• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The Internet hatred for furries always bothered me. I’m not into it, I think it’s weird, but so what? I think BDSM is weird too, but we don’t treat people into BDSM like we treat furries- as if they’re some sort of disease. I’ve met a few working at sci-fi/comic cons over the years and they’ve always been really nice, decent people. They just have a kink. Lots of people have kinks.

    • FirstPitchStrike@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I think it’s the fact that furries tend to bring their kink public. I have not consented to engage in your sex games. If he showed up to a ceremony in leather and a ballgag no one would be ok with it, but the fur suit is the equivalent and I’m expected to applaud.

      • Serinus@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        the fur suit is the equivalent [of] leather and a ballgag

        I mean, no. It’s really not.

        I do get what you’re saying and generally agree otherwise. That one was just a bit much.

        • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I agree. I’ve seen furries in public and while I find them odd, I never saw any of their costumes as inherently sexual.

            • Azal@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Some do, many don’t. A fursuit is a costume, as a cosplayer in fandoms do, and I guarantee there are cosplayers that have sex in their costumes.

              Knowing quite a few fursuiters there’s less of them that want to have sex in suit because it’s hot as fuck, makes you a lot more clumsy, and those suits are expensive as hell as they’re custom made.

            • yuriy@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              except they don’t though, where are you coming up with this?

              say someone is attracted to women, right? is every female body they see gonna be viewed exclusively through a sexual lens?

              some people get kinky with ropes, are those inherently sexual too? where’s the line?

      • Jimbo@yiffit.net
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        1 year ago

        The fursuit is the equivalent??? I’m actually laughing rn people think this???

      • randon31415@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You sound like the kind of person that wants to ban drag story time at the libraries because “kids shouldn’t be exposed to someone’s kink”

        • agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          So the distinction I feel here is that women are people. If a man wants to dress like a woman, sure, most people can interact with women in public, whatever. If you want to call them both, broadly, a form of cosplay, then drag is a costume that doesn’t fundamentally change much. Animals aren’t people.

            • agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works
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              1 year ago

              I mean, Halloween is explicitly a cosplay event which subverts social norms. I think it’s pretty disingenuous to conflate Halloween with typical daily interaction

              • yuriy@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                furry meet ups are explicitly a cosplay event which subverts social norms. i think it’s pretty disingenuous to conflate people with hobbies with sexual deviants.

      • Madeline@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        A big part of this misconception is actually from That Episode. You can actually google the phrase That Episode. No need to even specify the show, just those two words are enough (but the show is CSI). There’s a bunch to read into if you’d like, but the important bit is that a big part of public opinion - which has only recently begun to change, and only in some parts of the internet - comes from That Episode’s portrayal of furries

      • PsychedSy@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I mean if someone gets off by not hurting or interacting with you then your consent isn’t important. What happens in someone else’s head is theirs. How they act toward others is important. Feel free to be skeeved out, tho.

      • tryptaminev 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇪🇺@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        Would you say the same about police officers, nurses, nuns, motorcycle wear and so on?

        If the body isnt indecently exposed i find it hard to draw the line, since everything and nothing is someones kink.

          • tryptaminev 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇪🇺@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            We established that there is sexual and non sexual furries. As each of my examples is both non sexual and sexual for some people, it is impossible to deem the one as right and the other as wrong on that basis.

            Interestingly it is you, that seems to consider animal suits and behaviour as a sex thing. So maybe you need to own up to your kinks you little furry.

    • Salami456@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I blame the astroturfing early on. The furry community never really overcame the weird allegations from their first major convention. It also doesn’t help that people think furry is JUST a sexual thing.

      • PugJesus@kbin.socialOP
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        1 year ago

        Imma level with you chief: I would think it was less weird if it was JUST a sexual thing.

        • Pohl@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          “I like to wear a cartoon animal suit when I go to the grocery”. —> weird, but you do you I guess.

          “I get into some wild and depraved shit when I’m horny” —> me too buddy, me too.

    • Jimbo@yiffit.net
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      1 year ago

      And many replies here are people hating on furries, and people actually thinking fursuits are primarily a sexual thing, this is wild lmao.

      From someone actually from the community, fursuits are NOT a sexual thing for the VAST majority of furries, and should not be treated as such. Can’t believe I still have to say this.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Echoing what pugjesus said below, it would be easier to empathize with if it were a sexual thing. Sexy times have gotten weird, especially with the modern internet and the specificity of porn. Most people could imagine how a fursuit might spice up things in the bedroom, not to mention the anonymity of wearing a mask. But few people understand the desire to wear a fursuit for day-to-day activities. I imagine it would be too warm and uncomfortable, and I wouldn’t get any joy or comfort out of it.

        Personally, I’m on the live and let live team. I don’t have to understand your lifestyle or your hobbies, nor do I feel the need to justify mine. But that’s probably why you have to keep explaining it to everyone.

        • theangryseal@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          My kid is into the whole Furry scene. She makes the art, she’s learned valuable skills working on the suits and things.

          Here’s the thing though. She doesn’t wear a fursuit for “day-to-day” activities. She does this stuff only with friends online. It’s just a creative community working with each other and building on each others work. I don’t get it, the appeal that is. It’s silly to me.

          Most of the people she talks to are into drawing and creative type stuff. They’re musicians and artists from around the world. They have this odd thing in common that gives them a reason to create something familiar, quite often, with friends.

          It isn’t her whole personality, it’s just a part of it. A social part even. It’s something to give them a sense of community and belonging.

          I’m not a social person. I don’t have close friends and I don’t have any interest in sharing hobbies with other people, so it’s super foreign to me as a person on almost every level.

          I just think people have serious misconceptions about what it is they’re doing. They’re just roleplaying and goofing with friends while being creative.

          Sure, there’s a seedy side, but people make Simpsons porn for fucks sake. The difference in how we feel about that is that we all know the Simpsons and we know that’s not what it’s actually about. It’s just a few degens making weird shit. That’s the deal with furries too. A few degens make it sexual or make their whole life about it.

          It’s goofy, but they’re having fun and meeting people.

            • theangryseal@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Hey, you’re welcome.

              It bothered me bad when my kid started getting into it because of all of the bullying those folks get.

              She’s a teenager and she’s having fun. She’s learned to draw and sew because of it. I haven’t seen anything even remotely worth my concern. They create characters and stories and just have fun. She’s learned to use 3D modeling software and serious art software. I got her a decent drawing tablet and she draws things for the kids who can’t draw. She’s developed some serious skill as a result of her interest in the stuff.

              I’m for it. I don’t get it, but I’m for it.

              • yuriy@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                if only all parents could be as supportive. keep up the good work friend 💖

        • yuriy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          you know, funnily enough i was actually encountering less porn on yiffit’s local than i was lemmy.world for a while

      • PsychedSy@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I just like claiming to be part of the fursecution. It’s just always tickled me as a term.

    • PugJesus@kbin.socialOP
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      1 year ago

      Furries are odd fellows, but they steam a good ham make a good cooling suit.

      It ain’t for me, but I do somewhat respect that they have a hobby they’re all-in on.

    • TheEntity@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      we don’t treat people into BDSM like we treat furries

      I mean, unless they ask for that.

    • wheelie@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Sure they’re all nice and great people but I can see the other side, comparing it to BDSM it would be like going to work in a gimp suit.

    • Ogmios@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The problem is that the sexually charged furries have trouble understanding and respecting other’s boundaries. This is an even larger problem when you’re dealing with a community that tends to appeal to younger people. It doesn’t help that there have been several very public cases of well known furries being engaged in things so horrible I’m not even comfortable mentioning it here (hint: age and/or species and/or aliveness).

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I hope you realize that you could replace the word ‘furries’ with ‘gay people’ in your post and it would sound about the same.

    • P03 Locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      People who are into BDSM keep in the bedroom. It’s not like they are going out of their way to wear their costumes.

      Furries want to wear their costumes every chance they get.