Furries, as a rule, defy categorization. They're a group of people who identify, to varying degrees, as anthropomorphic animals instead of humans, but similarities between furries often end there. Mainstream coverage of their culture has characterized the community poorly, and as such, the Furry Fandom, as it's called, has been reticent to go on the record in recent years. Whereas television, magazine, and internet pieces about furries have focused exclusively on fur suiting as a sexual fetish, and for many furries, this is true. For most, however, being a furry is much more than sexual expression. Indeed, many find outlet for their identity by working as mascots or children's entertainers or collecting animation memorabilia or making fur suit costumes. Furriness is as much about performance as it is about the self. To be a furry is to transform one's life to embrace the interest in becoming a walking, talking animal. This obsession, as many furries call their involvement in the community, still carries much stigma in the mainstream world.

© M.Scott Brauer           More