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And another article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, this time about Pittsburgh's local furry community:
http://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2015/07/08/Furries-nest-in-Pittsburgh-year-round/stories/201507060132

In the article, the interviewer speaks with furries Paige Ward ("Sage Firefox"), Carl K. ("R.C. Fox"), Khalil Brown, and Courtney Wagner.


One Friday a month, Pittsburgh’s Furries flock to Fernando’s Cafe on Liberty Avenue. This meetup is their second most popular, next to bowling.

Last Friday, about 20 locals were eating and talking when someone put “Le Freak” by Chic on the stereo. A few jumped up — some in fur suits, some not — and joined in a disco line.

Pittsburgh’s annual Anthrocon, which begins Thursday, draws all the attention as costumed enthusiasts suddenly appear in Downtown. But really, the Furries have never left. Active and visible year-round, the city’s Furry community provides not only an anchor for the convention but also a welcoming social environment for like-minded people — with or without fur suits.

“We’ve jokingly referred to Pittsburgh as ‘Furry Mecca,’ ” said Paige Ward, 29, of Allentown.

Ms. Ward, who works as a document custodian at BNY Mellon, wore a pair of red ears to Fernando’s. As she ate a slice of pizza, her red panda helmet looked out from the table. “Sage Firefox,” Ms. Ward’s chosen fursona (a fictional animal alter-ego), is a reflection of her personality, she said.

“For me, being a Furry is acknowledging and embracing the animal side of me,” Ms. Ward said. “I have that connection on a spiritual level with the animal I chose to represent myself.”

That connection varies from Furry to Furry.

“I’m totally human from top to bottom,” Ms. Ward said. “Within our local fandom, I know of at least three ‘therians’ — a wolf, a fox and a phylocene — and for them, their spirit is that animal, and their body does not match what their spirit says they are.”

Ms. Ward, who helps organize the local group, didn’t identify as a Furry until 2008, after she graduated from Marietta College in Ohio. Like many local Furries, she found her way into fandom through its anthropomorphic artwork.

“It’s kind of an all-or-nothing thing,” she said. “You start going, they drag you to the convention, and that’s it, you’re done.”

Around Pennsylvania, Furries congregate on one online forum, www.pa-furry.org, and a handful of Facebook and Twitter groups. Anywhere between a dozen and a hundred Furries, friends and family show up to the local events, which become more frequent in the summer.

Pittsburgh’s Furries gather outdoors in Schenley Plaza and Alameda Park (in costume), take trips to Kennywood (no costumes), and even go ice-skating (just ears and tails). Last month, around 50 marched in the Pittsburgh Pride parade, and a group participated in Midland’s July 4th parade. The scene has never been so big.

“It was more underground in the ’90s and ’00s,” said Carl K., 31, who asked that his last name not be used. “Anthrocon was our saving grace.”

When Carl — “R.C. Fox” in costume — found the fandom, it was 1997, and online forums were all they had. The very first Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend, now held annually in September or October, didn’t appear until four years later, in 2001. Now he wears his suit to Station Square, where he works as a network engineer. He’s even suited up for a Penguins game.

There’s no one way to participate, however. Of the crowd at Fernando’s, only three had full fur suits, which aren’t cheap. Carl bought his custom-made one last year for $2,500. The rest wore some combination of ears, tails, convention T-shirts, or maybe just a badge with their fursona on it.

Neither Morningside resident Khalil Brown, 21, or Highland Park resident Courtney Wagner, 22, have fur suits, but both said they found the community welcoming. Ms. Wagner said she’s been a Furry her whole life, but only realized it when she became a student at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

“When I found out about the fandom, it was like, yes, this is what I am.”

Dated July 8, here is an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the upcoming Anthrocon convention:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/07/08/Pittsburgh-ready-for-Furries-to-flock/stories/201507080026


Restaurants will be selling food out of dog bowls and drinks with 36-inch straws (long enough to fit under a fur suit).

With Anthrocon opening Thursday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown businesses are preparing for the nearly 6,000 Furries expected to hit town through Sunday.

Baris Budak, owner of Pizza Parma and Fernando’s Cafe, stocks up on dog bowls and straws, hires as many temps as he can afford and orders ingredients by the truckload for the Furries’ favorite lasagna wrap.

“We start shopping two weeks before,” Mr. Budak said, “Even big companies like Coke will make an exception and do an extra delivery at night.”

Fernando’s Cafe has a special place in the hearts of Furries. Its original owner. Fernando DeCarvalho, became famous in the Anthro community after he was hit in the head with a brick while defending a Furry. Now a missionary in South America, Mr. DeCervalho left the cafe to Mr. Budak, who continues to welcome them each year and renames the cafe Furryland when the convention is in town.

Mr. Budak is not the only one to benefit from Anthrocon. Since the convention moved to Pittsburgh in 2006, it has brought in $39.6 million, according to Visit Pittsburgh. It’s expected to generate $5.7 million this year, $200,000 more than last year.

Hotels also prepare for the Furry invasion. “We expect that they travel with a lot of luggage, so we have extra carts to help them on the day of arrival,” said Tim Zugger, general manager at the Downtown DoubleTree, one of eight hotels hosting Anthrocon attendees.

Only about 20 percent of attendees don the full fur suit; many choose to wear ears, a tail or just a button with a picture of their anthropomorphic alter ego, said Anthrocon board member Karl Jorgensen of Leesburg, Va.. “For the most part it’s people who develop their own characters, and each character is unique to that person,” he explained. Characters can range from wolves to dragons to bears, and, for those who don’t want to wear a fur suit, there are artists at the convention who will draw their character for pins or for posting online.

In addition to Artists Alley and the Dealers Room, where Furry memorabilia can be purchased, the convention has events ranging from the Fur Suit Olympics to a comedy show called “Whose Lion Is It Anyway?” There are also workshops where Furries can hone their acting, drawing and writing skills.

A fur suit can cost thousands of dollars, especially if it’s customized with robotic parts like wiggling ears or blinking eyes. But it gets hot in Pittsburgh in July.

“It can be exhausting and stressful to be walking around in that costume for all that time,” Mr. Jorgensen said, “They need lots of water, so we provide a headless zone for them to cool down, relax, take their heads off, take a break and rest.”

When Anthrocon’s animals aren’t roaming Downtown streets, they might be found at one of several charity events. The board chooses a different local animal-related charity each year and collects donations through raffles, auctions and poker tournaments. Last year, Anthrocon donated more than $32,000 to The National Aviary, and this year, the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society will be the beneficiary.

Mr. Budak plans to set up a cooling station with fans and barrels of bottled water for his Furry customers. He also has themed shirts, hats and dog bowls to sell during the convention, and donates $1 from every item sold to Mr. DeCarvalho’s missionary work in South America. This year’s memorabilia features a graphic of the Earth with a tail and says: “Save the Earth. It’s the only planet with chocolate, pizza and furries.”

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submitted by evilsibe
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So over the last few days, I have been talking to my wife about the furry fandom. She wasn't sure what a furry was (all she knew was some wear fursuits). So I started telling her about it and answering some of her questions. Earlier tonight she sent me a text telling me that she had made a fursona. She was so happy , she said she felt like she could be herself with the help of her fursona and nobody in the fandom will judge her. I got super happy cause now we both are part of the fandom lol. Just wanted to let you guys know! Lol

submitted by Laceldas
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submitted by Sat-AM
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