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{{Short description|Subculture interested in anthropomorphic animals}}
{{Redirect2|Furry|Furries|the quality of animal hair|fur|the rock band|Super Furry Animals}}
{{semiprotected|small=yes}}{{pp-move-indef}} {{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
], a typical furry character]] ] owners at a ]]]
The '''furry fandom''' is a ] interested in ] animal characters.<ref name="IOF">{{cite news|first=Rob|last=Staeger|url=http://www.furryfandom.info/invasion-furries-furry-fandom.htm|title=Invasion of the Furries|newspaper=The Wayne Suburban|date=July 26, 2001|access-date=2009-05-20|archive-date=2020-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828042650/http://www.furryfandom.info/invasion-furries-furry-fandom.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Dylan|last=Matthews|url=https://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask|title=9 questions about furries you were too embarrassed to ask|newspaper=Vox|date=March 27, 2015|access-date=2016-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729151838/http://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask|archive-date=July 29, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Aaron |first1=Michael |date=May 12, 2017 |title=More Than Just a Pretty Face: Unmasking Furry Fandom |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/standard-deviations/201705/more-just-pretty-face-unmasking-furry-fandom |website=] |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218040923/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/standard-deviations/201705/more-just-pretty-face-unmasking-furry-fandom |url-status=live }}</ref> Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term "furry ]" is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at ]s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kurutz |first=Daveen Rae |date=June 17, 2006 |title=It's a furry weekend in Pittsburgh |work=] |url=http://triblive.com/x/archive/1391374-74/archive-story |url-status=live |access-date=2006-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203338/http://triblive.com/x/archive/1391374-74/archive-story |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref>

'''Furry fandom''' is a ] for fictional ] animal characters with human personalities and characteristics.<ref name="IOF">{{cite news|first=Rob|last=Staeger|url=http://www.furryfandom.info/furries.htm|title=Invasion of the Furries|newspaper=The Wayne Suburban|date=July 26, 2001|accessdate=2009-05-20}}</ref> Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes. Furry fandom is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at ].<ref>{{cite news|first=Daveen Rae|last=Kurutz|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_458482.html|title=It's a furry weekend|work=]|date=June 17, 2006|accessdate=2006-06-30}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
In 1976, cartoonists Ken Fletcher and Reed Waller created the ] ''Vootie'', which was dedicated to animal-focused art.<ref>{{Citation |last=Waller |first=Reed |date=29 February 1976 |editor-last=Waller |editor-first=Reed |editor2-last=Fletcher |editor2-first=Ken |title=Pre-Vootie apa-zine flyer - page 1 |url=https://www.furaffinity.net/view/19451045/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |via=]}}</ref> Many of its featured works contained adult themes, such as '']'', which contained explicit sex.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Waller, Reed.|title=The collected 'Omaha': the cat dancer; Vol. 1|date=1995|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|others=Worley, Kate.|isbn=1-56097-161-4|edition=1st Fantagraphics books|location=Seattle, Wash.|oclc=122275829}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Skinn, Dez. |url=https://archive.org/details/comixunderground0000skin |title=Comix: the underground revolution |date=2004 |publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press |isbn=1-56025-572-2 |location=New York |oclc=55592337 |url-access=registration |pages=71, 106 |quote=A furry animal turned erotic dancer...Omaha...is full of nubile animals of all sexual persuasions. Omaha...integrated sex into the storyline rather than just for shock value}}</ref> ''Vootie'' grew a small following over the next several years, and its contributors began meeting at science fiction and comics conventions.
According to fandom historian ], the concept of ''furry'' originated at a ] in 1980,<ref name="YarfChronology">{{cite journal |first=Fred |last=Patten |url=http://yarf.furry.com/chronology.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110711055142/http://yarf.furry.com/chronology.html |archivedate=2011-07-11 |title=Chronology Of Furry Fandom}}</ref> when a character drawing from Steve Gallacci’s '']'' started a discussion of anthropomorphic characters in science fiction novels. This led to the formation of a discussion group that met at ] and ] ].


According to fandom historian ], the concept of ''furry'' originated at a ] in 1980,<ref name="YarfChronology">{{cite news|author=Patten, Fred|author-link=Fred Patten|url=http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996|title=Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996|publisher=]|date=2012-07-15|access-date=2012-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405235823/https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996|archive-date=2016-04-05|url-status=live}}</ref> when a character drawing from Steve Gallacci's '']'' started a discussion of anthropomorphic characters in science fiction novels. This led to the formation of a discussion group that met at science fiction conventions and ]s.
The specific term ''furry fandom'' was being used in ]s as early as 1983, and had become the standard name for the genre by the mid-1990s, when it was defined as "the organized appreciation and dissemination of art and prose regarding 'Furries', or fictional ]ian anthropomorphic characters."<ref>{{cite news|first=Fred|last=Patten|url=http://www.anthrozine.com/site/lbry/yarf.reviews.b.html|title=The Yarf! reviews}}</ref> However, fans consider the origins of furry fandom to be much earlier, with fictional works such as '']'' released in 1965, ] novel '']'', published in 1972 (and its ]), as well as ] as oft-cited examples.<ref name="YarfChronology"/> To distinguish these personae from seriously depicted animal characters, such as ] or ], cartoon animals are referred to as '']s'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Sandler |first=Kevin S. |year=1998 |title=Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation |publisher=Rutgers University Press |location=New Brunswick, N.J. |id= ISBN 0813525373, ISBN 0813525381|oclc=37890394 }}</ref> a term that came into use in the 1910s.


The specific term ''furry fandom'' was being used in ]s as early as 1983, and had become the standard name for the genre by the mid-1990s when it was defined as "the organized appreciation and dissemination of art and prose regarding 'Furries', or fictional ]ian anthropomorphic characters".<ref>{{cite news|first=Fred|last=Patten|url=http://www.anthrozine.com/site/lbry/yarf.reviews.b.html|title=The Yarf! reviews|work=]|access-date=2007-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313204950/http://anthrozine.com/site/lbry/yarf.reviews.b.html|archive-date=2016-03-13|url-status=live}}</ref> Fans consider the origins of furry fandom to be much earlier, with fictional works such as '']'', released in 1965, ]' novel '']'', published in 1972 (and its ]), as well as ], as oft-cited examples.<ref name="YarfChronology"/> Internet newsgroup discussion in the 1990s created some separation between fans of "]" characters and furry characters, meant to avoid the baggage that was associated with the term "furry".<ref>{{cite book |last=Sandler |first=Kevin S. |url=https://archive.org/details/readingrabbitexp0000unse |title=Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation |publisher=] |year=1998 |isbn=0-8135-2537-3 |location=New Brunswick, N.J. |pages=202 |oclc=37890394 |quote= is largely because of the baggage the term 'furry' carries with it, as a number of people see 'furries' obsessed with the sexuality of their fictitious characters. |url-access=registration}}</ref>
During the 1980s, furry fans began to publish fanzines, developing a diverse social group that eventually began to schedule social gatherings. By 1987, there was sufficient interest to stage the first furry convention.<ref>{{cite book|last=Patten|first=Fred|year=2006|title=Furry! The World's Best Anthropomorphic Fiction|publisher=ibooks}}</ref> Throughout the next decade, the Internet became accessible to the general population and became the most popular means for furry fans to socialize.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |title=Who are the furries? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm |first=Denise |last=Winterman |work=] |date=November 13, 2009|accessdate=2009-11-29}}</ref> The ] ''alt.fan.furry'' was created in November 1990, and virtual environments such as ] also became popular places on the Internet for fans to meet and communicate.<ref name="FurryMUCK">{{cite web |last=Stamper |first=Chris |title=Furry Muckity-Muck |publisher=The Netly News |date=March 29, 1996 |url=http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070927162630/http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html |archivedate=2007-09-27 |accessdate=2007-04-13}}</ref>


During the 1980s, furry fans began to publish fanzines, developing a social group that eventually began to schedule social gatherings. By 1989, there was sufficient interest to stage the first furry convention: Confurence 0,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Patten |first1=Fred |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6EMODgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57 |title=Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015 |publisher=McFarland |year=2017 |isbn=9781476663814 |pages=57 |author-link=Fred Patten |no-pp=y |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408201553/https://books.google.com/books?id=6EMODgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57 |url-status=live }}</ref> and it was held at the Holiday Inn Bristol Plaza in ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Klee |first1=Miles |date=Oct 16, 2016 |title=Here's some amazing raw footage from the world's first furry convention |work=The Daily Dot |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/first-furry-convention-1989/ |url-status=live |access-date=28 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628185111/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/first-furry-convention-1989/ |archive-date=28 June 2018}}</ref> Once the Internet became accessible to the general population in the 1990s, it became the most popular means for furry fans to socialize.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Who are the furries? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm |first=Denise |last=Winterman |work=] |date=November 13, 2009 |access-date=2009-11-29 |archive-date=2020-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040643/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The ] ''alt.fan.furry'' was created in November 1990, and virtual environments such as ] also became popular places on the internet for fans to communicate.<ref name="FurryMUCK">{{cite web |last=Stamper |first=Chris |title=Furry Muckity-Muck |publisher=The Netly News |date=March 29, 1996 |url=http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927162630/http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html |archive-date=2007-09-27 |access-date=2007-04-13}}</ref>
The furry fandom is male-dominated, with surveys reporting around 80% male respondents.<ref name="SecondSurvey"/><ref name="ThirdSurvey"/><ref name="Evans" />


==Inspiration== ==Inspiration==
Allegorical novels (including works of both ] and ]) and cartoons featuring anthropomorphic animals are often cited as the earliest inspiration for the fandom.<ref name="YarfChronology"/> A survey conducted in 2007 suggested that, when compared to a non-furry control group, a higher proportion of those self-identifying as furries liked cartoons "a great deal" as children and recalled watching them significantly more often, as well as being more likely to enjoy works of science fiction than those outside of the community.<ref name="Gerbasi2008">{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen | coauthors = Paolone, Nicholas; Higner, Justin; Scaletta, Laura; Bernstein, Penny; Conway, Samuel; Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) |url = http://www.scribd.com/doc/3830456/Furries-From-A-to-Z-Anthropomorphism-to-Zoomorphism | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 3 | pages = 197–222 | doi = 10.1163/156853008X323376 | issue = 3 }}</ref> Allegorical novels, including works of both ] and ], and cartoons featuring anthropomorphic animals are often cited as the earliest inspiration for the fandom.<ref name="YarfChronology"/> A survey conducted in 2007 suggested that when compared with a non-furry control group, a higher proportion of those identifying as furries liked cartoons "a great deal" as children and recalled watching them significantly more often, as well as being more likely to enjoy works of science fiction than those outside of the community.<ref name="Gerbasi2008">{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen | author2 = Paolone, Nicholas | author3 = Higner, Justin | author4 = Scaletta, Laura | author5 = Bernstein, Penny | author6 = Conway, Samuel | author7 = Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | url = http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/gerbasi.pdf | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 16 | pages = 197–222 | doi = 10.1163/156853008X323376 | issue = 3 | access-date = 2017-03-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180928175726/http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/gerbasi.pdf | archive-date = 2018-09-28 | url-status = live }}</ref>


==Activities== ==Activities==
Furry fans are eager for more material than is available from mainstream ], and this demand is met by other fans who produce a wide range of materials in both amateur and professional capacities. Most furries believe that visual art, conventions, literature, and online communities are strongly important to the fandom.<ref name="ThirdSurvey"/> According to a survey from 2008, most furries believe that visual art, conventions, literature, and online communities are strongly important to the fandom.<ref name="ThirdSurvey"/> The furry fandom is male-dominated, with surveys reporting around 80% male respondents.<ref name="SecondSurvey" /><ref name="ThirdSurvey" /><ref name="Evans" />

===Art and literature===
{{refimprove section|date=November 2011}}
]]]
Furry artists, writers, and publishers produce a prolific amount of drawings, paintings, stories, comic books, fanzines, ]s, and ] ]s, as well as sculpture, textile art, fiction, ], and photography. While most of this fan-created art is distributed through nonprofessional media, such as ]s, some is published in ], by ], or in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ranea.org/falf/articles/fanzines.html|title=An Overview of Selected Furry Fanzines|accessdate=2007-08-08|publisher=The Furry Animal Liberation Front (FALF)|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080212010321/http://ranea.org/falf/articles/fanzines.html|archivedate=2008-12-02}}</ref>

===Webcomics===
There are several ]s featuring animal characters created by or for furry fans; as such, they may be referred to as '']''. One such comic, '']'', was first published on ] in 1986, predating the ] by several years,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cbmfiles.com/genie/geniefiles/Information/T.H.E.-FOX.TXT|title=Interview with Joe Ekaitis|accessdate=2007-01-12|author=The Commodore 64/128 RoundTable|year=1994}}</ref> while another, '']'' by ], has been awarded both a ] and an Ursa Major Award.<ref name="WCCA">{{cite web|url=http://www.ccawards.com/2001.htm|title=2001 Winners and Nominees|publisher=Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards|date=2001-02-19|accessdate = 2007-12-04}}</ref><ref name="UMA">{{cite web|url=http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2003.htm|title=Award Winners 2003|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|accessdate = 2007-11-09}}</ref>

]s, of their characters.]]


===Crafts=== ===Crafts===
]]]
Fans with craft skills create their own plush toys, sometimes referred to as '']'', and also build elaborate ]s called '']s'',<ref>{{cite book|last=Riggs|first=Adam|year=2004|title=Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits|publisher=Ibexa Press}}</ref> which are worn for fun or to participate in parades, convention ], dances, or fund-raising charity events (as entertainers).<ref>{{cite news|first=Alina|last=Larson|url=http://www.xydexx.com/anthrofurry/trivalley.htm|title=Animal Instincts: Fans of Furry Critters Convene to Help Mankind|work=Tri-Valley Herald|publisher=]|date=January 23, 2003|accessdate=2009-05-20}}</ref> Fursuits range from designs featuring simple construction and resembling ]s ]s<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /> to those with more sophisticated features that include moving jaw mechanisms, ] parts, ], and other features. Fursuits range in price from $500, for mascot-like designs, to an upwards of $10,000 for models incorporating animatronics.<ref name="Brandolph2008" /> While about 80% of furries do not own a full fursuit,<ref name="SecondSurvey"/><ref name="ThirdSurvey"/><ref name="Gerbasi2008" /> often citing their expensive cost as the decisive factor,<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /> a majority of them hold positive feelings towards fursuiters and the conventions in which they participate.<ref name="SecondSurvey"/><ref name="ThirdSurvey"/> Some fans may also wear "partial" suits consisting simply of ears and a tail, or a head, paws, and a tail.<ref name="Gerbasi2008" />
Fans with craft skills create plush toys and also build elaborate costumes called ]s,<ref>{{cite book|last=Riggs|first=Adam|year=2004|title=Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits|publisher=Ibexa Press}}</ref> which are worn for fun or to participate in parades, convention ], dances, or fund-raising charity events (as entertainers).<ref>{{cite news|first=Alina|last=Larson|url=http://www.furryfandom.info/trivalley-herald-furry-fans-help-mankind.htm|title=Animal Instincts: Fans of Furry Critters Convene to Help Mankind|work=Tri-Valley Herald|publisher=]|date=January 23, 2003|access-date=2009-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921192053/http://www.furryfandom.info/trivalley-herald-furry-fans-help-mankind.htm|archive-date=September 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Fursuits range from designs featuring simple construction resembling some entertainment and sports mascots<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /> to those with more sophisticated features such as moving jaw mechanisms, ] parts, ], and other features. Fursuits range in price from $500, for mascot-like designs, to upwards of $10,000 for models incorporating animatronics.<ref name="Brandolph2008">{{cite news|url=http://kdka.com/local/local_story_167193226.html|title=Furries Descend On Pittsburgh|publisher=]|date=June 16, 2006|access-date=2006-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126105803/http://kdka.com/local/local_story_167193226.html|archive-date=2007-01-26 }}</ref> About 80% of furries do not own a full fursuit.<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /><ref name="ThirdSurvey" /><ref name="SecondSurvey"/> Some fans may also wear "partial" suits consisting simply of ears and a tail, or a head, paws, and a tail.<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /> A much larger proportion of individuals who attend conventions own a full or partial fursuit''—''45%, according to a survey done at Anthrocon 2018''—''which has been attributed to convention attendees' generally higher likelihood of being able to afford to buy a fursuit if they can afford convention travel expenses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Anthrocon 2018 Study |url=https://furscience.com/research-findings/appendix-1-previous-research/ac2018/ |access-date=January 31, 2024 |website=Furscience.com}}</ref>


Furry fans also pursue ], recording videos and performing live shows such as '']'' and the '']'', and create furry ], such as ears or tails.<ref name="FoxyStudent">{{cite news|title=A 'furry' tale for a foxy college student|author=Irwin, Charles; Watterson, Summer|work=]|date=April 24, 2002|accessdate=2008-09-03}}</ref> Furry fans also pursue ], recording videos and performing live shows such as '']'' and the '']'', and create furry ], such as ears or tails.<ref name="FoxyStudent">{{cite news|title=A 'furry' tale for a foxy college student|url=http://en.wikifur.com/A_%27furry%27_tale_for_a_foxy_college_student|author1=Irwin, Charles|author2=Watterson, Summer|name-list-style=amp|work=]|date=April 24, 2002|access-date=2008-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911141422/http://en.wikifur.com/A_%27furry%27_tale_for_a_foxy_college_student|archive-date=September 11, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music and film===
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2010}}
Less prominent but still of note is the growing presence of musicians, composers, vocalists and filmmakers within the furry community. Although music especially is hard to define as "furry" apart from regular music, the general perception is that furry music is ], ] or ] in nature, since these are the genres generally played during furry convention dances. However, a growing number of classical and alternative musicians submit their works online to sites such as ], ] and ].

A small number of furry centered filmmaking companies exist to serve video needs within the community, usually focussing around convention media. A large proportion of these filmmakers work or study in media production as a profession. The majority of furry videos found on sites such as ] are amateur videos of furry "meets" (regionalised one or two day social gatherings) or conventions. Many animators, whether amateur or professional, create short films or flash animations no more than several seconds long to showcase their skills.


===Role-playing=== ===Role-playing===
{{anchor|Roleplaying}}{{anchor|Role playing}}
Anthropomorphic animal characters created by furry fans, known as ''fursonas'',<ref name="Gaudio2008">{{cite news | last = Gaudio | first = Greg | date = August 23, 2008 | title = Lions and foxes and cat-dragons walk on two legs in Beach | work = ] | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/lions-and-foxes-and-catdragons-walk-two-legs-beach | accessdate = 2008-09-07 }}</ref> are used for ] in ]s,<ref name="Mitchell1995">{{cite web | last = Mitchell | first = Don | date = March 23, 1995 | title = From MUDs To Virtual Worlds | work = Social Computing Group, Microsoft | url = http://www.mentallandscape.com/Papers_95vworlds.htm | accessdate = 2009-11-06 }}</ref> on ]s, or on ]s.<ref name="Howells2002">{{cite news | last = Howells | first = Shelley | date = October 1, 2002 | title = Secret lives of strange and furry | work = ] }}</ref> A variety of species are employed as the basis of these personas, although many furries (for example over 60% of those surveyed in 2007) choose to identify themselves with ]ns.<ref name="Gerbasi2008">{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen | coauthors = Paolone, Nicholas; Higner, Justin; Scaletta, Laura; Bernstein, Penny; Conway, Samuel; Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 3 | pages = 205. }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://zuender.zeit.de/2008/36/furry-eurofurence-horrorfurence |title=Och, sind die süüüüß! |accessdate=2008-09-06 |last=Werner |first=Christian |work=Zeit Online Zuender |publisher=Zeit Online |language=German}}</ref> The longest-running online furry role-playing environment is '']'', although it has been eclipsed in the area of text-mode role-playing by '']''. Another popular online furry social game is called '']'', created by ]. There are also several furry-themed areas and communities in the ] '']''.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eyder|last=Peralta|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4125271|title=In Second Life, the World is Yours|work=]|date=May 28, 2006|accessdate=2007-08-13}}</ref>
{{Main article|Fursona}}], an example of a furry character]]

Anthropomorphic animal characters created by furry fans, known as ]s,<ref name="Gaudio2008">{{cite news | last = Gaudio | first = Greg | date = August 23, 2008 | title = Lions and foxes and cat-dragons walk on two legs in Beach | work = ] | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/lions-and-foxes-and-catdragons-walk-two-legs-beach | access-date = 2008-09-07 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090211234713/http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/lions-and-foxes-and-catdragons-walk-two-legs-beach | archive-date = February 11, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref> are used for ] in ]s,<ref name="Mitchell1995">{{cite web | last = Mitchell | first = Don | date = March 23, 1995 | title = From MUDs To Virtual Worlds | work = Social Computing Group, Microsoft | url = http://www.mentallandscape.com/Papers_95vworlds.htm | access-date = 2009-11-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090519035523/http://www.mentallandscape.com/Papers_95vworlds.htm | archive-date = May 19, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref> on ]s, or ]s.<ref name="Howells2002">{{cite news | last = Howells | first = Shelley | date = October 1, 2002 | title = Secret lives of strange and furry | work = ] }}</ref> A variety of species are employed as the basis of these personas, although many furry fans (for example over 60% of those surveyed in 2007) choose to identify themselves with ]ns.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen |author2=Paolone, Nicholas|author3=Higner, Justin|author4=Scaletta, Laura|author5=Bernstein, Penny|author6=Conway, Samuel|author7= Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 3 | pages = 205 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://zuender.zeit.de/2008/36/furry-eurofurence-horrorfurence |title=Och, sind die süüüüß! |access-date=2008-09-06 |last=Werner |first=Christian |work=Zeit Online Zuender |publisher=Zeit Online |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906005232/http://zuender.zeit.de/2008/36/furry-eurofurence-horrorfurence |archive-date=2008-09-06 |url-status=live }}</ref> The longest-running online furry role-playing environment is ''],'' which was established in 1990.<ref name="dog">{{cite book | last1 = Mulligan | first1 = Jessica| last2 = Patrovsky | first2 = Bridgette| year = 2003 | title = Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide| url = https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull | url-access = registration | publisher = New Riders| isbn = 1-59273-000-0| pages = | quote = 1990 ''FurryMUCK'' opens. It features avatars who are anthropomorphic animals.}}</ref> Another popular online furry social game is called '']'', which was created by Dragon's Eye Productions.
Role-playing also takes place offline, with petting, hugging and "scritching" (light scratching and grooming) common between friends at social gatherings.<ref name="BBC" /> Fursuits or furry accessories are sometimes used to enhance the experience.

]


===Conventions=== ===Conventions===
{{Main|Furry convention}} {{Main|Furry convention}}
] 2006.]]
Sufficient interest and membership has enabled the creation of many furry conventions in ] and ]. The world's largest<ref>{{cite book|title=Guinness World Records 2008|publisher=Guinness|date=August 7, 2007|page=123|isbn=1904994199|author=Editor in chief, Craig Glenday}}</ref> furry convention, '']'', held annually in ] in June,<ref name="Brandolph2008">{{cite news|url=http://kdka.com/local/local_story_167193226.html|title=Furries Descend On Pittsburgh|publisher=]|date=June 16, 2006|accessdate=2006-06-30|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080201004622rn_1/kdka.com/local/furries.Pittsburgh.convention.2.383477.html|archivedate=2008-02-01}}</ref> was estimated to have generated approximately $3 million to Pittsburgh's economy in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adam|last=Brandolph|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_575023.html|title=Furry convention a $3 million cash cow for city businesses|work=]|date=June 28, 2008|accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref> Another convention, '']'', held in ] each January, closely follows ''Anthrocon'' in scale and attendance. The first known furry convention, '']'',<ref name="YarfChronology" /> is no longer held; ''Califur'' has replaced it, as both conventions were based in ]. A ] survey suggested that about 40% of furries had attended at least one furry convention.<ref name="SecondSurvey"/>
Sufficient interest and membership have enabled the creation of many furry conventions in ] and ]. A ] is for the fans to get together to buy and sell artwork, participate in workshops, wear costumes, and socialize.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.furryfandom.info/furries-convention-near-me.htm|last=Jorgensen|first=Karl|title=What is a furry convention like?|publisher=Furry Fandom Infocenter|access-date=2019-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921192054/http://www.furryfandom.info/furries-convention-near-me.htm|archive-date=2019-09-21|url-status=live}}</ref> ], in 2008, the largest furry convention with more than 5,861 attendees,<ref>{{cite web|title=Anthrocon website official|url=http://www.anthrocon.org/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924035637/http://www.anthrocon.org/|archive-date=2014-09-24|access-date=2014-09-21|publisher=]}}</ref> is estimated to have generated approximately $3 million for Pittsburgh's economy that year.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adam|last=Brandolph|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_575023.html|title=Furry convention a $3 million cash cow for city businesses|work=]|date=June 28, 2008|access-date=2008-07-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414201132/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_575023.html|archive-date=April 14, 2009}}</ref> Another convention, ], held in ] each January, closely follows Anthrocon in scale and attendance. $470,000 was raised in conventions for charity from 2000 to 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=2009 charity donations down; $470,000 raised this decade|url=http://www.flayrah.com/c/2009-charity-donations-down-470000-raised-decade|work=]|author=Parry, Laurence|date=January 17, 2010|access-date=2010-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121172832/http://www.flayrah.com/c/2009-charity-donations-down-470000-raised-decade|archive-date=January 21, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> As of December 2022, ] is the world's largest furry convention.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sonious (Tantroo McNally)|date=2017-12-04|title=Midwest FurFest usurps Anthrocon's record and becomes the world's largest furry convention|url=https://www.flayrah.com/7171/midwest-furfest-usurps-anthrocons-record-and-becomes-worlds-largest-furry-convention|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Flayrah|archive-date=2020-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203075524/https://www.flayrah.com/7171/midwest-furfest-usurps-anthrocons-record-and-becomes-worlds-largest-furry-convention|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=FurFest: Inside the world's 'largest' furry convention |language=en-GB |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-63911432 |access-date=2023-12-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Thousands attend world's 'largest' furry convention |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/video/video/2022/12/06/thousands-attend-worlds-largest-furry-convention/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref> It had a self-reported 2019 attendance of 11,019.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-20|title=Midwest FurFest 2019 Metrics&mdash;Thanks to all our attendees for making this possible—We couldn't have done it without you!|url=https://www.facebook.com/furfest/photos/a.885167554848085/2945610328803787/?type=3 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/467545669943611/2945610328803787 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Midwest FurFest|language=en|via=official Facebook account}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
]

The first known furry convention, ],<ref name="YarfChronology" /> is no longer held; Califur has replaced it, as both conventions were based in ]. A ] survey suggested that about 40% of furries had attended at least one furry convention.<ref name="SecondSurvey" />


===Websites and online communities=== ===Websites and online communities===
The internet contains a multitude of furry websites and online communities, such as art community websites ], Inkbunny, SoFurry, and Weasyl; and ''WikiFur'', a collaborative furry ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/pittsburgh/animal-passions/Content?oid=1337258 | title=Animal Passions | author=Melissa Meinzer | work=] | date=2006-06-29 | access-date=2012-04-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509194556/http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/pittsburgh/animal-passions/Content?oid=1337258 | archive-date=2012-05-09 | url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2024}}
{{refimprove section|date=November 2011}}
The Internet contains a variety of furry websites and online communities, such as art community websites, social networking sites, ], ], and other communities including ''WikiFur'', a collaborative furry ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/pittsburgh/animal-passions/Content?oid=1337258 | title=Animal Passions | author=Melissa Meinzer | work=] | date=2006-06-29 | accessdate=2012-04-08 }}</ref> Collectively, these form a key part of furry fandom.


There are several ]s featuring animal characters created by or for furry fans; as such, they may be referred to as ]. One such comic, '']'', was first published on ] in 1986, predating the ] by several years,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cbmfiles.com/genie/geniefiles/Information/T.H.E.-FOX.TXT|title=Interview with Joe Ekaitis|access-date=2007-01-12|author=The Commodore 64/128 RoundTable|year=1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112165235/http://cbmfiles.com/genie/geniefiles/Information/T.H.E.-FOX.TXT|archive-date=2011-01-12|url-status=live}}</ref> while another, '']'' by ], has been awarded both a ] and an ].<ref name="WCCA">{{cite web |url=http://www.ccawards.com/2001.htm |title=2001 Winners and Nominees |publisher=Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards |date=2001-02-19 |access-date=2007-12-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231152414/http://www.ccawards.com/2001.htm |archive-date=2009-12-31 }}</ref><ref name="UMA">{{cite web|url=http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2003.htm|title=Award Winners 2003|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=2007-11-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109013348/http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2003.htm|archive-date=2007-11-09|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Furry lifestylers==
The phrases ''furry lifestyle'' and ''furry lifestyler'' first appeared in July 1996 on the newsgroup alt.fan.furry during an ongoing dispute within that online community. The Usenet newsgroup alt.lifestyle.furry was created to accommodate discussion beyond furry art and literature, and to resolve disputes concerning what should or should not be associated with the fandom; its members quickly adopted the term ''furry lifestylers'', and still consider the fandom and the lifestyle to be separate social entities. They have defined and adopted an alternative meaning of the word ''furry'' specific to this group: "a person with an important emotional/spiritual connection with an animal or animals, real, fictional or symbolic."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/lifestyle.txt|title=alt.lifestyle.furry - Frequently Asked Questions|date=May 8, 2001|accessdate=2006-08-26}}</ref>


The Ursa Major Award is given in the field of furry fandom works and is the main award in the field of ].<ref>{{cite web|author=TheChainedWolf|url=http://www.flayrah.com/3293/ursa-major-awards-2009-predictions-and-forlorn-hopes|title=Ursa Major Awards 2009: predictions and forlorn hopes|website=FurteanTimes.com/Flayrah|date=March 14, 2020|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129073716/https://www.flayrah.com/3293/ursa-major-awards-2009-predictions-and-forlorn-hopes|archive-date=November 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Patten|first=Fred|author-link=Fred Patten|url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-ursa-major-awards/|title=The Ursa Major Awards|website=Cartoon Research|date=July 21, 2013|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920162525/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-ursa-major-awards/|archive-date=September 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> It has been awarded to many comics and animated series over the years, including '']'' (2021),<ref name="ursavoting2021" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Perry|first=Laurence|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8638/shine-awoo-take-2021-ursa-major-awards-landslides-k-garrison-wins-three|title='Shine', 'Awoo!' take 2021 Ursa Major Awards by landslides; K. Garrison wins three|website=Flayrah|date=May 18, 2022|access-date=May 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518034210/https://www.flayrah.com/8638/shine-awoo-take-2021-ursa-major-awards-landslides-k-garrison-wins-three|archive-date=May 18, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'' (2020),<ref name="ursavotingopens" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Dronon|date=May 3, 2021|title=Winners of the 2020 Ursa Major Awards|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8349/winners-2020-ursa-major-awards|access-date=March 28, 2022|website=Flayrah|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190232/https://www.flayrah.com/8349/winners-2020-ursa-major-awards|url-status=live}}</ref> while '']'' (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020">{{cite web|url=https://ursamajorawards.org/voting2020/|title=Voting|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301150205/https://ursamajorawards.org/voting2020/|archive-date=March 1, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ursavotingopens">{{cite web|author=dronon|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8291/voting-opens-2020-ursa-major-awards|title=Voting opens for the 2020 Ursa Major Awards|website=Flayrah|date=March 14, 2020|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210302202119/https://www.flayrah.com/8291/voting-opens-2020-ursa-major-awards|archive-date=March 2, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'' (2021),<ref name="ursavoting2021">{{cite web|author=dronon|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8587/voting-open-2021-ursa-major-awards|title=Voting is open for the 2021 Ursa Major Awards|website=Flayrah|date=March 18, 2022|access-date=March 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308161748/https://www.flayrah.com/8587/voting-open-2021-ursa-major-awards|archive-date=March 8, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'' (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> '']'' (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> and '']'' (2021).<ref name="ursavoting2021" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> and ''Helluva Boss'' episodes such as "]" (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> "]" (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> and "]" (2022)<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2022.htm|title=Award Winners 2022|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609174729/https://ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2022.htm|archive-date=June 9, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> were nominated for the "Best Dramatic Series" category. Some of these series also feature ] characters, such as ''Helluva Boss''<ref name="macjoh2022">{{cite web|last=Mackcey|first=Joshua S.|url=https://www.intomore.com/culture/10-lgbtq-cartoons-loved-2022/|title=10 LGBTQ+ Cartoons That We Loved in 2022|website=]|date=December 14, 2022|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324115722/https://www.intomore.com/culture/10-lgbtq-cartoons-loved-2022/|archive-date=March 24, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="dumas2023">{{cite web|last=Dumas|first=Zoe|url=https://movieweb.com/helluva-boss-best-web-series-now/|title=Why Helluva Boss Is the Best Web Series Right Now|website=]|date=July 2, 2023|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705201408/https://movieweb.com/helluva-boss-best-web-series-now/|archive-date=July 5, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 21, 2021|title=Netflix's Newest Animation Pickup Has A Black And Gay Cast, But Isn't A "Black" Or "Gay" Cartoon|url=https://www.news.quirktastic.co/post/kipo-and-the-age-of-the-wonderbeast-dreamworks-netflix/|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Quirktastic|language=en-US|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411023056/https://news.quirktastic.co/post/kipo-and-the-age-of-the-wonderbeast-dreamworks-netflix|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Radulovic|first=Petrana|date=January 15, 2020|title=Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts treats coming out like just another part of life|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/1/15/21067505/kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-coming-out-scene|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200119165251/https://www.polygon.com/2020/1/15/21067505/kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-coming-out-scene|archive-date=January 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Kevin|date=June 24, 2024|title=How Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Codes Blackness|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/how-kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-codes-blackness/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627063003/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/how-kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-codes-blackness/|archive-date=June 27, 2020|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}</ref> In a review of ''Helluva Boss'' in 2022, Brendan Kachel of the furry site ''Flayrah'', wrote that while ] is the "only one character who is truly furry" and a "furry sex goddess", they would still "recommend furries at least try the series."<ref>{{cite web|last=Kachel|first=Brendan|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8362/what-hell-helluva-boss|title=What the hell is 'Helluva Boss'?|website=Flayrah|date=July 31, 2022|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331230608/https://www.flayrah.com/8362/what-hell-helluva-boss|archive-date=March 31, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
In their 2007 survey, Gerbasi ''et al.'' examined what it meant to be a furry, and proposed a taxonomy in which to categorise different "types" of furries. The largest group — 38% of those surveyed — described their interest in furry fandom predominately as a "route to socializing with others who share common interests such as anthropomorphic art and costumes."<ref name="Gerbasi2008">{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen | coauthors = Paolone, Nicholas; Higner, Justin; Scaletta, Laura; Bernstein, Penny; Conway, Samuel; Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 3 | pages = 220. }}</ref> However they also identified furries who saw themselves as "other than human", and/or who desired to become more like the furry species which they identified with.<ref name="BBC" /><ref name="Gerbasi2008"/>

=== IT industry and tech ===
It is often suggested that "furries run the internet", as members of the furry community are overrepresented in the IT industry, often in senior or other important positions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/internet/11-01-2022/who-runs-the-internet-furries |title=Who runs the internet? Furries |date=2022-01-11 |access-date=2024-07-11 |work=The Spinoff |first=Dylan |last=Reeve}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/furry-fandom-big-tech-software-developers-2022-3 |title=How Furries Came to Rule the Tech Industry |date=2022-03-11 |first=Kylie |last=Robinson |work=Business Insider |access-date=2024-07-11}}</ref>

==Furry lifestyle==
{{See also|Otherkin}}

The phrases ''furry lifestyle'' and ''furry lifestyler'' first appeared in July 1996 on the newsgroup alt.fan.furry during an ongoing dispute within the online community. The Usenet newsgroup was created to accommodate discussion beyond furry art and literature, and to resolve disputes concerning what should or should not be associated with the fandom; its members quickly adopted the term ''furry lifestylers'', and still consider the fandom and the lifestyle to be separate social entities. They have defined and adopted an alternative meaning of the word ''furry'' specific to this group: "a person with an important emotional/spiritual connection with an animal or animals, real, fictional, or symbolic."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/lifestyle.txt|title=alt.lifestyle.furry - Frequently Asked Questions|date=May 8, 2001|access-date=2006-08-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821023802/http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/lifestyle.txt|archive-date=August 21, 2006}}</ref>

In their 2007 survey, Gerbasi et al. examined what it meant to be a furry, and proposed a taxonomy in which to categorize different "types" of furries. The largest group—38% of those surveyed—described their interest in furry fandom predominantly as a "route to socializing with others who share common interests such as anthropomorphic art and costumes."<ref>{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen |author2=Paolone, Nicholas|author3=Higner, Justin|author4=Scaletta, Laura|author5=Bernstein, Penny|author6=Conway, Samuel|author7= Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 3 | pages = 220 }}</ref> They also identified furries who saw themselves as "other than human", or who desired to become more like the furry species which they identified with.<ref name="BBC" /><ref name="Gerbasi2008"/>


==Sexual aspects== ==Sexual aspects==
{{see also|Yiff}}
According to four different surveys, 14–25% of the fandom members report homosexuality, 37–52% bisexuality, 28–51% heterosexuality, and 3–8% other forms of alternative sexual relationships.<ref name="SecondSurvey" /><ref name="Evans" /><ref name="FirstSurvey">{{cite web|url=http://www.furcenter.org/pubs/SF_2008.pdf|title=State of the Fandom|date=June 27, 2008|work=Furry Research Center|author=Alex Osaki|access-date=March 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304223529/http://www.furcenter.org/pubs/SF_2008.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gerbasi-winter-2011" /> Approximately half of the respondents reported being in a relationship, of which 76% were in a relationship with another member of the furry fandom.<ref name="SecondSurvey">{{cite web|url=http://studyf3.livejournal.com/1383.html|title=Furry Survey Results|author=University of California, Davis Department of Psychology|date=May 5, 2007|access-date=2007-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727123232/http://studyf3.livejournal.com/1383.html|archive-date=July 27, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Examples of sexual aspects within the furry fandom include erotic art and furry-themed ].<ref name="Indiana">Bardzell, Jeffery, and ]. ''Sex-Interface-Aesthetics: The Docile Avatars and Embodied Pixels of'' Second Life ''BDSM''. ], 2005.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article3016114.ece|title=I like dressing up as a bear during sex|work=]|author1=Stuttaford, Thomas|author-link=Thomas Stuttaford|author2=Godson, Suzi|author2-link=Suzi Godson|date=December 8, 2007|access-date=2007-12-11|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615180141/http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article3016114.ece|archive-date=June 15, 2011|url-status=dead}} (])</ref> The term "]" is sometimes used to indicate sexual activity or sexual material within the fandom—this applies to sexual activity and interaction within the subculture whether in the form of cybersex or ].<ref name="AnimalPassions">{{cite news|first=Melissa|last=Meinzer|url=http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A28606|title=Animal Passions: The furries come to town—and our correspondent tails along|work=]|date=June 29, 2006|access-date=2007-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827170632/http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A28606|archive-date=August 27, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Padva">{{cite journal | last1 = Padva | first1 = Gilad | year = 2005 | title = Dreamboys, Meatmen and Werewolves: Visualizing Erotic Identities in All-Male Comic Strips | journal = Sexualities | volume = 8 | issue = 5| pages = 587–99 | doi = 10.1177/1363460705058395 | s2cid = 143653150 }}</ref>


In one survey with 4,300 furry respondents, 37% answered that sexual attraction is important in their furry activities, 38% were ambivalent, and 24% responded that it has little or nothing to do with their furry activities.<ref name="Gerbasi-winter-2011">{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/anthropomorphicresearch/past-results/international-online-furry-survey-2011|title=International Online Furry Survey: Winter 2011|author=Gerbasi|year=2011|access-date=2012-09-01|display-authors=etal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308185939/https://sites.google.com/site/anthropomorphicresearch/past-results/international-online-furry-survey-2011|archive-date=2013-03-08|url-status=live}}</ref> In an earlier online survey, 33% of furry respondents answered that they have a "significant sexual interest in furry", another 46% stated they have a "minor sexual interest in furry", and the remaining 21% stated they have a "non-sexual interest in furry". The survey specifically avoided adult-oriented websites to prevent bias.<ref name="Evans">{{cite web|url=http://cannedgeek.com/images/sharedfiles/fss_report_finaldraft.PDF|title=The Furry Sociological Survey|year=2008|author=Kyle Evans|access-date=2012-09-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904201818/http://www.cannedgeek.com/images/sharedfiles/fss_report_finaldraft.PDF|archive-date=2013-09-04}}</ref>
]
In one survey, 33% of furries surveyed online answered that they had a "significant sexual interest in furry" and another 46% stated they had a "minor sexual interest in furry", and the remaining 21% stated they have a "non-sexual interest in furry". The survey specifically avoided adult-oriented websites to prevent bias.<ref name="Evans">{{cite web|url=http://www.furrysociology.net/report.htm|title=The Furry Sociological Survey|year=2008|author=Kyle Evans|accessdate=2011-03-24}}</ref> Differing approaches to sexuality have been a source of controversy and conflict in furry fandom. Examples of sexual aspects within furry fandom include erotic art and furry-themed ].<ref name="Indiana">Bardzell, Jeffery, and Shaowen Bardzell. ''Sex-Interface-Aesthetics: The Docile Avatars and Embodied Pixels of'' Second Life ''BDSM''. Indiana University, 2005.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article3016114.ece|title=I like dressing up as a bear during sex|work=]|author=]; ]|date=December 8, 2007|accessdate=2007-12-11 | location=London}}</ref> The term "]" is most commonly used to indicate sexual activity or sexual material within the fandom—this applies to sexual activity and interaction within the subculture whether ] (in the form of cybersex) or ].<ref name="AnimalPassions">{{cite news|first=Melissa|last=Meinzer|url= http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A28606|title=Animal Passions: The furries come to town — and our correspondent tails along|work=]|date = June 29, 2006 | accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref><ref name="Padva">Padva, Gilad. ''Dreamboys, Meatmen and Werewolves: Visualizing Erotic Identities in All-Male Comic Strips''. ''Sexualities'' 8:5 (2005). 587–99</ref>


Another survey at a furry convention in 2013 found that 96.3% of male furry respondents reported viewing furry pornography, compared with 78.3% of females; males estimated that 50.9% of all furry art they view is pornographic, compared with 30.7% of females. The respondents to the survey had a slight preference for pornographic furry artwork over non-pornographic artwork. 17.1% of males reported that when they viewed pornography it was exclusively or near-exclusively furry pornography, and only about 5% reported that pornography was the top factor that got them into the fandom.<ref name="Fiesta2013">Plante, C. N., Reysen, S., Roberts, S. E., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2013). International Anthropomorphic Research Project: Furry Fiesta 2013 Summary</ref>
According to a study, 19–25% of the fandom members report homosexuality, 37–48% bisexuality, 30–51% heterosexual, and 3–8% other forms of alternative sexual relationships. In 2002 about 2% stated an interest in ], and less than 1% an interest in ].<ref name="SecondSurvey">{{cite web|url=http://studyf3.livejournal.com/1383.html|title = Furry Survey Results|author=University of California, Davis Department of Psychology|date=May 5, 2007|accessdate=2007-05-05}}</ref><ref name="FirstSurvey">{{cite web|url= http://www.visi.com/~phantos/furrysoc.html | title = The Sociology of Furry Fandom|author=David J. Rust|date=2000–2, based on data 1997–98|accessdate=2006-08-26}}</ref> Initial figures were collected by David J. Rust in 1997, but further research has been conducted to update these findings. Of the furry fans that reported being in a relationship (approximately half of the surveyed population), 76% were in a relationship with another member of furry fandom.<ref name="SecondSurvey"/>

An survey, conducted from 1997 to 1998, reported about 2% of furry respondents stating an interest in zoophilia, and less than 1% an interest in ] (sexually aroused by stuffed animal toys). The older, lower results, which are even lower than estimated in the general population, were due to the methodology of questioning respondents face-to-face, which led to ].<ref name="FirstSurvey">{{cite web|url=http://www.furcenter.org/pubs/SF_2008.pdf|title=State of the Fandom|date=June 27, 2008|work=Furry Research Center|author=Alex Osaki|access-date=March 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304223529/http://www.furcenter.org/pubs/SF_2008.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/animal-magnetism-inside-the-world-of-the-furries/|title=Animal magnetism: Inside the world of the furries|author=Griffiths, Mark|date=2012-04-05|access-date=2012-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728095943/http://drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/animal-magnetism-inside-the-world-of-the-furries/|archive-date=2012-07-28|url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast, one comparative study from 1974 and 1980 showed 7.5% of sampled students at ] reporting zoophilia,<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Story | first1 = MD | year = 1982 | title = A comparison of university student experience with various sexual outlets in 1974 and 1980 | journal = Adolescence | volume = 17 | issue = 68| pages = 737–47 | pmid = 7164870 }}</ref> while other studies find only 2.2%<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Joyal | first1 = C. C. | last2 = Cossette | first2 = A. | last3 = Lapierre | first3 = V. | year = 2014 | title = What Exactly Is an Unusual Sexual Fantasy? | journal = The Journal of Sexual Medicine | volume = 12 | issue = 2| pages = 328–340 | doi = 10.1111/jsm.12734 | pmid = 25359122 }}</ref> to 5.3%<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Crépault | first1 = Claude | last2 = Couture | first2 = Marcel | year = 1980 | title = Men's erotic fantasies | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 9 | issue = 6| pages = 565–81 | doi = 10.1007/BF01542159 | pmid = 7458662 | s2cid = 9021936 }}</ref> expressing fantasies of sex with animals. An anonymous survey in 2008 found 17% of respondents identified as zoophiles and it stated that most furries had a more moderate view of zoophilia. The study had 5,000 participants with 22.6% of them having an extremely negative view of zoophilia, 23% negative view, 36.3% ambivalent, 13.5% positive view, and 4.5% had an extremely positive view of it.<ref name="FirstSurvey"></ref> In 2013 Adjectivespecies tried to increase awareness about zoophiles and stated that they are part of the furry community.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Guerrier|first=Jacqueline Daniell|date=2014|title=Bringing out the animal in me: An examination of art and the individual within the Furry subculture|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/153207931.pdf|website=Honors College at ] Scholarly Commons}}</ref> However more recent sources have stated that both ] and zoophilia are considered taboo in the furry fandom.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Strike|first=Joe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1QJuDwAAQBAJ&q=Furry+fandom+zoophile|title=Furry Nation: The True Story of America's Most Misunderstood Subculture|date=2017-10-03|publisher=Cleis Press|isbn=978-1-62778-233-3|language=en}}</ref><ref>https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=anth_awards</ref>{{rp|page=6}} There have also been discussions in the fandom about distinguishing art of anthromomorphized animals from art of bestiality<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Reysen|first1=Stephen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15cqEAAAQBAJ&dq=furry+fandom+all+ages&pg=PA67|title=Transported to Another World: The Psychology of Anime Fans|last2=Plante|first2=Courtney N.|last3=Chadborn|first3=Daniel|last4=Roberts|first4=Sharon E.|last5=Gerbasi|first5=Kathleen C.|date=2021-04-19|publisher=Stephen Reysen|isbn=978-0-9976288-1-4|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|page=67}}.


==Public perception and media coverage== ==Public perception and media coverage==
Early portrayal of the furries in magazines such as '']'',<ref>{{cite journal|work=]|date=March 1998}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="VanityFair">{{cite news|first=George|last=Gurley|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2001/03/furries200103|title=Pleasures of the fur|work=]|date=March 2001}}</ref> and the syndicated sex column "]" focused mainly on the sexual aspect of furry fandom. Fictional portrayals of furry fandom have appeared on television shows such as ],<ref>{{cite episode|title=Fear of Commitment|series=ER|serieslink=ER (TV series)|network=]|airdate=2001-03-05|season=7|number=20}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="ERandCSI">{{cite episode|title=Fur and Loathing|episodelink=Fur and Loathing (CSI episode)|series=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|serieslink=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|network=]|airdate=2003-10-30|season=4|number=5}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=Mama Told Me I Should Come|series=The Drew Carey Show|serieslink=The Drew Carey Show|network=]|airdate=2002-10-21|season=8|number=6}}</ref> ''Sex2K'' on ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/FurriesInTheNews/MTV2002/|title=Sex2K Fursuit Video|author=]|accessdate=2006-08-26}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="Entourage">{{cite episode|title=The Day Fuckers|episodelink=The Day Fuckers|series=Entourage|serieslink=Entourage (TV series)|network=]|airdate=July 28, 2007|season=4|number=7}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="1KWaysToDie">{{cite episode|title=Death Over Easy|series=1000 Ways to Die|serieslink=1000_Ways_to_Die|network=]|airdate= February 8, 2009|season=2|number=4}}</ref> and '']''.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land|series=30 Rock|serieslink=30 Rock|network=]|airdate=2010-05-13|season=4|number=21}}</ref> Most furry fans claim that these media portrayals are misconceptions,<ref name="AnnArbor">{{cite news|first=Denis|last=Baldwin|url=http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html|title=Walk With the Animals: Local furries explain it's not about perversion, furpiles and plush|work=Ann Arbor Paper|date=August 2006 |accessdate=2007-02-02 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070204003446/http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-02-04}}</ref><ref name="Post-Gazette">{{cite news|first=Ann|last=Belser|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06169/699273-51.stm|title=All about 'furry fandom' at confab|work=]|date=June 18, 2006|accessdate=2006-06-30}}</ref><ref name="TheSun">{{cite news|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/real_life/article23610.ece|title=We're at it like rabbits|work=]|date=3 April 2007|accessdate=2007-04-11}}</ref> while the recent coverage focuses on debunking myths and stereotypes that have come to be associated with the furry fandom.<ref name="TribReview">{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Togneri|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_515974.html|title=Furries purr over Pittsburgh reception|work=]|date=July 6, 2007|accessdate=2007-07-14}}</ref> A reporter attending ''Anthrocon 2006'' noted that "despite their wild image from ''Vanity Fair'', MTV and ''CSI'', furry conventions aren't about kinky sex between weirdos gussied up in foxy costumes", that conference attendees were "not having sex more than the rest of us",<ref>{{cite news|first=Melissa|last=Meinzer|url=http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A27825|title=Fur Ball In The Works|publisher=]|date=February 2, 2006|accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> and that the furry convention was about "people talking and drawing animals and comic-book characters in sketchbooks."<ref name="AnimalPassions" /> In October 2007, a '']'' reporter attended '']'' undercover because of media restrictions. She learned that the restrictions were intended to prevent misinformation, and reported that the scandalous behavior she had expected was not evident.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/featured-news/hell-hath-no-furries.html|title=Hell Hath No Furries|author=Abel, Jennifer|work=Hartford Advocate|publisher=]|date=November 1, 2007|accessdate=2010-06-19}}</ref> Recent coverage of the furry fandom has been more balanced. According to Ian Wolf, a 2009 article from the ] entitled "Who are the furries?" was the first piece of journalism to be nominated for an Ursa Major Award, the main awards given in the field of anthropomorphism.<ref>{{cite news|last=Winterman|first=Denise|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8355287.stm|title=Who are the furries?|publisher=BBC|date=November 13, 2009|accessdate=June 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2009.htm|title=Award Winners 2009|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|date=May 3-, 2010|accessdate=June 25, 2010}}</ref> Early portrayal of the furries in magazines such as '']'',<ref name="Wired">{{citation|author=Josh Quittner|title=Johnny Manhattan Meets the Furry Muckers|quote=People describe themselves as furry cuddly animals; more times than not, they have furry cuddly animal sex. FurryMuckers like to write long, loving, animal-sexy descriptions of themselves|date=March 1994|magazine=]}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite journal|journal=]|date=March 1998|title=Heavy Petting}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="VanityFair">{{cite news|first=George|last=Gurley|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2001/03/furries200103|title=Pleasures of the fur|work=]|date=March 2001|access-date=2011-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301213430/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2001/03/furries200103|archive-date=2011-03-01|url-status=live}}</ref> and the syndicated sex column ] focused mainly on the sexual aspect of the furry fandom. Fictional portrayals of the furry fandom have appeared in television shows such as '']'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=Flaming Moe|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|network=]|airdate=2011-01-16|season=22|number=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|network=]|airdate=2021-03-14|season=32|number=15}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite episode|title=Fear of Commitment|series=ER|series-link=ER (TV series)|network=]|airdate=2001-03-05|season=7|number=20}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="ERandCSI">{{cite episode|title=Fur and Loathing|episode-link=Fur and Loathing (CSI episode)|series=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|series-link=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|network=]|airdate=2003-10-30|season=4|number=5}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=Mama Told Me I Should Come|series=The Drew Carey Show|series-link=The Drew Carey Show|network=]|airdate=2002-10-21|season=8|number=6}} See ] on WikiFur for more information.</ref> ''Sex2K'' on ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/FurriesInTheNews/MTV2002/|title=Sex2K Fursuit Video|author=MTV|author-link=MTV|access-date=2006-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816221526/http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/FurriesInTheNews/MTV2002/|archive-date=2011-08-16|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="Entourage">{{cite episode|title=The Day Fuckers|episode-link=The Day Fuckers|series=Entourage|series-link=Entourage (U.S. TV series)|network=]|airdate=July 28, 2007|season=4|number=7}}</ref> '']'',<ref name="1KWaysToDie">{{cite episode|title=Death Over Easy|series=1000 Ways to Die|series-link=1000_Ways_to_Die|network=]|airdate= February 8, 2009|season=1|number=4}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Jordan|date=2011-08-10|title=Tosh.O Web Redemption: The Larper|url=http://www.larping.org/tosho-web-redemption-larper/|publisher=Larping|access-date=2010-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129030403/http://www.larping.org/tosho-web-redemption-larper/|archive-date=2014-11-29|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Markos|date=2013-09-05|title=Kusa the Arctic Fox gets Web Redemption on Comedy Central's Tosh.0|url=http://www.furrynewsnetwork.com/2013/09/kusa-the-arctic-fox-gets-web-redemption-on-comedy-centrals-tosh-0/|work=Furry News Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129021404/http://www.furrynewsnetwork.com/2013/09/kusa-the-arctic-fox-gets-web-redemption-on-comedy-centrals-tosh-0/|archive-date=2014-11-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> '']'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=Animals|series=Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule|series-link=Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule|network=]|airdate=2012-04-15|season=2|number=5}}</ref> and '']''.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land|series=30 Rock|series-link=30 Rock|network=]|airdate=2010-05-13|season=4|number=21}}</ref> Most furry fans claim that media portrayals are misconceptions,<ref name="AnnArbor">{{cite news|last=Baldwin|first=Denis|date=August 2006|title=Walk With the Animals: Local furries explain it's not about perversion, furpiles and plush|url=http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html|work=Ann Arbor Paper|access-date=2007-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204003446/http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html|archive-date=2007-02-04}}</ref><ref name="Post-Gazette">{{cite news|last=Belser|first=Ann|date=June 18, 2006|title=All about 'furry fandom' at confab|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06169/699273-51.stm|newspaper=]|access-date=2006-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622075526/http://post-gazette.com/pg/06169/699273-51.stm|archive-date=June 22, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> while more recent coverage focuses on addressing the myths and stereotypes that have come to be associated with the furry fandom.<ref name="TribReview">{{cite news|last=Togneri|first=Chris|date=July 6, 2007|title=Furries purr over Pittsburgh reception|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_515974.html|work=]|access-date=2007-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712153806/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_515974.html|archive-date=July 12, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> A reporter attending ''Anthrocon 2006'' noted that "despite their wild image from ''Vanity Fair'', ], and '']'', furry conventions aren't about kinky sex between weirdos gussied up in foxy costumes", that conference attendees were "not having sex more than the rest of us",<ref>{{cite news|last=Meinzer|first=Melissa|date=February 2, 2006|title=Fur Ball In The Works|url=http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A27825|publisher=]|access-date=2007-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828012400/http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A27825|archive-date=August 28, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> and that the furry convention was about "people talking and drawing animals and comic-book characters in sketchbooks."<ref name="AnimalPassions" /> In October 2007, a '']'' reporter attended ] undercover because of media restrictions. She learned that the restrictions were intended to prevent misinformation, and reported that the scandalous behavior she had expected was not present.<ref>{{cite news|last=Abel|first=Jennifer|date=November 1, 2007|title=Hell Hath No Furries|url=http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/featured-news/hell-hath-no-furries.html|newspaper=Hartford Advocate|publisher=]|access-date=26 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426211132/http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/featured-news/hell-hath-no-furries.html|archive-date=2010-04-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> Recent coverage of the furry fandom has been more balanced. According to Ian Wolf, a 2009 article from the ] entitled "Who are the furries?" was the first piece of journalism to be nominated for an Ursa Major Award, the main award given in the field of anthropomorphism.<ref name="BBC" /><ref>{{cite web|date=May 3, 2010|title=Award Winners 2009|url=http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2009.htm|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=June 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610233710/http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2009.htm|archive-date=June 10, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=TheChainedWolf|date=2010-03-14|title=Ursa Major Awards 2009: predictions and forlorn hopes|url=http://www.flayrah.com/3293/ursa-major-awards-2009-predictions-and-forlorn-hopes|publisher=FurteanTimes.com/Flayrah|access-date=2010-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129073716/https://www.flayrah.com/3293/ursa-major-awards-2009-predictions-and-forlorn-hopes|archive-date=2020-11-29|url-status=live}}</ref>

] broadcaster ] was sharing a hotel with Anthrocon 2007 attendees a day before the convention and reported a negative opinion of the furries.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 6, 2007|title=The Brewers Meet the Furries|url=http://deadspin.com/sports/does-he-prefer-furries%2C-mr%27-belvedere-or-his-stalker/the-brewers-meet-the-furries-275569.php|work=]|access-date=2007-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710020239/http://deadspin.com/sports/does-he-prefer-furries,-mr'-belvedere-or-his-stalker/the-brewers-meet-the-furries-275569.php|archive-date=July 10, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> Several downtown Pittsburgh businesses welcome furries during the event, with local business owners creating special T-shirts and drawing paw prints in chalk outside their shops to attract attendees.<ref>{{cite news|last=Parry|first=Laurence|date=July 17, 2007|title=Anthrocon 2007 draws thousands to Pittsburgh for furry weekend|url=http://en.wikinews.org/Anthrocon_2007_draws_thousands_to_Pittsburgh_for_furry_weekend|newspaper=]|access-date=2009-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312063339/http://en.wikinews.org/Anthrocon_2007_draws_thousands_to_Pittsburgh_for_furry_weekend|archive-date=March 12, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> ], CEO of Anthrocon, said "For the most part, people give us curious stares, but they're good-natured curious stares. We're here to have fun, people have fun having us here, everybody wins".<ref>{{cite news|date=June 26, 2008|title=Furry Convention Creates Wild Scene In Pittsburgh|url=http://www.wpxi.com/news/16721130/detail.html|publisher=WPXI News|access-date=2008-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205050919/http://www.wpxi.com/news/16721130/detail.html|archive-date=December 5, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Positive coverage was generated following a ] that was held in a ] hotel where several ] ]s were being temporarily housed. Despite some concerns and warnings by staff that there could be a seriously negative culture clash if the two groups interacted, the refugee children were on the whole delighted to meet the convention goers, especially the ones in fursuits.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ferreras|first=Jesse|date=March 10, 2016|title=Syrian Refugees Get Put Up in Same Hotel As Furries. Kids LOVE It.|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/10/furries-convention-syrian-refugee-kids-vancouver_n_9432534.html|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=27 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227195514/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/10/furries-convention-syrian-refugee-kids-vancouver_n_9432534.html|archive-date=27 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Brennan|first=Christopher|date=March 10, 2016|title=Syrian refugee children dance with furries after being placed in same hotel as VancouFur convention|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/syrian-refugees-meet-furries-surreal-scene-vancouver-h-article-1.2559408|newspaper=New York Daily News|access-date=27 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107000611/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/syrian-refugees-meet-furries-surreal-scene-vancouver-h-article-1.2559408|archive-date=7 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to a survey, about half of furries perceive public reaction to the fandom as negative; less than a fifth stated that the public responded to them more negatively than they did most furries.<ref name="ThirdSurvey">{{cite web |last=Osaki |first=Alex "Klisoura" |title=Furry Survey |url=http://www.klisoura.com/ot_furrysurvey.php |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915212057/http://www.klisoura.com/ot_furrysurvey.php |archive-date=2008-09-15 |access-date=}}</ref> Furry fans' belief that they will be portrayed as "mainly ]" has led to distrust of the media and ]ers.<ref name="BBC" />

The fandom has grown to be such a significant demographic that by 2016, the film company ] marketed their animated feature film '']'' in pre-release to the fandom to encourage interest in the film, which proved a major critical and commercial success.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Notopoulos |first=Katie |title=Proof Disney Is Actually Marketing 'Zootopia' to Furries |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/proof-disney-is-actually-marketing-zootopia-to-furries |website=Buzzfeed |date=2 March 2016 |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216031509/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/proof-disney-is-actually-marketing-zootopia-to-furries |archive-date=16 February 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2021 and 2022, media coverage in Canada and the United States focused on ] being provided for furries, which was part of a cultural backlash amplified by ] and ] politicians against ] accommodations in schools.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Todd |first=Dorman |date=2020-05-13 |title=School litter box fever will not die in Iowa |url=https://www.thegazette.com/staff-columnists/school-litter-box-fever-will-not-die-in-iowa/ |newspaper=] |access-date=2022-10-06 |quote=The solution, obviously, is to take tens of millions of dollars from public schools and give it to private schools, because parents should be scared to send their kids to public schools. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005071156/https://www.thegazette.com/staff-columnists/school-litter-box-fever-will-not-die-in-iowa/ |archive-date=2022-10-05 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Dalbey |first=Beth |date=2022-09-07 |title=Debunked School Restroom Litter Box Claims Resurface With New Year |work=] |url=https://patch.com/us/across-america/debunked-school-restroom-litter-box-claims-resurface-new-year |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-date=2022-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005160327/https://patch.com/us/across-america/debunked-school-restroom-litter-box-claims-resurface-new-year |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nolan Brown |first=Elizabeth |date=2022-03-29 |title=No, Schools Aren't Accommodating Students Who Identify as Animals |url=https://reason.com/2022/03/29/no-schools-arent-accommodating-students-who-identify-as-animals/ |website=Reason.com |access-date=2022-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905194442/https://reason.com/2022/03/29/no-schools-arent-accommodating-students-who-identify-as-animals/ |archive-date=2022-09-05 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Sociological aspects==
]
The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP), a team of social scientists, has been collecting data on the furry fandom. Their 2016 publication collects several peer-reviewed and self-published studies into a single volume.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Gerbasi|first1=Kathleen|last2=Plante|first2=Courtney|last3=Reysen|first3=Stephen|last4=Roberts|first4=Sharon|editor-last=Howl|editor-first=Thurston|year=2015|chapter=The origins of the international anthropomorphic research project|title=Furries among us: Essays on furries by the most prominent members of the fandom|pages=102–105|location=Nashville, TN|publisher=Thurston Howl Publications|isbn=978-0990890263}}</ref><ref name="Gerbasi2016">{{Cite book|last1=Plante|first1=Courtney N.|last2=Reysen|first2=Stephen|last3=Roberts|first3=Sharon E.|last4=Gerbasi|first4=Kathleen C.|year=2016|title=FurScience! A summary of five years of research from the International Anthropomorphic Research Project|url=https://www.furscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Fur-Science-Final-pdf-for-Website_2017_10_18.pdf|location=Waterloo, Ontario|publisher=FurScience|isbn=978-0-9976288-0-7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424000612/https://sites.google.com/site/anthropomorphicresearch/home/publications|archive-date=April 24, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Among their findings were that the average adult furry is between 23 and 27 years of age, with more than 75% of furries being 25 years of age or younger, and 88% of adult furries being under the age of 30. Minors were not included in the study for professional ethics reasons. IARP estimated that 20% were under the age of 18.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|4–7}} Over two-thirds (67.1%) of furries identified themselves as male on the surveys, while 23.3% identified as female. 2% of furries identified themselves as transgender, and 10% of furries identified themselves as ]/non-binary.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|pages=10–11}} Between 83% and 90% of furries self-identify as White, with small minorities of furries self-identifying as Asian (2–4%), Black (2–3%), and Hispanic (3%).<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|7–10}} Over a fifth (21%) of furries consider themselves to be ], 44% consider themselves to be ] fans, and 11% consider themselves sports fans.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|32–33}} Furries, as a group, are more politically liberal and less religious than the average American or other comparable fan groups such as anime fans,<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|18}} while still containing groups such as ] and ] activists.<ref name="ViceAltRight">{{cite web |last=Kiberd |first=Roisin |date=January 12, 2017 |title=Pony Nationalism and the Furred Reich: Inside the Alt-Furry's Online Zoo |url=http://motherboard.vice.com/read/pony-nationalism-and-the-furred-reich-inside-the-alt-furrys-online-zoo |publisher=] |access-date=January 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115085409/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/pony-nationalism-and-the-furred-reich-inside-the-alt-furrys-online-zoo |archive-date=January 15, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Almost a quarter of furries (23.5%) self-identified as ], 16.8% as ], 16.8% as ], 11.0% as ]/]n, 2.4% as ], 1.2% as ], 1.1% as ], 0.9% as ], and 26.2% as "other" (including "participants who had their own belief systems, were undecided, refused to answer, or had uncommon belief systems").<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|16}} Approximately 70% of adult furries have either completed or are currently completing post-secondary education.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|12}}

A Pittsburgh-based researcher has found that up to 15% of furries may be ], compared with about 2% in the general population estimated by the ]. The 15% figure includes people who may have never received a diagnosis but ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boden |first=Sarah |date=July 10, 2019 |title=For Some With Autism, Furry Culture Offers Comfort And Acceptance |url=https://www.wesa.fm/science-health-tech/2019-07-10/for-some-with-autism-furry-culture-offers-comfort-and-acceptance |work=90.5 WESA |access-date=June 23, 2023}}</ref>

One of the most universal behaviors in the furry fandom is the creation of a ]—an anthropomorphic animal representation or avatar. More than 95% of furries have a fursona. Nearly half of furries report that they have only ever had one fursona to represent themselves; relatively few furries have had more than three or four fursonas. The most popular fursona species include wolves, foxes, dogs, large felines, and dragons. There is generally no association between personality traits and different fursona species.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|50–74}} Furries report different degrees of personality traits when thinking of themselves in their everyday identity compared with their fan identity.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|129–133}} Some furries identify as partly non-human: 35% say they do not feel 100% human (compared with 7% of non-furries), and 39% say they would be 0% human if they could (compared with 10% of non-furries).<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|78}}

Inclusion and belongingness are central themes in the furry fandom: compared with members of other fandoms such as anime or fantasy sports, furries are significantly more likely to identify with other members of their fan community. On average, half of a furry's friends are also furries themselves.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|123–133}} Furries rate themselves higher (compared with a comparison community sample of non-furries) on the degree of global awareness (knowledge of the world and felt connections to others in the world), ] identification (psychological connection with global citizens), and ].<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|18}}

==See also==
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===Topics===
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===People===
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===Documentaries===
] broadcaster ] was sharing a hotel with ''Anthrocon 2007'' attendees a day before the convention and reported a negative opinion of the furries.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://deadspin.com/sports/does-he-prefer-furries%2C-mr%27-belvedere-or-his-stalker/the-brewers-meet-the-furries-275569.php|title=The Brewers Meet the Furries|work=]|date=July 6, 2007|accessdate=2007-06-07}}</ref> Several downtown Pittsburgh businesses welcome furries during the event, with local business owners creating special T-shirts and drawing paw prints in chalk outside their shops to attract attendees.<ref>{{cite news|first=Laurence|last=Parry|url=http://en.wikinews.org/Anthrocon_2007_draws_thousands_to_Pittsburgh_for_furry_weekend|title=Anthrocon 2007 draws thousands to Pittsburgh for furry weekend|work=]|date=July 17, 2007|accessdate=2009-11-06}}</ref> Dr. ], CEO of ''Anthrocon'', said that "For the most part, people give us curious stares, but they're good-natured curious stares. We're here to have fun, people have fun having us here, everybody wins".<ref>{{cite news|title=Furry Convention Creates Wild Scene In Pittsburgh|publisher=WPXI News|date=June 26, 2008|url=http://www.wpxi.com/news/16721130/detail.html|accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref>
* ]
* ]
* '']''


===Related fandoms/subcultures===
According to ''Furry survey'', about half of furries perceive public reaction to the fandom as negative; less than a fifth stated that the public responded to them more negatively than they did most furries.<ref name="ThirdSurvey">{{cite web|url=http://www.klisoura.com/ot_furrysurvey.php|title=Furry Survey|author=Alex "Klisoura" Osaki|accessdate=2008-08-08}}</ref> Furry fans' belief that they will be portrayed as "mainly obsessed with sex" has led to mistrust of the media and ]ers.<ref name="BBC" />
* ]
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==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}} {{Reflist}}


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
* Ferreday, Debra. "Becoming deer: Nonhuman drag and online utopias." Feminist Theory 12.2 (2011): 219–225.
* Hilton, Craig. "Furry Fandom — An Insider's View from the Outside", parts 1 & 2. ''South Fur Lands'' #2 & #3, 1995, 1996.
* Hilton, Craig. "Furry Fandom—An Insider's View from the Outside", parts 1 & 2. ''South Fur Lands'' #2 & #3, 1995, 1996.
* by Watts Martin, 1994, 1998 (] mirror)
* Martin, Watts. 1994, 1998 (] mirror)
* Morgan, Matt. Creature Comfort: Anthropomorphism, Sexuality and Revitalization in the Furry Fandom. Diss. Mississippi State University, 2008.
* Probyn-Rapsey, Fiona. Society and Animals 19.3 (2011): 294–301.
* Plante, C. N., Reysen, S., Roberts, S.E., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2016). . Waterloo, Ontario: FurScience.


==External links== ==External links==
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|Furry fandom.ogg|2006-06-08}}
{{Commons|Furry}} {{Commons|Furry}}
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* and furry websites at the ]


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Latest revision as of 03:55, 24 December 2024

Subculture interested in anthropomorphic animals

A large group of fursuit owners at a furry convention

The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term "furry fandom" is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at furry conventions.

History

In 1976, cartoonists Ken Fletcher and Reed Waller created the amateur press association Vootie, which was dedicated to animal-focused art. Many of its featured works contained adult themes, such as "Omaha" the Cat Dancer, which contained explicit sex. Vootie grew a small following over the next several years, and its contributors began meeting at science fiction and comics conventions.

According to fandom historian Fred Patten, the concept of furry originated at a science fiction convention in 1980, when a character drawing from Steve Gallacci's Albedo Anthropomorphics started a discussion of anthropomorphic characters in science fiction novels. This led to the formation of a discussion group that met at science fiction conventions and comics conventions.

The specific term furry fandom was being used in fanzines as early as 1983, and had become the standard name for the genre by the mid-1990s when it was defined as "the organized appreciation and dissemination of art and prose regarding 'Furries', or fictional mammalian anthropomorphic characters". Fans consider the origins of furry fandom to be much earlier, with fictional works such as Kimba, the White Lion, released in 1965, Richard Adams' novel Watership Down, published in 1972 (and its 1978 film adaptation), as well as Disney's Robin Hood, as oft-cited examples. Internet newsgroup discussion in the 1990s created some separation between fans of "funny animal" characters and furry characters, meant to avoid the baggage that was associated with the term "furry".

During the 1980s, furry fans began to publish fanzines, developing a social group that eventually began to schedule social gatherings. By 1989, there was sufficient interest to stage the first furry convention: Confurence 0, and it was held at the Holiday Inn Bristol Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. Once the Internet became accessible to the general population in the 1990s, it became the most popular means for furry fans to socialize. The newsgroup alt.fan.furry was created in November 1990, and virtual environments such as MUCKs also became popular places on the internet for fans to communicate.

Inspiration

Allegorical novels, including works of both science fiction and fantasy, and cartoons featuring anthropomorphic animals are often cited as the earliest inspiration for the fandom. A survey conducted in 2007 suggested that when compared with a non-furry control group, a higher proportion of those identifying as furries liked cartoons "a great deal" as children and recalled watching them significantly more often, as well as being more likely to enjoy works of science fiction than those outside of the community.

Activities

According to a survey from 2008, most furries believe that visual art, conventions, literature, and online communities are strongly important to the fandom. The furry fandom is male-dominated, with surveys reporting around 80% male respondents.

Crafts

Sculpture at Further Confusion

Fans with craft skills create plush toys and also build elaborate costumes called fursuits, which are worn for fun or to participate in parades, convention masquerades, dances, or fund-raising charity events (as entertainers). Fursuits range from designs featuring simple construction resembling some entertainment and sports mascots to those with more sophisticated features such as moving jaw mechanisms, animatronic parts, prosthetic makeup, and other features. Fursuits range in price from $500, for mascot-like designs, to upwards of $10,000 for models incorporating animatronics. About 80% of furries do not own a full fursuit. Some fans may also wear "partial" suits consisting simply of ears and a tail, or a head, paws, and a tail. A much larger proportion of individuals who attend conventions own a full or partial fursuit45%, according to a survey done at Anthrocon 2018which has been attributed to convention attendees' generally higher likelihood of being able to afford to buy a fursuit if they can afford convention travel expenses.

Furry fans also pursue puppetry, recording videos and performing live shows such as Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends and the Funday PawPet Show, and create furry accessories, such as ears or tails.

Role-playing

Main article: Fursona
Cartoon anthropomorphic vixen, an example of a furry character

Anthropomorphic animal characters created by furry fans, known as fursonas, are used for role-playing in MUDs, on internet forums, or electronic mailing lists. A variety of species are employed as the basis of these personas, although many furry fans (for example over 60% of those surveyed in 2007) choose to identify themselves with carnivorans. The longest-running online furry role-playing environment is FurryMUCK, which was established in 1990. Another popular online furry social game is called Furcadia, which was created by Dragon's Eye Productions.

Conventions

Main article: Furry convention
Furry fans prepare for a race at Midwest FurFest 2006.

Sufficient interest and membership have enabled the creation of many furry conventions in North America and Europe. A furry convention is for the fans to get together to buy and sell artwork, participate in workshops, wear costumes, and socialize. Anthrocon, in 2008, the largest furry convention with more than 5,861 attendees, is estimated to have generated approximately $3 million for Pittsburgh's economy that year. Another convention, Further Confusion, held in San Jose each January, closely follows Anthrocon in scale and attendance. $470,000 was raised in conventions for charity from 2000 to 2009. As of December 2022, Midwest FurFest is the world's largest furry convention. It had a self-reported 2019 attendance of 11,019.

The first known furry convention, ConFurence, is no longer held; Califur has replaced it, as both conventions were based in Southern California. A University of California, Davis survey suggested that about 40% of furries had attended at least one furry convention.

Websites and online communities

The internet contains a multitude of furry websites and online communities, such as art community websites Fur Affinity, Inkbunny, SoFurry, and Weasyl; and WikiFur, a collaborative furry wiki.

There are several webcomics featuring animal characters created by or for furry fans; as such, they may be referred to as furry comics. One such comic, T.H.E. Fox, was first published on CompuServe in 1986, predating the World Wide Web by several years, while another, Kevin and Kell by Bill Holbrook, has been awarded both a Web Cartoonists' Choice Award and an Ursa Major Award.

The Ursa Major Award is given in the field of furry fandom works and is the main award in the field of anthropomorphism. It has been awarded to many comics and animated series over the years, including Helluva Boss (2021), Beastars (2020), while BNA: Brand New Animal (2020), Centaurworld (2021), Aggretsuko (2020), Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (2020), and Odd Taxi (2021). and Helluva Boss episodes such as "Murder Family" (2020), "Loo Loo Land" (2020), and "The Circus" (2022) were nominated for the "Best Dramatic Series" category. Some of these series also feature LGBT characters, such as Helluva Boss and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. In a review of Helluva Boss in 2022, Brendan Kachel of the furry site Flayrah, wrote that while Loona is the "only one character who is truly furry" and a "furry sex goddess", they would still "recommend furries at least try the series."

IT industry and tech

It is often suggested that "furries run the internet", as members of the furry community are overrepresented in the IT industry, often in senior or other important positions.

Furry lifestyle

See also: Otherkin

The phrases furry lifestyle and furry lifestyler first appeared in July 1996 on the newsgroup alt.fan.furry during an ongoing dispute within the online community. The Usenet newsgroup was created to accommodate discussion beyond furry art and literature, and to resolve disputes concerning what should or should not be associated with the fandom; its members quickly adopted the term furry lifestylers, and still consider the fandom and the lifestyle to be separate social entities. They have defined and adopted an alternative meaning of the word furry specific to this group: "a person with an important emotional/spiritual connection with an animal or animals, real, fictional, or symbolic."

In their 2007 survey, Gerbasi et al. examined what it meant to be a furry, and proposed a taxonomy in which to categorize different "types" of furries. The largest group—38% of those surveyed—described their interest in furry fandom predominantly as a "route to socializing with others who share common interests such as anthropomorphic art and costumes." They also identified furries who saw themselves as "other than human", or who desired to become more like the furry species which they identified with.

Sexual aspects

See also: Yiff

According to four different surveys, 14–25% of the fandom members report homosexuality, 37–52% bisexuality, 28–51% heterosexuality, and 3–8% other forms of alternative sexual relationships. Approximately half of the respondents reported being in a relationship, of which 76% were in a relationship with another member of the furry fandom. Examples of sexual aspects within the furry fandom include erotic art and furry-themed cybersex. The term "yiff" is sometimes used to indicate sexual activity or sexual material within the fandom—this applies to sexual activity and interaction within the subculture whether in the form of cybersex or offline.

In one survey with 4,300 furry respondents, 37% answered that sexual attraction is important in their furry activities, 38% were ambivalent, and 24% responded that it has little or nothing to do with their furry activities. In an earlier online survey, 33% of furry respondents answered that they have a "significant sexual interest in furry", another 46% stated they have a "minor sexual interest in furry", and the remaining 21% stated they have a "non-sexual interest in furry". The survey specifically avoided adult-oriented websites to prevent bias.

Another survey at a furry convention in 2013 found that 96.3% of male furry respondents reported viewing furry pornography, compared with 78.3% of females; males estimated that 50.9% of all furry art they view is pornographic, compared with 30.7% of females. The respondents to the survey had a slight preference for pornographic furry artwork over non-pornographic artwork. 17.1% of males reported that when they viewed pornography it was exclusively or near-exclusively furry pornography, and only about 5% reported that pornography was the top factor that got them into the fandom.

An survey, conducted from 1997 to 1998, reported about 2% of furry respondents stating an interest in zoophilia, and less than 1% an interest in plushophilia (sexually aroused by stuffed animal toys). The older, lower results, which are even lower than estimated in the general population, were due to the methodology of questioning respondents face-to-face, which led to social desirability bias. In contrast, one comparative study from 1974 and 1980 showed 7.5% of sampled students at University of Northern Iowa reporting zoophilia, while other studies find only 2.2% to 5.3% expressing fantasies of sex with animals. An anonymous survey in 2008 found 17% of respondents identified as zoophiles and it stated that most furries had a more moderate view of zoophilia. The study had 5,000 participants with 22.6% of them having an extremely negative view of zoophilia, 23% negative view, 36.3% ambivalent, 13.5% positive view, and 4.5% had an extremely positive view of it. In 2013 Adjectivespecies tried to increase awareness about zoophiles and stated that they are part of the furry community. However more recent sources have stated that both bestiality and zoophilia are considered taboo in the furry fandom. There have also been discussions in the fandom about distinguishing art of anthromomorphized animals from art of bestiality.

Public perception and media coverage

Early portrayal of the furries in magazines such as Wired, Loaded, Vanity Fair, and the syndicated sex column Savage Love focused mainly on the sexual aspect of the furry fandom. Fictional portrayals of the furry fandom have appeared in television shows such as The Simpsons, ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Drew Carey Show, Sex2K on MTV, Entourage, 1000 Ways to Die, Tosh.0, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, and 30 Rock. Most furry fans claim that media portrayals are misconceptions, while more recent coverage focuses on addressing the myths and stereotypes that have come to be associated with the furry fandom. A reporter attending Anthrocon 2006 noted that "despite their wild image from Vanity Fair, MTV, and CSI, furry conventions aren't about kinky sex between weirdos gussied up in foxy costumes", that conference attendees were "not having sex more than the rest of us", and that the furry convention was about "people talking and drawing animals and comic-book characters in sketchbooks." In October 2007, a Hartford Advocate reporter attended FurFright 2007 undercover because of media restrictions. She learned that the restrictions were intended to prevent misinformation, and reported that the scandalous behavior she had expected was not present. Recent coverage of the furry fandom has been more balanced. According to Ian Wolf, a 2009 article from the BBC entitled "Who are the furries?" was the first piece of journalism to be nominated for an Ursa Major Award, the main award given in the field of anthropomorphism.

Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Jim Powell was sharing a hotel with Anthrocon 2007 attendees a day before the convention and reported a negative opinion of the furries. Several downtown Pittsburgh businesses welcome furries during the event, with local business owners creating special T-shirts and drawing paw prints in chalk outside their shops to attract attendees. Samuel Conway, CEO of Anthrocon, said "For the most part, people give us curious stares, but they're good-natured curious stares. We're here to have fun, people have fun having us here, everybody wins". Positive coverage was generated following a furry convention that was held in a Vancouver hotel where several Syrian refugees were being temporarily housed. Despite some concerns and warnings by staff that there could be a seriously negative culture clash if the two groups interacted, the refugee children were on the whole delighted to meet the convention goers, especially the ones in fursuits.

According to a survey, about half of furries perceive public reaction to the fandom as negative; less than a fifth stated that the public responded to them more negatively than they did most furries. Furry fans' belief that they will be portrayed as "mainly obsessed with sex" has led to distrust of the media and social researchers.

The fandom has grown to be such a significant demographic that by 2016, the film company Walt Disney Studios marketed their animated feature film Zootopia in pre-release to the fandom to encourage interest in the film, which proved a major critical and commercial success.

In 2021 and 2022, media coverage in Canada and the United States focused on false rumors about litter boxes in schools being provided for furries, which was part of a cultural backlash amplified by conservative and far-right politicians against transgender accommodations in schools.

Sociological aspects

Some furry fans create and wear costumes called "fursuits" depicting their characters.

The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP), a team of social scientists, has been collecting data on the furry fandom. Their 2016 publication collects several peer-reviewed and self-published studies into a single volume. Among their findings were that the average adult furry is between 23 and 27 years of age, with more than 75% of furries being 25 years of age or younger, and 88% of adult furries being under the age of 30. Minors were not included in the study for professional ethics reasons. IARP estimated that 20% were under the age of 18. Over two-thirds (67.1%) of furries identified themselves as male on the surveys, while 23.3% identified as female. 2% of furries identified themselves as transgender, and 10% of furries identified themselves as genderqueer/non-binary. Between 83% and 90% of furries self-identify as White, with small minorities of furries self-identifying as Asian (2–4%), Black (2–3%), and Hispanic (3%). Over a fifth (21%) of furries consider themselves to be bronies, 44% consider themselves to be anime fans, and 11% consider themselves sports fans. Furries, as a group, are more politically liberal and less religious than the average American or other comparable fan groups such as anime fans, while still containing groups such as neo-Nazis and alt-right activists. Almost a quarter of furries (23.5%) self-identified as Christian, 16.8% as atheist, 16.8% as agnostic, 11.0% as Pagan/Wiccan, 2.4% as Buddhist, 1.2% as Jewish, 1.1% as Deist, 0.9% as Satanist, and 26.2% as "other" (including "participants who had their own belief systems, were undecided, refused to answer, or had uncommon belief systems"). Approximately 70% of adult furries have either completed or are currently completing post-secondary education.

A Pittsburgh-based researcher has found that up to 15% of furries may be autistic, compared with about 2% in the general population estimated by the CDC. The 15% figure includes people who may have never received a diagnosis but self-identify as autistic.

One of the most universal behaviors in the furry fandom is the creation of a fursona—an anthropomorphic animal representation or avatar. More than 95% of furries have a fursona. Nearly half of furries report that they have only ever had one fursona to represent themselves; relatively few furries have had more than three or four fursonas. The most popular fursona species include wolves, foxes, dogs, large felines, and dragons. There is generally no association between personality traits and different fursona species. Furries report different degrees of personality traits when thinking of themselves in their everyday identity compared with their fan identity. Some furries identify as partly non-human: 35% say they do not feel 100% human (compared with 7% of non-furries), and 39% say they would be 0% human if they could (compared with 10% of non-furries).

Inclusion and belongingness are central themes in the furry fandom: compared with members of other fandoms such as anime or fantasy sports, furries are significantly more likely to identify with other members of their fan community. On average, half of a furry's friends are also furries themselves. Furries rate themselves higher (compared with a comparison community sample of non-furries) on the degree of global awareness (knowledge of the world and felt connections to others in the world), global citizenship identification (psychological connection with global citizens), and environmental sustainability.

See also

Topics

People

Documentaries

Related fandoms/subcultures

References

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