The 250,000 Americans who identify as Furries often consider themselves misunderstood.
The Furry fandom, which is made up of people who take an interest in animals with human characteristics, began in the 1980s – with members since then spurred on by a love of anthropomorphic animals like those in Disney movies and video games.
The community has grown tremendously since then, but with outsider interest reaching new heights, Furries often found themselves in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Just this week, the community came under a negative spotlight after a member assaulted a man who was filming a group on Huntington Beach.
And several Furries have spoken out about the common misconceptions that are sweeping the fandom – especially regarding it being branded as just a fetish.
The 250,000 Americans who identify as Furries often consider themselves misunderstood
The Furry fandom, made up of people who take an interest in animals with human traits, began in the 1980s — with members since then spurred on by a love of anthropomorphic animals like those in Disney movies and video games
Attendance at Anthrocon, the largest furry convention in the US, hit an all-time high earlier this year with 13,644 attendees
The Furry Community – in which 84 percent identify as male13 percent as female and 2.5 percent as trans – are often dissatisfied with their representation in popular culture, including in shows such as CSI: Fur And Loathing In Las Vegas and 1,000 Ways To Die.
And in a recent documentary, posted earlier this month by Real storiesmembers of the community laid bare their realities as they attempted to dispel the misconceptions that have long plagued the fandom.
One Furry, who goes by the name of Bandit, began by offering some insight on how he got started: “My fur-sona is actually meant to memorialize my dog. He was bouncy and fun and loving and I think when I wear Bandit, I’m kind of him.
“I could say it’s the opposite of my life, because I’m a pretty laid-back guy without a suit — and when I get into a suit, I get ‘party fun.'”
He addressed the idea of the community being spurred on by fetishism, saying, “It pisses me off when I meet people who say ‘oh you just have to dress up in those suits and party and go ahead and have sex have in those suits.”
“If you’ve ever had vigorous naked sex, you know how much you sweat, can you imagine doing that in a full fur suit?” You would die. It can quickly reach over 100 degrees in the head. So no, that’s a false statement to even think that’s all it does.”
But he admitted, “Yeah, there’s sex that happens in the fandom — I remember when I was in my 20s — but the fur-sona, fandom thing is about helping other people, to put a smile on the magic people’s faces and make them forget about the real world and all their problems.’
And this is a sentiment that has been vehemently echoed by others in recent years as interest continues to grow.
One Furry, who goes by the name of Bandit, began by offering some insight on how he got started: “My fur-sona is actually meant to memorialize my dog. He was bouncy and fun and loving and I think when I wear Bandit I’m a little bit him’
Addressing the idea that the community is spurred by fetishism, Bandit said, “It pisses me off when I come across people who say ‘oh, all you do is dress up in those suits and party and go ahead and have sex in those suits “‘
Attendance at Anthrocon, the largest furry convention in the US, hit an all-time high earlier this year with 13,644 attendees.
Anthrocon CEO Samuel Conway, who himself is a Furry by the name of Uncle Kage, has long sought to protect the reputation of community members – and protect the Furries from reputational damage.
The documentary shared clips of him adamantly persuading other Furries to be careful when speaking to the media – telling them to “deviate” and “not to speak as individuals.”
He also expressed his outrage at Furries publicly sharing the sexual elements of the subculture.
For example, the Furry, known as Chew Fox, and her partner, Tom Cat, from just outside of Seattle, Washington, had previously appeared on The Tyra Banks Show to discuss sex in fur suits.
Within hours of the broadcast, the pair were bombarded with online abuse from other members of the community who claimed she had “disgraced the entire fandom for their own personal gain.”
And soon after, Conway himself labeled Chew Fox a ‘little f***ing b****’.
But there can be no doubt that there is a sexual element to the fandom.
In the Furry community, 84 percent identify as male, 13 percent as female, and 2.5 percent as transgender
Furries can range from those who use it as a “weekend release” to others who see it as a lifestyle and “think in that mode”
The documentary reached an employee of Bad Dragon – an American manufacturer of “fantasy-themed sex toys primarily aimed at members of the Furry fandom.”
The worker, who goes by the name of Varka and describes himself as a**ksmith, unveiled a slew of products offered by the company to meet the needs of the community.
And if we take a closer look at the company’s website, there are items available for most anthropomorphic desires, including molds representing rabbits, werewolves, and dragons.
But members were quick to realize that, as with any community, there were “extremes” at both ends of the scale – and that not everyone had the same mindset and experience.
Furries can range from those who use it as a “weekend release” to others who see it as a lifestyle and “think in that mode.”
But with fur suits costing anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000 – becoming a Furry is not for the faint hearted.
The video insight followed another Furry’s bid to legally change their name to that of their persona.
Boomer The Dog, who wears a collar every day, said their fur-sona was inspired by the TV show Here’s Boomer, which ran from 1980 to 1982.
The Furry community has often been dissatisfied with their representation in popular culture, including in shows such as CSI: Fur And Loathing In Las Vegas (pictured) and 1,000 Ways To Die
Boomer The Dog, who wears a collar every day, said their fur-sona was inspired by the TV show Here’s Boomer which ran from 1980 to 1982
Unfortunately, Boomer’s (left) petition for a legal name change was rejected – not before Anthrocon CEO Samuel Conway (right) expressed his displeasure with their voice
The Furry, who also previously appeared on Dr. Phil appeared, said when the series went off the air they wanted to “keep the spirit alive” and now says, “I like to think like I’m a dog, and I look at the world with fangs and see things that way .’
Unfortunately, their request for a legal name change was denied – but not before Conway also expressed his displeasure with Boomer’s voice.
And, in an attempt to discredit them, he labeled Boomer “arguably insane” and a “lunatic.”
With infighting seemingly widespread, a participant in the documentary known as Quad concluded, “A lot of other communities don’t really have the same problems as the Furry community.
“But I feel like a lot of the problems the Furry community has are caused by themselves – they’re mostly trying to put themselves in a good light when they don’t necessarily.”
He continued, “I’m not saying things are bad or wrong with the Furry community, but they’re certainly not really portrayed. It’s just what they want you to see….
“If you just let things be, it might be a nicer place. People might just accept Furries as they are.”