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The Milo Story, Nazi Prevention, and A Simple Hope – by David Lillie of Dreamkeepers
Welcome to David Lillie, artist of Dreamkeepers, a comic with a connection to here via Fred Patten’s reviews. A fantasy comic doesn’t need to tie to current events, but that changes when it embraces controversy.
Dreamkeepers did that by hitching their marketing to Milo Yiannopoulos in 2016, buying an ad on his show and giving him a fan art fursona. Milo was known as a demagogic celebrity who rose with Gamergate and the alt-right, and fell by condoning pedophilia. He addressed furries by bashing them on Breitbart, as I mentioned in this article about looking at conservatives before Trump was elected. But the topic here isn’t really Milo, it’s the things he rode in on, and they need to be clearly defined.
Regular readers will be familiar with reactionary groups aligned with the alt-right, like Altfurry. An honest look will find them inseparable from racism. Despite their claims to be defenders of free speech, I think they aren’t motivated by limitations being imposed on freedom, but the opposite; they’re reacting to society getting too free for the targets of their hate, who they consider lesser humans. Their leaders want unaccountability for it, and many of their collaborators simply don’t understand the greater context, or don’t care as long as they personally come out ahead.
Unaccountability isn’t even enough, so they push back with absurd counter-claims about things like “white genocide”. It comes from hate, not legit grievances, no matter what props they use for the pose. The proof is in the way they revise history for it (as if the Holocaust was caused by people hating Nazis, that’s the worst victim blaming ever.) It causes the conflict with those who they consider enemies. Enemies means new generations wanting to preserve advances for minorities and a better deal in times when the rich get richer with the poor getting poorer. To fight change, the alt-right casts it as cartoonish invasion and “degeneration” (except when they enjoy the benefits) while claiming to represent a false golden age from the past. But when they claim to be “hated” for troll behavior, it’s false equivalence to hating others humanity. With the alt-right, there’s no symmetry between their bad-faith backlash and those receiving it. There is no “both sides”.
The article here may imply that “both sides” deserve to be considered legitimate, and I don’t endorse that. Of course I endorse civil rights and free speech, which aren’t the issue with rules moderation by private platforms who don’t want trolls fouling the water for others. You can’t just redefine privileges as rights for that. Also, when it addresses Milo, it’s too bad it glosses over how he served Nazis to launder their hate, and how the sleazy association with them is a much bigger problem than their size. Association isn’t dismissable (especially to a fan subculture that depends on it in every way) – both when people choose to enable assholes, or show them the door. Choosing who to host is free association too.
All of this is to define the fundamentals if you sense cynical dissociation and rebranding in the article, which was criticism I got about hosting it. So why do it? I have to say that the author already has his platform and doesn’t need mine, and I don’t need his. I don’t think a one-time guest article is like giving up keys to the site and he could easily put it elsewhere. It’s here to be open and raise questions.
An open mind can lead to common ground, but also let nasty things crawl in. (You might enjoy this guest article about that: How I Ended Up in the Alt-Lite, and How I Got Out). Which one is this article trying to do? And do you feel rabid or poisoned about it?
– Patch
The Milo Story, Nazi Prevention, and A Simple Hope – By David Lillie.
Thanks to @Boneitis and @kaze_the_wyvern for providing constructive feedback and advice.
You may be reading this to check whether it’s okay to continue hating me. Let’s cut to the chase and give that a simple yes.
I create the best comic I’m capable of rendering; but I also drew Milo as a snow leopard, and occasionally shake my head at the firestorm it caused. Since I still think it was funny, your hatred is socially acceptable. Including acceptable by me. I’m not holding it against you. It’s just how you feel.
So we’ve covered the hatred question, but you may still be curious about why I changed my opinion regarding Nazis in the furry community. Especially if you think Nazis are a problem. Because I agree with you, and previously I did not.
(Any Nazis reading this just began considering whether they, too, should hate me.)
We’ve established I’m not writing this article in the hopes of reducing the number of people on twitter hostile towards me. So why would I change my mind, if personal social approval is off the table?
To establish a starting point, let’s examine a common question about the Milo fursona.
“What were you thinking?”
Generally my mind is in one of two places; the next comic page, or hare-brained marketing schemes. Aspiring content creators may relate to the constant drive for experimentation, improvement, and the hope for success.
During some of my many thousands of hours of drawing I listened to a podcast by Milo. I knew him as a provocateur attracting massive crowds and protesters while advocating free speech and being banned from twitter. The controversy swirling around him was many things, and entertaining was one of them.
I heard him do a live-read advertising, of all things, cars. Talk about boring. Too bad he wasn’t promoting something interesting. Like a webcomic… Like a furry webcomic. Like OUR furry webcomic!
The idea popped into my head like a Robin Williams punch line, and I laughed.
One of culture’s most controversial figures, promoting a furry comic. The thought was so absurd, I had to at least try for it and see what would happen. I probably wouldn’t be capable of pulling off such an advertising coupe. No publicist, no ad agency, no form of professional representation.
But it turns out I could.
And I did.
Milo’s audience heard all about Dreamkeepers, and then he became a snow leopard.
If you’re concerned about social problems, and shaming others into agreement is a tactic you sometimes use, what happened next might be of interest to you.
I was called the usual assortment of smears that we’re all so familiar with, whether we’re hitting with them, or being hit by them. Fascist, alt-right, x-phobe, Nazi.
Now, was the pitchfork crowd aware that the labels they flung at me were inaccurate? I can’t say. I have difficulty reading minds.
But I know my own mind (a little), so from my perspective it was obvious those labels were wrong. I don’t identify as a fascist, and my values are incompatible with fascism. The credibility of my accusers thus dipped a bit, and not just their personal credibility. Being falsely labeled confirmed for me that these labels were used falsely, broadly, as a disingenuous social weapon.
I shrugged off the pitchforkers seeking to apply shame and control, because, no thanks. We carried on drawing things, sharing art, and having a good time.
Now remember, you are permitted to hate me for all of this, as we established at the beginning. That’s fine. I don’t identify the way you have labeled me, and you’re allowed to be upset about that.
But the takeaway here is that, even for oddly agreeable fellows like myself, social shaming tactics are losing effectiveness. The hammer still has force- but everyone has been pummeled so long, over such trivial or fallacious things, that hardened shells have become mainstream. Shame doesn’t work. That weapon has been removed from our arsenal of social correctives. And as it happens, we may have disarmed ourselves at just the wrong moment.
I’m starting to get worried about Nazis. Now, when I say that, I don’t mean Dave Rubin. (I could take ‘im.) Allow me to briefly clarify how I conceptualize “Nazi.”
I don’t use it in the colloquial sense of “person outside my political tribe.” I’m talking about a fringe ideology that opposes individual rights, seeks to purge all disagreement from society, and minimizes historic mass murders.
The left-leaning readers are pulling their hair in frustration at that definition, thinking, “Yes you idiot, that’s what we’ve been telling you this entire time! There are actual Nazis, we’re not making this stuff up!”
I hear you, and you’re correct.
Real people exist who are Nazis. I’m sure you can find examples who are not Dave Rubin, and they will be valid examples of very bad Nazis. There were valid examples a few years ago, and before then as well.
The existence of a few people thinking totalitarian thoughts doesn’t concern me then, nor now. I’m concerned because of a major contextual social shift.
Moral credibility.
Up until now, mainstream society was generally Nazi-proof because of one universally accepted truism; that Nazis were morally reprehensible. Nobody would ever vote for a Nationalist Socialist political party, because there wasn’t one single good thing about Nazis.
Or at least, there wasn’t.
The door is opening to Nazis having some mainstream appeal, and here is why.
Public perception is beginning to register Nazis as defenders of free speech.
If you disagree, just check this for yourself. How often do you see online conversations touching on the topics of Nazis and free speech at the same time?
That proximity alone, repeated often enough, will form a link in people’s minds long after they forget the context of the arguments.
If that impression solidifies, then we have destroyed the decades-long public consensus that there is nothing good about voting for Nazis. People will start saying, “Well, I disagree with their French foreign policy, but at least somebody is defending free speech.”
What’s even worse, the furry community’s efforts to eradicate Nazis are making this catastrophic impression- this idea that Nazis defend free speech- correct.
If you fight Nazis by revoking their civil rights, then they will defend themselves by advocating for civil rights.
The moral high-ground is the one thing Nazis never had. It is a massively powerful weapon, and we are giving it to them, for free.
Please, let’s all stop giving Nazis the moral high ground. It’s easy. We can disarm them by simply respecting everyone’s civil rights.
Many will rush to explain that no civil rights are being violated. Perhaps you are technically correct- let’s not argue the legal minutiae outside of court. If it satisfies your desire for accuracy, every time you hear “violating civil rights” simply replace it in your mind with “deplatforming, demonetizing, censoring, and social banishment, with no criminal charges, no trial, and no recourse.”
Many of the people being purged are not Nazis at all. Not even a little bit. Tossing around hateful labels like ticker-tape at a parade makes these kinds of civilian casualties inevitable. And they are mounting.
The recent Furaffinity purge provides the latest examples.
People with no ties to the alt-right have had their accounts nuked, being told opaquely “you’re not the sort of person welcome in our community.”
Many just want access to their account back, even briefly, so they can save copies of favorited art, gather their posts and journals from past years, and consider if they can take their belongings to find a new home. One where they won’t be banished for reasons that are never disclosed.
And that game is to make people in the fandom think that the net is being cast too wide and that people who don't "deserve" to be pushed out of the fandom are suffering.
QuQu and everyone else in that chatroom knows "the truth" is that altfurry IS a paraiah group.
In the furry community’s zeal to expunge “Nazis,” you might anticipate another unintended consequence.
Fearful people gravitate towards group identity, for protection.
I will let you deduce what happens when raving headhunters add notches to their belt and gloat over scalps.
A few furs will choose to live in fear. Re-reading every tweet, anxiety spiking as they second-guess each joke, knowing one wrong move could end their social existence in the oh-so-welcoming community, but hoping the next person to be cast out will be a different member of the herd.
But for every furry who stays quiet and toes the line, more will stay quiet and drift away from the headhunters, into the opposing camp.
During the Milo fursona days every public tweet or comment bullying us would correspond to roughly ten private messages or e-mails expressing solidarity with our actions, and fear of the online mobs.
The furry community is devolving into one defined by anxiety, insecurity, and fear.
I’ll repeat it, in case you didn’t feel the psychic surge of readers around the globe nodding mutely in assent.
We are creating a climate of fear.
One where polarized factions misrepresent one another. One where artists, working maniacally to build up a career, live in fear of being next on the chopping block, their hopes and dreams just more collateral damage. We’re creating a community where any creator who fails to join a rigid political bloc risks being caught alone in the crossfire between the two.
On our current path, we’re only a few years away from politically segregated conventions. That will take the reciprocal ugliness and intolerance that exists online, and make it worse. We can only throw so many people out of the fandom before it generates an entire rival community. That’s a road we don’t have to go down.
Now, I’m not telling you to start liking Nazis. I don’t like them- every time I see those movies, I’m rooting for Indiana Jones.
I can see a better future for the fandom, and it doesn’t require us to join hands and sing kumbaya. Dislike some art? Explain why in a comment. See people agreeing to a bad idea? Explain why it’s bad. Want to shun a person? Use your block button, and don’t invite them to your parties.
But we have to exist together in the same society. We can curate our personal social circle- but we cannot claim personal ownership and curation rights over the entire fandom. Law abiding people, even those who disagree with us, must have access to publicly accessible social events, publicly accessible online platforms, the ability to earn revenue, and basic civil rights.
That’s a pact I can support. Even if I disagree with someone, and even if they’re a genuinely bad person, if they follow the law I won’t try to demonetize them, deplatform them, or eject them from the broader community and its gatherings. (Openly or otherwise.)
It’s my hope we’ll move towards a future where the furry community truly is a welcoming place. Where people can disagree and have political spats, then grab a beer together, or play the latest game, or go nuts on the dance floor. A community that doesn’t mandate opinions. A community where anyone can draw anything. (Yes, even that.)
In world like that, it’ll be awfully hard for Nazis to pose as free-speech defenders. I won’t have to worry about culture siding with them. I can laugh at the occasional outrageous Nazi fursuiter, and then continue living in a society that stands for individual rights and against totalitarian social purges- regardless of who is doing the purging. A society where silly people can advocate crazy ideas which the majority will never take seriously, because the ideas crumble under scrutiny. Where we can create any sort of fiction imaginable.
It’s just a hope, not instructions. You’re free to agree or disagree. I’ll still greet you with a smile if you ever decide to swing by, and support your right to viably participate in the community, your right to contribute color, life, and stupid opinions. If I don’t support those rights for you, god knows nobody will support them for me. I think we can do that much for one another.
– Dave Lillie
UPDATE 5/22/18: who could have predicted this would trigger disingenuous concern trolling?
This was published to raise questions. Dave Lillie’s Gab post that disrespected the readers (and the clearly communicated intention to add an editor note) made a question about honesty. Another was how badly would altfurries behave about it?
Their chat didn’t give Dave Lillie much credit for an honest opinion without a trolling agenda. And they couldn’t wait to push their own.
After bringing up a trolling agenda, they couldn’t help themselves from showing what hate is at the root of theirs:
No surprises here. Even an attempt at looking as bland and reasonable as possible comes with hate from altfurries.
Perhaps Dave Lillie would like me to legitimize it by patiently discussing about why grown-ups don’t do that.
But I prefer speaking to everyone who already knows it. (Why act like “moral credibility” is supposed to be the burden of the targets?) Acting like grown-ups isn’t a big expectation. You could call it A Simple Hope.
Have fun trying to post comments and crying oppression when they go to the trash, guys. (That means 4 that came in between 9-11 PM sourced from the altfurry chat egging them on.) Bad faith trolls will never be welcome here, even if they pretend to speak nicely in public. Playing obvious games is a terrible way for hate group members to present themselves as victims. Exposing them might not prevent nazis from existing, but it helps make sure they don’t get anywhere.
Thoughts from regular readers:
re: the Dreamkeepers "we're not alt-right I promise" article on @DogpatchPress 
pic.twitter.com/uTuEyjVGUE
so the reason they drew a white supremacist fanart is "for the lulz" and also we should be nicer to nazis?
— Piper Ridley (@ReadingRidley) May 21, 2018Also the argument that people think Nazis stand for free speech. Like, I don’t know anyone who thinks that. What world is he living on?
— Fuzz (@FuzzWolf) May 22, 2018They don't offer anything to the discussion besides gleefully admitting again, they conspired with a bigot to make more money for themselves.
— SYXG98 (@SYXG98) May 21, 2018'Freedom of speech' goes both ways, and people keep forgetting that.
— zʇᴉlqʞuI
AC2018 (@Inkblitzer) May 21, 2018
Patch, why'd you invite these guys to the potluck? pic.twitter.com/so13Ht4qGl
— Be Good
Have Fun Launch Nazis Into The Sun (@XydexxUnicorn) May 21, 2018
I don't care if they cry censorship because they've lied before and they'll do it again. It's what they do.
— Be Good Have Fun Launch Nazis Into The Sun (@XydexxUnicorn) May 21, 2018
A "centrist" who collaborates/enables can't just cop out by complaining "guilt by association" like they aren't choosing to associate. And anyone who says "you turned me into a hater by calling me a hater" is a manipulative liar.
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) May 21, 2018How does one, who's an adult change their minds from thinking Nazi's were not so bad, to yeah, they bad? How do you wrap that around your brain stem and come to that conclusion to have even thought they were ok to begin with. I mean..really? Well not another dime from me FTG.
— The Ebony Gorilla (@EbonyGorilla) May 22, 2018The man reason why I wouldn't is, my credibility isn't worth a buck for one additional reader, follower, or fan.
— The Ebony Gorilla (@EbonyGorilla) May 22, 2018I've seen this going on for a long time. I turned a blind eye, hoping they'd come around eventually. I had high hopes for their @DogpatchPress article today. I'm crushed to see those hopes dashed.
— Princess Meat Grinder - Fletcher (@ArcticFletcher) May 21, 2018Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon. You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward. They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.
Anyone Can Be Anything
And another self-published book we found through Xlibris, this one geared more toward young readers. What I Want to Be from A To Z is written and illustrated by Janis Arnold. We’ll let her describe it: “‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ At some point in their young lives, this question is heard by most children. My poetry book, What I Want to Be from A–Z, is a fun way to learn about a variety of careers. Each poem contains vocabulary that will help children learn about a career. When children become familiar with a rhyming book, they begin to make predictions, which is an important part of early reading skills. My two main characters are foxes—a female English red fox named Fiona and an American gray fox named Fernando. While reading through the book, the reader will view, on some of the poems, one of the foxes dressed up for that career.” It’s interesting (and rather heartening) to note that the pictures do not always conform to older ideals of what jobs are best for a man or a woman. Both these foxes seem equally capable of doing whatever they want!
image c. 2018 Xlibris
FC-295 Gator Aid - Back in our totally not rebuilt from scratch again at the last minute studio, we complete a much simpler roundup and get back to our usual silly news stories.
Back in our totally not rebuilt from scratch again at the last minute studio, we complete a much simpler roundup and get back to our usual silly news stories.
Watch Video Link Roundup:- Mothers Day BLFC Tweet
- Brush: A Fox Tale Animated Short Film
- Anti-sex trafficking law FOSTA is hurting online sex educators, too
- Anthrocon 2018 Travel Discounts
- Awesome naga cosplay
- SwiftOnSecurity commissions a Planesona
- Mad Scientists Taught a Predatory Spider to Jump for Them and Now We’re All Probably Doomed
- Dog shoots man in US while ‘horsing around’ with owner on sofa
- Kidnapper Accused of Using Alligator to Hold Man Captive
- Possibly Tipsy Man Loves Cheap Costco Beer So Much, He Made A Commercial For It
- Firefighters receive training in removing butt plugs and penis rings
- When Oregon Fans Make The “O” Symbol, They’re Screaming “Vagina” In American Sign Language, New York Times Reports
- Toys ‘r Us Selling off domain names
- Revik_Da_Vulf – “Hey Furcast! (If possible, please read on air (March 3rd))”
- Xeno – “Starting a podcast!”
[Live] Gator Aid
Back in our totally not rebuilt from scratch again at the last minute studio, we complete a much simpler roundup and get back to our usual silly news stories.
Link Roundup:- Mothers Day BLFC Tweet
- Brush: A Fox Tale Animated Short Film
- Anti-sex trafficking law FOSTA is hurting online sex educators, too
- Anthrocon 2018 Travel Discounts
- Awesome naga cosplay
- SwiftOnSecurity commissions a Planesona
- Mad Scientists Taught a Predatory Spider to Jump for Them and Now We’re All Probably Doomed
- Dog shoots man in US while ‘horsing around’ with owner on sofa
- Kidnapper Accused of Using Alligator to Hold Man Captive
- Possibly Tipsy Man Loves Cheap Costco Beer So Much, He Made A Commercial For It
- Firefighters receive training in removing butt plugs and penis rings
- When Oregon Fans Make The “O” Symbol, They’re Screaming “Vagina” In American Sign Language, New York Times Reports
- Toys ‘r Us Selling off domain names
- Revik_Da_Vulf – “Hey Furcast! (If possible, please read on air (March 3rd))”
- Xeno – “Starting a podcast!”
He's Self-Conscious about His Belly Showing While in Fursuit
So, my names Kayne, I'm 22 and I been a furry for about ten years or so now. I always wanted to fursuit and be active in the community. I finally ordered my suit and all that and I'm really excited for it. But, in my haste to get my suit I overlooked some details that really started bumming me out later. 1. I'm thick. I'm 5'6 245 lbs, (167 cm 111 kg) and though I'm well proportioned, I have a gut, I dislike said gut.(Even though my boyfriend loves it) and I'm worried how it'll look in fursuit. I don't want my stomach to be sticking out while I'm in suit and it look bad. I work out in the sun all day so I'm not concerned with heat or stamina, I'm concerned with my appearance in suit. My question is, do you think it'll be really noticeable in Fullsuit that I have this bigger sized belly?
With Regards,
Kayne
* * *
Dear Kayne,
Hmm, will your belly be visible.... If it is form-fitting, the fursuit will definitely show the belly, especially if your fursona is, say, a reptile and there is no fur to sort of hide it. If it is baggy and doesn't fit well, it will hide the belly but look bad, like a cheap mascot suit or something bought from a Halloween costume store. One thing you could do, if you are so inclined, is add clothing to your fursuit that will help disguise the underlying physique. You could, for example, wear a trenchcoat, a cape, or a robe. But if you do that, you might as well have just gotten a partial and saved yourself some money.
I'm not really sure why this bothers you. You walk around all day in your human form with your belly, so why should that be different in a fursuit? Also, many fursonas look more adorable if they are, shall we say, foofy. Heck, I ADDED a lot of padding to my fursuit because bears are not skinny and I thought it looked better. Too, many furries love cushy, round fursuits, so this certainly will not detract from your popularity. It might even add to it.
But, if you REALLY want a clear-cut reply from me, send Papabear a photo. Hard to tell with just text.
And if you are self-conscious about your weight (or just wish to be healthier), I don't think you need Papabear to tell you what you need to do.
I'm sure you'll be fine!
Foofy Hugs!
Papabear
Playing Is Important
So I understand this has been covered many times, but there is a big problem for me that I'd like to address, and that's that my parents think fursuiting is dumb. I joined the fandom when I was 11, and I've been hiding my interest about it. When I first showed my dad my fursona, he said it was "dumb" and that I should be spending more time doing work. It hurts because I've been saving money to get a fursuit, but every time something comes up where I have to use my savings, and I start all over.
The main point is that my parents don't like the idea of me spending so much time on what I love, because they think it's a dumb concept, and that it's too expensive. I am feeling down about it, and I'd really like a little help, even if it's just telling me best ways to save up.
Anonymous (age 14)
* * *
Dear Furiend,
We have two questions here: how to address your parents and how to get money for a fursuit. Your parents believe that work is more important than your "dumb" interest in furries. You don't specify why they think it is dumb, but it sounds like they see your interests as frivolous and you should be focusing on studying and, I suppose, getting a job, even though you are only fourteen. This is a problem that is widespread in modern American society. Parents no longer see the value of hobbies and play. Instead, they take away play too early and, if anything, allow for only structured activities such as being on a soccer team or taking dance lessons.
But playing is important. In fact, there are scientific studies that show it is important and all young people should indulge in play (and 14 is not too old to do so). Here is a paper all about the importance of play in physical, social, and emotional development. Play can take all kinds of forms, and indulging in being active in the fandom is just one, but a legitimate one. Therefore, it is not "dumb." People who grew up being allowed to have unstructured play grow up to be healthier and more sociable than those who do not. It can even help with your creative and cognitive skills. As the saying goes, "All work and no play makes Jack (or Jill) a dull boy/girl."
Life is not all about work. It is not all about school. Play is important.
As for raising money for a fursuit, well, yes, they can be expensive. Instead of buying a new, full suit, how about getting a used one or a partial? You'll save a lot. As for the money you'll still need, do you have a way to make a little money? Do yard work or other chores or dog walking? Saving money is all about discipline. I'm not sure what you mean by "something comes up" that forces you to spend money you are saving, but if the "something" is not an emergency, then you need to learn how to prioritize. What is more important? Saving for your furry hobby or spending money on something else? If furry is more important, then don't waste money on things that are not essential.
Hope that helps, and good luck!
Papabear
FurDu 2018 Constory
Furry Noir! "This video is not an event documentation. Some scene were planned and staged for entertaiment purposes "Film Noir: Murrder in Surfers Paradise". This video set to Mature because mild alcohol contents and suggestive contents."
View Video
Episode 31 - Shark Spoon
Episode 30 - Shark of information act
River Water, by Eikka – Book Review by Fred Patten
Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.
River Water, by Eikka.
Capalaba, Qld, Australia, Jaffa Books, May 2016, trade paperback, $9.00 (122 pages), Kindle $2.99.
This is a happy nature novella, like Bambi by Felix Salten – not! (Not that Bambi is very happy.)
Flix is a pregnant young vixen, happily mated to Bracken, a strong but not very bright tod. This is fine with her. She doesn’t love him as much as she feels that she can relax with him as the protector of her and her (and his) kits. This is a great relief after her own orphaned and very insecure childhood.
“His brain wasn’t talon-sharp, if that wasn’t obvious from his idea that shrubberies could spontaneously attack, but that was fine by her. She knew he’d sooner let his bones collapse than let anyone get a strand of fur on her, and she’d given him a litter of magnificent kits growing inside her body alongside a growing feeling of being protected than she’d had in a very long time.” (p. 8)
Unfortunately for her, Bracken is immediately killed while she is out hunting. She does not grieve for him as much as she’s panic-stricken at being without a protector once again. Even worse now that she has a wombful of growing kits to also care for.
Flix is so desperate for a new protector that when she comes across a lone stoat, even younger and more naïve than she is, she grabs him for the job. He takes some persuading at first –
“The stoat blinked open his eyes, and reacted just as expected, twisting, scratching, biting, kicking. Flix, feeling disturbed but making sure she remained calm, called out as clearly as she could.
‘Okay, stop! I’m not going to hurt you! I know you’re lost and I know you’re alone – but that’s why I’m here! I want to help you! But please, I need you to stop!’
The stoat began to slow his struggling, but whether this was because he believed what she was saying or just getting tired, Flix didn’t know – she just continued speaking regardless.
‘Are you listening to me? Are…? Look, what’s your name? Mine’s Flix. What’s yours? Mmm?’
He just stared at her. She asked the question again. ‘What’s your name?’
‘…You’re a fox” the stoat breathed out.
‘Yes, I know,’ Flix said, ‘but there’s nothing I can do about that. And anyway, I’m not an ordinary fox… I’m a good fox.’
‘G… Good fox?’
‘Yes,’ she said, astonished at what she was saying; the amount of animals she’d torn the fur off, she was akin to a good fox as much as a stick insect was to a vicious destroyer of nature. ‘Ground squirrels, tree squirrels – good foxes, bad foxes. So you don’t have to be afraid. Just tell me your name.’
The stoat stared for a while longer, before sliding out the word ‘Nezzick’.
‘Nezzick,’ Flix repeated. ‘Brilliant name. Now… You know I’m here to help you, don’t you? … Just say yes or no.’
He didn’t say anything.” (pgs. 11-12)
Flix, with Nezzick, travels back to her childhome home in the forest. She is sure that, with Nezzick’s help to catch food for her and her soon-to-be-born kits, life will be much happier for her. She meets many of her childhood acquaintances: Reffaw the river otter, Manneran the beaver and his mate Cirrie, and Krissy the squirrel. They are not all as delighted to see her again as she’d expected.
“Cirrie turned her head so quickly she hit her forehead on the trunk.
‘Flix! Hello and welcome back!’
‘Thank you!’ she said, beaming. ‘And I’m not alone; I’ve come with this little one: Nezzick!’
‘Hello, Nezzick.’
‘…Hi.’
‘Right!’ Flix said, ‘Nezzick, we’ll leave you here to slow down and catch some sleep for a bit, and me and Reffaw will go off and have a chat. Okay?’
Nezzick nodded. ‘Excellent… Now, Reffaw?’
Reffaw, looking as stern as he’s ever been, led the way back east.
‘Why did you come back, Flix?’ the otter demanded the moment the dam was well behind them.
Flix told him the story as quickly as she could. Reffaw glared throughout, but made no threat to interrupt.
When she finished, Reffaw said, ‘So you came back here… because I’m here.’
‘Is that a bad thing?’ Flix asked.
Reffaw sighed, ‘Flix,’ (she groaned – he was preparing himself to rant) ‘Forgive me if I’m wrong, but what you’re saying is that you came back to a place that was – to use a term I recall was a favourite of yours – ‘infested with the subsistence of evil’ – simply because you wanted to be around those you knew at some point in your life on the off-chance that they may agree to spend good time collecting food for you and your offspring.’” (p. 25)
Flix is made to realize that the herbivores of her old home are not delighted at having a predator return to their neighbourhood, and bringing another predator with her. She tries to explain to Nezzick.
“‘Good,’ she said, resting down to his level, ‘So how were the beavers? They didn’t give you a hard time?’
‘They weren’t fun.’ Nezzick said. This time, Flix did twitch a smile.
‘Yes, I’m sorry I left you with them; I know they’re usually about as entertaining as banging your head against a cliff.’
Nezzick tittered. ‘They’re idiots.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that,’ Flix said, ‘It’s just it’d probably be better if they left their cleverness nicely in their brains. Instead of rambling to the ends of the earth all the whole bloody time.’ Nezzick tittered again, and Flix grew a smile; but it turned out more solemn than warm.
‘Well, I’m glad you’re not too unhappy,’ she said, placing her paw on his, ‘because there’s a rather strange favour I need from you.’
Nezzick nodded.
‘Could you stop hunting for a while?’” (p. 30)
River Water (cover by Penny Virsu) grows more depressing from there. It is humorous at first, in the style of British (or Australian) snarkiness. Raw nature isn’t pretty or happy. Life’s a bitch and then you die.
Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon. You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward. They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.
Teen Dragons in Trouble
Sounds like a bad romance novel but it’s not. Still, more dragons! Hadn’t heard of this before but we came across it at the LA Times Festival of Books. Dragon Time is a 2015 fantasy novel by John Doyal, published through Xlibris. “It started as a war between wizards on the planet Hector. Tulles wants change at all costs, and the Council of Wizards wants peace and stability. Add in two teenaged dragons stranded in world that they do not know and a group of orphans displaying signs of magic, and what do you have? The first war between nations in over two hundred years and the first war between dragons that this world has ever known.” Check it out over at Amazon.
image c. 2018 Xlibris
Meet Emma the Tiger – A Showcase of Fandom Love from BLFC 2018
Thanks to Matthias and Rune of Rune’s Furry Blog. Her guest article about the story was submitted at the same time, so some of her info is included too. – Patch
This was the sixth year for Biggest Little Fur Con (BLFC), one of the biggest and fastest growing furry conventions in the fandom. Last year it had over 3,500 attendees and raised $36,000 for charity. This con has been The Con on many Furries lips… (or is that maws?) Many furs will travel far and wide to attend for a weekend of anthropomorphic fun. It’s attended by many fandom favorite suiters and seems to have good control of its public image.
However, with cons as big as BLFC, news and drama from within can spread like wildfire on social media, for better or worse, becoming the “face” of the convention for that year. Things were going smoothly at first, but during the con it was reported that a 10 year old girl was a target of verbal bullying.
The story of Emma the Tiger and how she almost left the fandom emerged on Twitter. A user posted a screen grab from Instagram by Krysta Kennedy (xrainbowdawnx) explaining what happened. Emma was there for the fursuit photo shoot that takes place at every con’s massive fursuit gathering. She was approached by two mice who started to mock her fursuit. Emma was so embarrassed that she ran out without her father, saying that she hated being a furry and didn’t want to be in the fandom anymore.
The story was confirmed by Emma’s mom. Patch, editor of Dogpatch Press, met her shortly after the incident and learned that she was being overwhelmed with messages, and talked to Emma too.
My little tiger at #BLFC before some mice ruined it for her. She missed the main photo because they were mean. @BLFC pic.twitter.com/lDpsFL0otq
— Molly Bell (@mia_s_mommy) May 12, 2018
I met the mom and little girl and told her she had a super cool curly tiger tail! https://t.co/wFvSitb084
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) May 13, 2018
As word of Emma’s story spread, a lot of Furries voiced out how this gatekeeping behavior is not acceptable. Rune Angeldragon said in her post about it:
If there is one thing the Furry fandom is NOT tolerant of… it’s bullies. This little girl loves furries and just wanted to be part of the con in her fursuit. It does not matter that she was wearing a maskimal… it should not matter that she didn’t have full sleeves or paws… or anything like that.
The fursuit elitism BS in this fandom needs to stop!!! Not everyone can afford a multi-thousand dollar suit, nor should they have to in order to participate or feel welcomed in the community. Anyone that does something like this should be ashamed of themselves! 
https://t.co/XFllim5kSw
— Ｒｉｖｅｒ (@ariverofstars) May 13, 2018
Hey there, heard about this earlier! I am so, SO sorry that this happened to her. Sending love and hugs from Florida. <3 I know this has been offered up quite a bit, but I'd be more than happy to draw her a badge and maybe even give her a pick-me-up card, if you are willing! <3
— Tod Puppy (@SarahandTod) May 12, 2018
I told my bf about what happened as soon as he got home (livid really) and he wanted to contribute something in his own way as well. (Drawn by me since he's not an artist) pic.twitter.com/uDZ6EGyDcR
— ☆ Cereza (@Cerezachu) May 13, 2018
I just found out about some fursuitera bullying a little girl at #blfc
What the hell?
Honestly? Really?
What is wrong with people
I don't care what YOU think this fandom is about, but this fandom is for EVERYONE
Any age, anyon who likes anthro animals.
— damn will never quit (@VixNdwnq) May 12, 2018
The word spread far and wide that furries of all shapes and sizes wanted to help Emma show what our fandom is really about. That would soon lead to a surprising ending.
After Emma was bullied and ran out of the con, her father and witnesses banded together to get her back. People started rallying behind hashtags such as #emmaisawesome & #bringemmaback2018 to show their support. Art threads appeared in furry groups across Facebook gathering art for Emma’s tiger fursona. And then they reached her personally.
Hey Molly,
I represent a group of fursuiters who would love a chance to hang out with your daughter and make sure she has a great con and feels welcome.
Please reach out to me so we can work something out! pic.twitter.com/IRtCGemXy8
— BurrReno (@Birdburrr) May 12, 2018
UPDATE!:
We have gotten in touch with Emma and her family.
We have arranged for her to have her very own photo shoot.
They have been very moved by the enormous outpour of love and support from all of you!#BLFC2018 #AllFurriesWelcome pic.twitter.com/sA9fd2UKKG
— BurrReno (@Birdburrr) May 13, 2018
Hey we found the kid! Had a good talk with her mom! She would love to do a big group photoshoot. Please meet us at second stage at 6:45 today!
— BLFC Ino89777 (@The_Ino89777) May 13, 2018
An act of kindness that this girl will undoubtedly remember for the rest of her life. Thank you @The_Ino89777 and all supporters for this wonderful moment! pic.twitter.com/n3FNk5YMJH
— SABERGHATZ @ BLFC (@SaberGhatz) May 13, 2018
Thank you @Draconicarcher for letting emma wear your tiger suit for the photoshoot!
— BLFC Ino89777 (@The_Ino89777) May 13, 2018
Big props to @The_Ino89777 for making this happen!! Everyone should feel welcome at a con! #BLFC2018 pic.twitter.com/bGmEHvTrqd
— soft boi @BLFC2018 (@Deikitten) May 13, 2018
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Thanks to each and every one of you who have shown your support to Emma and her family.
We had over 40 suiters come out for her photo shoot. Many of whom stayed afterwards to interact and play with Emma and the other kids.#BLFC2018 #AllFurriesWelcome pic.twitter.com/0O8uEA9qqY
— BurrReno (@Birdburrr) May 13, 2018
in this house we stan one tiger queen! 
@mia_s_mommy !!!! Ty so much @The_Ino89777 for doing this for her ! #BLFC18 pic.twitter.com/vdoZCa9sIB
— HyenaHijinks @ BLFC (@HyenaHijinks) May 13, 2018
Stories like these remind us how much love the fandom can show. The only thing left unanswered was who were the two mice fursuiters that bullied Emma in the first place? There was good news on that front.
(1)The situation has been handled thanks to @BiggestLittleFC , FLARE, and the wonderful community, the situation has been settled. The individual has had their badge pulled after a positive ID by Emma.
— Molly Bell (@mia_s_mommy) May 13, 2018
Their names were not made public for a good reason. It however led to other mice furs getting the blame. Two in particular were Click the Mouse and RC Mouse, who posted thoughtful threads in response to negativity aimed at them:
1) Thread: Someone at @BiggestLittleFC claimed my mouse and @BigbyRat bullied a little girl. It was not us. The con dealt with the person responsible, and Click and I are home safe with my badge. Let's talk about bullying and empathy. #BLFC2018 #WesupportEmmaTiger pic.twitter.com/Msejicx5cf
— Click (@HiClickMouse) May 14, 2018
First of which is, yes, this kid did get bullied. Yes what was said to her was innappropriate, and in a million ways wrong. I'm upset it happened. This should not happen and needs to be fixed. I will come back to that here in a moment.
— RC in Dimension BLFC (@Rcmouse) May 13, 2018
If there are security footage of the area, please feel free to follow me around the hotel being a doofus with a coyote walking to a photo shoot and back.
— RC in Dimension BLFC (@Rcmouse) May 13, 2018
Do I have to be believed? No, as I know who I am and it is far more important to me that young furries have a great time at BLFC and cons everywhere.
— RC in Dimension BLFC (@Rcmouse) May 13, 2018
Thank you all for being great people, and sticking up for the little ones out there. Have a great time for the rest of BLFC everyone, and no matter what I love you all.
— RC in Dimension BLFC (@Rcmouse) May 13, 2018
It’s understandable about where people were coming from, acting like a Mama Bear wanting to give protection. The better approach is to speak up if you see it happen in person, but if it’s something heard second hand, check with con staff instead to see if they can address the situation.
To show Emma some love and support, visit her official Twitter handle.
There are many who wish to know who these mice were, but whatever was discussed with the parties involved was for them alone. It would be a good reason to look inward and work to be better people with a second chance. It’s also a story that doesn’t stop with Emma.
Hey you furbies are awesome but don't become a bullie yourself by going on a witch hunt for any mice/rat suitors for emma. Its been dealt with by the con. They did there job and we did ours. Now go have fun
— BLFC Ino89777 (@The_Ino89777) May 13, 2018
I don't really care who the bullies are, and the only reason I'd find information on them useful is so I can avoid them at future conventions.
— VƎX is a Satyr (@andreuswolf) May 13, 2018
Bullying is still rife in the fandom, and we need to work on it. Young furs and even new furs who aren't young get pushed to the edges or even entirely out by bullies and gatekeepers every day.
— Bowen the Super Floofer (@FloofRam) May 13, 2018
The next young fur to get bullied is gonna go ignored, possibly to the point of leaving the fandom like this young girl probably would've if she hadn't been in the right place at the right time.
— Bowen the Super Floofer (@FloofRam) May 13, 2018
Certainly because I never got the care and reassurances that Emma did. No outpouring of art and thousands of twitter followers. I didn't 'win' the fandom-is-nice lottery. Nor did thousands of other bullied young furs.
— Bowen the Super Floofer (@FloofRam) May 13, 2018
and especially don't ignore it just because there isn't someone like @The_Ino89777 leading the charge.
— Bowen the Super Floofer (@FloofRam) May 13, 2018
It was a good job by everyone involved including Telephone, the staff of BLFC, and furs who helped spread the story and gave Emma a con to remember. It’s also a reminder to keep your eyes and ears open during events like cons, meets, gatherings, or places like telegram or amino, for other Emmas who would love to know that they are welcome. Her story happened to take place during one of the biggest events of the Furry year, but you can help any time.
(3) to try and show Emma that the there were more people in the community that are good loving people than one bully and that she shouldn't let the actions of one person stop her from what she truly loves. We are sorry to those that met us today if we seemed
— Molly Bell (@mia_s_mommy) May 13, 2018
(5)and wanted to return with us to BLFC, and to wear her tail and tiger hat with a smile, we were overjoyed just to see her smile when we came back today and started having fun like nothing had happened.
— Molly Bell (@mia_s_mommy) May 13, 2018
(6) We love this community and to see let alone receive so much love and support from the community… just.. Thank you, thank you all so very much. Never change, keep loving and caring.
— Molly Bell (@mia_s_mommy) May 13, 2018
Here’s a few more sweet tweets – there are way too many to show, especially because Emma gained thousands of followers in days. Check Emma’s Twitter @emma_wolfie where she retweets a lot of the art and love everyone has shown her, with thanks to them all.
I saw the update from Telephone 
I'm so glad she's okay and decided to return ♡
I hope this picture helps her smile <3 pic.twitter.com/buZGu9bhkg
— ☆ Cereza (@Cerezachu) May 13, 2018
A quick bit of arts for Emma, hope you enjoy the rest of #BLFC! #bringemmaback2018 @mia_s_mommy pic.twitter.com/YTt0Bh24GB
— Snapai 
(@Snapai) May 13, 2018
Emma, what happened to you was unfair. You deserve all the happiness in the world and many fuzzy hugs!
I hope your con gets better, and if you come to AC, Rika and I will be excited to meet you!
Rika wanted you to have a strawberry because those always help her feel better
. pic.twitter.com/u1LlOBciMp
— damn will never quit (@VixNdwnq) May 13, 2018
this is for her from Me 
pic.twitter.com/ddrrxDLhfd
— Maxwell Akashiyah (@Akashiayh11) May 13, 2018
I hope you got room for one more.
As someone who got bullied as a kid, it just stinks! and people can be really unfair, BUT, there is a great side to this fandom and it's people.
For Emma, keeps those stripes! And be the BEST tigress you can be! Hope to see more of you girl! pic.twitter.com/jigJ8BX5kb
— Pine_the_Rabbit (@Pine_the_Rabbit) May 13, 2018
Thank you everyone #BLFC
— Emma the Tiger, Wolfie (@emma_wolfie) May 13, 2018
Till next time Fluffer Nutters. Have a nice day.
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AZ Republican Leader Exploits Furries To Disguise Anti-LGBT Policy, “Concentration Camp”
By Tempe O’Kun and Patch, with thanks to Tonya Song for interview questions.
Recently, AZ Rep. Kelly Townsend (a politician in the Arizona House of Representatives since 2013) stumbled into the furry fandom. She’d been threatening to sue teachers who were organizing for resources to fix a crisis in schools with leaky roofs, 25-year-old textbooks, rats in classrooms, and no budget to afford toilet paper. It all started when she responded to criticism by Pepper Coyote, a furry who happens to be a teacher in Arizona.
- Teen Vogue: Republican Politician Rep. Kelly Townsend Asked Twitter What a Furry Is
- Phoenix New Times: Representative Kelly Townsend Wants to Know What a Furry Is
please educate me as to what a furry is.
— Rep. Kelly Townsend (@KellyTownsend11) May 4, 2018Furries, as we are naturally inclined to do, welcomed the curiosity with the usual range of mostly-SFW responses. This sort of interaction happens with some regularity. Some innocent outsider happens upon the fandom, and we get to watch him or her discover the wacky world of talking animals. Sometimes they even become a loved fixture of the community like Boozy Badger.
Except that’s not what’s happening here.
Rep. Townsend is not some obscure figure or mere curiosity seeker. She’s the Republican Party whip in the Arizona House. In politics, a “whip” is the enforcer —a high-ranking official who ensures discipline. In the case of the AZ GOP, that means things like supporting Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a convicted felon whose crime was pardoned by Trump. Arpaio ran what he called a “concentration camp” where he imprisoned immigrants.
Through a combination of looking the other way about rape, exposure to the brutal Arizona elements, and assault on human rights, Arpaio hoped to make life even worse for refugees than in the countries they were fleeing. Far beyond administering justice, he took pleasure in brutality and used it to boost his career. Virtually all of his prisoners were Latino or Native. This issue even directly affects some furries. Dogpatch Press hosted a guest article by Sisk, a fur imprisoned in Arizona (who is the focus of a support campaign to address injustice in her story.)
Arpaio’s “concentration camp” is just part of the GOP agenda in Arizona, which includes:
- Harassment of US citizens with a “papers please” law.
- Inhumane destruction of water caches meant to save the lives of refugees in the desert.
- Cutting food and health programs for poor children, hitting minority and LGBT kids especially hard.
Then there’s constant assaults on rights of all LGBT citizens – an agenda personally enforced by Rep. Kelly Townsend.
The internet offers chances to connect with people we’d never get to meet in real life. It can be fun and exciting to talk to celebrities, creators, and even legislators. But it pays to be careful about who we lend the fandom’s public approval. The public image of the fandom can be fragile at the best of times. Why draw fursona art for radicalized conservatives who not only vote for racist and anti-LGBT laws, but are primary agenda-setters for other voters to make bigoted laws? That’s bad for the fandom. Here’s why.
Normalizing bigotry
Let’s look at how Rep. Townsend’s first contact with furries was instantly cashed in as a gimmick for attention to normalize her career to onlookers. She barely knew what a fursona was, or the conventions of using one (such as not taking original art that wasn’t made for her.) It was like a tourist visiting another country who’s rude to locals and doesn’t care. She milked the attention anyways when an artist donated her fan art.
Ok, here's my new fursona! #FursuitFriday pic.twitter.com/BAOJkpnKsS
— Rep. Kelly Townsend (@KellyTownsend11) May 5, 2018,DFHKFKFDFD .. KELLY TOWNSEND STOLE ART ON GOOGLE AND SAID IT WAS HER FURSONA?????????????????? ((it was a screenshot ogfkdfhkdfkj))
— flame
(@FLAME_IS_AMAZIN) May 5, 2018
been schooled and having a gr8 time on #FursuitFriday. But now I have to get somebody to draw my lioness suit. Know any1?
— Rep. Kelly Townsend (@KellyTownsend11) May 5, 2018
Maybe this looks like harmless fun or innocent curiosity on the surface, but it’s way more than skin deep. There is no “keep politics out” when a career politician is using her official account as a soapbox about furries, and cultivating an appearance of tolerance that doesn’t match reality.
Furries play cartoon animals, but they’re people. The furry fandom isn’t just a place for fun detached from reality. It’s also a real place where LGBT people and other minorities feel safe. Safe, specifically, from people like Rep. Townsend.
By giving her the fandom’s public approval, you’re not being “politically tolerant.” You’re enabling bigots. You’re helping re-elect them. And you’re mortgaging the limited good PR of the furry fandom to do so, against the wishes of many who did the work to build a community in spite of bigotry they face in life.
The appearance of tolerance vs. a native perspective
Look closer at how she had zero prompting to tie furry fandom to Native American religion, but did so immediately. Nobody had been making a legit connection to Native American spirituality. This, again, is a calculated and cynical move to exploit goodwill.
Why do it? Simple. The AZ Republican Party has a long history of approving abuses against Native citizens. She wants to continue to belittle Natives by putting their traditions in the same box as kooky weekend fursuit romps.
For a better handle on this, let’s hear from Tonya Song, a Native American activist and LGBT furry who has earned respect for her informed perspective.
DogPatch Press:
Why would you say it’s a problem to conflate furry and “original North America” cultures, as Rep. Townsend puts it?
Tonya Song:
Indigenous cultural references are not an equivalent to a hobby subculture. Indigenous cultures arise from the environments of which they come from. It informs their ways of society, philosophies, beliefs, and from there derives things like lore, art, dance, and music. The same can not be said for the fandom. The furry fandom, while it carries an important place in many peoples’ lives, can not be compared to a multi-faceted, ages old continuous culture; especially not one from the lands in which a lot of these conventions take place.
DogPatch Press:
How should people like Rep. Townsend view conflating Native American traditions and furry fandom?
Tonya Song:
How can you compare a hobby subculture to something you literally have no understanding of outside the media stereotypes? Rep. Townsend was in the US Navy. So, to her, it should be viewed as similar to “stolen valor.”
[Editor’s note: Stolen valor is the practice (by militiamen and others) of wearing military medals they purchased instead of earned. It is widely considered disrespectful to military members, and a form of fraud crime.]
Our cultures are something not only that we learn from childhood, thus know at a very deep and personal level, but it’s also innate in us, it’s almost like passed down genetically, it’s that integral to who we are. It’s not something we discover over the internet and do only as a “pastime.” Indigenous people have such a different set of perspectives and values—that’s what makes translating our stances into modern western society terminology is so difficult. But in summary: fursuits aren’t derived from a culture that, through its beliefs brought it forward. Culture isn’t a hobby.
Times like this I think of @Remy__Wolf
People saw they were selling tribal zox and were uncomfortable about cultural appropriation.
What did Remy do?
Remy contacted local Tribal administration to ask for permission and even went a step further donating some of the profits. https://t.co/nbioUSKlTc
If you’re actually curious about early roots of fursuiting across various cultures, check out this recent video: Culturally F’d – Fursuiting: a History – Part 1: Masks.
Note that Culturally F’d takes care to explicitly not conflate Native American religious practices with supposed neon-furred hotel-room orgies. This isn’t just because it’s clumsy or inaccurate. It also feeds a negative agenda. Mocking non-white culture is the main avenue to justify mistreating minorities —as Rep. Townsend does regularly and officially, as the AZ GOP whip.
What can we learn here, going forward?
First off, how you act online matters in real life. It might not matter for you specifically, but it certainly matters to victims of policies that Rep. Townsend promoted —citizen and refugee alike. Don’t normalize bigots, especially bigots in office; it helps them cling to power.
Second, when someone mysteriously appears in the furry fandom and starts using it for radical anti-LGBT anti-minority purposes, get suspicious. Just like leaders of “alt-furry” entered the fandom with an agenda to use it to spread hate, so too can cynical and abusive Republican Party leaders.
Evidence of what they are. When an organizer of a cult that pretends to welcome all furries lets out that it's BS - yet they still try to worm in where they're not wanted - it's a good clue that nothing they say is true. Just empty suits with nazi armbands, trying to cause grief. pic.twitter.com/xV7jvkaUKU
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) May 8, 2018
It’s no accident that some of the remaining alt-furries immediately pounced on Rep. Townsend. They shared a lot of “policy” stances that concern compromising your rights as a human being. For her part, Rep. Townsend likely had no idea who alt-furries are, but certainly knows what the alt-right is, and how to spot those who openly identify with hate groups. White nationalists are a voter base her party has carefully cultivated.
Then she got in their game by retweeting one of them, echoing their talking points about “this fandom” as if she’d been here for more than a few days.
“Fun and interests, no politics”
What can we do when someone tries to exploit the fandom?
If you’re an artist, do a quick check on who commissions you. Don’t draw what you don’t agree with, even if they get mad and accuse you of being intolerant of their hate. (At least one savvy furry artist took the opportunity to hold her accountable for attacking teachers unions currently on strike.)
If you’re on social media, don’t spread posts that normalize anti-LGBT or racist people. Yes, it’s weird and wacky when some hardline conservative who looks like your mom finds the fandom. But sharing and liking those posts without calling out hypocrisy helps people like her get reelected. Normalizing people like her has deadly consequences for real, live people.
If you’re disgusted by Rep. Townsend and her bigoted party, register to vote, so you can vote against people like her, who’d smile and accept furry fan-art one day and strip away LGBT rights the next. And donate to her Democratic opponent. [The below tweet to him is a joke where he gracefully segued to sincere.]
Hi Nathan are you campaigning for the furry vote? What's your platform and are you making any election promises about it? Can I quote you for #Furrynews? #furryrights
— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) May 4, 2018Jesus christ you are smooth.
Take notice, folks: No attempt to pretend he is one of us or understands us, yet he managed to tie engagement with us with his larger stand in defending against the bigotted.
That's bloody good pr and outreach.
Thanks. We're all glad that Arpaio lost to Penzone. He was the type of person that would retaliate against people out of spite, revenge, or for political reasons. https://t.co/pQZx95HNRB
— Nathan Schneider (@Schneider4Dems) May 8, 2018No matter who you are, be more mindful. Furry is a place of imagination and freedom, but that doesn’t mean nobody will try to exploit us. Be smart, don’t let people get away with being horrible, and don’t let people disguise hatred as humor. Don’t let people take advantage of the furry fandom any more than you’d loan your fursuit to a stranger to go wade through sewage.
You’re not required to play nice with people whose goal is to dehumanize and abuse you for political gain. This applies just as much to alt-righters in office, as out. Furry is way too important to all of us to let bullies subvert it to put a cutesy facade on their cruelty.
Guys, instead of drawing Kelly Townsend a fursona, maybe donate to the campaign of her opponent.https://t.co/Iij2FIIpFDhttps://t.co/FNfFMdN8YG
— Mythic (@MythicalRedFox) May 5, 2018Hey, guys, instead of supporting Kelly Townsend, who is a vicious anti-teacher, anti-LGBT legislator, perhaps you could instead support #RedForEd and the push to get teachers in Arizona paid a fair wage for their work
— VƎX is a Satyr (@andreuswolf) May 5, 2018@KellyTownsend11 Just because you got a furry character done up doesn't give you a free pass for your exclusionary politics to prop up a religious hegemony. While it's amusing a GOP has a fursona, you don't earn a free pass.
— Iron Raptor (@iron_raptor) May 6, 2018I decided to get in on the fursona hype for Kelly Townsend and made her a ref sheet: pic.twitter.com/jU3DypZtOg
— GeorgeSquares (@GeorgeSquares) May 5, 2018
[Editor’s note: We here at DogPatch Press aren’t perfect. We felt the need to get involved in this issue, in part, because Patch personally responded to the situation by commenting on adult artwork other furries made to satirize Rep. Townsend. This was not a productive means of engaging, and he asked for the art to be withdrawn to encourage better communication.]
A Human Turned Into A Dragon. That’s Bad?
[Back from our first BLFC and we’ve got lots to talk about!]
Ryan Smith is the writer and primary artist behind Accursed Dragon, a series of fantasy graphic novels. Starting as a web comic in 2008, since 2011 he has self-published several paperbacks with the help of several Kickstarter campaigns. And as you can see at the official web site, Ryan started off using his own black & white art, but as the series has progressed he’s brought other artists on board and moved to full color. So what’s it about? “Rawn (a selfish young wizard) is introduced to Coven, a man cursed in the form of a dragon, and together they journey the war torn land of Ternia to find the cure!” Needless to say things get more complicated from there. Check out the first volume over at Goodreads.
image c. 2018 by Ryan Smith
Writer Feels Restricted from Sharing Work Because of Her PTSD and GAD
I am writing to ask your advice on what I should do regarding wishing to share my work again, but being apprehensive to. Firstly, I'm aware advice often given in this case, with all good intents, is "ignore the haters and do it anyway." That may be fine for "normal" folks, but I must share with you I suffer from C-PTSD, which caused me to also suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder. (Don't worry Papa, I see a therapist weekly)
So, for me, it's not just a matter of shrugging off trolls and haters. My writing was the main thing that got me through my hellish childhood; I didn't write then but now to help me deal, and my OC's mean everything to me. It cuts me to the bone when a stranger on the net calls one a faggot (this happened) or another time "your art is frowned upon because anthro machines are for children, it's not ok that you draw this," so I left DA and even FA cause I couldn't handle all the negative attention on my dear work.
I saw a blog around this time from a person who said, essentially, "If you are this sensitive, you have no business on the net. Create a private blog to share with family and friends only." So that's what I did, Papa, and I guess it worked, but it feels sad to be run out of town, so to speak, but I also know I can't handle people's meanness cause of my issues, either.
What do YOU think, Papa Bear? I am hoping you have some familiarity with the nature of G.A.D. and understand this is not mere "wimpiness" on my part but a damaged girl truly trying her best.
Best wishes, Dear One.
-LonelyRider
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Dear LonelyRider,
Over the last year and a half or so, I have become personally quite aware of PTSD and anxiety disorders because of my boyfriend. He is a Vietnam vet who was on the front lines and suffers greatly from that experience to this day. He takes medication so that he doesn't have nightmares, yet he is very on edge much of the time during the day. A slight thing can set him off. He, like you, has a therapist, but the bottom line is that, even though intellectually he knows there is no reason for him to act this way in a secure and loving home, he will always be this way because he is damaged just in a way that is just as real as someone who has lost a limb in action.
Therefore, in your case, you are right. My saying, "Just ignore the haters and chase after your dream" will not alleviate your anxiety and feelings of being butthurt. Your condition leaves you as vulnerable to criticism as a diabetic is to sugar. Unfortunately, there is no insulin-comparable drug for you, although there are some medications for depression and anxiety that might help alleviate issues a bit to make them tolerable.
It's good that you have a therapist, but you might also want to get involved in some group therapy. Has your therapist suggested this to you? Have you tried other avenues besides one-on-one therapy? One thought that springs to mind is going to a camp. Did you know that there are special camps for people with PTSD and GAD? The benefit of these camps is twofold: 1) you get a break from the day-to-day life and can focus on you, and 2) you can learn and share with others who share your problems, get empathy, sympathy, plus some needed social interactions. The more social interaction you get with others, the more skills you develop that you can use when you return to daily life so you can deal better with people who rub you the wrong way.
So, my advice to you is first work on your PTSD/GAD until you feel a bit more able to manage your feelings around "regular" life situations. Only then would I re-address how to share your art with the world. You will never get over it entirely, but you should be able to get to a point where you can manage the stress better.
Hugs,
Papabear