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Quite a busy episode for airing on a Sunday night. While Ikasury recovers from being professionally stabbed and CJ recovers from being a bad dog, we pull off a show packed with news and discussion.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• The Original SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
• Tinder adds more gender options
• MintzBuck’s Con size projections
• MFF Mannequin Challenge
• Furry #Mannequin Challenge at Midwest Furfest 2016
• ‘Altered Beast’ and ‘Streets of Rage’ coming to film and TV
• What do Homosexuals have in common? Mainly Ghosts.
• ConCrud is now THE BLORCH
• Apari’s Midwest FurFest 2016 Video
• Judy’s next door neighbours in Zootopia were a gay couple confirmed
• Holiday Tree Furry Snow Globe Ornaments

News:

• Researcher says furries, people who dress like animals, offer important support system
• Gay Mike Pence Doppelgänger Is Collecting Money For LGBTQ Causes
• Spiders Colonized A Remote Pacific Island By Flying There
• One Day You May Be Able To Taste In Virtual Reality
• An A.I. Wrote a Christmas Song and It’s Really, Really Creepy
• Rogue Beaver Apprehended After Trashing Store That Sells Fake Christmas Trees
• Werewolf and Other Weirdos Captured On Trail Cam
  • Link 2

Emails:

• Anonylion – “Not your typical relationship email”
• Noch Venator – “Help and LGBT question/discussion point”

FC-253 Professional Stabbing - Quite a busy episode for airing on a Sunday night. While Ikasury recovers from being professionally stabbed and CJ recovers from being a bad dog, we pull off a show packed with news and discussion.

Quite a busy episode for airing on a Sunday night. While Ikasury recovers from being professionally stabbed and CJ recovers from being a bad dog, we pull off a show packed with news and discussion.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• The Original SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
• Tinder adds more gender options
• MintzBuck’s Con size projections
• MFF Mannequin Challenge
• Furry #Mannequin Challenge at Midwest Furfest 2016
• ‘Altered Beast’ and ‘Streets of Rage’ coming to film and TV
• What do Homosexuals have in common? Mainly Ghosts.
• ConCrud is now THE BLORCH
• Apari’s Midwest FurFest 2016 Video
• Judy’s next door neighbours in Zootopia were a gay couple confirmed
• Holiday Tree Furry Snow Globe Ornaments

News:

• Researcher says furries, people who dress like animals, offer important support system
• Gay Mike Pence Doppelgänger Is Collecting Money For LGBTQ Causes
• Spiders Colonized A Remote Pacific Island By Flying There
• One Day You May Be Able To Taste In Virtual Reality
• An A.I. Wrote a Christmas Song and It’s Really, Really Creepy
• Rogue Beaver Apprehended After Trashing Store That Sells Fake Christmas Trees
• Werewolf and Other Weirdos Captured On Trail Cam
  • Link 2

Emails:

• Anonylion – “Not your typical relationship email”
• Noch Venator – “Help and LGBT question/discussion point”

FC-253 Professional Stabbing - Quite a busy episode for airing on a Sunday night. While Ikasury recovers from being professionally stabbed and CJ recovers from being a bad dog, we pull off a show packed with news and discussion.

Quite a busy episode for airing on a Sunday night. While Ikasury recovers from being professionally stabbed and CJ recovers from being a bad dog, we pull off a show packed with news and discussion.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• The Original SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
• Tinder adds more gender options
• MintzBuck’s Con size projections
• MFF Mannequin Challenge
• Furry #Mannequin Challenge at Midwest Furfest 2016
• ‘Altered Beast’ and ‘Streets of Rage’ coming to film and TV
• What do Homosexuals have in common? Mainly Ghosts.
• ConCrud is now THE BLORCH
• Apari’s Midwest FurFest 2016 Video
• Judy’s next door neighbours in Zootopia were a gay couple confirmed
• Holiday Tree Furry Snow Globe Ornaments

News:

• Researcher says furries, people who dress like animals, offer important support system
• Gay Mike Pence Doppelgänger Is Collecting Money For LGBTQ Causes
• Spiders Colonized A Remote Pacific Island By Flying There
• One Day You May Be Able To Taste In Virtual Reality
• An A.I. Wrote a Christmas Song and It’s Really, Really Creepy
• Rogue Beaver Apprehended After Trashing Store That Sells Fake Christmas Trees
• Werewolf and Other Weirdos Captured On Trail Cam
  • Link 2

Emails:

• Anonylion – “Not your typical relationship email”
• Noch Venator – “Help and LGBT question/discussion point”

[Live] Professional Stabbing

Komixx Media Group have a new 2D animated TV series called Dog Loves Books, based on the best-selling books for young readers by Louise Yates. “Dog runs a bookshop and he loves books. Whenever he or his best friend Pug have a problem or a question, Dog knows the answer will lie in one of his books. When Dog opens the book and begins to read, he and Pug are swept away into a world of adventure and imagination where anything is possible. Dog and Pug often get completely lost in the books they read… but they are always back in time for tea and biscuits.” The show is slowly making its way into international markets.

image c. 2016 Komixx Media Group

Hello Everyone!

We open this week's show with a discussion on why polyamory (or open relationships, really) are not for everyone. We discuss a YouTube Video which goes through this discussion in a fun, informative way, and we think that if you enjoy the show you would enjoy the video. Give it a watch after the show HERE.

Our main topic is on Pack Houses. We break down why that might be the wrong question to ask, as well as detail just what a communal house is, how they are structured, and how you can cohabitate in an intentional community. One of the most commonly asked questions of the show is how can one find a polyamorous house to live in, and we address why pack houses are less a random roommate on Craigslist and actually a relationship that you are entering.

We close out the show with two questions: one on BDSM Anxiety and the other on Long Distance Polyamory.

For more information, including a list of topics, see our Show Notes for this episode.

Thanks and, as always, be well.

FA 048 Pack House Dynamics - Is polyamory an option for everyone? Are Pack Houses just roommates with benefits? How can you cohabitate and be peaceful polyamorous people? All this, and more, on this week's Feral Attraction

Papabear,
 
I've been in a relationship for about a year now and honestly, it's great. But there's one HUGE problem. My boyfriend is polyamorous and I'm not. When we started the relationship, I was still new to the idea of polyamory but was willing to try it. Now, I find myself hurting every time he's with his girlfriend. I've been cheated on before and it just feels like that again to me. I haven't met this girl yet, but do know a little about her.

On top of it, my boyfriend will blatantly state how girls we see are “hot” or he’d “f**k her.” And it hurts even more. We saw a musical the other day and he even commented on the one actress being hot. 

Then there’s the fact that I worry more so about our relationship because I'm transgender and he's never dated outside of cis-females. I plan to get surgery one day and have been on testosterone for only a few days. He says he'll still stay with me but I'm worried even more that he won't thanks to having only dated cis-gender females before and the fact that he seems to be okay with the idea of sleeping around. 

I always viewed polyamory as LOVE and not just having one night stands too like he seems to view it as. And I don't want to lose him over this. Before I met him, I was single for over 2 years. I don't want to go back to being single and alone because I'm transgender and a furry. Not many people can handle it. I don't know what to do anymore. 

Ryvis (age 22)
 
* * *
 
Hi, Ryvis,
 
Thank you for writing to Papabear on an important issue. Also, I applaud you on your bravery in taking difficult steps toward finding your happiness.
 
On the subject of polyamory. Polyamory is about the ability to love several people at the same time, more or less equally. It is not about one night stands, as you correctly point out. Sounds to Papabear as if your boyfriend is trying to justify what he is doing by excusing it as polyamory when, in truth, he just likes to sleep around. Also, the two of you have been together a year and you haven’t met his girlfriend? Seems to me that if he was serious about you and open about being polyamorous with all the “loves” in his life, then he would be introducing you by now. Finally, he is showing no respect for your feelings by going on about all the girls he wants to do.
 
I’m glad you wrote because you need an outsider’s perspective on this, Ryvis. This guy is a jerk. Add to this that you really aren’t comfortable with a polyamorous mate (even though you are willing to try it), then you need to see that this guy isn’t for you.
 
The only reason you’re sticking with him is because you don’t want to be alone. Also, I have a feeling you have self-esteem issues that make you believe (falsely) that you are not worthy of a lover who is kind and considerate of you. In desperation, you are clinging to someone who “says” he loves you but, based on what you have written here, no, he does not.
 
Have the courage to get out of a bad relationship. It’s okay to be alone for a while until the right person comes along. In fact, being alone for a bit while you work on your sense of self-worth and also, perhaps, get that surgery, could be good for you. Before you can have a healthy relationship, you have to be healthy (mentally and emotionally) yourself. Otherwise you will fall into traps like this again.
 
That’s probably not what you wanted to hear (or, maybe it is?) but it is what you needed to hear.
 
Good Luck! I wish you REAL love in your future.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

December 2016’s Book of the Month is The Time He Desires by Kyell Gold, a short novel in FurPlanet’s “Cupcakes” line, with illustrations by Kamui.

After thirty years, Aziz’s marriage now consists mostly of arguing about whether to sell their store to a developer. His wife has a social life, interests and plans for the future, but the pawnshop is Aziz’s connection to his community. And then one day a desperate fox rushes into the shop looking for the honeymoon tape his husband sold. Seizing on this chance to make a difference, the cheetah steps up to help save their crumbling marriage. A gay couple might not show him the way to a new life, but he’s running out of ways to save his old one.

The Time He Desires is available now in print from FurPlanet, and should shortly be available in ebook from Bad Dog Books and available on Amazon and other ebook retailers.

“Our world is one rich with diversity and culture, but how would civilized animals change that?”

That is the question Ocean Tigrox asks for you to write about in the upcoming anthology, Tales From the Guild 2: World Tour. Building from Tales From the Guild: Music to the Ears, the purpose of Tales is not just to have another outlet for Furry stories.

…we want to showcase great furry stories and show what we as a guild support. In addition to that, we want to help fund the guild while paying authors for their hard work. Thirdly, we’re using the anthology to help teach others about what goes into working a slush pile and editing an anthology.

This is what the Furry Writers Guild uses to help support themselves and showcase what they are all about.

In the words of the Guild itself, “The purpose of the Furry Writers’ Guild is to promote quality writing in anthropomorphic fiction and to inform, elevate, and support its creators.” The guild is there for others to come together to learn and support each other in our craft as well help promote our work and what we love about furry literature.

But how did the theme World Tour come about as the next entry for the book?

Because it was the guild anthology, we let the guild help out in choosing what theme to use. We had members of the guild suggest themes and voted on it. It was a very close vote with the runner up being “The Beast Within – Species issues within a modern world” which could be used for the next Guild Anthology theme.

So what kind of stories are they looking for that fit the theme of World Tour?

We’re looking for stories containing strong themes of location and species involving our world. There’s a preference to more modern stories, but the time period isn’t as important as its ties to the location. There is some leniency in real world locations as we’d look at a story about Atlantis or maybe even the moon for example, but they should all tie into the Earth we know and love today.

Ocean himself has been a prominent member in the Furry writing community.

I’ve been involved with the furry community for a little over ten years. I had always been interested in anthropomorphic creatures and stories so when someone asked me if I was a furry, I just realized I was and said yes. When I moved to Calgary about five years ago, closer to the other members of of the now Fangs and Fonts crew, they were the ones that got me back into writing and what started me working with the furry writing community.

That work has gotten him not only writing stories, but editing them too.

I’ve always helped others with editing and have been an assistant editor on other projects, but it wasn’t until I put out the call for Inhuman Acts that I took my first foremost role as an editor. So officially, a little over two years.

The requirements for the book are as so.

We are looking for short stories between 2000-10,000 words. They should be in standard manuscript format. We’ll be accepting submissions up until the last day of 2016 (December 31st). If people need more time, they can request an extension, but do it sooner than later. All these details and more can be found on the forum post in the guild: http://www.anthroaquatic.com/forum/index.php?topic=1102.0

If accepted the writer will be given a twenty dollar flat rate and a contributor copy with the proceeds going to help support the FWG. Both members and those interested in the Guild are free to submit. The book is expected to be publish around mid to late 2017. So if your not too busy driving yourself crazy with holiday shopping give yourself the time to write up what our world would be like if it was filled with walking, talking animals.

-Pup Matthias

• Buy Tales From the Guild: Music to the Ears on Rabbit Valley

Another recent article from Animation Magazine, this time discussing some of their favorite new animated projects they’ve seen shown off at MIPCOM this year. And lo and behold, the majority of them are anthropomorphic! So we’ll be discussing the most interesting ones ourselves for the next few days. First up is Caiman, created by Rebecca Warner-Perry and Sue Tong, and produced by Illuminated Films from the UK. “Meet Caiman, a five-year-old crocodile who loves exploring – and who wouldn’t!?…when the village of Trickle End, a buzzing and bubbling community, is right outside his front door! Caiman lives at home with his Mum, Dad and older sister in a little wooden house, situated right on the edge of the exotic mangroves where the river meets the sea. All his friends and neighbours live, work and play nearby. There’s always someone to have fun with or somebody to lend a helping hand in Trickle End.” Animation has a link to IF’s show-reel, which includes more about Caiman and their other projects.

image c. 2016 Illuminated Films

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Hiya,

I'm a new furry, I've only been in the fandom for around 10-11 months, and I'm struggling to make friends, I'm not sure if it's the age difference. I've met a few furries at a MCM Comicon, but the conversations were only then and there, rather than taking it further, which sucks. I'd love to be more involved with the fandom. I'm just struggling to find friends.

I have social anxiety, but I get along with other people quite well. I'm just shy in most situations, and sometimes it feels like I don’t really know the ways of the fandom, if that makes sense. I guess it's a case of "I don't feel like i fit in." I have Furry Amino [a furry app], and only recently I'm getting to grips with Furaffinty. I've never been to a furmeet but plan to go to a furmeet in London soon. Is there anything else you could suggest about trying to make friends in the fandom?

Hugs
Riiya (age 15)
 
* * *
Dear Riiya,
 
A problem that furries like both you and I have is the age thing. As you may have noticed, the vast majority of furries are in their late teens, twenties, perhaps early thirties. You are outside that spectrum on the young side, while Papabear is outside the spectrum on the old side. This can make it difficult to socialize.
 
The obvious answer is to try and find people more your age. With me, I tend to hang out with greymuzzles (over 30 crowd). It’s actually more difficult for the under 18 group like you simply because things like transportation are more difficult. You’re too young to drive, which makes going to furmeets harder, unless you can do so by bus or train to a nearby one.
 
This kind of leaves you with online stuff. I would like to suggest you start with the online FurryTeens (http://www.furryteens.org/forum/). This should be a good starting place for you to meet furries your own age and connect to them.
 
As for being shy. Don’t worry, you are in good company. Many many many furries are also shy folk for a number of reasons, but they, like you, still want to connect. You are doing well by making an effort to reach out, and I bet if you keep trying eventually you will succeed. Just be patient.
 
Hugs,
Papabear

Join and listen in on the cast discussing the funny news of the week Episode -17 - Sharked it

Earlier this year Animation World Network ran an article about Mattel Creations’ new line-up of 2017 CGI specials and animated series, which they are presenting at MIPCOM. Besides all the expected Barbie tie-ins and Thomas the Tank Engine, there’s a new show called Enchantimals. “At first glance you may think that the Enchantimals are just a regular group of girls. But on closer inspection you’ll see that this unique band live somewhere between human and animal. The Enchantimals are at one with nature, and as keepers of their forest home, they strive to maintain balance, peace and harmony, with unwavering compassion towards all living things. Each Enchantimal gets some much needed help from their very own animal bestie. Like the best of friends, they share an unbreakable bond, as well as extraordinary animal abilities. But why does their forest home need such a special group to help look after it? Because this is no ordinary forest – it’s enchanted!” Thanks for letting us know! We’ll let you know if and when and where Enchantimals gets picked up for broadcast.

image c. 2016 Mattel Creations

Speaking of Gaumont Animation, we couldn’t very well pass up on an animated show called Furry Wheels, now could we? “André is a hyperactive young sloth with oodles of drive. He’s the first of his kind to even leave his tree. And he’s not stopping there; he wants to shake the dust of this town off his feet and see the world, but before everything he must pass his driving test. First stop, Racers School to get his diploma, because any herbivore who wants to survive out there needs to learn to drive, fast! Or else you’ll quickly end up as a leopard’s luncheon meat.” Created by Frédéric Martin, Furry Wheels is distributed in Europe by Disney XD — with an eye on international markets of course. TBI Vision has an interview with Pierre Belaïsch of Gaumont about the show.

image c. 2016 Gaumont Animation

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Hello Papabear,

I have been suffering from obsession over Zootopia characters for months especially Nick & Judy and it seems to actually hurting my life, even if the movie is that good. Everyday I've been obsessing and dreaming about getting a hug from Nick & Judy at an Disney Parks because they are so cute and fluffy. However it seems to be impossible for me since I live in Florida and they are confined at the parade at Walt Disney World. They maybe doing meet & greets on a holiday event but I was barred from my parents to go because there are only doing it on some weekdays and Sundays and there aren't any dates for Saturday. Also, I could not afford to book a room at any hotels. It would seem likely on Fridays but they still cannot let me go and afford me there, and those days are likely sold out so it might be too late. It is because I have to go to Technical School. My job was laid off a few months ago. I been trying to contact the guest services about my feels on wanting & requesting to meet Nick & Judy but they still didn't get me and it seems likely that the only bet I can go meet them is to travel to Disneyland Resort at California which Is also hard because of School.

Apparently I want to be done or take a break from Disney along with Zootopia. I don't think my Fursona is not a good fit with either Nick & Judy for a couple of reasons and I would rather would see Nick & Judy in a couple. One of the reasons is my (Or my fursona) height was bigger than both Nick & Judy (He's is 5'6 tall and Nick was around his 4'0s and Judy was shorter) and My age is younger than both Nick & Judy (Nick is 32 and Judy is 24) and also my species is the exact same thing as Finnick, another character from Zootopia, Which I am worried that might lead to some conflict or something.

But I just can't stop thinking about them and the movie for multiple reasons. Zootopia is like everywhere in the Furry fandom, This seems to be making be a bit sad and depressed. And, Worse, It's hard to not look & heard Disney stuff/related content, from ads, & merchandise to word-of-the-mouth. Seriously I would rather talk watch Anime, Play Video Games, & Watch Movies not made by Disney. This prevents me from stop thinking about Zootopia because those things remind me of it. It also reminds me & makes me sad that I haven't got a hug Nick & Judy, and It looks like I never will. Most of the time the words "Try" & "Everything" irritants me most of the time thinking about how popular is the movie is that change our pop culture, due to song title associated with the movie. Seriously, Zootopia making me like I feel trapped in Disney as a Furry. I am getting kind of worried that Nick & Judy are like the most attractive character by Furries. I really feel excited on Zootopia which is bad for me because It gonna made me sad, worried, & depressing on not getting hugs from those cute, and fluffy characters Nick & Judy at Disney Parks, within the movie. I also hard for me to visit the therapy because it's expensive since I worried that it is going to take multiple sessions to get it cured & I'm not good talking to them due to my Asperger Syndrome, and I don't know how therapy online by chatting is going to work.

Things for me turned from fell in love with them in a happy way into an hopelessly addicted nightmare. Even if they are not real, I really don't want to live with being bothered imaginary in my mind by Nick, Judy, & other Zootopia characters while not getting a hug of Nick & Judy at Disney parks. It's my obsession that is like so hard wired into my brain that I'm not satisfied of. This really hurts my School work as well. And I don't mean to end my life as a Furry, unless it's okay for you to let me do it. I'm also open to attempt to be obsessed on other furry characters if all things do not work for me but only if it's not Zootopia.

Sorry for my grammar if my writing is bad or if this question confuses you probably because it's a rare type of question. Thanks!

Snow (age 21, Manatee County, FL)

* * *

Dear Snow,

I'm going to write you a quick reply here and write more later. Thank you for explaining you have Asperger's. You see, obsessive-compulsive behavior can be one symptom of an autistic disorder such as Asperger's. So, I would guess that your obsession with Judy and Nick in Zootopia is most likely related to the fact that you have Asperger's. The first question, then, is are you being treated for this? Are you seeing a professional about it? If so, you should talk to them about your Nick and Judy obsession to see if they can help. 

If you can get your Asperger's under better control, it should also help you with the Nick and Judy issue.

Write again and I promise to respond promptly.

Hugs,
Papabear

* * *

1. I tried to in many ways. Some of them work temporary (Obession with other characters, masturbation) for a very short amount of time like in a few minutes  or one/few hours. I working on masturbating more on them plus stop looking for stuff/content on the movie, but I'm not sure my obsession will go away.

2.  I also tried to, But my parents probably barred me because my obession is only the part of my Asperger. I also heard that it requires multiple sections at the time so I probably cannot afford it for now. I also heard that you can chat with a therapy online but not sure if it will alternatively work that way.

Even through Asperger cannot be cured, I'm not sure how to get under better control.

* * *

Hi, Snow,

If your parents are preventing you from getting help for your Asperger's, well, you are 21 and you are of legal age to seek help on your own. There are many services out there that can help. Are you insured? Are you covered under your parents' insurance (since you are under 26)? First, go find out what is covered by your insurance. When you say "I probably can't afford it," it sounds like you're giving up without even finding out for sure if you can or not.

Here is a list of therapists who treat Asperger's in Bradenton, which I believe is near you: https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_results.php?city=Bradenton&spec=251.

And here is a list of Florida support groups:  http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/491.cfm.

Now, even if those aren't near you, you should try and call some of them and ask them for their advice on what you can do with your income level. They will likely be able to refer you to a government agency or nonprofit group that can help. Sometimes it takes several phone calls to track down what you need; the point is to start making calls!

Treating Asperger's is not something Papabear is qualified to do, Snow. I can only try and point you in the right direction. I can tell you that just addressing the Nick/Judy compulsion is not a solution because that merely addresses a symptom. You need to get at the core of the problem, ok?

Take Care,
Papabear

Earlier this year we learned from Variety that “Gaumont Television is joining forces with German pubcaster ZDF to bring Belle et Sébastien, an animated series based on the popular 1960s TV show created by Cécile Aubry.  Belle et Sébastien follows the adventures of a 6-year-old motherless boy and his friend, a big white dog, across the wilderness landscapes of the French Alps.” Belle and Sebastien was previously adapted as an anime series in the 1980’s by Toho Animation. Now the latest version from France has visited MIPCOM and they’re looking for international distribution. Animation World Network has a more recent article about Gaumont TV that includes more about this new show.

image c. 2016 Gaumont Television

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It's a full house +1 this week as Halfwit Genius joins the cast on the patio. We talk about our Thanksgiving adventures, smoke hookah, get distracted by doggo, and make Savrin sigh. We even have a handful of emails for you. But seriously, fuck 2016. Next episode is going to be first week of January, so you'll hear back from us then~ We also have a Patreon, so if you'd like to help support the show once we return in 2017, hit us up at patreon.com/knotcast Episode 334 - 2016, We Out

Help here: Relief Fund for Victims of Ghostship Oakland Fire

“Ghost Ship” was the name of the warehouse in the inner city of Oakland, California.  I’ve often visited the neighborhood under the booming overhead trestle of the BART train.  The warehouse was zoned for business, but harbored a live/work space that was built under the radar of building inspectors.  It was funded by parties and rent from people living in RV’s parked there.  It was home for a collective of artists and musicians from the cultural underground of the San Francisco Bay area.  Many were pushed out of previous homes by pressure of rising rents. These most expensive costs in the country are making a crisis for culture.

Friday, December 2, was the date for an electronic music show.  Golden Donna was headlining with the L.A. label 100% Silk.  It wasn’t a rave just for dancing and fun, but a deeper connection of creativity.  Many watchers were themselves into producing music, or making big-scale art for festivals like Burning Man.

See more at Oaklandghostship.com

At around 11:30 PM, at the height of party time, a crowd of around 100 people were in the warehouse.  The inside was a wooden “labyrinth” built like a tree fort or a set from a pirate movie.  3D art pieces, pianos, tapestries and rugs, colored lights and eclectic furniture filled every corner like a flea market.  A second level they called “The Rave Cave” was accessed by a single staircase built from wooden pallets. Things were eccentrically built so you might need a map.

Minutes later, thick smoke overcame the building. With panic and darkness, dozens were trapped in the upper level. One eyewitness tells of escaping, and others were led out by shouts of bystanders unable to go in.  The fire ripped through 9,000 feet of space not built to code, with only 2 exits and no sprinkler system.  72 firefighters were unable to control the flames until the ceiling collapsed.  It left a heartbreakingly destroyed shell holding 36 victims, and the ashes of many dreams.

They say it could have been worse. I’m told that some partygoers went to the wrong address because they were told a Street instead of an Ave. Fire inspectors think the cause was electrical, although they haven’t cleared enough rubble to know. It’s said that the guy who ran the space laughed at codes, did shady wiring, or was a tweaker. That’s gossip, but I had a friend who reconsidered moving in there several years ago. At the time, he told me how the manager seemed sketchy.

• Update: Photo and comment about poor wiring. And the manager speaks.

Mainstream news is reporting a story of possible criminal irresponsibility by management.  But many of those directly affected aren’t hearing them tell another part of the story.  It’s about creative people priced out of their own communities, forced to flee a rent crisis, and finding refuge in underground places where they can afford the freedom they need. They often don’t follow building codes or get show permits, because they can’t afford those.

People lost their lives in being unable to flee a fire, but also in supporting what they loved.  And many like them fear more bad things to follow the tragedy – like a crackdown against artist spaces and shows in places they can afford.  The entire culture may suffer.

• Artists at Oakland Warehouse Fire Discuss The Tragedy, Those Missing, Need for Safe Underground Spaces
• Housing Crisis, Not Ravers, Is Responsible For the Oakland Fire
• KQED: It Could Have Been Any One of Us

We gravitate to the spaces that say: Welcome. Be yourself. For the tormented queer, the bullied punk, the beaten trans, the spat-upon white trash, the disenfranchised immigrants and young people of color, these spaces are a haven of understanding in a world that doesn’t understand — or can’t, or doesn’t seem to want to try.

The news made sadness on the same day as the happy revival of Frolic, the furry dance party.  I covered the story of their venue, historic gay bar The Stud, facing death by the rent crisis of the SF Bay.  Party founder Neonbunny posted to the Save Our Stud group:

“Furries have always been the outcasts among outcasts. There’s not alot of venues that accept different cultures, new traditions, and just general going against the norms to express yourself in new ways.

Neonbunny knows many people, but he told me he luckily didn’t know anyone in the fire.

Hearts out to everyone involved at the Golden Donna rave last night in Oakland. Dancing should be joyous, not tragic. May you all be safe!

— FrolicParty (@FrolicParty) December 3, 2016

So many people are affected.  This belongs on a furry news site out of shared spirit.  Furries make their own D.I.Y. creative community, so here’s love to everyone else who builds their own.

Cory, a friend of mine, posted on social media:

Feeling horrified, sick and powerlessness…waking up to CNN seeing a massive fire in Oakland then going online and realizing it was at a big Oakland dark synth/art/industrial show and several people I know are missing including someone I consider a close mentor. The Oakland ‘weird underground’ in the last 4 years has meant a lot to me and been a huge source of inspiration; by far my favorite shows ive performed at and some of the coolest people ive met. And always the most trippy of shows, a hot bed of unusual creativity. Refreshing missing list checkins, meditative prayers and good thoughts.

At least four victims were friends of my friends.  Someone close to me teaches a brother and sister who lost their parents.  I’m acquainted with a DJ who got to the party just in time to see the fire start from outside.  Both members of the band Introflirt died – I was a fan and went to their shows, and could have been there. (There are many tributes coming out for other lost music scene friends.)

Bohemian culture thrives in the SF Bay Area. It’s “furry mecca”, home to some of the roots and luminaries of this subculture.  Other scenes here appreciate furries more than elsewhere.  They come to our shows to invite us to theirs, including burlesque, variety and comedy shows, street fairs, dance events and music videos. You can see it in Neonbunny’s history of organizing Burning Man events.

People at Ghost Ship worked with electro swing band Beats Antique, who play Burning Man.  Below, see them hanging out with Furries and inviting fursuiters on stage. One is DJ Tekfox of Denver’s Foxtrot, yet another party connection.

Our hearts go out to our friends and the family members of those who lost a loved one in last nights fire in Oakland. ❤️

— Beats Antique (@BeatsAntique) December 3, 2016

Beats Antique and Furries by ShadowCheetah

Tragedy like this feels like smoke before a bigger fire. More darkness is coming.  I can sense more people falling into precarious living and fear, with insecurity stealing their creativity and spirit.  Marginalized people, creative expression and freedom have a lot to fear from the powers of Trump’s America.  Don’t forget that his power was built on property discrimination and splitting desirables and undesirables apart. Watch out for danger and stick together.