I admit to being a furry right off the bat. If they claim it's a fetish, I tell them 'So is being a trekkie, an anime fan, a whovian or any other fandom that exists if you actually believe that'. Porn exists in just about every fandom, but that's not the focus of those fandoms. That's never been the main point of any fandom. If they think the fandom is only about dressing up in costumes, I let them know only about 30% of the fandom even have a suit, partial or full. Those suits are pretty expensive. They are not the full of the fandom, but they are the most visible. We enjoy the art, the creativity, fellow furries and many other things.