mistake again) and he was just like "okay". The idea seemed a bit silly to him but we had quite a nice talk, especially about fursuiting.

For me, both scalies and avians count as furries. Although I have no idea why anybody would count cockroaches and worms in.

If we didn't accept cockroaches, we might not have Uncle Kage, and he has done a good bit for the fandom.

[Natura Wolf]

From my experiences with furries,

The only negativity I get from it is from the same place where it sustains it's life...The internet.

In real life, people here are either indifferent or curious.  My mother supports it because it offers opportunities to socialise and explore the world (I went to the midwest furfest and she did research), I am happy that she sees it for that.

That is originally why I joined furtopia, because I orignally found out about furries from porn, and I wanted to explore and find more innocent approaches to the subject that didn't involve sex.  This was at a time I was struggling with my sexuality, and with that was also struggling with other peoples sexual preference, as I was rapidly becoming aware I was very much undesired for both men and women, and felt used at some points.

Only negative views I have seen is from my faincee, who is also a furry.  It's not that he hates furries...he has a difficulty of certain topics (such as sex), and as some furries; like many people found online (as they have the louder voices at times), like to be direct about sex, it makes him anxious.  He has no quarrels though, its just something he cannot fully deal with. 

[Rocket T. Coyote]

When I tumbled into the fandom, I was already a fan of classic animation, not Disney so much as 101 Dalmations was the only movie viewed in the theater until my teens. I joined a local furry forum thinking furries = fursuiters and RP. It was a bumpy ride for a while. That those running said forum were wearing their RL political ideals on their sleeves tended to make it that way for a number of forumites.

Fortunately, that site closed and those responsible have left the fandom.

[Kobuk]

Furries are confusing, apparently.

Yes. Yes we are.