1. What is your name? What is your age? Where are you from? What is your fursona? What aspects of your identity would you relate to being a Furry, specifically that animal?
-My name is Nicholas, I am eighteen years old and I am a born and raised Washingtonian; having been to all corners of this beautiful (albeit often dreary) state. I have a whole slew of 'sonas (my scaly versions being called scalesonas), and they range from a generic dragon, to a mechanically revived supercroc anthro forged into the ultimate weapon and soldier. But my primary, and absolute closest to me, is Sytex Xiuhcoatl. He is the dragon depicted in my avatar, and he is not only a character to represent me, but one I feel such a deep kinship with that I could easily consider him tangible.
(More info on him here, click this text.)-Honestly, I have asked many of my fellow furries if they think a mammal would fit me, and they all have said no. When I ask why, I don't get much other than "I just don't see a fox or a wolf or anything of the sort befitting you." My girlfriend (a fellow scaly) has pretty much said the same thing as well. But through some manner of analysis, I have discerned that it is my manner that describes a reptile. When it is cooler, I tend to be much more lethargic and slow (not in the head, but in body) and my overall energy is extremely low, but once the sun comes out and warms the Earth around me I perk up immediately and my energy levels peak. Honestly, there were some other details, but I cannot recall them at this moment in time. But in any case, I have a serious affinity for reptiles regardless.
2. Do you feel that you take on a separate identity as a Furry, or is it simply an extension of your everyday identity?
-It really depends on the manner in which my 'sonas are being shown. If it is within my prose and poetry, I would consider them more or less a separate identity (with strong connections to me, however). But in most cases, I just consider them all an extension of myself in some way or another (Sytex and Renu (Renu being my secondary scalesona, a cross between an Epanterias and Tyrannotitan) encompassing the majority of my traits). So I would have to claim the latter is more fitting to me, I feel that my scalesonas are all just an extension of myself.
3. Who are you outside of being a Furry? (ie job, lifestyle, family...)
-I'm a High School Junior (some setbacks four years prior) with a keen aptitude and interest in theatrics (acting and the like), literature (both composing it and reading it). My other general interests are practically all art related; Music, drawing and painting, video games, and film, with a similarly strong interest in biology, philosophy, physics, theoretical things and the space related sciences. I am in a divorced family, living with my Grandparents while my mother holds my three first siblings, a half-brother living with my dad's ex-girlfriend, and my Father working in North Dakota (in Ukraine currently, for sake of getting remarried). I stay close to home, oftentimes, and don't go out way too frequently, but not horribly infrequently either. And pardon if I mention my girlfriend a lot, but she just influences my life a lot and makes me feel alive.
-My literary tastes fall specifically into Fantasy and Science Fiction, with a tiny bit of military and realistic fiction. Musically, I love Rock (primarily Metal) and electronica (industrial, dance, trance and industrial metal). Video games, I play Pokemon, Fallout, Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto, Halo, Legend of Zelda, Starfox, Super Smash Brothers, Dead Space, Mario Kart, Metroid and some others. I love locations with lots of water, and reasonably high temperatures (60-100 F), and love forests. I have a little dog, a five year old Boston Terrier-Chihuahua cross, and he is a great friend. I live with my loving Grandmother and harsh-but-caring Grandfather, and have many friends in and out of school. I am a natural "big brother" after helping raise my three younger siblings, so I always look out for people and help them out.
4. How do you feel about how the public sees you? How do you feel when in public as a Furry? What experiences have you had with the public? (stories?)
-To be blunt, I couldn't care less if society hates or forsakes me for what I am interested in. As Anoni said, it's fine so long as you offer no detriment to those around you; and if others aren't willing to see things that way, so be it. I have no hold over their actions, but I'm not about to be anything less than stoic. Some people ask, sometimes I just state it, but I'd feel guilty to be arrogant or pressing about it. So I remain neutral to society's opinions (until it hurts someone, anyways).
-Well, I don't wear collars or tails or anything of the sort, not even at home. I don't own any, in the first place. So nobody really knows until they ask, or a friend gossips about it. I'm just like every other High Schooler, in all reality, just a completely benevolent one.
5. How much of your time is devoted to this other identity? (ie time spent costume-making, conventions, forums, etc)
-It's a daily thing, I check this forum pretty much every hour and watch things or hop on the IRC and chat. And outside of that, I watch a few artists on FurAffinity and keep tabs on their work, and on DeviantArt as well (my dear girlfriend being one of those artists
). And I am always RPing something furry with friends involved or my girlfriend. I'd say a good eighty percent of my time is likely devoted to something fandom related.
-I am also dying to attend a convention of some sort involving the fandom, I have watched videos and such and the events are fantastic; with amazing artists and interesting folks, and many interesting proceedings. And I would also like a fursuit (or scalesuit in my case
), particularly one that has some features that make it more than just a piece of fabric looking like my 'sona, a moving mouth would be
phenomenal.6. Are you a part of a larger community? Do you feel like this is a united community? Are there subgroups that the public may not see? Do the same prejudices and stereotypes that exist in the larger public community (ie race, gender) affect the community you identify with?
-The largest furry community I am involved in has to be this very forum, a place with people that welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home as if I were a lost family member. And the largest unrelated community I involve myself in a lot would be DeviantArt, because I do a lot of writing and art critiquing (though I have been so inactive, I need to revive myself).
7. What are your opinions and feelings about the connotations associated with the word “Furry”? Do you feel they are positive, negative, or both, and how does this influence your identity with this community? If you are confronted with these stereotypes in everyday life, how do you deal with them?
-Like most of the others here, I have to say a lot of the connotation with the term is negative, but I also see a ton of neutrality, but negativity runs rampant. This fact does not influence my identity with the community either, everyone has their opinions. I'm not hurting anyone or myself, so it's not something bad. I think just how widespread and harsh the negative opinion is can be described as asininity and hypocrisy; everyone now is trying to endorse "equality" and "understanding," and then a good lot of the fandom is demonized? I find these negative views to be bullying, and nothing better.
-The furry fandom is generally full of really kind and understanding people, plenty of artists and writers, along with musicians, and practically any other occupation, even. We have some furry cops and soldiers, here on The Furry Forums! This fandom is huge, although young, and it encompasses all shades and manners of people.
8. How do friends and family feel about this identity? Do they know or is this an aspect of your lifestyle that is private? Do both sides of your identity converge at any point, or are they separate? (ie friends, hobbies)????
-My family does know to some minor extent, and they are fine with it. And my friends are completely passive to the idea, though I do get some passive jokes made, nobody actually bashes my interest. Like I said, if someone asks, I answer honestly without arrogance.
-Yes, both sides of my identity constantly converge. My Xbox Live Gamertag is Sytex Xuihcoatl, as is my name on dA and a few other locations, I like to talk about my 'sonas with those interested (because all of them are characters in some kind of tale), and I always have some picture of Sytex or my 'sona stored on my phone (the pictures make awesome backgrounds). So on and so forth, my fandom involvement is a huge part of my life despite how passive I seem about it to many others.
