Feed aggregator

Back when we first talked about  The Chicken Squad book series, we made a silly crack about how one day they might be made into a “chick flick”.  Well… maybe a TV series is a good halfway point? “The Chicken Squad, Disney Junior’s new cg animated comedy adventure hits the airways on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW on Friday May 14. The series, which was inspired by the popular kids’ book series of the same name by Doreen Cronin, follows a trio of young chicken siblings—Coop, Sweetie and Little Boo—and their retired search and rescue dog mentor, Captain Tully. Together, they team up on problem-solving adventures in their backyard to help their animal friends, while modeling what it means to be good community helpers and finding the joy in assisting others.” Animation World Network has more information, and a preview trailer too.

image c. 2021 Disney Junior

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

Cathryn Gandy from Sarvey Wildlife joins us today to talk about the work of the Sarvey Wildlife foundation.  Listen and learn all about what it takes to be a Wildlife rehabilitator and hear about her adventures of being one AND a Furry!  Taebyn teaches us a new way to count. Is Bearly a curmudgeon? Teabyn learns about Micronesia. Taebyn takes a long journey to Euler's Method, and takes Bearly to 5th term calculus!  As always, we share some really bad jokes too.  So join Bearly and Taebyn for a great time, and toss your cares aside! Moobarkfluff!

www.sarveywildlife.org

Support the show

Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting #50 - Cathryn Gandy from Sarvey Wildlife, Euler's Method, and Really Bad Jokes.

Remember when we talked about Rivals of Aether, a very furry video game? Well now Dan Fornace and his creative team are exploring a new medium as they bring us Tales of Aether — Future Imperfect, a full-color comic book series slated to come out later this year. Over on YouTube they have a preview video that introduces a lot of the new characters and situations. Be on the lookout!

image c. 2021 Aether Studios

We’re sorry we didn’t hear about Rudek and the Bear before — but now creator Peter Donahue has a Kickstarter campaign running to get the second collection volume out, and it looks very interesting. “Rudek and the Bear is a webcomic featuring anthropomorphic soldiers and smugglers and their shenanigans along the Polish-Soviet border in 1929… Since Volume I came out, the story and characters have evolved so much. Rudek the fox faces his PTSD from the Polish-Ukrainian War; Masha the bear grapples with the moral consequences of smuggling stolen goods; and Malutki (the big bear) chooses which side he’s on.” The campaign has already reached its initial goal, so stay tuned to find out what stretches get added between now and the finish.

image c. 2021 by Peter Donahue

Resources, Social Media & Donation Links
Follow Teddy Wynton
Swaying Hill
Teddy's Ko-Fi
Join Rhyner’s Telegram Channel
Guest Application Form
BIPOC FURRY EVENTS

On February 20th, '21 I sat down with Teddy Wynton a black drummer outta Maryland who's been in the fandom for decades and has quite a few stories to tell. He pulls from his past to paint a detailed look at the fandom and how being a furry has changed his life in more than one way. Especially when it comes to accepting things about himself that were are to face alone like his sexuality.

Teddy also articulates the root of problems blerds (black nerds) have when it comes to anti-blackness and feeling cast out. Made understandable by the way he layers in with his own experiences. Not to mention the onslaught of judgement for trying to wear his hair "naturally" but getting turned away for being "unprofessional."  This is a perspective you're not going to want to miss.

Music really energizes Teddy and elevates him to a new plane of existence. It's obvious from the way he talks about his musical inspirations. As a "drum for hire" he's done everything from performing with MJ impersonators to collaborating with Louie Zong. Though, as you'll find out, he still considers himself to be a student. He also divulges how he feels about the lack of music diversity at furcons, and why it's so prevalent.  Turns out carrying your drums everywhere isn't that practical!

Thanks for listening, everyone!

----SONG CREDITS----
FULL SONG
Baddwill
Captain Nikko (NSFW 18+ SPICY)

----COVER ART ARTIST----
TeaCakes

Support the show

Interview With Teddy Wynton - Music Adoration, Authenticity, & Self Hate

Dear Papa Bear,

I am the mother of a 21-year-old transgender child. He has in the past few years gone through many different identifications in his sexuality, and I'm starting to get a little concerned. When he identified as female, he told me he was a lesbian. This was when he was about 16. Then at 18 he told me he was trans. About 6 months later he said he was straight (still trans). About 6 months after that he decided he was gay. Most recently I asked him if he would like me to make him a trans flag blanket and he said he would prefer a non-binary flag.

Now I have absolutely NO problem with him being any sex or sexuality that he identifies with. What is concerning to me is how quickly he has been bouncing between identifications. I know everybody goes through periods of finding themselves and I'm very happy that he feels comfortable enough to share with me what he is feeling. My question is, is it happening too fast? Should I be concerned that he is changing his mind a couple of times a year for the past 5 years? Or am I just being an over-protective mom?

Thanks, Papabear!

Mama Lion

* * *

Dear Mama Lion,

I'd like to heap praises on you for being a fantastic mom. Your child is lucky to have you!

To the point: based on what you have written, I think your child could be described as "gender-fluid." Gender-fluid is a term describing someone whose gender identity shifts over time--and yes, the time elapsed can be as short as a single day. Gender-fluid people can identify as a man one day, a female the next. They can even identify as asexual, bisexual, transexual, nonbinary, straight, and on and on. 

There is also something called "gender-queer." A gender-queer person doesn't tend to shift identity (although they might); they identify as not exclusively male or female. And, yes, you can be both gender-fluid and gender-queer.

Have a headache yet? That might be because many humans (even furries!) suffer from something I call "labelphilia": the desire to stick a label on, identify, and categorize everything. This started all the way back to Adam, when he was putting labels on all the animals.

Adam: I'm going to call you ... an "antelope."
Animal: Excuse me, Adam, but I identify as a lion, sir! And sometimes a giraffe (sticks out tongue and stalks off in a huff).

When we can't categorize everything, we tend to develop anxiety because labels and IDs offer a sense of stability and comfort in a crazy, chaotic world. This is a problem because one of the most complicated things ever invented is human sexuality and gender identity. This kind of anxiety is why many people are homophobic, and it is why most homophobes are simple-minded people (or politicians and clergy using homophobia to manipulate). Homophobes and anti-LGBTQ derps can only see things in black or white; they can't grasp complicated or subtle concepts. They can't believe that not only are there nearly infinite shades of grey in between black and white, but! there are also all the colors of the rainbow. AND! People don't have to be just light-grey or purple, they can be green and orange with a dash of striped grey-and-white thrown in.

Now, being that your child is 21, it should be noted that when people are young they tend to experiment a lot as they try to figure out who they are. This might mean that, as your child ages, the shifts could get less frequent as they settle into something they find comfortable. It might not mean that, but it could. 

You can save yourself the trouble by simply not trying to label them at all and not worry about their gender identity so much. You'll save money on antacid purchases. We are much more than our gender and sexual preferences. I don't, for example, go around introducing myself as gay. I introduce myself as Grubbs or Kevin. This should not be too hard for you because you are such a loving and supportive mother, and bless you profusely for that. I wish you were common instead of the exception in this world.

If you still wish to make them a flag blanket, then you could ask them if they would like a gender-fluid one (yes, there is a flag for everything). Below is an example you can use as a model.

Blessed Be,

Papabear​ The Gender-Fluid Flag

TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 06 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show.

I have a site announcement in the form of a video, This was long in coming.  I have been camera shy for decades and I think this is the first time I’ve used my actual voice in something, I’ve made progress and feel slightly more comfortable.  I do plan on using my voice more in video and will just feel out how that goes.

Thanks.

Here are the links I mentioned in the video.

[Changa Husky on Youtube]

[Changa Husky on Twitter]

[Changa Husky on TikTok]

[Furry Family Ofrenda]

Site Announcement

撰文／傑克

　　海洋委員會的臉書粉絲專頁，自去年以來發布了許多「不獸控制」的宣傳圖文，讓許多獸迷們都在猜測與好奇繪製這些作品的繪師究竟是誰。而近日，海委會粉專的繪師海巡狗狗現身在獸迷社團Furry Life（獸圈生活）內公開自己的身分，向許多抱有疑問的獸迷揭露了「海巡狗狗」背後的創作者。在接下來的篇幅中，時報將透過文字向閱覽者們介紹這位來自海巡署的繪師，一探海委會粉專「不獸控制」的故事。

「海巡狗狗」的創作動機

        獸化海巡犬的創作者——海巡狗狗，目前於海巡署任職，並擔任海洋委員會粉專的繪師。最早在獸文化圈內引發討論的貼文，是海委會粉專於去年年初發布的一篇關於非洲豬瘟的防疫宣導文——〈小紅帽豬與霸道汪星官之邂逅〉。文章發布後，許多獸迷在下方留言開玩笑地稱呼海委會「不獸控制」，也有部分獸迷開始藉由畫風來推測繪師是否也同為獸迷。

海巡狗狗的繪型。圖／海巡狗狗提供

        根據了解，海巡狗狗會開始創作獸化海巡犬（海巡狗狗）相關主題的原因，主要是當時為了配合政府進行非洲豬瘟防疫的宣導，加以海巡署本身就有一支海巡偵搜犬區隊，再加上海巡狗狗本身又喜歡「美女與野獸」的組合而經常以動物為主角繪製作品，便想到將海巡偵搜犬與當時非洲豬瘟的議題作結合。最終呈現在閱覽者面前的便是〈小紅帽豬與霸道汪星官之邂逅〉這篇宣導文。

〈小紅帽豬與霸道汪星官之邂逅〉。圖／海洋委員會粉專

　　海巡狗狗表示，過去公家機關在粉專上的圖文創作都是以人類為主，閱覽者們看久了也會感到疲倦。因此他才想嘗試以「獸人」的題材進行創作，為公家機關粉絲專頁的圖文宣導，帶來了不同於以往的內容。他強調，目前幾乎所有公家機關宣傳圖文中的角色都是人類，以獸人相關題材進行創作也能讓海巡署在公家機關中脫穎而出，吸引閱覽者的目光。但海巡狗狗也表示，如果公家機關以前沒有接觸過獸文化相關的內容，為了避免讓一般大眾覺得反感，他可能也不會想要創作相關的內容。

　　海巡狗狗在創作上，平均每張宣導圖的繪製時間大約為三到四小時。他表示，雖然他目前在海巡署任職，但實際上卻也在支援上級機關海洋委員會管理臉書粉絲專頁。他強調，目前他的作品都只會在海委會的粉專上發布，而不會同步發表於海巡署的粉專。但政策宣導文並不會只發佈在海委會的粉專上，海委會的下級機關如海巡署等也會一併推行政策宣導，以達到防疫、緝私等政策目的

海洋委員會組織架構圖。圖／海巡狗狗提供

海巡狗狗與獸文化

        而海巡狗狗在開始繪製海巡狗狗的主題宣導文後，也經常在個人臉書頁面上發布擬人化動物的練習圖，內容除了海巡狗狗外，也曾出現海巡貓貓、警察鴿或是精靈寶可夢的相關練習圖，吸引不少粉絲按讚留言。他也認為，自己目前對於獸文化的了解大約只有40%，不過仍然會循序漸進，來慢慢認識這個次文化。

吉娃娃練習圖。圖／海巡狗狗臉書個人頁面

警察鴿練習圖。圖／海巡狗狗的臉書個人頁面

　　海巡狗狗表示，目前因為工作上的關係，仍會持續創作海巡狗狗相關作品，若日後離開了這一職位，也會由接手的人來決定是否要繼續以此為主題進行創作。但他強調，海巡狗狗並不是他本身的特有角色，因此無論誰都可以畫海巡狗狗，不是只有海巡署的繪師能創作。

結語

　　海巡狗狗的宣導圖文受到許多獸迷喜愛，甚至也吸引了許多民眾欣賞。目前，海巡狗狗仍在海洋委員會的粉絲專頁擔任繪師暨小編，繼續繪製政策宣導圖文。如果你是喜歡海巡狗狗的閱覽者，不妨前去粉專按讚給他一個支持吧！

We're back but conventions aren't quite there yet. TFF Online has come and gone, several major events have canceled their in-person for 2021, Savrin proposes a better outlet for people with the money to buy NFTs, and what the heck is meatosis.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Southpawscast

LINKS
"Meatosis" - https://twitter.com/jenny2x4/status/1377756270317301764
Telegram fan chat-  https://t.me/joinchat/P2iJg8tyj-KNGaci

Episode 488 - Meatosis - We're back but conventions aren't quite there yet. TFF Online has come and gone, several major events have canceled their in-person for 2021, Savrin proposes a better outlet for people with the money to buy NFTs, and what the heck

Interesting story out of Variety (by way of Animation World Network): “Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard is attached to helm a computer-animated adaptation of the beloved 1980s Rankin Bass animated series Thundercats for Warner Bros., from a script Wingard will write with frequent collaborator Simon Barrett (You’re Next, The Guest)… The original series, which aired from 1985 to 1989, was revived for a single season Cartoon Network in 2011, and then again in 2020 under the title Thundercats Roar. But as a feature film, Thundercats has been a tricky project to crack for the studio, which has hired a small parade of screenwriters and producers since at least 2007 to bring a movie to life. The underlying story is at once relatively simple — a team of humanoid cat-people (or cat-like humans) like Lion-O, Panthro, and Cheetara fight the evil wizard Mumm-Ra on the planet of Third Earth — and surprisingly complicated, with a mix of technological space sci-fi and swords-and-sorcery fantasy.” Read the article at Variety for much more on this latest take on our friends from Thundera.

image c. 2021 Cartoon Network

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

Kiteless Rexouium (Rexie), longtime fur and host of this years FC Talent Show joins us this week.  What exactly happened to his Kite? Will it ever be found? We talk about furry life in the long long ago when the fandom was teeny and Kiteless was huge! He tells us about his accomplishments in the furry fandom, his favorite type of noodle, and the Day Dreamin' movie, and old tech. Where is MeatSpace? Kittisauraus? Are we really here, or are we someone's imagination? Teabyn wonders about things. We learn about the First Dogs, and we play a new trivia game. Join us for a great time!

YouTube link for Day Dreamin "Day Dreaming" short film made for Virtual Further Confusion Variety Show - 2021

Support the show

Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting #49 - Kiteless Rexie, Classic Comedy Bit, Storytime and Trivia

Arrkay and Tempo share their thoughts on this season of Culturally F'd, and share how the past few episodes were written and produced. They also premiere "Puplift" and "The Bone Zone". 00:00 Intro 06:11 She Ra's Casual Queerness 10:07 Werewolf: The Anthropology 19:54 Bluey 25:32 Robin Hood and Her Valkyrie 30:02 Fursuit History 7: Technology 35:26 What's next for Culturally F'd? 43:42 Puplift 52:05 The Bone Zone 54:55 Wrap Up Merch, Sweet Tees and stuff: http://www.culturallyfd.com https://teespring.com/stores/culturally-fd-merchandise Support Culturally F'd: https://www.patreon.com/culturallyfd Plus a Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/gsz8us7 Listen in on TEMPO TALKS with Tempe O'Kun https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPyIK2c7mK-LpbvfDNqfcSW Check out Tempe O'Kun's books "Sixes Wild" and "Windfall" here: http://furplanet.com/shop/?affillink=YOUTU2907 Here's a playlist of his other Culturally F'd videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPS7tnT4hdJwBI-CeLF8Kb_

Dragget Show 235 - Lil Nas X's Sexy Satan Fursuit by Xander & Alkali Dragget Show 235 - Lil Nas X's Sexy Satan Fursuit - Dragget Show 235 - Lil Nas X's Sexy Satan Fursuit…

Fox and Burger Podcast #6: The Sherbert Anime, JMoF + More Feat. Sherbert Shenanigans. ---- In this episode of the Fox and Burger Podcast, we've actually brought our first Western guest - Sherbert Shenanigans. Sherbert has been in the furry fandom since 2016. In 2019, he was the guest of honor for Alamo City Furry Invasion in San Antonio. In addition to running a furry YouTube channel, he is also in process of getting his own anime! His work has brought him to Japan more than twenty times in the last several years. Due to his experience, we thought he would be a great guest to help give us a closer look at the Japanese furry fandom. Social Media: Fox: https://twitter.com/foxnakh Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner Sherbert: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3j2RtIoUKnMi1CDxUH0xag https://www.twitch.tv/sherbertshenanigans https://www.facebook.com/SherbertKemono https://www.instagram.com/redhotyamada/ https://twitter.com/RedHot_Yamada https://www.patreon.com/sherbertshenanigans Footage Used: https://twitter.com/furfest/status/918884427148775426 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vz3nXziASQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck2Ob6DVzcY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWDo9Q8_6PI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DNtOswf0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kYga23sDw4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h7DZMZ8Q-U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFHmMgONy0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAf-urUOSrg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGZUWcGbXKI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6zvJvwiuo4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToFBcQbRovw Stock photos provided by Pixabay.

So here we are in April — Let’s talk about rabbits! Specifically The Runaway Bunny. We got this from Animation World Network: “First published in 1942, The Runaway Bunny is one of the many iconic children’s books by famous Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown; its poetry tells the story of a young bunny anxious to leave home and adventure out into the world beyond his rabbit hole, while also discovering the unending reach of his mother’s protection and love… Amy Schatz, documentary and short film producer and director, has spent the last year working with animator Maciek Albrecht to reimagine the classic 48-page tale into a 25-minute, 2D-animated musical, which premiered yesterday, March 25, on HBO Max.” Read the article to find out more.

image c. 2021 HBO Max

Sábado, 27 de Marzo, 2021 de Nuestro Salvador Jesucristo, Guayaquil, Ecuador-Iberoamérica (Cartas del cielo son escritas por Iván Valarezo) Satan FAILS to understand Isaac's SACRED-FLESH in you, but CANAAN and GOD understand it, enriching you and the earth wholly: Graciously, our

Welcome back once more for another monthly newsletter! Normally we release these at the beginning of a month but seeing as how April 1st is incoming, we thought it might be safer to send this out early. So let’s get to it!

First: we are in serious need of volunteer staff. For the guild to continue growing, we need folks to help fill in positions. We have a need for chat admin staff for future projects, folks with experience in website maintenance, and have been in need of a dedicated Public Relations Officer for the past year. To be able to keep making bigger projects happen, we need that extra help to keep things running smoothly. Please contact me on telegram (@LiteralGrill), Twitter (@Linnturong), or on the FWG Discord if you are interested in volunteering.

Don’t forget that the 2020 Cóyotl Awards are now open for votes! The ballot can be found here. Voting closes on April 30th so make sure to get those votes in ASAP. For those interested, we compiled some interesting stats about the award for its 10th anniversary that can be found on the FWG Blog.

Next, we would like to welcome our new Markets Manager: Vincenzo “Halfbloodcheetah” Pascuarella! Any members or publishers that know of new markets that would be good fits for furry authors should contact them with details to keep our Furry Writers’ Market up to date.

Finally, we are proud to share the 2020 Oxfurred Comma Flash Fiction Collection is now available for download for free to anyone that wants a copy! It’s available in multiple formats and can be downloaded on Smashwords.

You can find all kinds of submission calls for Furry writing in our Furry Writers’ Market! Currently, these markets are open.

• Shark Week: Ocean Animals – Deadline: April 30th, 2021
• Selections of Anthropomorphic Literature: Vol 2 – Deadline: May 15th, 2021
• Untethered – Submissions Open June 2021
• Werewolves VS Suburbia – Deadline: June 1st, 2021
• Furs With Benefits – Deadline: June 1st, 2021
• Less Fur-Milliar Spaces – Deadline To Commit: June 1st, 2021
• CRINKLE: A Littles Anthology – Deadline: June 15th, 2021
• Pirating Pups – Deadline: November 30th, 2021
• The Nightmurr Before Christmas – Deadline: October 1st, 2021
• #ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing

One last thing this month. As of today, those interested in running for guild officer positions should post in the appropriate section of the forum between now and April 30th in accordance with our Code of Conduct. We encourage anyone interested in helping promote anthropomorphic fiction to run and help make the guild stronger than ever before.

That’s all for now, so until next time: may your words flow like water.

– FWG President Linnea “LiteralGrill” Capps

Dear Papabear,

Lately, I've had an issue on my mind. It's not exactly pressing, but it is something I'll have to confront and decide on eventually. But given I've been stuck for months on it, I figured it's time to reach out to a third party who's totally uninvolved. I remembered hearing about you on an old podcast, so I thought I'd give you a poke. I hope you don't mind giving me your opinion.

I'm in a happy, long distance relationship. The problem, is that we have a very good mutual friend, us three hang out pretty much all the time.. and well, the thought of becoming a poly relationship is always lingering. My partner is, presumably, willing, and our mutual friend has expressed interest in it.

Trouble is, I'm not sure if I could handle being in a poly relationship. I mean, with how close we all are we might as well already be in one.. but I'd have to come out as poly to my dear mother (my father's not in the picture, if that has any relevance). She's not one of those super strict and traditional parents, but I really would worry about if she'd think of me differently, as well as the rest of my family. I'm a lot more open to things, but my family, while they're relatively progressive, they were all raised on traditional values. I don't think they'd insult me or anything like that, but disappointment still hurts.

In addition to family stuff, I would worry about if we could give each other the attention we needed. Like, the last thing I would want is for one of us to feel like a third wheel or to get jealous. I don't *think* it would happen, but, I worry. Especially because, if our relationship were to fail, our mutual friend would have left their current partner for nothing.

Lastly, and this might sound odd, but I have several friends who would likely be upset that I'd be a poly relationship for this friend, but not them. They're definitely "would date if I were single" for me, but, well, I just don't think a poly relationship would work with them in the current situation. That probably wouldn't stop them from being upset, though.

The current status quo is nice, but.. I know I can't, or at least shouldn't, delay answering this question forever. As much as a definite do or don't would be nice, mostly I'd really like to know your thoughts and reasonings, maybe what you would do.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for reading.

Aevery

* * *

Dear Aevery,

As I've told others who write to me, traditional, two-person relationships are tough enough without complicating things further with a third or fourth person. So, no matter what you do, you are in for a challenging time.

There are two important things you need to do here. First, you must realize that this is your life and your relationship choice. What your parents, family, friends, and coworkers think about your personal life should not factor into your decision. If we all let others rule our lives, we would die having never lived true to ourselves. 

The second thing is communication between you and your two partners. For polyamorous relationships to work, everyone everyone everyone has to agree to what the rules are. You must all be sensitive and giving to each other's needs. There must be ZERO jealousy involved. No selfishness. Once jealousy creeps into any relationship, there is trouble a-brewing, and that goes triple for poly relationships. If you are uncomfortable or unsure about being poly in any way, then my recommendation is this: Don't do it.

All that said, I'm curious about the living situation right now. You say you are in an LDR with the first BF, but is this true with the third person? Are you all living at a distance that makes it impossible to live together? If so, then I would say right now that a poly situation is not feasible. To have a true poly relationship with three or more people, you need to be living together. There are furries who read this column who will disagree with me, but I stand firm on that point.

Until the time you all three are together in the same home, the entire issue of being in a relationship is moot. 

Let me know if you have further questions.

Hugs,
Papabear

Hey Papabear,

Heads up this is a bit sexual, but my research doesn't seem to be turning much up at all so I'm hoping you can help.

I have recently been exploring my sexuality on multiple levels, and have discovered that I erotically enjoy furry art, and more recently have found I enjoy imagining myself as an anthropomorphic animal - but only for sex purposes, and I often feel disgusted with myself afterwards. I still have not fully got a handle on why. I have no desire for a fursuit, or to engage with the fandom as a lifestyle in any way. But the more I engage with anthropomorphic erotica in this way, the more cemented my idea of my own sona(?) seems to get, though it's something I only associate with sex.

My understanding is that just sexual interest/association is not exactly the common experience for furries, and I'm feeling a lot of shame around having this... honestly it kind of feels like a fetish? and worrying that furry art etc. isn't being made for me, and engaging with it erotically is kind of violating the intent of the creators and the deep connection of many people with their fursonas, and possibly could help perpetuate negative stereotypes about the furry fandom. (In the interest of respect, I've mostly been sticking to explicit erotica).

On the other hand, I have a therian friend who is telling me to relax and engage with an open mind to slowly discover myself, but it always seems to come with the implication that the experiences I'm having are a gateway into other engagement with the furry fandom, which would be fine, I obviously have nothing against furries, but what if it doesn't, and I'm only interested in essentially a fetish? It feels like then I really would just be the disgusting sexual deviant both furries and the mainstream have no use for, and also still have no good framework for understanding why I'm like this when I don't even like sex with other people and get turned off by my own body at times.

It's just a lot, and if you have any advice for how to navigate this I would be incredibly grateful for it.

Thank you very much,
Mae (age 21)

* * *

Dear Mae,

It's very natural for someone your age to be exploring their sexuality (hell, I'm still doing it at 55 LOL, but I digress). Let's clear up a couple inaccuracies in your letter, first. Furporn is quite common in the fandom, and many furries enjoy it. While it should be acknowledged that being a furry isn't about sex, because many furries are young and sexually active (or, at least, interested in sex), this naturally transfers into a lot of art in the fandom. Many furries are not at all interested in this aspect of the fandom. That's fine. Many are just interested in it as part of a multifaceted culture that includes lots of other stuff, and THAT is fine, too. And many furries, frankly, are pretty much only interested in furporn. That is fine, too.

Don't feel disgusted with yourself or feel like you are insulting the spirit of the fandom by enjoying the adult art. You are not. You can certainly find plenty of furporn online and enjoy that (not sure who made you think "that just sexual interest/association is not exactly the common experience for furries," but that's just not correct; it is quite common, though not omnipresent). And you can find lots of artists who draw it and you can commission them, and they will appreciate your business. You can also buy furry sex toys from Bad Dragon, and they, too, will appreciate your business.

Being furry is not necessarily a fetish, but you can have a fetish for furry stuff. And you don't have to be a furry to enjoy furry art. There are many people who are connected to the fandom who are not necessarily furries. I often like to give the example of my fursuit maker, Beastcub. She is not herself a furry, but she loves costuming and creating fursuits as an art (and it definitely IS an artform, in my opinion). Similarly, there are many artists, writers, and filmmakers who create stories that many of us would call furry but the creators are not themselves furries.

Your therian friend is correct that you need to chill and not overthink or worry about your sexual interests as long as--and this is important and key--you are not hurting anyone (and you are not, in your case). Whether or not you wish to become more connected with the furry community is entirely up to you. There are a number of social media groups you could join, and, of course, sites like FurAffinity and e621 contain a lot of what you are looking for.

As for your last comment, well, there could be a lot going on with you psychologically that you don't mention in your letter. A general comment I might make here is that there are many people who, for one reason or another, are more comfortable sexually if they put up a façade of some sort. Perhaps you experienced others body shaming you, or perhaps you had a bad sexual experience when you were younger. This has led to an antagonistic relationship with your own body and even the human form, but you still have sexual desires. Therefore, you cover up the human form with an anthro character, and this allows you to express your sexuality again. Of course, this is pure speculation on my part, but perhaps it has some relevance for you.

I hope this helps. Bottom line: just be yourself, as your friend said, and it is completely healthy to explore your sexuality. Anything is okay, as long as everything is above board, consensual, and not hurtful. 

Hope that helps. Write again if you have further questions.

Bear Hugs,
Papabear