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Text: Furries Debunked –Christine Deneweth
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Javelyn talking. She is a hyena-like animal with black hair and a gray and white head and blue hoodie.
Javelyn: Hi, my name is Javelyn, and I’m a furry.
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Javelyn talking nervously and touching her fingers together.
Javelyn: I’m a little nervous to talk about being a furry because people are judgemental and have cruel stereotypes about furries.
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Javelyn talking and smiling and pointing one finger.
Javelyn: But I realize there are so many negative stereotypes because of the lack of knowledge about furries.
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Javelying talking and looking sad.
Javelyn: Some folks are just too quick to judge before they understand what being a furry is about.
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Javelyn talking with her hand out.
Javelyn: Well, allow me to shed some light on some common questions and misconceptions about furries.
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Text: What is a furry?
Image of a drawing of a fox.
Text: A furry is a person who is interested in anthropomorphic animals and enjoys them either alone or with others.
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Courage the cowardly dog.
Text: What is an anthropomorphic animal?
Text: An anthropomorphic animal is an animal with humanistic qualities like human speech and walking on two legs.
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Black lab on a laptop.
Text: Furries draw anthropomorphic animals, view them online, or look at them at conventions.
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Text: What is a fursona?
Wolf smiling.
Text: A fursona is a customized character a person has made to represent themselves.
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Javelyn smiling and talking.
Javelyn: I’m actually a made-up species called a slink. I’m similar to prehistoric mammals. That’s how I was created and that’s how I’m comfortable identifying.
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Wolf and red panda smiling together.
Text: There is a whole community of furries. There are artists, fursuit makers, fursuiters, roleplayers, and several others that are all part of the community. The community is really a giant family that is there for each other no matter what.
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Fox fursuit head and paw.
Text: Another aspect of the furry fandom is suiting, or wearing a fursuit.
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Image of fursuit partial and full suit.
Text: Many furs commission artists to make them fursuits or they make them on their own. The community is full of artists willing to bring your characters to life or tutorials to get you started.
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Javelyn talking.
Javelyn: You don’t have to have a fursona or a fursuit to be a furry.
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Fritz the cat.
Text: Some history!
Text: In the 60s there was a rise in anthropomorphic animals. Some notable examples are Kimba the White Lion and Fritz the Cat. Fritz was notable because it was specifically for adults.
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Bunny and fox talking.
Text: With adults gaining interest in anthropomorphic animals, furries began making scattered appearances at sci-fi conventions in the 80s, until the first all-furry convention in 1989.
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Crow on laptop.
Text: Soon the internet became more prevalent. Alt.fan.furry became the first major all furry website for furs to socialize on in 1990.
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A group of 90s cartoons.
Text: The 90s released a flurry of anthropomorphic animal shows such as Rocko’s Modern Life, Angry Beavers, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Tiny Toon Adventures, and many more!
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Laptop with a search engine up.
Text: Then in the 2000s there was a rise in other furry sites like Furaffinity and Inkbunny.
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Dragon on laptop.
Text: Today we have Facebook groups, Tumblr, and Instagram too. There are so many ways for furries to connect online and in-person.
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Fox breathing deeply.
Text: What makes someone want to become a furry?
Text: People have lots of reasons for becoming furries. Some use it as a way to relieve stress.
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Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Zootopia smiling.
Text: Some folks had an interest in cartoon characters that evolved into an interest in furries. There are many more examples of furry characters today that can get people interested.
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Cougar and wolf talking.
Text: And some folks were introduced by their friends or partners.
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Javelyn smiling
Text: So what got me interested in the furry fandom?
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Blue monster and bird smiling.
Text: When I was little I used to act like an animal. I even had my own sona and encouraged my friends at school to create their own sonas.
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Javelyn drawn on paper.
Text: Once I was thirteen, I discovered furry art online and I created the same sona that I use today.
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Closet doors.
Text: I actually met a furry in real life. But because of their behavior I got the wrong idea about what furries were like. I continued drawing my sona but I went deep in the closet.
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Javelyn on her laptop.
Text: I ended up joining a furry art website and I got to see the kindness and talent that furries had to offer and I became comfortable with being a furry.
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Javelyn smiling with her fennec fox friend.
Text: It’s been amazing to find other people that are like me.
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Guy talking.
Guy: Is being a furry just a sexual fetish?
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Javelyn talking back at the guy.
Javelyn: The fetish side is only a small part about being a furry. There is absolutely a sexual side to furries but not everyone is into it.
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Lynx smiling and blushing.
Text: Some furries are 100% into the sexual side of the fandom. That’s okay! Fetishes exist! There is such a thing as a furry fetish or enjoying sexualized furry characters. Nothing wrong with that!
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Dalmation holding the asexuality flag.
Text: Other furs are asexual or not interested in sex at all. They may be interested in suiting, non sexual art, non-sexual roleplay and the community aspect.
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Mouse smiling.
Text: Other furs aren’t there for the sex but are open to see what happens or are unsure.
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Wolf with wings smiling.
Text: What’s great about the furry community is everyone is free to explore aspects of themselves without judgment. We are free to explore parts of our identity that society taught us to suppress.
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Guy talking.
Guy: Don’t furries want to have sex with animals?
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Javelyn talking back to guy.
Javelyn: False! Many people many think that because of the fursuits and fursonas. But it’s important to remember that underneath those suits are actual human beings – not animals.
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Javelyn talking.
Javelyn: Yes there are some people who enjoy having sex as a furry, and there are some who only enjoy sex with other furries. But this is adult, consensual, negotiated sex.
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Guy talking.
Guy: Do all furries believe they are animals?
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Javelyn talking back to guy.
Javelyn: Not all furries. Most of us use our sonas as an extension of ourselves but not a replacement for our identity.
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Javelyn talking.
Javelyn: There is something called “otherkin” or people who identify as fictional or non-humans. They may or may not be furries too.
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Woman looking sadly into a mirror.
Text: Otherkin can identify as animals but not identify as furries. They feel dysphoric in their human bodies not a connection to anthropomorphic animals.
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Woman smiling around stars and a planet.
Text: There are all kinds of otherkin: Animals, merpeople, space kin, and many many more!
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Woman looking sadly into a mirror as another woman talks about furries.
Text: But some can be furries too. The difference is identity and how animals relate to that identity.
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Guy talking.
Guy: What happens at conventions? Do people have sex in those suits?
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Javelyn talking.
Javelyn: Furry conventions are fun! People come in every level of dress. Venders sell goods and fursuit parts. And furs mingle. There are even dance competitions sometimes!
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Javelyn talking.
Javelyn: As for the sex part, it really depends on the fur. But if they decide to have sex in their suit, it’s something they do in private.
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Text: Do furries appeal to you but you don’t know where to start?
Text: Join some facebook groups! They’re a great place to meet other furs. Furaffinity.net is another good site but be prepared to see not safe for work art.
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Pencil and paper.
Text: Try to make a sona if you’d like. If you don’t draw ask around on a facebook group or on furaffinity. Some people will help you create a sona.
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Javelyn talking with her finger up.
Javelyn: Explore! Find things you like! Remember there is no specific way to be a furry. Find what you’re comfortable with.
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Group of furs.
Text: The best part about the furry community is the fact that no one is turned away. We are a giant family.
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Javelyn talking and touching her fingers together.
Javelyn: This is a safe place to be yourself. A place full of love and support. What about that deserves hate?
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Javelyn talking with hearts around her.
Javelyn: Fur a lot of people, it’s home!
