this is a thread for help,furry or other wise (but keep it furry.)

[Scout the Fox]

I hate asking for help (I have a MASSIVE pride issue...), but I just can't take it anymore.
About a month ago, I formally wrote out a set of letters to my mother concerning furries. I figured it was time for her to know that way she wouldn't freak out when she saw me wearing out of the ordinary things. The letters were straightfoward and to the point. In other words, no BS. A few days after, she barged into my room as I was playing Call of Duty completely bawling screaming, "What is this furry thing???" I sort of chuckled a bit because I found it ridiculous that someone would throw a fit over something they didn't understand. And then she took the car and left for 2 hours. I decided to not talk to her about it again (she said I should be tied up in the backyard.)
So I tried a more trusted individual: my grandmother. I told her about us in the most simplistic way possible without mentioning any of the negative stereotypes. To my surprise she didn't hate me. I made a choice to pop the ultimate question that any teenage furry with no money would have: Would you please get me ears, a tail, and a collar for Christmas? And that's when SHE had a cow. Here's what she thinks: furries wear these items NUDE *ultimate facepalm*, that furries are gay, and lastly, that we all get beat up on the streets for what we wear.
False, sometimes, and ABSOLUTELY FALSE. So what I'm asking is... HOW THE HECK DO I REMOVE MY STATUS OF BEING THE FAMILY DISGRACE!? That is all. Thank you. 

[Midnight Madness]

Well, for your Grandma, show her a fursuit or someone in cosplay. Show her a lot of it. People wearing them in full dress, and tell her THAT is what you intend to do. Make it plain as day, promise her, and do all that nice junk to prove you're not going to go prancing around like a jubilant doe wearing nothing but false extremities. Really, that's all you can do. If she refuses to understand it at that point... Well, that's crap, but she obviously won't listen to reason if so.

As for your mother, tell her you are really hurt that she would be so condescending of your simple interest in the furry fandom and anthropomorphic animals. I mean, Christ, ask her if she likes Looney Toons or Tom and Jerry, or hell, even Thundercats or some show that she may have grown up with featuring anthropomorphism or humans with animal-like characteristics. Then tell her that you just think that they're really awesome, or something simple that is not misleading or suspicious, and that you made a "cartoon character" to represent who you are. But most importantly, tell her that she has really hurt your feelings that she is so unwilling to accept something you consider a personal interest. No matter the case, iterate and reiterate the point you intend nothing venereal (if they so assume you are being such) or obscene with it.

A question: is your family a devout religious one, or are they all across the board in regards to belief? If they're extremely devout, that might be a part of the problem. Most religions place the animal existence below the human, so they may think you're trying to lessen your being by dressing up as an animal, or something like that. If so, you'd have to fight not only misconceptions, but strongly held beliefs. Be careful while treading there. I really hope that isn't the case.

[Draco Vertolgr]

Im going through the same problom as you but a little more complicated.

Heres what you do (working for me so far)

Drop trying to tell them you are a furry, if theyre freaking out about it then its going to be an uneccisary battle. When you are around your family just dont talk about it.

At school you can wear your tail and ears if anyone gives you hell screw them lol

Now my advice may not help you but this is what is working for me.


Or you can try and explain to your parents tht the fandom is not a sexual thing and you just think anthros are awesome. In my case this didnt work but my parents are nutjobs so it may differ for you.

Hope this helped sry if not

[Scout the Fox]

Thank you both for your advice.
Yes Sytex, my entire family is Christian but me... and not to be rude or anything, but I'm the most intelligent as well. As in I'm able to grasp certain concepts that they cannot. That's why it's hard to explain to them who I am.
And unfortunately Deadracconis, my school dress code is VERY strict. It even says right in the handbook: Dog Collars are prohibited. So I doubt I'll be able to get everything else past that without  being skinned alive by my mother, but I can still wear everything to sporting events and stuff like that. Which luckily are very often.

[nixon/monto]

scout this is what i would do.  :not talk about but make a list of vids from youtube that can get your point across:  if it comes up again show them all of it:   :get 1 vid or pic of the bad stuff and just start cursen and saying "that stuff is SICK AND WIERD!" but do it really loud and like your mad, trust me they will buy it. and hopefully that will win them over. and tell them most of the people in the fandom are college age kids and then say "college kids sometimes think about sex and that some of the great artist drew nude paintings.

[Scout the Fox]

We think in similar ways  . I was actually going to make a somewhat lengthy video about the fandom explaining why it's a good thing and is productive.

[nixon/monto]

yes you must think worldly and for them to understand try dumping it down a little that works some times for me. but i've never really talked about to my family. but that might change.

[Duke]

Thank you both for your advice.
Yes Sytex, my entire family is Christian but me... and not to be rude or anything, but I'm the most intelligent as well. As in I'm able to grasp certain concepts that they cannot. That's why it's hard to explain to them who I am.
And unfortunately Deadracconis, my school dress code is VERY strict. It even says right in the handbook: Dog Collars are prohibited. So I doubt I'll be able to get everything else past that without  being skinned alive by my mother, but I can still wear everything to sporting events and stuff like that. Which luckily are very often.

People in the furry fandom (for real not JUST the sex part) tend to be more open-minded, not intelligent. (dont take it as an insult, im pretty sure from all the writings ive read from you that you are, indeed, brain strong.)
Find other ways to show your pride. Buy one of those Ipod touch/phone armbands in the musics accessories isle in walmart/target/K-mart(if those still even exists) etc. Its black on the outside and red on the inside. Get a friend to cut out a paw shape of the black part so on your armband it will be black with a red paw on it. Wear it over your shirt or jacket or something. It shows your furry pride w/o breaking the rules. Also make sure if you do this that the friend cuts the print WHILE your are wearing the armband, otherwise it will look like a paw when taken off but look deformed and stretched when worn.
Also there are some shirts as well about furries, check your local google images page for where to order those from and what they look like. If you get like $20, buy a prepaid visa card (DO NOT USE GREENDOT, I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH) and buy the shirt. 
I always draw tribal paw designs on my arms while at school too, wash it off before my parents get home or hide them with sleeves when i come into my home. I have anthro art on my binders as well i draw.
Theres just so many ways to bypass a schoolcode with loopholes. "Dog collars are prohibited." What about human collars? Those do exists, i have one. and its not sexual either. People do see it as that sometimes but i dont endorse it. If a school official points it out you can always counter act that the teenage mind perceives just about anything as sexual and then proceed to give examples on how sharpening a pencil can be looked at as intercourse ^-^.

[Scout the Fox]

Ah I like the way you think. The Ipod Touch paw print idea is a very good one at that.
I just have one question at this point: how does one differentiate a human collar and a dog collar?

[Duke]

Typically a dog collar is made out of nylon/polyester. leather dog collars are typically round in shape, while human collars are mainly leather/lambskin and flat in shape. Got mine $10 at a con. Here is a reference as well to a build your own custom collar for human or dog http://collarfactory.com/

[nixon/monto]

my thread and i must say. collars = creepy as hell. thats just weird to me but you know.. what ever floats your sicotic boat of clowns. jk, they are creepy. ears and a tail is were i draw the line. fursuits=to expencive.. home made ones=waist of time(do somthin more miningfull like repling on a thread.) thats my take. thats why people view us as weird.

[Growlithe]

Typically a dog collar is made out of nylon/polyester. leather dog collars are typically round in shape, while human collars are mainly leather/lambskin and flat in shape. Got mine $10 at a con. Here is a reference as well to a build your own custom collar for human or dog http://collarfactory.com/

my thread and i must say. collars = creepy as hell. thats just weird to me but you know.. what ever floats your sicotic boat of clowns. jk, they are creepy. ears and a tail is were i draw the line. fursuits=to expencive.. home made ones=waist of time(do somthin more miningfull like repling on a thread.) thats my take. thats why people view us as weird.

Ah I like the way you think. The Ipod Touch paw print idea is a very good one at that.
I just have one question at this point: how does one differentiate a human collar and a dog collar?

Not to be a jerk, but this thread is kind of on the iffy side of this sub forum.


this thread defeats the purpose of the sub forum


it has been derailed for a while now


and the last few posts are kinda lq

[nixon/monto]

meh...we get off tack. it happens allllllll the time with me i just get inthralled with conversation.

[Growlithe]

Lol, it's ok, I don't mind any, as it isn't my job to do anything about it, but I always notice these things now. Anyway, I am done doing my part of derailing or whatever I am doing.

GL with the support

[Duke]

sorry xD, but anywho, people view us as weird even without the apperal. How often did a furry get made fun of for wearing a collar or tail or something vs the fact that their a furry and people have issues with the clarity of what we stand for. In my experience, the clarity of what we stand for was more the issue. but, i respect your opinion.