Confusion [need answers]

[Joey]

Greetings!


I am a new member to this forum (I just registered today) and I do not know if I will ever use this account.


The reason behind this is my great confusion of whether or not I am a furry in the first place. I am biologically male and I realised that I might be a furry, I


 just do not know what that means. In my friend group there is a big joke on how furries are cancerous, autistic, I don't know if I can curses that plague the


internet, causing 'cringy' 10 year-olds to jump on board. And while I always laughed at the jokes because without them my friends would probably ask why


 the hell I'm so quiet. I never found these jokes very funny and I think the main reason is that I think I may be a furry. The problem is that I don't know


what that implies. I see many things on the internet of furries that I find weird, does that make me someone who isn't a furry? But I also very much enjoy


anthropomorphic animals, I would just never dress as one. What does being a furry imply? What am I? I am so confused!


Someone please help me in my dilemma.


Sincerely,
^{[insertnamehere]}

[HellEye]

Technically a furry is someone who likes the art. If you like the art and you want to be a part of the community you're a furry. Of course you can like the art and not be in the community.
As for the jokes, a lot of people don't like us because of all the misconceptions centred on the fandom. Most of course aren't true, but they can't be removed from existence. People will always hate someone, it just so happens that they hate us.
Dressing as animals and doing things like that isn't a requirement of being in the fandom. It's just what people like doing. If you have any other questions about the fandom feel free to message me privately

[Albie]

I haven't been here for long and also was confused about what it all entailed at first.  I always liked the art for the longest time. 

There doesn't seem to be a set rule in place and nobody will kick you out if you don't like something that others in the community do like.

As for the joking, I just gotta say haters gonna hate.  It is easier to hate on things than to try to understand things.

[Ventus Fall]

Hello Joey

Not sure why you mentioned you're biologically a male x3 You don't have to be a male or female to be in the fandom. Everyone is allowed to be a furry.
As for your friends saying that furries are cancerous and autistic, I would say from a personal standpoint they have had little to no experience with the fandom. Anyone can be a furry and while we have a lot of young members in the fandom, we have quite a large range of people with all kinds of different ages. Different hobbies, ethnic backgrouns, etc.
Generally the thing we have in common is 'furry artwork', as HellEye pointed out. You don't have to like the artwork to be a furry, but generally this would be the best description and is the most common. The fandom revolves a lot (if not mostly) around artwork and creativity in general.
If you think that is weird, think about all the cartoons and movies you used to watch when you were younger (or perhaps still do). Jungle Book, The Lion King. These are just a few examples including humanised, talking animals with personality traits, facial expressions, feelings, etc. These animals have been anthropomorphised (anthro = man or human, morph = shape or form).

You can like fursuiters (for example), you can dislike fursuiters. Fursuiting or liking fursuits is not a requirement to be a furry.
Generally there is a huge range in the furry fandom of things you can like and not like. So basically what it comes down to is: You are a furry if you say you are.

Anyways!
Welcome to the forums and the fandom. I do hope you stay, but I hope whatever the decision, we made you feel less weird around furries

[Oanta]

First of all, Welcome!      Regardless of whether you think you're a furry or not, it would be great to get to know you.


Secondly, the responses here have been good.  I agree with them and would just like to add a couple of summary ideas that I have had with some personal stories.  The furry fandom to me is a group of people that all happen to like the same things: anthropomorphic animals.  This may take several different forms ranging from cartoons to games to stories to pretty much anything.  This may also include some of the "weird" stuff that people joke about, but that doesn't mean that you have to like that stuff to be a furry.  In fact, a lot of that exists outside of the furry fandom as well so it's not just a furry thing.


Anyway, to answer your question about "Who am I?" Well....I can't.  I am still figuring out who I am and what that means for my life.  That being said, since I joined the fandom a year ago, I have found things out about myself that has brought extra joy and happiness into my life that I don't know would have existed otherwise.


So my suggestion:  stay a while.  Read some of the other forum topics that seem interesting.  If you end up liking it, you will stay because you want to.  If not, we will miss you but wish you all the happiness and luck in the world.

[guest22811]

Welcome.


There is too many nice people on this forum that sometimes I get overwhelmed. Feel free to open up here.


As for your questions and thoughts, it's really up to you if you consider yourself a furry. There isn't a set definition on what a furry is. If you enjoy anthro animals but don't enjoy suits, fair enough. If you hate the art but love the suits, fair enough too


About the autistic cringy thing.
Most of them are internet trolls and many of the people who I have met irl have made those jokes however only out of sarcasm and satire. When I opened up to them about being furry they immediately stopped. However, there are still some people out there who act hateful against furries for no reason.