# You don't have to be a "Furry" to wear a Fursuit.



## She-King (Mar 9, 2012)

EDIT*****

(JUST KNOW THAT WHEN I FIRST WROTE THIS AI HAD ALL SORTS OF THINGS UNCLEAR AND BY THE END OF THIS I HAVE FIGURED OUT WHAT THE HECK I WAS TRYING TO SAY...JUST SO YOU KNOW AS YOU READ. I HAD SOME LABELS MISPLACED WHICH THAT BECOMES THE ISSUE WITH THE REPLIES TO THIS WHICH IS WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED, ACTUALLY)

I've seen some chastising in other forums over these past few months, of my research, on other websites about how deep people get into the "Furry" fandom. Not everyone who is wearing a fursuit is a "Furry". I want to point this out for various reasons. I kinda became interested in fursuit costuming a few months back and I have realized, through my own conversations with friends and family, how this kind of thing goes for what it is and how to explain why I want to do it and how it can be done.

A fursuiter might have an anthro character that's an alien species, native to another universe who looks like an animal in star wars or star trek or something else entirely. They might not act beastly at all. I just wanted to say that I'm not a "Furry" and I don't think that I have animal characteristics. Some people just like to costume. It's an art form, really. It's character developement, story writing, roleplaying, a hobby of sorts. 

Do I think I'm in tune with the animals i see everyday? Do I walk on my tip toes, lick myself, lift my head and sniff like a rabbit sensing danger? Well, no. I'm human. For those that do, you're free to do that. I don't agree with that, however, so I don't do it, lol. Plain and simple. I don't need to go around snapping at other people that do. That's silly and it just pisses people off. Pardon the french.

I just like to costume. It's fun to dress up and play a character and create my own suit. I'm a writer, an artist, and a musician and so are others who do this for the same reason.

Acting like an animal is between that person and the forces at work in their head. They have free will. I, however, have chosen to act like a human, which I am, outside of the suit or character in costume I play.

This was just a thread to share the misconception about people in fursuits and to help people figure out how to separate good from bad for their preferences or their faith, for that matter. If you don't agree with the fandom at it's core, then stay away from people that are too into it if you have figured out how far that is for you or if you're not sure. You don't have to get that into it. If you'd like to have fun anyways because, you too, like to just costume, find a local group of friends that share similar views with you or start your own. There are people looking for like-minded people all over the place and some are just yearning to have a costuming group of sorts minus the animal-behavior some people lifestyle.

There is nothing wrong with "Fursuiting" for just that. Wearing a suit that looks like an animal. What do you call cartoon animals? I mean, what is that for? What did we grow up with if it's wrong to dress in a mascot costume of your original character? No fun, man!

I'm just trying to help those that might have been shot down by people who think the whole thing is foul because they wanted to participate. It does have very bad places and bad people, yes, but that doesn't mean you can't go or not get to do it. Use your own judgement, if you're an adult. Make a compromise if your a minor and your parents are still in charge over you. Do as they say and then when you're out of the house, you can decide for yourself. Yes, if they have strict views, it may suck. It's not the end of the world. I'm 21 years old and I did have moments of wanting to scream because I didn't get to go with a friend, keep a friend, or do something I found appealing. Did I have bad intent? No, but darn it, I wanted to do it. The parents said no for various reasons. Just go with it and maybe talk it over with them and explain you mean no harm. Parents will be parents and sometimes they might approve anyways if you talk it over with them.

Just go with a group of people that you trust. There is safety in numbers. If you're weirded out and you don't want hugs at a con because you're scared of the kinds of people there, then say so. Have a friend point that out or announce it if you want. A disimissive gesture is all right to. People HAVE to look at this before they go to a con anyways.

With good research on this topic, I'm pretty confident that other fursuiters will respect that. THey are a very open people whether you are or not and they will respect your close mindedness on a lot of things as long as you express it lovingly, kindly, and reasonably. No, it's not necessary to bring it up directly in conversation or introductions unless they ask. People will back off and leave you alone regardless of why because there's no way to know why for someone they don't know lol. 

If you still don't like any of it at all, then stay out of it. Don't snoop on websites, don't watch vids, and don't go. Stay away from it all together. Don't go complaining about stuff you purposefully get yourself into just to make a point! Don't look for the trouble you know is out there. That's very foolish.

Just wanted to put this out there because I am Christian and I've heard and read the things that people do in this fandom. I don't agree with a lot of it because of that, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself in a way that protects myself. It's just common sense. If you're Christian and you don't think Jesus would do it, then don't do it. Plain and simple. Keep to yourself about it unless someone asks. Don't go around banging heads in. Jesus didn't do that and some witness that would be either, lol.

Feel free to comment, guys! Feels good to put that out there. Sometimes people are silly and they can't make up their minds, but that doesn't mean you bash others for it.


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## Tybis (Mar 9, 2012)

You're trying to teach a rocket scientist the concept of multiplying.
Obvious things are obvious.


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## Ad Hoc (Mar 9, 2012)

She-King said:


> Do I think I'm in tune with the animals i see everyday? Do I walk on my tip toes, lick myself, lift my head and sniff like a rabbit sensing danger? Well, no. I'm human. For those that do, you're free to do that. I don't agree with that, however, so I don't do it, lol. Plain and simple. I don't need to go around snapping at other people that do. That's silly and it just pisses people off. Pardon the french.


. . . You're mixing up furries with otherkin or something. Furry is just a hobby, if it's conflicting with your "faith" then you're probably doing it wrong.


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## Translord (Mar 9, 2012)

You're confusing furries with therians. For furries, it's a hobby, Therians are the spiritual ones. I can say that for myself, I'm a furry BECAUSE I'm a therian, and suiting makes me feel closer to my animal. However, there's lots of furries who just do it for fun. They do it for enjoyment, making people smile, etc. There are definitely some therian furries, but not all furries are therians. It would be therianthropy that would conflict with a religion, however I'm a therian and a Christian as well so... it depends on your view on your religion. Being a furry should have no influence on your spiritual beliefs at all.


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## She-King (Mar 9, 2012)

OH? Well, then why don't furries get that right and stop calling themselves "Furries"?. I tried to dig into the fandom and such and nobody labeled themselves like that in such a serious manner to the point of a religious faith. How am I supposed to know what people are if they don't even know what they actually are? LOL. I can't take it seriously if they don't, hehe. But thanks for the insight. However, I think it would help people who are new to the fandom if they made a separate section for "Therians or Therianthropy." It's hard to effectively research when people bunch it into one when it's not.  Just saying. That way its easier to distinguish. I really don't think a lot of Therians know what it is. They call themselves a Furry and never specify what kind they are. I'm not getting mad I just don't know why, if people take it so seriously, why they aren't serious enough to mention how serious they are. Just confusing to me, is all. I didn't know there was a practice that had a specific name. Learn something new everyday 8)


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## Fay V (Mar 9, 2012)

Yeah you mixed furries with therians. 

Basically the only common denominator for furries is they are "fans of anthropomorphic animals". Some furries think they have a spiritual connection to animals, most don't. Some furries fursuit, most don't. etc. 

As for fursuiting, yeah you're preaching to the choir here. I don't know that many people on the forum insist that it is only a way to get close to your character. I mostly just do it for the performance, and I love the psychological aspect of working with kids.

We actually have some really great fursuiters on this forum with some solid advice for how to go outside the fandom and just go costuming.

Your research must have been...interesting, but you ought to have checked out this forum to see how furry was treated.


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## Tybis (Mar 9, 2012)

Well, a lot (most?) people don't seem to know the difference between Therian and Furry.
The people on this forum aren't those kinds of people, we know the difference very well.


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## Translord (Mar 9, 2012)

Yeah, I didn't know much of the difference for a while either. It was confusing at first :3 
If someone doesn't want to be labeled a furry, then that's alright with me. Fursuits don't define a person by any means. 
But it does seem a bit like they do get kind of lumped together- therianthropy and furries. Though I think some people don't mention it because in ways, they can get judged for it, and in ways it's almost like coming out as gay or something- people can have the reaction thinking that it's strange and not normal and all, or they can be accepting. Its always seemed to be comparative to LGBT people to me in that there's the people who are completely open about it and don't care who knows, and there's the people that tend to hide it. 
You know, it would be nice to have a sticky or something about therianthropy, because I've seen it mentioned a few other places, and I know not everyone knows what it is. :3


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## Tybis (Mar 9, 2012)

Translord said:


> You know, it would be nice to have a sticky or something about therianthropy


We don't have something to that effect?
Somebody should go make one, NOW.


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## Translord (Mar 9, 2012)

Which forum would this go best on? :/ Den maybe? I dunno... Any ideas?


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## She-King (Mar 10, 2012)

See? That's what I mean, people lump it together and unless you ARE and have BEEN part of this community you KNOW. If you're not and haven't been, then you don't know and that's the problem I'm trying to address. There's nothing to be ashamed of, but because people don't want to learn the difference nor know how, nobody can truly enjoy themselves in the "HObby". Therians "Fursuit". They don't "Furry" for the hobby. They fursuit for the faith they have. I wish people would literally say this. I just need a literal explanation so not everyone will do well with this, lol!

The only reason why I made this is because some people are so flustered about this thing, like I was, they don't know what to do about it if they want to have fun. I was only trying to help, but since I didn't know HOW to research or that there were even furry web forums, I didn't do an effective job. Until tonight, I didn't know the word "Therian." A lot of people don't know it either.

I'm talking about people who don't KNOW HOW to RESEARCH this kind of thing. I didn't know of "Furry" forums when I first got interested in this and I didn't know some people have a religion they use fursuits for. It didn't cross my mind and it doesn't for newcomers either. SOmetimes asking doesn't even occur to newer people. Who goes around asking if this is a lifestyle religious practice or a hobby? This is what I was trying to get across, but I have trouble with explaining myself in words. I can write stories and animate third person like the dickens, but when it comes to my own words, I stumble pretty frequently.  I don't know why. 

Thank you all soooo much for ,making that clear and taking me aside. Sometimes, for me, I just need a bonk in the head. I draw circles around my own conclusions like nobody's business. Now, I can explain this to other people effectively so I'm NOT judged and they might get into it too if they've hesitated before hand or they can explain and spread the word, intelligently.

The problem is, the general public doesn't want to learn so they generalize the entire thing with the pornagraphy, sex, art, and whatever else is in it which is not "Furry" literally. That's yiff, and other things which someone should explain too, but that's a whole nother thing entirely I care not to go into since I do know what it is LOL.

With much thought, the start of this topic can be for the confused individual who hasn't figured out their take on the fandom and things it involves yet, lol. I'll pretend its for a very confused person, so flustered they think everyone in the fandom is WRONG and has a bad habit of making that point a stern note, verbally. Just don't do it if you don't agree, which was what I was trying to say before. My words get so circled and such. Oy!


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## Fay V (Mar 10, 2012)

Not all therians fursuit so far as I am aware. within the furry fandom it's 10-20% of the members maybe, as far as therian goes, I don't know the numbers but I'd never heard of it as a strong association before. 

All in all it boils down to the same issue. bad press and people not knowing what they're talking about. That's true for everything. no one wants to take the time to learn all about shonen, shojo, and all the little bits to manga if that's not their thing, same goes for furry. 
Now we can all cry and whine about how people are mean and getting the wrong impression, or you can man up and live you life in the way that you want others to see it. I've never been associated with religion or with sex for my fursuit. I've never had a negative reaction beyond a guy jokingly saying "I'm not sure if you're awesome or a pervert" and that was at a movie showing sponsered by our local adult store so yeah. 
The reason I have never had an issue is the way I use my fursuit. It's for innocent fun and charity. You'd be surprised but most people find fursuits to be pretty cool unless mascots in general creep them out. 

It's pointless to go on about other people and what they think. all you can do is change yourself. Change the way you present yourself. Eventually if enough people present themselves positively the ideas of others will change, but on a personal level life is easier when you man up and take responsibility for the way you are treated.


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## She-King (Mar 10, 2012)

I agree with you there and that is true. If enough people in a lot of things didn't act stupid or bad, then people wouldn't have assumptions, presumptions and yadda yadda. But now I know a lot more than what I started with. I was willing to ask people what they did, but I don't want to upset anyone, either and that's no excuse to stay ignorant in a manner of speaking, lols. Just silliness right there.


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