Thoughts on Furry

[slycat]

At work this evening, I overheard a work colleague discussing a friend of his wife's who wears "animal costumes with flaps" and attends conventions for other people who share the same interest. The colleague he was discussing it with seemed rather surprised that conventions for these people exist... and as usual (it's not the first time furries have been mentioned at work by coworkers), I had to bite my tongue and say how unusual the concept sounds.

I must say, it does disappoint me that this is how the average person perceives furries. Of course I know that furry isn't exclusive to those who wear costumes and those who do, on the whole, don't do it for sexual kicks. Thinking it over, I can only conclude that people hear about a group of people who attend conventions wearing animal costumes and try to rationalise why people might do that. They don't think about the escapism or performing aspects and so figure it must be a fetish thing. If that is the case however, why don't the cosplayers get the same stigma attached to them? I guess dressing up as your favourite character from a Japanese cartoon is more commonly acceptable than dressing up as a random animal character you made up.

Anyway, it's for reasons like this, I have zero intention to let on that I'm a fur to anyone at work. I just hope that no-one works out why I go to certain places at certain times for my holidays!

Comments

[devilwuff.livejournal.com]

I have also no intention of telling people at work but I have had two people ask if I go to conventions as I always go on holiday at the same time of the year ;)

[smack-jackal.livejournal.com]

I find that I'm a completely different sort of situation. Not only do my all of my co-workers know that I am a furry, they know that I help run of the largest furry conventions in the United States and it's just not that big a deal. Then again, I work in a place there are a lot of furries. My office mate is a furry and we've got a furry or two on our engineering staff.

Now, to that end, I don't go around the office throwing "furry stuff" around openly. I don't wear furry t-shirts nor do I really talk at length about it as it really has no bearing on my professional tasks.

This has, more or less, been my experience for the last sixteen years or so I've been a productive member of the US workforce.

[tryst-fel-cath.livejournal.com]

My cow-orkers are totally down with the furry situation and they honestly don't care. I did RBW stuff in my lunch break, there's posters from previous cons on my wall and a small amount of artwork. Nobody gives a toss.

We used to have two furries - me who's 'out' and another who wasn't. He's left recently, so I guess I'm back to being the token furry for now.

[werepanther.livejournal.com]

Cosplay... Connection they wear there favourite Charakter outfit. People dont need to know the show, nor if it really is a show charakter to assume that its just that, being that charakter.

Futsuit charakter have no relation to another media, hence the question "Why would someone dress up like that ?"

[tktiger.livejournal.com]

How do you think I feel? Not only are furs regular customers at my work place, but meets are organised there and fursuits are encouraged at these events. Even a certain blue squirrel played a game of pool against my boss...

Which means I can get away with furry-related murder at work and no one bats an eyelid. I used to have furry art plastered on my locker in the staff room until we upgraded DDR EuroMix to SuperNova and I was given the EuroMix stickers to plaster all over my locker instead! I also got to take the EuroMix header home too, which is awesome. :)

[ravellwolf.livejournal.com]

"...The colleague he was discussing it with seemed rather surprised that conventions for these people exist... and as usual , I had to bite my tongue and say how unusual the concept sounds."

I have to admit, my first reaction in those type of situations is typically "Oh, you mean this?" and show them a photo of a fursuiting event I attended (usually charity related, to make explanation easier). But then I do love to see peoples reactions and don't really care what they think of me if they can't keep an open mind.

I've never really had a bad reaction to be honest, usualy intrigue or at worst incredulity, some even seem to get it... sort of. :p

[hytiger.livejournal.com]

First They Came - Pastor Martin Niemoller

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialist
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

[whitepaw.livejournal.com]

After I decided to leave my last job (and before I actually left), I gradually increased the level of furry stuff I displayed. At one point I was walking around the office with my EF14 ID on, hiding the official photo ID that we were supposed to wear at all times — it took two weeks for anyone to say anything. I also had a tail on for a bit, that was fun, and again, nobody really seemed to notice.

[tilt-longtail.livejournal.com]

LOL "flaps"

[eldabion.livejournal.com]

While I can appreciate not wanting to "out" as a furry, my eventual assessment is that it is the better approach. I do think that the "gay" analogy is valid, insofar as the more people keep quiet, the more the rest of the world will continue to assume that furries are all freaks who do it for their sexual kicks.

What we need are articulate people who can communicate the spirit that is furry (something that is hard in itself to pin down) to the wider population. I know I'm not very good at it, but I think like everything else, practise does lead to improvements.

So I'm not saying start with the "big one" with your coworkers, but find opportunities at meets or other situations to bring up the topic and do your best to try and explain it to others.