I’m a fairly new furry myself, but I’ve never directly told anyone outside the internet, not because I’m ashamed of liking anthropomorphic animals, but because I don’t want people to associate me with the fetish side of the fandom.
Same with me only a few of my close friends know of me being a furry and they don’t mind but no one els no because lots of people think it’s bad or weird
with some friends in the car and one asked would you rather be a gay furry or addicted to fent. all responded addicted to fent no contest. there is no moderation, there are no straight furries apparently...
@Frank67544 When it comes to subscribing to furry channels, I only go for the ones that have clean content clean content, and usually if I find something that seems fetish on TH-cam, I try to make sure I delete it from my watch history and leave everything else alone.
Bad people use minority labels to protect themselves because in the age of identity politics you can get away with a lot of heinous things by just being a minority
Most people at the school know im a furry (some friends) other friends are fine with it, and are furries to, but there’s that one kid who runs cause I’ll “infect them”, man if I could be a animal, I would, but sadly that’s not how it works, neither does the infect work
I’d probably say the reason people don’t want to be open with it is at the risk of being made fun of, or losing friends because they think it’s weird. Or you can just turn them into furries and then they won’t think it’s weird.
I been one since 2018, a lot says I wish I never did, brought some shady people into my life, made me pick up some not great habits, made me look at some not great things, its a lot of loss and reward with becoming a furry, very much of it
Last year during school was not great and this was due to harassment since I was a huge extrovert who made it known I was a furry. Before that school year: I was a happy person that was definitely an extrovert. I was really kind but didn’t really have a huge understanding of what people went through. After school: Walked out of school being an introvert. I now suffer from depression, anxiety, and I have issues expressing interests and feelings. I’m not gonna go into detail on what happened. But this is just a warning.
Bullying can do some messed up things to anyone. Two years ago i was the best kid in class. People used to bully me a lot, they went out of their way to try to find things that i liked, just to make fun of it. It got to the point where they once threw stones at me. I remember that moment vividly. And the best part? Next year i got to stay with one of the people who did that. There wqs also this girl i hated that would constantly spread weird rumors and misinformation about me. Some of the weirdest shit i heard was "Showering with dog shampoo" and "Going into girl's bathrooms to see their... "Things" (btw, im male, he/him) Needless to say, this got to the point where i would hide every interest i had from any person i met and it led me to have many self steem issues. If i wanted to read a book, i would make sure to cover the front and back while i read it. If i wanted to play any game i would hide it as best as i could. I even hid these things from my parents because they used to make fun of me as well for watching certain kinds of videos. Thankfully, im much better now. (Also that was a long yapping session)
Don't worry, you don't need to go in details, I I understand, I was also very extrovert before I got to secondary school and then, it all shut down and I became the stereotype of emo kid, but I met friends that were just as weird as me, still they weren't furries but it was fun to see and hang out with people that matched my autism, moral of the story, find yourself friends that are as if not more autistic than you, it's always better than being popular
Furries have also just been generally accepted to hate on in the past. Like "oh you hate furries, me 2" at least from my own experience used to be pretty common. Now a days furries have started becoming a lot more out in the open, so the hating game seem to have taken a backseat to some extent. (Been a hidden furry for most of my life, only been open for a few years)
That's because the paws of an animal would have had their claws removed just so it would be difficult to scratch another person by mistake. Usually anthros/animals would have sharp claws pulled back into part of their skin, and when it's time to fight or claw back against someone who won't leave you alone, or you're in danger, claws can help you fend yourself from danger or prey. Considering my sister and family had a bunch of pets over my livelihood, I can tell you that I didn't really see myself as a furry because of pets, but rather, those pets were just there to keep company, or heck, to annoy the heck out of you like some persisted child or teen who won't leave you alone or something (I don't know that's just me). It's this reason why I hate taking care of pets and would have no interest in adopting a domestic pet. But with fur costumes, paw print type of hands are different from the way the feet/talons on the ground would work, hence why the furry creatures are 100% always anthro'/bipedal and not quadrupedal/quad-pedal/feral animal type of beings.
Honestly for me, it’s just that my parents are against it and because of that they often alienate me from the “normal” of society. This mainly happens whenever they come across my interest in the fandom or anthropomorphic characters in my day to day life. And it’s not that the fandom defines me, it’s just something I am interested in. A hobby, just like my interest in gaming. Right before I headed to high school 5 or so years ago. My mom found out about my interest in the fandom. I’ll never forget the tears and “if this is who you want to be, you’ll have to go to a different school with people like you…” Obviously I lied and said I’d drop it. I went to high school and graduated like every other “normal” person. Just sucks I’ll never forget that first interaction. And every other one that followed felt the same. I feel full of shame. And I normally can’t argue against them. It’s what scares me the most, and hinders my ability to tell anyone or express it around my family.
The problem is that, furries, much like many other type of people in society, are part of the minority, whereas humans and heterosexuals are the majority. So you're basically part of a small group of people in a massive world run by normal human beings. For me, I was into the body/zentai inflation communities looonnggg before I knew the furry communities back in the early 2010s. But for me, anthro characters started with many cartoon characters back in the day, but it was the wonka franchise that got me into what it is today so, there's that to consider.
I have a tattoo of my sona on my arm, so kinda hard to hide it ahahah I love this fandom, been here since 2019 and has helped me become a better person, shaping me into who I am today, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the fandom I am a proud furry :3
In my opinion of someone who isn't in the community(yet) I know people always assume the worst about them and always assume other types of communities that are similar like therians are just furries. I personally hate this because someone I know says stuff like "if they wear a tail they are a furry" first off, just plain wrong. Second, don't assume without actually knowing
Probably because some people see furries as another type of cult that are people made up of wearing furry costumes, almost alien or foreign to people who never really got into the whole fandom or cared for cartoon/anime creatures to begin with.
I used to hide it in the past. But I've been in this fandom for nearly 8 years now, and over time, I've realised that most people genuinely do not care. Most of the hate and bullying comes from online, from people who feel confident hidden behind their internet anonymity. I used to be scared that people would associate with with pro-z*os, or that people would assume that furry = f*tish, or even think that I believe I'm an animal. But most people in real life have just asked me, and I've cleared it up for them. People are less afraid to be bullies online, because unlike in real life, they are hidden behind their screen and won't face repercussions for their actions. I blame social media companies for this, they do not do enough to ensure that bullies and mean people get the repercussions they deserve, like rstrictions and account bans.
Same bro. I really messed up by being overconfident about being a furry! I don’t get insults but I do get the feeling people think I’m weird asf. Uhh I wanna go back into the closet but it’s too late.
@gravityfox19 I don't mind being seen as weird, either way I would have been seen that way, the reason I don't care who knows is a actually more of a distraction from the more serious issues I have in my head
@@gravityfox19 also, I have a feeling you have anxiety, I'm almost certain due to my almost unnerving level of empathy towards other people, also, I don't like to run from my problems, if I made a mistake, I will face it head on, Ive made a lot of mistakes that I had no control in, I suffer because one of my mental conditions causes mania, I've hurt a lot of people because of this, my only true regret is not having enough friends, despite this, I don't suffer from depression and i just end up searching for people who are either like me or accept me, I hope at least one thing in my rant helped
2:02 one major problem of looking at the "good" and "bad" parts of the fandom is that one of the things that people dont like about the fandom is prevelant in at least 75% of the fandom in one way or another. It has been analyzed and shown that ~50% of the furry fandom participates in that bad thing directly, which doesnt account for more indirect ways of participating in that bad thing or the people who werent able to be analyzed in the study.
Source please? Never heard of this, a lot of people say the furry fandom is "half bad" but can't provide a proper study or analysis of any kind. It all comes down to people saying "i just know because people tell me" or "i see it on the internet"(
@singularpeak there was a furry TH-camr who did an analysis of how much of the fandom was in what groups on Twitter, and the results showed that roughly half of the fandom was directly involved in nsfw art. This data can be extrapolated to show that there's much more furries not involved in the art who still participate in some form of degeneracy in some way. I am a furry and I don't like the fandom at large for the reason that nsfw is inescapable and an integral part of the function of the fandom machine.
@@singularpeak I have seen some a couple surveys in the past with similar results but I can't seem to find them anymore on the internet, but they DID support the claim that definitely a chunk of furries is involved with NSFW. Whether it's 30-70 or 60-40, I don't think it matters that much. More subjectively, my partner is a strictly SFW artist with a reasonable following. She doesn't often get the request to draw NSFW, but she does often show me customers refsheets and I can say about half of them are NSFW (mostly sent without a heads up either). Maybe her style attracts that kind of people? Or maybe it is just representative for at least part of the fandom with people with finances large enough to splurge on furry art (mostly adults). The majority of people have fursonas because they're not content with a couple limiting character traits, have some mental troubles or their physical appearance, maybe their surroundings are not accepting of who they are etc. they use a fursona as a coping mechanism to deal with these things. As far as I know, it's also really effective to the point it's even saving lives, giving people purpose etc. It's great, but if you live part of your life through your sona, obviously also sexuality is going to play a similar role like it would do in real life. It's a natural consequence, and it is quite frankly stupid to just sweep it under a rug and call it only a tiny part of the fandom. Just own it, accept it, live with it, and enjoy all aspects of it. Rather than sweeping it under a rug, I think its most important to spend most effort into protecting unsuitable eyes from this kind of content. Then again, also normie NSFW stuff is way too easily accessible, it's a bit of a lost battle... idk
If we say that, with the estimated 1-3 million furries in the world, that would be from 500,000 to as much as 1,500,000 furries for the second bit. Just putting that out there.
@@MothGuyz- and that's only the direct ones. More indirect participation included would lead to estimations of up to 750,000-2,250,000 furries participating out of 1,000,000-3,000,000
Because it's weird, embarrassing and you can get a lot of flak. So hiding it is the best choice, you won't get shamed or judged if no one knows about it.
I feel like the reasoning depends on when you got into it. I got into it back in 2007 when most non-furries who were aware of it were INCREDIBLY hostile towards furries, and despite the fact that those hostilities have dramatically died down in recent times that fear of what people might think if they found out still lingers.
@@Manimanocas How about saying you're a furry without saying it? "I like zootopia character design. And also xxx. My favorite character is xxx." Due to missunderstandings none of the hostile people will ever set good family movies and furries together. And maybe others will know.
@Draconuser That's a good idea, I already played with/loved animal designs in games and movies before deciding that it would be cool to be a furry. Maybe it won't be out of place lol
Finally came out as a furry to some of my friends and they didn't find it as a bad thing but their realizations got me on the floor rolling in laughter
This was really well-made and well-articulated. As someone who has been in the furry community since 1996, I bid you welcome! I subscribed, and I am looking forward to more content from you. Yes, my co-workers, neighbours and most of my relatives don't know that I am a furry. Every time I have vacation I will go to one con or another, so I always end up telling my co-workers I am doing something completely different for my vacations.
i understand this. i came out as a furry a few years ago to a small collection of friends, and immediately got backlash. i'm doing some *light, as in just hanging out together and watching shows* dating and i've hidden it from her as well. family rejected that too, but they thought it was an interest so i got lucky i guess. :p good video man! keep it up.
I'm still in school, and I've made it my MAIN goal to avoid revealing to friends (except 1), family, AND randoms in school that I AM a Furry. I've pretty much locked the two sonas I've made behind 5 locks of event in my life that WILL happen, and once those conditions are met, I'll come out of masking and hiding my true self.
yup, even tho most of my irl friends know that im a furry, and luckly they're pretty fine with it, but i still fear that pepole will associate it with just being a fetish
a lot of people forget that being a furry is just a hobby. like imagine basketball players - sure, some basketball players are bad apples, but that isn't what basketball is about, it's meant to be fun. same thing with furries. we just like animals that do silly stuff. anti-furry coalitions always seemed kinda dumb to me; imagine applying it to any other hobby! "yea, we're anti-guitarist, only piano players are cool" like what ??? LOL
I agree with everything you say, aside from the fact that some hobbies also become a lifestyle. Between 1994 and 2001, I was a musician and song writer in two local rockbands. That was definitely a hobby, but it was also a lifestyle. I have been a furry since 1996. For me, it is a lifestyle, and there is nothing wrong with that. All my best friends are furries. Fursuiting and going to cons and furry events are the things I enjoy more than anything else. It's a passion that gives me the best experiences of my life. Being a lifestyle doesn't make the furry community cringe in any way.
I rarely share anything about my interests with people irl unless I really trust them and it's relatively surface level, or at least if I think they won't find it weird. Granted, I've come to realize that I've been unreasonably guarded about myself for fear of rejection for far too long (if you've ever heard the song 'Gotta Knock a Little Harder' it sums me up well). However, every time furry is ever brought up irl, especially by people I know, the discussion is always about how weird they are or how they're some dark side of the web that you don't wanna know about, and I don't wanna risk it. Hell, the only reason I've ever been able to attend the two furry conventions I've gone to was because I could travel alone and had a convincing cover story for why I was going out of town. I really don't wanna deal with it. Oh yeah, and since the furry fandom is aggressively LGBTQA+, I don't wanna inadvertently let slip that I'm queer.
I am a secret furry and i had a terrible experience with BULLIES... They talk trash about me and because im the only in the whole highschool that is a furry they consider me the worst person there when in reality every teacher loves me because i behave well in classes. Its really anoying how people sometimes doesnt check if their facts are actually true.
I've been in the fandom for over a decade now, I think the most common problem with furries being scared to open up about it is them confusing people's behaviour on the internet with people IRL. Like 99% of the furries are fine people, 99% of people in real life also don't bother someone being a furry. Personally I'm quite open about it with stickers, backgrounds etc. I only had two negative encounters, the rest were either curious, indifferent, but the majority of people don't even care whatsoever. Family doesn't really care though one of my brothers pokes a bit of fun at me every now and then, my friends didn't really ever care either. Besides if they would have a strong opinion, would you truly want to hang around them anyways? It's a good filter to remove the people who are closed minded. Of course I've had questions about the more negative aspects too, but people are quite understanding that idiots exist everywhere, also outside the fandom doing nasty things like you mention such as the zoo stuff. You can also mention about the fundraisers for animal shelters or illnesses to offset it as well yknow. As for the fetish stuff... The numbers are clearly out there that a very significant chunk of furries who've been a bit longer in the fandom already own NSFW stuff anyways. Collectively trying to convince ourselves that's not the case is pointless at this point. Just either don't respond to it, or own up to it. Regular real people are by default friendly, 95% of them lurk around the internet but never comment, whatever is left are also not necessarily all negative. Be yourself, find people who can deal with that to surround yourself with and you'll be good. Peace
It depends on where you are. One of my friend’s friends got physically assaulted because of it. Others get shunned, bullied, targeted, etc. purely because of their status. By publicly saying you are a furry, in some places, you essentially put a target on your head.
@@MothGuyz- I suppose in some really backwards countries you'd have to watch out a bit more... but then again, assaulted for having a furry background or some stickers or whatever? Where on earth did that happen? In a Sharia country or something? Or maybe it's just teen behaviour, in that case, the older you get and the people you're surrounded by, the better it gets. I've driven around through Europe (mostly east/central) with a bunch of prominent furry decals on the back of my car never had any problematic encounters at all. I often go to out eating in one of the most problematic neighborhoods in my country which is under 24/7 police monitoring, a very high degree of migrants, and also there I haven't had problems about it. My partner lives in some hyper conservative religious country (Poland) and when I'm staying there we're both quite open about it and there people really never cared either. I've even encountered random fursuiters there just minding their own business hahaha! Even in the national anti-LGBTQ zones (yes they exist lol) in the gorgeous mountain areas in that country. I've been poked fun at by some people yea, maybe called a slur for it once or twice, idk who avoided me or shunned me who'd otherwise would've come down for a chat with me simply for being a furry openly... Grow a backbone, I'm sure they're just jealous you follow your heart and have an eccentric hobby doing what you love whilst they're experiencing the stress being peer-pressured into having to follow the crowd and stunting their own personal development ;-).
I told My friends that I am from the furry fandom. Because I knew they would not say anything. And they wont judge me. Luckily for me they understood it.
For obvious reasons 1 Ppl dont understand the term properly and think we think we are animals 2 If ppl laugh from somebody failing a 1v1 in bullshit stars imagine how they would loose their shi after telling them this (most people are like that,but of course exceptions exist) 3 Anxiety and being scared of rejection 4 And prob some people will never look the same at me if i tell them I never told anybody i am a furry, my FURTHEST step in opening up was telling my friends that i watch Vovziepops Hazbin Hotel & Helluva Boss
Brilliant video! I think this is one of the most straight-forward videos I've seen in a while! I've never actually told people (other than close friends) due to points raised in the video. +1 sub
I am in this fandom for 3 years now, i brought 3 friends of mine into the fandom with me :D and the thing i say to peole that dont like me or my friends is exacly "we onlly live once , so why not" thats my favorite thing to say to anyone XD. btw nice art skills you have there. And yes i have friends that have no idea i am a furry and when i act wierd they said i am ok i am waiting for the reaction when they realize a furry was best friend for them :D thats going to be funny.
I've been a furry myself for several months, but I've been interested for much longer than that. I've been hiding it the entire time, and I made the huge mistake to come out as a furry to my family recently. Simply put, furries are hated, but no one can decide who I am other than myself. That was the biggest mistake of my life, I am a proud furry, but I should've just stayed away from "coming out". I've felt that hate now, I understand it now, and it hurts so much that we don't deserve it, yeah, some people are zoos and whatnot, but what about the rest of us? Scorned and ostracized just for who we are? Just for our hobbies and likes? It's outraging. I knew better, I haven't been looked at the same ever since. We are too misunderstood, people are too quick to judge without looking at the bigger picture.
As someone who is pansexual, I’ve had the weird accusation of ‘liking animals’. What? Where the hell do you get ‘all species’ from? It’s all genders! Big difference! For over a year now, I’ve been an advocate for both the Furry fandom and LGBTQ community. For over 3 years, I have identified as Pansexual.
I use to be a secreted furry because I was worried other peoples opinions would ruin my relationship with them... Turns out it doesn't, I actually figured out my friend was a furry too because I told him a while back :3
Ive been in the fandom since 2018 though only gotten "active" aka go to cons in the last 2 years. Its been the best part of my life thanks to it so i would never go back. Though i do keep my private and proffecional life very seperate. No need to involve co workers into my personal life, though recently ive bit by bit opening up to it with my family and they seem to be very accepting of it all. Being honest and not act like you have something to hide can go a long way with acceptance
This may sound counterintuitive, but one part of being a furry I *like* is hiding it. I've never been much of a secretive person, but it feels kind of cool having a little secret that's not really shameful. Almost makes me feel like I'm in a secret society. I just wish I had a good way to discover other furries in the wild.
Been in the fandom on and off for about 5 maybe 6 years, great video and what you're saying is so true; keep up the good work mate, you've got a new sub from me ^_^
I just hide it because it's not worth having to defend yourself from allegations towards furries. My mom believed the story of liter boxes in schools and i'm not even going to bother telling them i'm a furry. Just not worth it.
I wouldn't dare tell my family, but I let some of my friends find out, and they just make fun of me over it. Was it worth it? I don't know, not really but kind of.
Nice vid, Lixen! First off, welcome to the furry fandom. But yeah, many are unsure for sharing this. It's weird, but so much is out there. I'm open about it after 30yrs being a furry. To where friends, neighbors, and relatives are curious. To a point some are ok and have joined. :)
Thank you so much! I’m happy that you’re were able to be open to different people about something that is so heavily criticized for such a long time! :3
Being a furry is kinda like one of those kinds of superhero films were the main protagonist has to hide the fact that they’re a superhero from their school friends and family because otherwise they’ll think its weird, wont believe you, wont take you seriously, be mad at you for lying about it, be mad at you for keeping it a secret for so long or freak out. Im not really sure if i really am a furry, i dont want a partner/lover, i cant draw, i have no clue on how to make a fursuit and if i could make one or find one i would probably be too embarrassed to wear one. I do like furry art (non-sexuallised furry art) and i really like the boykisser meme because they’re silly and really cute but i wouldnt share it with someone else because they’ll think its weird. Which is why i do understand why people hide being a furry, they just dont want to be judged or prejudiced by people they know and love that are outside of the furry fandom.
I finally made the choice this year to no longer be a secret furry. Most of my friends or people I've told took it totally fine and normally, but my bestie is really uncomfortable with it. I shared a recent video and she admitted she thought it was kinda terrifying. She's supportive of my choices, but it's weird knowing she thinks it's creepy.
It's now been 3 years since I've been a furry, no one irl really knows that I'm into it. A part of it is prob anxiety from what could happen or change if people where to know. What doesn't help is red flags that'd cause you to further hide your hobbies, like your parents not supporting lgbtq peoples. This doesn't just happen with furries, many people hides their interests and hobbies all the time across various fandoms. My only hope now is that everyone can start growing more accepting of all that isn't harmful, including furries. 🙏Hopefully this can be useful and effectively answer the title of the video :3
im like a half furry, i love the aesthetic/art/stories that come from the fandom but i've never really connected too strongly with it myself. i have small phases where i'll use furry avatars or try to draw some but i haven't made an OC or anything yet
There’s two outcomes to telling people you’re a furry. 1: “cool, idc” (in a good way) 2: “oh really? uhh… weird…” Tbh if people can’t tell after knowing you for a week or so it’s probably not worth telling them lol
Furries are kind when they hide who they are. It means they are willing to be nice as they are. Really wish that people didnt just see that furries are on more on the bad side when they miss the beauty of just being a cute animal lover. Something along those line
Being a "furry" is by itself savagely queer. It's so far away from normalcy that it's become this fringe topic no one has any real definition of; even furries themselves. They will infight and argue over "oh it's a fetish" or "no it's a lifestyle" and try to draw lines in the sand over one topic or another saying "okay this is the REAL furry fandom and anyone outside of THIS circle are the bad ones" and literally the next one you ask will say "no no, THEY'RE not real furries becasue--" At the end of it; no one cares. And you shouldn't try to make them care. Do whatever it is you want to do and enjoy life. Just accept the fact that people are going to react negatively no matter what you choose. Either being a furry, playing WoW, collecting cheese, or being really into Warhammer 40K. Someone, somewhere, is going to take offense to it; like the dozens of people who read the word "queer" and decided to be offended instead of accepting the definition as meaning "strange or odd" and then never made it the end. Go out there. Be weird. Eat pizza. LIVE.
Being a furry in my country and such is seen as a weird person behavior. If someone does find out your rep goes to 0 even if you're there just to draw them
Did you say you've been a Furry for only 5 Months?!? And you have a Fursona Already?!?!?! I've been a Furry for over 5 years and i dont have a Fursona yet qwp
I’ve been a secret furry for almost 15 years lol. But I do find my people and I don’t care so much anymore ^^ thinking of finally making a fursuit head soon
Yeah, it hasn't quite been as long for me, but I stopped caring as much to keep it as much of a secret in the last few years. Now the main difference is that my friends make fun of me for it.
As one who has been in the furry community for about three years now, I can tell you that the biggest reason why we don't tell anyone irl is indeed because of normies and their reaction, it can hurt a lot to see a friend turn and start hating you just because they don't understand furries the way they should, and this is generally due to all the hate for furries on Internet since the beginning that led to misinformation being spread worldwide. It really sucks but at the end of the day, you can't change the world alone, and that's why we furries are always here for each other
i've been a furry for i think 4 years now, and it took a year or so to "come out" to my friends as a furry and tbh, i don't see the point of hiding being a furry, it's not like your friend are gonna bully you for this, because they wouldn't be your friends anyway
Id say its something akin to negative association. They see a few bad people in the fandom (which sadly get a LOT more traction than the good people), and automatically assume that the entire fandom is like that, so its better not to share to youe friends that you are a furry, or they'll automatically think you are one of the weird ones... (Or like in my case, you just dont want your entire personality being "yeah he is the furry" and thats it...)
I could go on about sappho but in short she was a very minor (get it?) part of the fandom and should be regarded as such P.S. i am a minor myself and do not endorse her behavior
Great video! Points well made! Personally Ive been a furry for a quite without knowing it XD but in the last year ive kinda realized and accepted it! Ive told only a few of my closest friends, and also found out some of them are also furries! Overall, its allowed me to feel more confident in myself! Im definitely sticking around :]]
I have been a furry for 4 years now, im just trying to be lowkey infront of my family and the people from outside world (with some exception that my friends on discord/steam that already knowing im one and being cool about it) and i learn that it's just not worth it to make ignorant people change their mind about what they think is bad or good, just ignore them for the safe results cause if you engage there's somewhat 70% chance that those people gonna harassing, sending death thread and stalking or just bullying to the point it become obnoxious and annoying
Because people can be sht. I don't tell anyone I'm a furry unless I (very rarely) encounter another one in the wild. My mom loves fursuits and thinks they're adorable, but I've had to tell her not everyone feels the same, and to not tell randos I'm a fursuitmaker.
As a closted furry, i dont want to tell my friends that I am a furry because that tyoe if stuff isn't common where i live. Also, my cousin might know im a furry since he saw my furry avatar on roblox but didn't say anything, so I think he doesn't care that much, lol. GREAT vid btw
I just dont care being secret anymore after 7 years, but that droves me into personal space for me instead, so i enjoy anthro's for myself and doesnt bring others. And i found out there are worse fandom/communities that is overpopular than furry fandom but people bats an eye on furry fandom too much unlike those popular communities (yes i was a part of multifandom and a "tourist")
This is a lot more of a nuanced and complicated question. There are people who would be violent against you just for being a furry, and you don't always know who those people are. A lot of the hatred towards the fandom does stem from anti LGBTQ hate. The furry fandom has a disproportionately queer population and so the general public does think of it as LGBTQ related.
I never really hid the fact that im a furry, my dad has never said anything about it and my brother has only mentioned it once, sometimes people online will try to insult me but i never really care
It isn't something I necessarily hide, but I am the type that answers only what is asked and not expanding on it. So unless someone outright asks or brings it up, they're not going to find it out. I relegate work to work things, family to family things, furry to furry things, etc. My non-fur friends do know, but they've known and been around me a whole lot longer and when I go to conventions, I like having someone on the "outside" know where I am for reasons of safety. This was indeed crucial 10 years ago when the incident happened at MFF in 2014. Anyway, welcome and enjoy your time!
This January 6, 2025 I will have been in the fandom for 3 months. The truth is that for my part I have let my friends know that I am a furry and most of them were really impressed since they say that I don't seem to be a furry xd. After this I have received a lot of support and acceptance from these friends and the truth is that I am enormously grateful for it. One of them has even agreed to accompany me to the first convention I go to in the future! I am also quite impressed with the reactions of my classmates, I have practically told everyone that I am a furry and the responses have been: be happy with what you do, I don't care what you are as long as you remain the same person, etc... Another person I have told that I am a furry is my mother and this was quite uncomfortable since she had no idea what a furry is and asked me if I felt like an animal hahaha (obviously not). I just wanted to share my experience along with that of others and don't be afraid to tell people you trust. Have a wonderful day😁
I have been a furry for about 11 years but i havent really told anyone before last year when i finally started to wear my tail out in public, i only told a few friends who were all accepting of it but they had questions which i answered. I have not told my parents or any other family members though, its a hard thing for me to talk about with them since they arent the most accepting folks out there. Though i do plan on just leaving my tail on my bed some day when they come to pick up my dog when im at work, that way i dont have to start that conversation and i will have time to think what ill say. Heck, i may aswell try it today actually since i have a 13 hour work day
I hide being furry because i grew up at a time when i had to hide being gay - in my late teens and early 20s was a time when every couple months youd hear about gay people being set upon and attacked after leaving the gay bars. Times have changed, but habbits dont.
This is an awesome video! It just popped up in my recommended and at first glance, I would’ve thought you’d be a lot bigger of a creator honestly. Welcome to the fandom! I think you definitely have the potential to go far with your channel! Not only is the video pretty well made for someone just starting out, but you also kept it short, sweet and to the point. Your voice is also nice to listen to and nothing is over the top. Overall wonderful video and a good topic to cover! I hope you can discover all the nice things this fandom has to offer! P.S. I really love your Fursona design! Lixen is very cute! If you were ever looking for someone to make you some art or sprites of your character for your videos, I’d be more than willing to do so! I’m mostly caught up on my owed art at the moment and often like finding new people to the fandom to make art for lol
Thank you, I really appreciate that so much!! Also, I'll be so grateful if you could make some art of Lixen for my videos ^w^ (I'm using the same art pieces 😭)
i'd say they'd hide being related to the furry fandom because people who dont understand a thing about the furry fandom will harrass them simply for existing
its so funny cuz my entire friend group found out cuz one of my friend's friends who just so happens to be a furry and just so happens to know my youtube channel saw that I commented the top comment on a furry video 💀
To me it is normal because creativity is normal especially if its more of a sfw thing for you, all about the cool character aspects, like DnD, or whatever. Its more of a fantasy/sci-fi element, and to me that makes characters really cool, and if you look more into it, there are even made up species like pokemon and thats pretty cool too. Some people just casually like stuff like that or even maybe go to comic con or a fur con for fun and meeting friends or whatever, and I see nothing wrong with that. :)
I've been in the fandom for almost 2 decades, yeah its not something I have really talk to with other people irl except for my little brother and occasionally my cousins if its something they found interesting related to furries. I just don't see it being relevant to discuss with others who aren't interested in it to begin with and since I don't own a fursuit, I don't really express my interest in the fandom openly.
I’m a fairly new furry myself, but I’ve never directly told anyone outside the internet, not because I’m ashamed of liking anthropomorphic animals, but because I don’t want people to associate me with the fetish side of the fandom.
SO TRUEE
Same with me only a few of my close friends know of me being a furry and they don’t mind but no one els no because lots of people think it’s bad or weird
Same here, scared someone is gonna look at my watch history, even too scared to subscribe to a furry channel
with some friends in the car and one asked would you rather be a gay furry or addicted to fent. all responded addicted to fent no contest. there is no moderation, there are no straight furries apparently...
@Frank67544 When it comes to subscribing to furry channels, I only go for the ones that have clean content clean content, and usually if I find something that seems fetish on TH-cam, I try to make sure I delete it from my watch history and leave everything else alone.
1:29 it’s like saying you don’t like humans because they are pedo, when in reality, not all of them are.
Real, it’s good to be aware of this problem but honestly who cares
Bad people use minority labels to protect themselves because in the age of identity politics you can get away with a lot of heinous things by just being a minority
@@username_69807 ok... you might needa reword that 😭😭
Hello proto
@@redmadness265 well hello there
Most people at the school know im a furry (some friends) other friends are fine with it, and are furries to, but there’s that one kid who runs cause I’ll “infect them”, man if I could be a animal, I would, but sadly that’s not how it works, neither does the infect work
Idk, I think he’s just onto us. The pathOwOgen must spread after all.
But not seriously, yeah that can suck.
daisuke mouthwashing is a furry? intriguing :3
Changed pipeline is crazy work 😂
I'm not a furry, but why do I find this interesting, and something that might be useful in the future? (Let's see what if I'll come back in 6 months.)
Doesn’t hurt to be informed a lil bit :3
You will be soon 😈
“Im not a furry, but….” Famous last words that have been spoken more times than i can count
One of us One of us One of us One of us
@cytroy I've seen other comments on older videos, and I think I know what might happen to me.
I’d probably say the reason people don’t want to be open with it is at the risk of being made fun of, or losing friends because they think it’s weird.
Or you can just turn them into furries and then they won’t think it’s weird.
That is true, also I completely agree with that second option LMAO
I did that but with cubing
I call this CubeCurse, when 1 starts to solve puzzles others join
Imma try this trick but with the furry fandom
I have been doing option 2 for about a few years now
hi portal 2 player, i also playu poertal 2
I been one since 2018, a lot says I wish I never did, brought some shady people into my life, made me pick up some not great habits, made me look at some not great things, its a lot of loss and reward with becoming a furry, very much of it
Im so sorry about what you went through, I hope it gets better for you
Last year during school was not great and this was due to harassment since I was a huge extrovert who made it known I was a furry.
Before that school year: I was a happy person that was definitely an extrovert. I was really kind but didn’t really have a huge understanding of what people went through.
After school: Walked out of school being an introvert.
I now suffer from depression, anxiety, and I have issues expressing interests and feelings. I’m not gonna go into detail on what happened. But this is just a warning.
This is very unfortunate. 😞
Bullying can do some messed up things to anyone. Two years ago i was the best kid in class. People used to bully me a lot, they went out of their way to try to find things that i liked, just to make fun of it. It got to the point where they once threw stones at me. I remember that moment vividly. And the best part? Next year i got to stay with one of the people who did that.
There wqs also this girl i hated that would constantly spread weird rumors and misinformation about me. Some of the weirdest shit i heard was "Showering with dog shampoo" and "Going into girl's bathrooms to see their... "Things" (btw, im male, he/him)
Needless to say, this got to the point where i would hide every interest i had from any person i met and it led me to have many self steem issues. If i wanted to read a book, i would make sure to cover the front and back while i read it. If i wanted to play any game i would hide it as best as i could. I even hid these things from my parents because they used to make fun of me as well for watching certain kinds of videos.
Thankfully, im much better now.
(Also that was a long yapping session)
Don't worry, you don't need to go in details, I I understand, I was also very extrovert before I got to secondary school and then, it all shut down and I became the stereotype of emo kid, but I met friends that were just as weird as me, still they weren't furries but it was fun to see and hang out with people that matched my autism, moral of the story, find yourself friends that are as if not more autistic than you, it's always better than being popular
Furries have also just been generally accepted to hate on in the past. Like "oh you hate furries, me 2" at least from my own experience used to be pretty common. Now a days furries have started becoming a lot more out in the open, so the hating game seem to have taken a backseat to some extent. (Been a hidden furry for most of my life, only been open for a few years)
I didn't realize that your little sona headshot was a headshot and thought you arms were your feet. other than that cool video :D
Thanks lmao
@@Lixenthefloof ngl I thought same, looked like a damn furby before actually noticing lol
@Monkeytheforth LMAO
That's because the paws of an animal would have had their claws removed just so it would be difficult to scratch another person by mistake. Usually anthros/animals would have sharp claws pulled back into part of their skin, and when it's time to fight or claw back against someone who won't leave you alone, or you're in danger, claws can help you fend yourself from danger or prey. Considering my sister and family had a bunch of pets over my livelihood, I can tell you that I didn't really see myself as a furry because of pets, but rather, those pets were just there to keep company, or heck, to annoy the heck out of you like some persisted child or teen who won't leave you alone or something (I don't know that's just me). It's this reason why I hate taking care of pets and would have no interest in adopting a domestic pet. But with fur costumes, paw print type of hands are different from the way the feet/talons on the ground would work, hence why the furry creatures are 100% always anthro'/bipedal and not quadrupedal/quad-pedal/feral animal type of beings.
2:49, maybe talk about how you started liking the fandom that you decided you want to create your own fursona
Honestly for me, it’s just that my parents are against it and because of that they often alienate me from the “normal” of society. This mainly happens whenever they come across my interest in the fandom or anthropomorphic characters in my day to day life. And it’s not that the fandom defines me, it’s just something I am interested in. A hobby, just like my interest in gaming.
Right before I headed to high school 5 or so years ago. My mom found out about my interest in the fandom. I’ll never forget the tears and “if this is who you want to be, you’ll have to go to a different school with people like you…” Obviously I lied and said I’d drop it. I went to high school and graduated like every other “normal” person.
Just sucks I’ll never forget that first interaction. And every other one that followed felt the same. I feel full of shame. And I normally can’t argue against them. It’s what scares me the most, and hinders my ability to tell anyone or express it around my family.
my parents keep saying im weird and bad for society without realizing, i hide being a lot of things that they don't like
The problem is that, furries, much like many other type of people in society, are part of the minority, whereas humans and heterosexuals are the majority. So you're basically part of a small group of people in a massive world run by normal human beings. For me, I was into the body/zentai inflation communities looonnggg before I knew the furry communities back in the early 2010s. But for me, anthro characters started with many cartoon characters back in the day, but it was the wonka franchise that got me into what it is today so, there's that to consider.
I have a tattoo of my sona on my arm, so kinda hard to hide it ahahah
I love this fandom, been here since 2019 and has helped me become a better person, shaping me into who I am today, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the fandom
I am a proud furry :3
In my opinion of someone who isn't in the community(yet) I know people always assume the worst about them and always assume other types of communities that are similar like therians are just furries. I personally hate this because someone I know says stuff like "if they wear a tail they are a furry" first off, just plain wrong. Second, don't assume without actually knowing
Probably because some people see furries as another type of cult that are people made up of wearing furry costumes, almost alien or foreign to people who never really got into the whole fandom or cared for cartoon/anime creatures to begin with.
I used to hide it in the past. But I've been in this fandom for nearly 8 years now, and over time, I've realised that most people genuinely do not care. Most of the hate and bullying comes from online, from people who feel confident hidden behind their internet anonymity. I used to be scared that people would associate with with pro-z*os, or that people would assume that furry = f*tish, or even think that I believe I'm an animal. But most people in real life have just asked me, and I've cleared it up for them. People are less afraid to be bullies online, because unlike in real life, they are hidden behind their screen and won't face repercussions for their actions. I blame social media companies for this, they do not do enough to ensure that bullies and mean people get the repercussions they deserve, like rstrictions and account bans.
I basically make myself a target for insults by just not caring who knows
Same bro. I really messed up by being overconfident about being a furry! I don’t get insults but I do get the feeling people think I’m weird asf. Uhh I wanna go back into the closet but it’s too late.
@gravityfox19 I don't mind being seen as weird, either way I would have been seen that way, the reason I don't care who knows is a actually more of a distraction from the more serious issues I have in my head
@@gravityfox19 also, I have a feeling you have anxiety, I'm almost certain due to my almost unnerving level of empathy towards other people, also, I don't like to run from my problems, if I made a mistake, I will face it head on, Ive made a lot of mistakes that I had no control in, I suffer because one of my mental conditions causes mania, I've hurt a lot of people because of this, my only true regret is not having enough friends, despite this, I don't suffer from depression and i just end up searching for people who are either like me or accept me, I hope at least one thing in my rant helped
@ yea, I think I do as well. I overthink stuff so that causes me to worry.
@gravityfox19 I don't remember what I told you but what you have just said , is the inverse of my issue, I care way too little for my own good
2:02 one major problem of looking at the "good" and "bad" parts of the fandom is that one of the things that people dont like about the fandom is prevelant in at least 75% of the fandom in one way or another. It has been analyzed and shown that ~50% of the furry fandom participates in that bad thing directly, which doesnt account for more indirect ways of participating in that bad thing or the people who werent able to be analyzed in the study.
Source please? Never heard of this, a lot of people say the furry fandom is "half bad" but can't provide a proper study or analysis of any kind. It all comes down to people saying "i just know because people tell me" or "i see it on the internet"(
@singularpeak there was a furry TH-camr who did an analysis of how much of the fandom was in what groups on Twitter, and the results showed that roughly half of the fandom was directly involved in nsfw art. This data can be extrapolated to show that there's much more furries not involved in the art who still participate in some form of degeneracy in some way.
I am a furry and I don't like the fandom at large for the reason that nsfw is inescapable and an integral part of the function of the fandom machine.
@@singularpeak I have seen some a couple surveys in the past with similar results but I can't seem to find them anymore on the internet, but they DID support the claim that definitely a chunk of furries is involved with NSFW. Whether it's 30-70 or 60-40, I don't think it matters that much.
More subjectively, my partner is a strictly SFW artist with a reasonable following. She doesn't often get the request to draw NSFW, but she does often show me customers refsheets and I can say about half of them are NSFW (mostly sent without a heads up either). Maybe her style attracts that kind of people? Or maybe it is just representative for at least part of the fandom with people with finances large enough to splurge on furry art (mostly adults).
The majority of people have fursonas because they're not content with a couple limiting character traits, have some mental troubles or their physical appearance, maybe their surroundings are not accepting of who they are etc. they use a fursona as a coping mechanism to deal with these things. As far as I know, it's also really effective to the point it's even saving lives, giving people purpose etc. It's great, but if you live part of your life through your sona, obviously also sexuality is going to play a similar role like it would do in real life. It's a natural consequence, and it is quite frankly stupid to just sweep it under a rug and call it only a tiny part of the fandom. Just own it, accept it, live with it, and enjoy all aspects of it. Rather than sweeping it under a rug, I think its most important to spend most effort into protecting unsuitable eyes from this kind of content. Then again, also normie NSFW stuff is way too easily accessible, it's a bit of a lost battle... idk
If we say that, with the estimated 1-3 million furries in the world, that would be from 500,000 to as much as 1,500,000 furries for the second bit. Just putting that out there.
@@MothGuyz- and that's only the direct ones. More indirect participation included would lead to estimations of up to 750,000-2,250,000 furries participating out of 1,000,000-3,000,000
Because it's weird, embarrassing and you can get a lot of flak. So hiding it is the best choice, you won't get shamed or judged if no one knows about it.
I feel like the reasoning depends on when you got into it. I got into it back in 2007 when most non-furries who were aware of it were INCREDIBLY hostile towards furries, and despite the fact that those hostilities have dramatically died down in recent times that fear of what people might think if they found out still lingers.
I like furries, I wish I was a furry but I'm scared of having to hide it.
It does suck hiding it but, overtime try to give out subtle hints that you are a furry, to relieve the fear ^^ (but no too much lol)
@Lixenthefloof You are very nice, thank you for not judging
@@Manimanocas How about saying you're a furry without saying it? "I like zootopia character design. And also xxx. My favorite character is xxx." Due to missunderstandings none of the hostile people will ever set good family movies and furries together. And maybe others will know.
@Draconuser That's a good idea, I already played with/loved animal designs in games and movies before deciding that it would be cool to be a furry. Maybe it won't be out of place lol
Finally came out as a furry to some of my friends and they didn't find it as a bad thing but their realizations got me on the floor rolling in laughter
This was really well-made and well-articulated. As someone who has been in the furry community since 1996, I bid you welcome! I subscribed, and I am looking forward to more content from you.
Yes, my co-workers, neighbours and most of my relatives don't know that I am a furry. Every time I have vacation I will go to one con or another, so I always end up telling my co-workers I am doing something completely different for my vacations.
i understand this. i came out as a furry a few years ago to a small collection of friends, and immediately got backlash. i'm doing some *light, as in just hanging out together and watching shows* dating and i've hidden it from her as well. family rejected that too, but they thought it was an interest so i got lucky i guess. :p
good video man! keep it up.
because its fun to bamboozle a friend who hates furry see they are friends with one
I'm still in school, and I've made it my MAIN goal to avoid revealing to friends (except 1), family, AND randoms in school that I AM a Furry. I've pretty much locked the two sonas I've made behind 5 locks of event in my life that WILL happen, and once those conditions are met, I'll come out of masking and hiding my true self.
I'm not even trying to hide it. When asked I tell the truth, followed by answering the questions I get and clearing up misconceptions.
a newer creator ayyye, glad to come across a new channel but infact newer furry making content.
put that number to 166 subs I shall
yup, even tho most of my irl friends know that im a furry, and luckly they're pretty fine with it, but i still fear that pepole will associate it with just being a fetish
a lot of people forget that being a furry is just a hobby. like imagine basketball players - sure, some basketball players are bad apples, but that isn't what basketball is about, it's meant to be fun. same thing with furries. we just like animals that do silly stuff. anti-furry coalitions always seemed kinda dumb to me; imagine applying it to any other hobby! "yea, we're anti-guitarist, only piano players are cool" like what ??? LOL
I agree with everything you say, aside from the fact that some hobbies also become a lifestyle. Between 1994 and 2001, I was a musician and song writer in two local rockbands. That was definitely a hobby, but it was also a lifestyle.
I have been a furry since 1996. For me, it is a lifestyle, and there is nothing wrong with that. All my best friends are furries. Fursuiting and going to cons and furry events are the things I enjoy more than anything else.
It's a passion that gives me the best experiences of my life.
Being a lifestyle doesn't make the furry community cringe in any way.
I rarely share anything about my interests with people irl unless I really trust them and it's relatively surface level, or at least if I think they won't find it weird. Granted, I've come to realize that I've been unreasonably guarded about myself for fear of rejection for far too long (if you've ever heard the song 'Gotta Knock a Little Harder' it sums me up well). However, every time furry is ever brought up irl, especially by people I know, the discussion is always about how weird they are or how they're some dark side of the web that you don't wanna know about, and I don't wanna risk it. Hell, the only reason I've ever been able to attend the two furry conventions I've gone to was because I could travel alone and had a convincing cover story for why I was going out of town. I really don't wanna deal with it.
Oh yeah, and since the furry fandom is aggressively LGBTQA+, I don't wanna inadvertently let slip that I'm queer.
I am a secret furry and i had a terrible experience with BULLIES... They talk trash about me and because im the only in the whole highschool that is a furry they consider me the worst person there when in reality every teacher loves me because i behave well in classes. Its really anoying how people sometimes doesnt check if their facts are actually true.
a nice welly edited video dawg
Thanks :3
I've been in the fandom for over a decade now, I think the most common problem with furries being scared to open up about it is them confusing people's behaviour on the internet with people IRL. Like 99% of the furries are fine people, 99% of people in real life also don't bother someone being a furry. Personally I'm quite open about it with stickers, backgrounds etc. I only had two negative encounters, the rest were either curious, indifferent, but the majority of people don't even care whatsoever. Family doesn't really care though one of my brothers pokes a bit of fun at me every now and then, my friends didn't really ever care either. Besides if they would have a strong opinion, would you truly want to hang around them anyways? It's a good filter to remove the people who are closed minded.
Of course I've had questions about the more negative aspects too, but people are quite understanding that idiots exist everywhere, also outside the fandom doing nasty things like you mention such as the zoo stuff. You can also mention about the fundraisers for animal shelters or illnesses to offset it as well yknow. As for the fetish stuff... The numbers are clearly out there that a very significant chunk of furries who've been a bit longer in the fandom already own NSFW stuff anyways. Collectively trying to convince ourselves that's not the case is pointless at this point. Just either don't respond to it, or own up to it.
Regular real people are by default friendly, 95% of them lurk around the internet but never comment, whatever is left are also not necessarily all negative. Be yourself, find people who can deal with that to surround yourself with and you'll be good.
Peace
It depends on where you are. One of my friend’s friends got physically assaulted because of it. Others get shunned, bullied, targeted, etc. purely because of their status.
By publicly saying you are a furry, in some places, you essentially put a target on your head.
@@MothGuyz- I suppose in some really backwards countries you'd have to watch out a bit more... but then again, assaulted for having a furry background or some stickers or whatever? Where on earth did that happen? In a Sharia country or something? Or maybe it's just teen behaviour, in that case, the older you get and the people you're surrounded by, the better it gets.
I've driven around through Europe (mostly east/central) with a bunch of prominent furry decals on the back of my car never had any problematic encounters at all. I often go to out eating in one of the most problematic neighborhoods in my country which is under 24/7 police monitoring, a very high degree of migrants, and also there I haven't had problems about it. My partner lives in some hyper conservative religious country (Poland) and when I'm staying there we're both quite open about it and there people really never cared either. I've even encountered random fursuiters there just minding their own business hahaha! Even in the national anti-LGBTQ zones (yes they exist lol) in the gorgeous mountain areas in that country.
I've been poked fun at by some people yea, maybe called a slur for it once or twice, idk who avoided me or shunned me who'd otherwise would've come down for a chat with me simply for being a furry openly... Grow a backbone, I'm sure they're just jealous you follow your heart and have an eccentric hobby doing what you love whilst they're experiencing the stress being peer-pressured into having to follow the crowd and stunting their own personal development ;-).
I told My friends that I am from the furry fandom. Because I knew they would not say anything. And they wont judge me.
Luckily for me they understood it.
For obvious reasons
1 Ppl dont understand the term properly and think we think we are animals
2 If ppl laugh from somebody failing a 1v1 in bullshit stars imagine how they would loose their shi after telling them this (most people are like that,but of course exceptions exist)
3 Anxiety and being scared of rejection
4 And prob some people will never look the same at me if i tell them
I never told anybody i am a furry, my FURTHEST step in opening up was telling my friends that i watch Vovziepops Hazbin Hotel & Helluva Boss
Brilliant video! I think this is one of the most straight-forward videos I've seen in a while! I've never actually told people (other than close friends) due to points raised in the video.
+1 sub
I am in this fandom for 3 years now, i brought 3 friends of mine into the fandom with me :D and the thing i say to peole that dont like me or my friends is exacly "we onlly live once , so why not" thats my favorite thing to say to anyone XD. btw nice art skills you have there. And yes i have friends that have no idea i am a furry and when i act wierd they said i am ok i am waiting for the reaction when they realize a furry was best friend for them :D thats going to be funny.
I've been a furry myself for several months, but I've been interested for much longer than that. I've been hiding it the entire time, and I made the huge mistake to come out as a furry to my family recently. Simply put, furries are hated, but no one can decide who I am other than myself. That was the biggest mistake of my life, I am a proud furry, but I should've just stayed away from "coming out". I've felt that hate now, I understand it now, and it hurts so much that we don't deserve it, yeah, some people are zoos and whatnot, but what about the rest of us? Scorned and ostracized just for who we are? Just for our hobbies and likes? It's outraging. I knew better, I haven't been looked at the same ever since. We are too misunderstood, people are too quick to judge without looking at the bigger picture.
As someone who is pansexual, I’ve had the weird accusation of ‘liking animals’.
What? Where the hell do you get ‘all species’ from? It’s all genders! Big difference!
For over a year now, I’ve been an advocate for both the Furry fandom and LGBTQ community. For over 3 years, I have identified as Pansexual.
People don't hide it, they just don't reveal personal life to each stranger.
I use to be a secreted furry because I was worried other peoples opinions would ruin my relationship with them...
Turns out it doesn't, I actually figured out my friend was a furry too because I told him a while back :3
Aww, I LOVE THAT 🥹
Ive been in the fandom since 2018 though only gotten "active" aka go to cons in the last 2 years. Its been the best part of my life thanks to it so i would never go back. Though i do keep my private and proffecional life very seperate. No need to involve co workers into my personal life, though recently ive bit by bit opening up to it with my family and they seem to be very accepting of it all. Being honest and not act like you have something to hide can go a long way with acceptance
Different levels and the craziest level is what people mainly see.
I started being a furry a day ago 😭😭😭😭 anyways I’m making a protogen mask out of paper and cardboard because I don’t want to spend a penny
Oooh that's cool, and Welcome to the fandom! :3
Welcome to the furry community, friend. We're an odd bunch.
This may sound counterintuitive, but one part of being a furry I *like* is hiding it. I've never been much of a secretive person, but it feels kind of cool having a little secret that's not really shameful. Almost makes me feel like I'm in a secret society.
I just wish I had a good way to discover other furries in the wild.
i have been in the fandom around 8 months now, and this video just summarised everything i have to say on this topic. amazing vid!
Thank you!
Im in fandom since 2016. And I experienced a huge amount of haters.. These haters are just manipulated kids from anti-fur tiktok videos.
That’s how I became a furry. By researching why people hate it. I’ve never been against them.
Been in the fandom on and off for about 5 maybe 6 years, great video and what you're saying is so true; keep up the good work mate, you've got a new sub from me ^_^
I appreciate that so much! :3
I just hide it because it's not worth having to defend yourself from allegations towards furries. My mom believed the story of liter boxes in schools and i'm not even going to bother telling them i'm a furry. Just not worth it.
I wouldn't dare tell my family, but I let some of my friends find out, and they just make fun of me over it. Was it worth it? I don't know, not really but kind of.
there is litterboxes in my school LOL
@@thebreadman967 Here’s the context you’re missing: Why?
Perhaps there’s hearing or sight impaired kids with support dogs or something?
@rakesiar no its cuz i was the one who put them there and they been there for month staff never moved them LOL
Nice vid, Lixen! First off, welcome to the furry fandom. But yeah, many are unsure for sharing this. It's weird, but so much is out there. I'm open about it after 30yrs being a furry. To where friends, neighbors, and relatives are curious. To a point some are ok and have joined. :)
Thank you so much! I’m happy that you’re were able to be open to different people about something that is so heavily criticized for such a long time! :3
Being a furry is kinda like one of those kinds of superhero films were the main protagonist has to hide the fact that they’re a superhero from their school friends and family because otherwise they’ll think its weird, wont believe you, wont take you seriously, be mad at you for lying about it, be mad at you for keeping it a secret for so long or freak out.
Im not really sure if i really am a furry, i dont want a partner/lover, i cant draw, i have no clue on how to make a fursuit and if i could make one or find one i would probably be too embarrassed to wear one.
I do like furry art (non-sexuallised furry art) and i really like the boykisser meme because they’re silly and really cute but i wouldnt share it with someone else because they’ll think its weird.
Which is why i do understand why people hide being a furry, they just dont want to be judged or prejudiced by people they know and love that are outside of the furry fandom.
I finally made the choice this year to no longer be a secret furry. Most of my friends or people I've told took it totally fine and normally, but my bestie is really uncomfortable with it. I shared a recent video and she admitted she thought it was kinda terrifying. She's supportive of my choices, but it's weird knowing she thinks it's creepy.
It's now been 3 years since I've been a furry, no one irl really knows that I'm into it. A part of it is prob anxiety from what could happen or change if people where to know. What doesn't help is red flags that'd cause you to further hide your hobbies, like your parents not supporting lgbtq peoples. This doesn't just happen with furries, many people hides their interests and hobbies all the time across various fandoms. My only hope now is that everyone can start growing more accepting of all that isn't harmful, including furries. 🙏Hopefully this can be useful and effectively answer the title of the video :3
Subbed. Imma be happy to see ur channel grow!!
im like a half furry, i love the aesthetic/art/stories that come from the fandom but i've never really connected too strongly with it myself. i have small phases where i'll use furry avatars or try to draw some but i haven't made an OC or anything yet
There’s two outcomes to telling people you’re a furry.
1: “cool, idc” (in a good way)
2: “oh really? uhh… weird…”
Tbh if people can’t tell after knowing you for a week or so it’s probably not worth telling them lol
I don't bother hiding it, if they hate me for it, we can't be friends
teach me your ways. how do I grow to such a level of no fucks given?
Furries are kind when they hide who they are. It means they are willing to be nice as they are. Really wish that people didnt just see that furries are on more on the bad side when they miss the beauty of just being a cute animal lover. Something along those line
Being a "furry" is by itself savagely queer.
It's so far away from normalcy that it's become this fringe topic no one has any real definition of; even furries themselves. They will infight and argue over "oh it's a fetish" or "no it's a lifestyle" and try to draw lines in the sand over one topic or another saying "okay this is the REAL furry fandom and anyone outside of THIS circle are the bad ones" and literally the next one you ask will say "no no, THEY'RE not real furries becasue--"
At the end of it; no one cares. And you shouldn't try to make them care. Do whatever it is you want to do and enjoy life. Just accept the fact that people are going to react negatively no matter what you choose. Either being a furry, playing WoW, collecting cheese, or being really into Warhammer 40K. Someone, somewhere, is going to take offense to it; like the dozens of people who read the word "queer" and decided to be offended instead of accepting the definition as meaning "strange or odd" and then never made it the end. Go out there. Be weird. Eat pizza. LIVE.
Awesome vid :3 I do appreciate how well you summed up everything! (Love the sona btw !)
Thank you so much! ^w^
Being a furry in my country and such is seen as a weird person behavior. If someone does find out your rep goes to 0 even if you're there just to draw them
Did you say you've been a Furry for only 5 Months?!? And you have a Fursona Already?!?!?! I've been a Furry for over 5 years and i dont have a Fursona yet qwp
I’ve been a secret furry for almost 15 years lol. But I do find my people and I don’t care so much anymore ^^ thinking of finally making a fursuit head soon
Oooh, Congrats!
Yeah, it hasn't quite been as long for me, but I stopped caring as much to keep it as much of a secret in the last few years. Now the main difference is that my friends make fun of me for it.
As one who has been in the furry community for about three years now, I can tell you that the biggest reason why we don't tell anyone irl is indeed because of normies and their reaction, it can hurt a lot to see a friend turn and start hating you just because they don't understand furries the way they should, and this is generally due to all the hate for furries on Internet since the beginning that led to misinformation being spread worldwide. It really sucks but at the end of the day, you can't change the world alone, and that's why we furries are always here for each other
Hell no at hiding it. I proudly show it off everywhere.
Nice to see new furry channels starting
i've been a furry for i think 4 years now, and it took a year or so to "come out" to my friends as a furry and tbh, i don't see the point of hiding being a furry, it's not like your friend are gonna bully you for this, because they wouldn't be your friends anyway
Id say its something akin to negative association.
They see a few bad people in the fandom (which sadly get a LOT more traction than the good people), and automatically assume that the entire fandom is like that, so its better not to share to youe friends that you are a furry, or they'll automatically think you are one of the weird ones...
(Or like in my case, you just dont want your entire personality being "yeah he is the furry" and thats it...)
I could go on about sappho but in short she was a very minor (get it?) part of the fandom and should be regarded as such P.S. i am a minor myself and do not endorse her behavior
I told my coworkers that I was a furry, and they gave me a look like, "Really?"
uuuuhhh if this account was found... my alt is the only place i watch this kinda stuff. cool to see others thoughts.
Great video! Points well made! Personally Ive been a furry for a quite without knowing it XD but in the last year ive kinda realized and accepted it! Ive told only a few of my closest friends, and also found out some of them are also furries! Overall, its allowed me to feel more confident in myself! Im definitely sticking around :]]
I have been a furry for 4 years now, im just trying to be lowkey infront of my family and the people from outside world (with some exception that my friends on discord/steam that already knowing im one and being cool about it) and i learn that it's just not worth it to make ignorant people change their mind about what they think is bad or good, just ignore them for the safe results cause if you engage there's somewhat 70% chance that those people gonna harassing, sending death thread and stalking or just bullying to the point it become obnoxious and annoying
Very true. Thank you for this.
Because people can be sht. I don't tell anyone I'm a furry unless I (very rarely) encounter another one in the wild. My mom loves fursuits and thinks they're adorable, but I've had to tell her not everyone feels the same, and to not tell randos I'm a fursuitmaker.
Great video! Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see more of your content.
I don’t hide it purely due to my past, I can’t escape rage bait and love to see children go crazy over me simply existing.
As a closted furry, i dont want to tell my friends that I am a furry because that tyoe if stuff isn't common where i live.
Also, my cousin might know im a furry since he saw my furry avatar on roblox but didn't say anything, so I think he doesn't care that much, lol.
GREAT vid btw
I am secretly a furry but no one will know because there are too many comments
We know, Bailey.
We know, Bailey.
Its so hard for me to hide it, but I try. But it happens anyway. Jesus please help me lol
I just dont care being secret anymore after 7 years, but that droves me into personal space for me instead, so i enjoy anthro's for myself and doesnt bring others. And i found out there are worse fandom/communities that is overpopular than furry fandom but people bats an eye on furry fandom too much unlike those popular communities (yes i was a part of multifandom and a "tourist")
i dont hide it but i dont tell people unless asked
but even then, im like "im not a furry" (looks like a furry/clearly a furry)
This is a lot more of a nuanced and complicated question. There are people who would be violent against you just for being a furry, and you don't always know who those people are. A lot of the hatred towards the fandom does stem from anti LGBTQ hate. The furry fandom has a disproportionately queer population and so the general public does think of it as LGBTQ related.
THIS. I AGREE WITH THIS SO MUCH
Extremely good explanation tbh
I never really hid the fact that im a furry, my dad has never said anything about it and my brother has only mentioned it once, sometimes people online will try to insult me but i never really care
It isn't something I necessarily hide, but I am the type that answers only what is asked and not expanding on it. So unless someone outright asks or brings it up, they're not going to find it out.
I relegate work to work things, family to family things, furry to furry things, etc.
My non-fur friends do know, but they've known and been around me a whole lot longer and when I go to conventions, I like having someone on the "outside" know where I am for reasons of safety. This was indeed crucial 10 years ago when the incident happened at MFF in 2014.
Anyway, welcome and enjoy your time!
the sad thing is this is gonna get reccomended to people who already know this, not the poeple that really need to.
This January 6, 2025 I will have been in the fandom for 3 months. The truth is that for my part I have let my friends know that I am a furry and most of them were really impressed since they say that I don't seem to be a furry xd. After this I have received a lot of support and acceptance from these friends and the truth is that I am enormously grateful for it. One of them has even agreed to accompany me to the first convention I go to in the future! I am also quite impressed with the reactions of my classmates, I have practically told everyone that I am a furry and the responses have been: be happy with what you do, I don't care what you are as long as you remain the same person, etc... Another person I have told that I am a furry is my mother and this was quite uncomfortable since she had no idea what a furry is and asked me if I felt like an animal hahaha (obviously not). I just wanted to share my experience along with that of others and don't be afraid to tell people you trust. Have a wonderful day😁
Omg we've been in the fandom for the same amount of time :3
I have been a furry for about 11 years but i havent really told anyone before last year when i finally started to wear my tail out in public, i only told a few friends who were all accepting of it but they had questions which i answered. I have not told my parents or any other family members though, its a hard thing for me to talk about with them since they arent the most accepting folks out there. Though i do plan on just leaving my tail on my bed some day when they come to pick up my dog when im at work, that way i dont have to start that conversation and i will have time to think what ill say. Heck, i may aswell try it today actually since i have a 13 hour work day
I hide being furry because i grew up at a time when i had to hide being gay - in my late teens and early 20s was a time when every couple months youd hear about gay people being set upon and attacked after leaving the gay bars.
Times have changed, but habbits dont.
im a part of the fandom since about ten months. if someone was to ask me i wouldnt lie but i also wouldnt make a big deal out of it
A short yet very informative video. I like it!
This is an awesome video! It just popped up in my recommended and at first glance, I would’ve thought you’d be a lot bigger of a creator honestly. Welcome to the fandom! I think you definitely have the potential to go far with your channel! Not only is the video pretty well made for someone just starting out, but you also kept it short, sweet and to the point. Your voice is also nice to listen to and nothing is over the top. Overall wonderful video and a good topic to cover! I hope you can discover all the nice things this fandom has to offer!
P.S. I really love your Fursona design! Lixen is very cute! If you were ever looking for someone to make you some art or sprites of your character for your videos, I’d be more than willing to do so! I’m mostly caught up on my owed art at the moment and often like finding new people to the fandom to make art for lol
Thank you, I really appreciate that so much!! Also, I'll be so grateful if you could make some art of Lixen for my videos ^w^ (I'm using the same art pieces 😭)
Of course! It’s no problem!! And yeah I wouldn’t mind making you a few at all! Do you have any preferred way I can contact you about it? :]
yeah ofc, we can chat on discord! I already sent you a request ^^
Ah ok awesome! We’ll continue to chat there then!
This is true thanks for the wonderful vid!❤
i'd say they'd hide being related to the furry fandom because people who dont understand a thing about the furry fandom will harrass them simply for existing
its so funny cuz my entire friend group found out cuz one of my friend's friends who just so happens to be a furry and just so happens to know my youtube channel saw that I commented the top comment on a furry video 💀
NO WAY 😭
good video, Ive been here for about 6 months as well and I have seen so many doors open. I dont hide any of it
To me it is normal because creativity is normal especially if its more of a sfw thing for you, all about the cool character aspects, like DnD, or whatever. Its more of a fantasy/sci-fi element, and to me that makes characters really cool, and if you look more into it, there are even made up species like pokemon and thats pretty cool too. Some people just casually like stuff like that or even maybe go to comic con or a fur con for fun and meeting friends or whatever, and I see nothing wrong with that. :)
I've been in the fandom for almost 2 decades, yeah its not something I have really talk to with other people irl except for my little brother and occasionally my cousins if its something they found interesting related to furries. I just don't see it being relevant to discuss with others who aren't interested in it to begin with and since I don't own a fursuit, I don't really express my interest in the fandom openly.