That's why I interjected, to stop this before it continues and ends up being what makes the whole thread into a problem.
To respond to the topic, I know that my sexuality and furry culture are a bit of a mingling topic. I am more attracted to women that are furries than those that aren't for a multitude of reasons, mostly because I find women with a near matching mindset to my own most attractive.
My 'sonas are a huge part of who I am, and I love to share them with people. Everyone I interact with frequently knows about my characters, even if vaguely. And those who I consider close friends or those who will understand know them quite well. That being said, with it being so close to my heart as a person, it shares a room with anything pertaining to love. If someone doesn't at least like my 'sonas, it feels like they don't like an aspect of me, which hurts a bit.
I used to be very subdued in my furry identity, but I can say it has grown significantly with time. Though, let me be clear that I hold every distinction between reality and fiction. While it may hurt, considering how many personal references there are in each of my characters, I'm not so weak as to simply give up and cry when someone dislikes them. Simply put, there are tons of hints to my personality and inner thoughts present in my 'sonas, their designs and their overall differentiation in personality. That is why it hurts a tiny bit when I'm told that my characters suck or something of the sort. My characters have personalities very close to mine or how mine would turn out in specific circumstances, but all have distinct traits that link them to me if you pay enough attention. They are my artistic product, my personal representations and a part of my life, and any artist feels pain when something they have poured heart and soul into is mocked, degraded or generally resented, but anybody in a regular state of mind can recover from said events.
I'm pretty sure you all know by now that I am a happy person, and even after somebody outright bashes my interests, the anger subsides and I return to my happy mannerisms. I enjoy my life, and I enjoy my characters. I don't view myself as a dragon, a dinosaur, a fox, a Pokemon, an Alligator cyborg, a shark/dragon/demon seeking to ascend beyond his binds of birth, a horse or anything like that. This guy, Nick (that's me), is a human who has thus created these characters and molded their lives based on his own experiences and feelings, and I consider those creations to be a big part of who I am. It tells people what I want to become, where I want to go, inner fantasies and even things that I've come to admire in time.
I'm not saying I would never date a woman who was not a furry, but that I prefer to have a like-minded individual to consider my heart's devotion. I see nothing wrong with that, and I doubt anybody else would see something wrong with it, either.