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Acknowledgments
Thank you to all my furry friends who helped me draft and piece this paper together, I feel so bad for making you guys read +2k words. Thank you to my partner, Chris, for staying up with me and keeping me company while I stress about this paper and also helping me lock in on my work but also pulling me out when I was stuck.
Understanding the Furry Fandom
The Furry Fandom is a dynamic, constantly evolving community made up of individuals known as “furries”. This fandom initially started from a science fiction community in the late 1970s. Before the first known furry convention, ConFurence, there were groups of people who unknowingly shared an interest for anthropomorphic animals. At the time, they didn’t even know that such an interest/hobby existed, making it difficult to find others who shared the same feelings about anthropomorphic animals. It wasn’t until ConFurence Zero that the furry fandom truly took off; before this, furries only were able to throw small room parties that consisted of 10-20 people. (Ash Coyote) In the 1990s a new method of communication became popularized by furries they used a ‘Furry Muck’. Furry Muck is one of the oldest and biggest non-combat MUD-style game in existence. (Wikipedia) Furries were able to meet and socialize in a virtual text-based roleplaying environment. From January 21-22, 1989, ConFurence Zero had an attendance of 65 attendees. The convention held a small dealer’s den and programs such as “A Furry Starter Kit”, “Furry Costuming”, “Story Workshop”, and a screening of Animalympics. (ConFurence) The years following ConFurence Zero would change the fandom, evolving with every year and expanding its population until it had enough people to be a community. From the 1980s to today, the fandom has expanded significantly. Evolving from a tight knit community where everyone knew each other to one where they had various subgroups and circles that catered to everyone. This is the result of the furry becoming more known and accessible to everyone. There’s a common inside joke among furries that “furries run the internet,” pointing out the pattern of how many furries work in IT jobs. With the current trajectory of the furry fandom and its growing trends and interests, it’s clear that the presence of furries will continue for decades.
To fully understand the fandom and the furs within it, it is important to first understand the concept of what a ‘fandom’ encompasses. A ‘fandom’ refers to a group or community of fans who share a deep passion for a particular piece of media–whether that’s a book, movie, TV show, or, in the case of furries, anthropomorphic art and culture. Fans within these communities form their own unique identities and connect with others who share the same enthusiasm. What sets the furry fandom apart from other fandoms is the lack of a strict distinction between “casual” fans and more involved members. Anyone can be a furry, whether they engage by wearing full fursuits or simply enjoy furry art. (Furscience)
Members of a fandom typically engage in various activities, including discussions, collecting merchandise, attending conventions, or even creating their own fan content inspired by the media they love. The furry fandom follows a similar pattern, but it is distinct that it heavily relies on the virtual/digital space as it’s home. Many furries manage their own social media dedicated to posting art, videos, and forums. On the opposite side of the spectrum we have fursuiters–those who might do all of the activities above but they’re more public about their hobbies, wearing fursuits and represent a significant part of the furry community. Fursuiters despite having such a big impact on how the public views furries, they actually make up a small minority of the furry fandom. Their visibility and representation plays a large role in shaping the public’s perception of what it means to be a furry.
Defining what it means to be a furry proves to be more than challenging, as the fandom is highly individualized. Furries are individually-oriented; each person’s engagement with the fandom can vary. (Ben Silverman) Being a furry isn’t a one-size-fits-all label; it’s a personal experience and expression through anthropomorphic art and identity, allowing for a wide spectrum of involvement that varies from person to person.
Furries are individuals who express their identity, sexuality, and sense of community through anthropomorphic art, costumes and other forms of expression. A simple way to think about the furry fandom is by using a library analogy: while other fandoms each have their own section in a library, the furry fandom has an entire library of its own, with each section representing a different genre and community. This categorizes the furry fandom as a concept instead of a single group. A consistent form of expression through these furry spaces however is fursonas, which range from human-like to animalistic. They all still are furries.
Furries can be found in all corners of the world, all connected via the internet. Sharing a common interest in anthropomorphic animals, furries felt the need to have a space of their own where they can share their interest where most don’t find appeal, or become victims of hate/shame. “Virtual worlding” describes the process of creating and constructing a space on the internet as a social environment for a smaller group when there is a more mainstream group, adapted from the word “queer worlding,” where queer people claim spaces within heteronormative society as their own. (Ben Silverman) I think this perfectly describes how the furry community is as a whole. Many furries use the internet to display artwork, websites, games, and hold discussions. Having the internet as a primary source of communication enables furries that might have smaller populations in their own town to connect with those that are in more populated areas.
Whether or not you are in the furry community or not, you have seen a fursuit at least once in your life. They’re the face/feature of the fandom. The suits themselves serve as an outlet for creativity, expression, theatrical roleplay, etc. Fursuits provide a physical and tangible way for furry individuals to express their fursona, allowing them to get into the character they have built through art and storytelling. (Dogpatch Press 2016) There are numerous reasons for furries to be interested in suiting; events could be one of them, furries that enjoy wearing their suits during exhibits, conventions, or raves. Fursuiting can be traced way back to 1940’s with Edwin Corle’s german shepherd dog suit, but it wasn’t until 1987 did Robert Hill introduce his four suits that were meant to debut in the furry community. (WikiFur) Many furries wait all year to show off their fursuits or see fursuits. With the expansion of furry conventions, many fursuiters and furries find themselves faced with the issue of ‘normal people’ infiltrating these spaces. Furcons exist as a haven and are meant to house furries who can be who they are in a space that they’re welcomed alongside other furries for a weekend every year. An issue that has been rising is with ‘normies’ infiltrating these spaces especially to provoke or interview furries to content farm these conventions.
Throughout the years, furries have often had a less than desirable representation of the fandom. Examples range from Fur and Loathing by CSI: Crime Scene Investigation where they cover a suiter’s death and go into detail about the investigation. This one was big because this was one of the first few times furries were presented in the media. They did such a disgraceful job, this has always been a pattern with CSI, everytime they mentioned trans people, furries, alternative people it was never in a good light. Another example would be, Pleasure of the Fur, by Vanity Fair. This article headstarts negative article messaging that would accompany furry appearances at conventions in mainstream coverage. Many articles like the one of Vanity Fair would pop up furthering stereotypes, misinformation, fear-mongering, and hate. “From the start, the media has never welcomed the furry fandom.” (Sherry 2012). As of 2025 this seems to still be an ongoing topic, the news is always filled with hot takes and loud statements about furries. Stepping away from the furry fandom, public speaking is a skill/ability to effectively communicate and engage an audience. This skill is crucial when you are representing a minority group that constantly is at the end of the stick of mainstream media. This is the case for the furry fandom, many of furries aren’t suited to publicly speak. This could cause media outlets or publishers to twist words or misinform a general audience that in most cases wouldn’t understand the context. Due to miscommunication, a lot of information can be manipulated into spreading a false narrative. Generally speaking, the furry fandom is one of the most misrepresented online communities.
In an interview with A****, a furry who has been in the community for 8-10 years, is someone who is going to give a very brief but thorough description of a common misconception of furries and how they are always seen as people who pretend to be actual animals. I think A**** speaks for a lot of furries when they say that when creating fursonas and identify as them they serve as a simulacra. It’s almost a perfected version of themselves.
Min: “Is it true that furries believe that they are animals?”
A****: “This is a very niche and uncommon topic within the community. I think people should think of it as like Disney mascots where they’re in character for their mascot. The same can be said for fursuiting, when I fursuit I am usually in character of my sona.” (A****)
After interviewing A****, I began to understand that being a furry could serve as a form of escapism. It’s important to recognize and acknowledge the diversity in this multifaceted community. The concept of escapism, which ties the idea of furries and their rise in popularity is worth exploring.
Sociologist Irving Goffman, in his book “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.” explores the concept of “Backstage” versus “The Stage.” where in society people play a role they’re given, whether this role fits the life they believe in or not it doesn't matter. I think a good example of this is the way you act at work compared to the way you act towards your group of friends. The important thing to note from this topic is the mention of a “Backstage” to contrast “The Stage” which is in reference to the performance you give while at work or infront of social environments, the backstage is a space you can express your true self. A place where less social expectations are to be met. The furry community is a “Backstage” for the majority of furries, a space where they can thrive in contrast to the work environment they spent all day at. I think this statement is true for all fandoms, I think Irving Goffman in a way was able to express how in the digital age, corners of the internet have become backstages for many. (Irving 1959)
My own experience as an artist on instagram introduced me to the furry community, where many furries commissioned artwork from me. Which eventually led to me creating my own fursona as I became more involved in the fandom. I didn’t align with furries till much later into my teens. I think having this kind of experience/interactions with furries always made me focus more on the creativity and expressions involved in the furry fandom rather than the stereotypes or misconceptions that can cloud the view of people outside of these communities. (Jeansonne, Sherry A)
In contrast to that, there are spaces of the internet that despise the furry fandom for many different reasons. People who have a hate towards furries usually believe that furries feed into ‘cringe culture’, or are perverted, and sexual deviants–many of these stem from bad apples or miseducation. I would like to point out that there are the same amount of bad apples within and outside the furry community, it’s just much easier to point fingers when anthropomorphic animals is the foundation of a community compared to a single person.
There is a tendency for people as humans to lump or generalize things into a single, stereotypical category, often to simplify something they do not understand. A connection between the furry community’s marginalization and homophobia is the cross section between identity, sexuality, and prejudice. A significant amount of the furry community identifies as a part of the LGBTQ community, As a result, furries often find themselves within multiple marginalized groups facing both homophobia and other forms of discrimination.
Homophobia plays a major role in the hate directed at the furry community, it brings down the members of the community. For the furry community, hatred is a mixture of public misunderstanding of what it means to be a furry, and the fear that furry identities challenge tradition and norms. The furry community will continue to be an easy target for this form of discrimination unfortunately. The constant harassment and dehumanization can often be seen as an extension of the same hate towards the LGBTQ.
The first time I attended a furry convention, Furlandia, was the turning point for me. I was there with a friend as their fursuit sitter. I was in awe, there was a diverse group of people coming in and out the convention doors. It was a space that welcomed in expression without fear of judgment. That weekend, I attended panels, dealer’s den, and raves. Everyone I met there was incredibly kind, creative and open. I aligned with the furry art community because prior to that convention I drew a lot of furries for art.
I won’t lie, before the furry conventions I also fell into some misconceptions along the way. To name a few and also clear up any thoughts about them here are a few;
“Furries think they are animals.” The same idea goes for any fandom really, are Harry Potter fans yearning to be wizards? Some might, but that's a very very small minority, the rest of us just enjoy the fantasy and idea of it. There is a group of people however who believe they are a spirit of a non-human animal inside of a human body, this group is not “furry”, they identify as therian and usually are grouped with furries for simplification.
“Furries are inherently sexual.” I think it’s easy to label things we don’t understand, this is a natural response because other reasons require too much effort. It’s not a completely odd assumption to ask, there are sides of the fandom that do express their sexual freedom, etc. I think we just have to remember that pornography is not unique to the furry fandom alone. Different fandoms have the same group of people who express themselves through sexuality and kinks. Humans are innately sexual, this just transfers through different hobbies and lifestyles. It has nothing to do with one specific hobby.
I definitely could go on about all the different misconceptions, but it’s unlikely that I would be able to cover all the assumptions made throughout the decades. There will always be stigma against individuals, people, groups we don’t quite understand, but being able to recognize the stigma is a start. Stigmas are harmful to everyone, not just the furry community. They perpetuate stereotypes that deny people of expression, sexual freedom, queerness, and individuality. Furries are one of the many diverse and creative communities on the internet, I believe that sharing the digital space with furries will only lead to positive things for several reasons:
Furries contribute heavily to the internet’s art culture, in a new age where AI is slowly taking over the platforms, artists should focus on protecting their rights and not fight amongst each other.
Diversity and Acceptance, the furry community, similar to many other fandoms is a space where people can explore aspects of their identity (this can encompass gender, sexuality, or interests). To antagonize a culture that does its best to foster individuality would be a direct vote for a bland and monotonous culture.
Challenging Stereotypes, by being visible on the internet, furries can actively break these misconceptions and stereotypes about the fandom. (Jeansonne, Sherry A) Although theyi are often misrepresented in mainstream media, the presence of furries online allows for a more direct and accurate understanding of who they are.
Increasing the Visibility of Marginalized Groups, many furries identify as LGBTQ, and the fandom serves as a safe space for furries to connect and feel safe. By sharing the internet with furries, it directly helps increase and expand this space.
At the end of the day, being a furry is just a fun hobby. It’s a vehicle of expression, creativity, and diversity. Being a furry is about as dangerous as being a fan of music, cars, fashion or sports. (Furscience) The negative thoughts go away once it's understood that something can’t be harmful, but it’s difficult when the internet is so new that internet safety is not practiced. This usually results in the scapegoating of communities, such as the furry community. Even if you still can’t get behind the art, fursuits, lifestyle, hobby, or sex. All you have to understand is that it doesn’t affect you in any way.
Note: The main purpose of this paper is to contribute to the media of furry and queer worlding. I think being knowledgeable about something is better than being blind to it. Working on this paper has made me feel a lot closer to my furry identity and connect with more people than I thought I could. One of my favorite things to work on was my SpaceHey account. I worked on the HTML with the help of a few people and was able to talk about my interests more openly than I would otherwise. I also became a more extroverted person, in the time span of the start of this quarter, I went to 3 furry raves by myself. It’s funny to say but I’m really proud of that. I was always timid and had major FOMO, always inside and even unhoused at some point, I felt like I was wasting my 20’s. This project helped me see past that, pushing myself to work on this project made me exceed my own expectations. The irony in all of this is the fact that I was ready to write about something I have yet to learn, but in the process of writing it I learned to accept it. Thank you again for the opportunity and experience!
Work Cited
“Resources for Parents.” Furscience, 27 Jan. 2019, furscience.com/resources/.
“Fursuit.” Fursuit - WikiFur, the Furry Encyclopedia, en.wikifur.com/wiki/Fursuit. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
O’Furr, Patch. “Review – Furry Nation: “The true story of America’s most misunderstood subculture, by Joe Strike.” Dogpatch Press, 21 Aug. 2017, https://dogpatch.press/2017/08/21/review-furry-nation//.
Jeansonne, Sherry A. “BREAKING DOWN STEREOTYPES: A LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE OF SELF IDENTITY WITHIN THE FURRY COMMUNITY.” Texas State University-San Marcos, 2012, Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Goffman, Erving, 1922-1982. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Garden City, N.Y. Doubleday, 1959.
Ash Coyote. “The Fandom: A Furry Documentary Full Movie.” YouTube, July 3, 2020, https://youtu.be/iv0QaTW3kEY?si=Uck5bfiy0Q__wDvA.
Knudsen, Fredrik. “ Furries | Down the Rabbit Hole.” YouTube, 13 Aug. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aF2GxWi7Ag.
Silverman, Ben. “Fursonas: Furries, Community, and Identity Online.” MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, 2020, pp. 5–70.
A****, D. Personal Interview. February 15, 2025
"The Origins of ConFurence" by Rod O'Riley, from page 41 of the ConFurence 10 souvenir program book
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