Advice: Telling others about being furry

[Puncia]

Wouldn't this be better off in its own thread?

[Kio]

Yeah it doesn't really matter it's just that Wikipedia, Furry Dolphin and Wikifur do not agree with what you're saying

They do, actually and the wikipedia article is contradictory to the other sources, good old unreliable wikipedia.
Can't beat asking the older furries themselves, though, and I did just that, considering how the events tie in it makes perfect sense to me. Since the information is sourced before me, I can only forward it. Which parts of said can you even deny?

Wouldn't this be better off in its own thread?

I think this is more in reference to how telling others you're a furry has complications to the history of the term and how its definition alters person to person Certainly, it's a reason why I've told no one of my interest in it.

[anoni]

Generally, and unfortunately, it is off-topic discussion to the means of the thread so I'm going to stop on this medium.

[Subject Sigma]

This may be off topic but do you have to wear a colar if your a furry because i dont and if i did im not sure how i could explain it to my parrents

[Kio]

This may be off topic but do you have to wear a colar if your a furry because i dont and if i did im not sure how i could explain it to my parrents

No, you just need to be a top secret Unix haxor from the late 70s to middle 80s who reads or draw post-funny animal content.
Jk on the hacking and decades bit, but no, I'm pretty sure the collar thing comes from animal roleplay. A furry by the most basic definition is a fan of animals with anthropomorphic traits such as the ability to talk, walk and/or interact enough to be considered human-like.


So you are fine but telling others about being a furry can bring some unwanted stereotypes and is one of the reasons why I haven't done so myself yet, as hence all of my furry related activities are online or on paper. Just be careful who you tell and how you tell them about it.

[anoni]

This may be off topic but do you have to wear a colar if your a furry because i dont and if i did im not sure how i could explain it to my parrents

Please read this thread to answer all your questions about what a furry is.

[FeralWings]

A collar is merely an accesory, that some like. I for one, am more into Dragons, and couldn't care less for collars


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Now, back to the topic at hand, three of my local friends know (since short), 2 of them are girls which have been good friends ever since and I hang out with them on a daily basis at school. They had no problem with it, and they don't mind it either. One other dude was a bit more awkward, since he doesn't have much friends and kinda sticks to the group of us 3, even though our humor and interests are a bit more off to the 'weird' side in his point of view. I was talking to one of the girls (she draws alot, and very good too) about maybe doing comissions. We were talking about how her drawing style was likely less of interest for comissions, and how furry drawings get shittons of 'em. The other dude was like, oh furries, weird people if you ask me. Me; Much appreciated man.
But he's fine with it though, though he tends to avoid it a bit
Other than that, nearly everyone I know online knows, but my family and everyone else local, no idea. And to be honest, I'm not at ease explaining it either. My family are the kind of people, well besides 1 sister, that have very little knowledge of communities, such as the furry community, or other fandoms and whatnots. And the local people, well, I live in farmville NL, and trust me, they already think you're weird if your hair is dyed unnaturally. And they're quite at ease with the insults as well. Being young, and still somewhat being depressive has made me rather apprehensive of ever explaining. I guess I will when I feel more at ease with it though. Family doesn't even know I write (or do photoshop art), let alone write furry/TF

[FeralWings]

So, to be honest right away, I've not told everyone around me that I'm a furry. Mainly this is because I know I'd end up being pestered about it, and am simply not at ease with it.


But there's people who are going out there with a brave face, and working against themselves sooo badly.
What I've seen and heard about alot, is that alot of furries tend to go about explaining it to be it friends and family, or even media in the worst case, by explaining what we are not. Basically, they're trying to lure people around FurAffinity's adult section.
Now, the thing is, like a wise guy often tries to explain, (Uncle Kage, you might/should know him), this is going to make you work against yourself. By telling people what we are not, you still put that mental image in their head, much like me typing 'I don't like bananas', leads to you thinking of bananas around me. Or coconuts, if you're like that. Luckily I don't, they make me nauseous.


The only way to positively go about this, is simply telling whoever it is, what we really are. Simply put? A fandom of cartoon animals.
I don't know any furs around here however, but I'm curious as to your experiences, people who you've seen telling about all the bad stuff, or your own way of how you explained people that you're a fur. For me, my all my close friends and quite a few online friends know it, but I've honestly not told my family or school for example. Luckily, they weren't unaware, so I didn't have to go about much explaining


And I found this a while back. Sorry to whoever made it, but, it's a prime example if giving people a bad view.

[Subject Sigma]

How would I explain to my family that I am a furry?

[Kio]

How would I explain to my family that I am a furry?

Slowly show your interests towards it, then you won't need to jump out and say hurr durr im a fur.
I don't know, like some mainstream furry-ish interests, like an interest in disney animal characters and then they'll think that's a little different but ok, then they probably won't jump onto that you know "zomg fetishist" stereotype that CSI and similar has presented.

[FeralWings]

For me, my writing is helping out. The people around me know I'm aiming for Creative Writing as a study, and obviously they're interested in what I write. And 1 view on my DeviantArt for my writing, or one thorough read is enough to know
So yeah, people end up asking, and when that happens it's just a bit of smooth talking. Gradually people might be a bit more interested and ask more detailed questions, but generally you just end up explaining it somewhat and you're left alone

[Rhoryc]

WARNING: LONG, SAPPY STORY AHEAD


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I very recently opened up about being a furry. I've been interested in the fandom for years, but never took part in it because I didn't know what people would think. I'm actually very self-conscious, and it didn't help that I know exactly 0 furries besides myself (mostly due to the fact that I live in a very small town in the middle of nowhere).

Whenever furries were brought up, the reaction was always negative. People I knew viewed furries as nothing more than sexual freaks and weirdos. I never corrected them because I didn't want them to think differently of me because of it. I actually started to become ashamed of myself for being one.

So for years I just took all the insults and stereotypes. They weren't directed at me, but it hurt, and I never showed it. About two weeks ago I started becoming frustrated with having to keep it a secret.

My two best friends and I sat down and just started talking to each other. Eventually I asked them if they ever had something they wanted to say but never had the courage to do so. I actually started shaking because I was so nervous about opening up about it. These two had been my best friends for years and I didn't want them to look at me with disgust or pity. I didn't know how they'd react.

It took me a bit, but I eventually told them that I was a furry. They were extremely surprised to say the least, and started asking me more questions about it. They weren't disgusted or angry, they were accepting and reassuring. I can't put into words how happy and relieved I was at that moment. We continued talking for hours and hours about how we felt about things.

I know it sounds corny, but it was the best conversation I've ever had. I've never opened up emotionally about anything to anyone before, and I can't tell you how badly I needed it. I'm so much more open about myself now, and I have some great friends to thank for it.


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IT'S OKAY Y'ALL, THE SAPPY STORY IS OVER NOW

[FeralWings]

I had the same thing, sort of. I've been interested in furries for long enough, but about 2.5 month back I started considering myself a furry. Ofcourse, nobody knew, besides my best friend. He lives in canada so I speak to him via STEAM, but I trust him with anything. Telling people IRL was a pain though, but this year I got back in the same class with 2 girls I used to be in class with in my first year. I was a bit awkward at the time but nowadays we have the same humor and interests, so we always, always, hang out during school.
Stupidly though, I can't remember exactly how I told them, but they do know I'm a furry, or scaly whatevs. Wasn't easy and I made the group a bit awkward that week, but I feel alot better nowadays

[DKanthrem]

 I'm kinda new to being a furry,so I do not know exactly how I should act in society should I keep it in or share it with others,I told my bro Jamal even thought it was weird he still excepted me as his closest bro.(bro=very very very best friend,or I feel or created a bond with you )

[FeralWings]

Well DK, that can happen. It's good to hear he's a good enough friend to be fine with it though. It's a shitty thing when friends turn on you just because their idea of furry is misplaced. I've had that alot in the past