As many of you have heard, the new children’s movie “Zootopia” was released last weekend. What you might have not heard was that this movie is being heralded as the new Furry movie of a generation. This has cast forth Furry culture into the forefront of the view of mainstream media, for better or worse. Coverage of Furry culture such as parody articles of Furry orgies in theater showings of “Zootopia” to heartwarming coverage of Furries welcoming Syrian refugees to Canadian shores. Furry culture itself has a rather bad rap, given many think “they ruin everything.” Granted many times they say that about themselves as an inside joke, but is Furry culture really all that bad?

At its core, all Furry culture really is is people appreciating the art of anthropomorphic animals and dressing up as an anthropomorphic animal version of yourself. One’s anthropomorphic version of themselves are often called your Fursona. Despite popular belief, a Fursona is not an identity like Otherkin, but rather just people who relate more with a specific species of animal. Furries don’t think they are cats, dogs, sharks, or whatever species their Fursonas are. It’s like when someone gets distracted easily by yarn and takes short naps, they say “I am such a cat.” The person in question doesn’t actually think they are a cat. They just can relate and compare themselves to a cat. In its heart, that’s what developing and making a Fursona is all about.

Another thing that many people misunderstand is that when Furries make Furry suits, they are not trying to be more like a specific animal. It is more about expressing their artwork. Fursuits are difficult to make and quite expensive! The fur alone can cost $3,000 on its own. And most of the time, most people in the furry community don’t go all out in making Fursuits. Most people would just wear ears and/or a tail of the animal they are trying to emulate, mainly because the cost of making a Fursuit is so high.

The Furry community also has a bad rap as being sexually deviant. Which is part of that moniker, “Furries ruin everything.” This comes from the intersectionality of “Rule 34,” which is that there’s a porn version of everything and Furry culture itself. Furry porn, which is called Yiff, is probably the most mainstream view of Furry culture, which is why Furry culture often gets such a bad rap. Yiff is often compared to bestiality, or leading to Satanism, which does not help other people’s perceptions of this niche community. But the thing is, the Yiff community is a very small subset of the Furry community, and does not represent the whole. Even so, most in the Yiff community mostly appreciate the artistic aspect of Yiff more than the actual animalistic porn side of it. And yes, those in the community practice sexual acts in their Fursuits, an act nicknamed Yiffing. But many in the Yiff culture shun bestiality. Having sex in their suits has nothing to do with bestiality, and doesn’t lead to it. It is just a fetish between two consenting adults, and it doesn’t harm anyone and what they do in the private time is none of anyone’s business.

Another aspect many don’t realize is how diverse and open the Furry community is. The community is very welcoming and close knit. Those in the community try to create a space free from bullying. And unlike many other niche cultures like video gaming and comic books, they don’t practice gatekeeping. Gatekeeping is the practice of keeping others out by testing or making others prove if they are “real” fans or members of said community. Which, in part of the lack of this gatekeeping is why the Furry community is so diverse and welcoming. To be part of the community all you have to do is enjoy the community and want to be part of it.

The furry community has a very bad rap. Before you read this article, if you heard of Furries you probably think of the Yiff aspect of the community and thought of them as sexual deviants. That is an oversimplification which avoids the complex networks and nuances in the Furry community. Most of these people are very friendly and welcoming. Of course, there are some not-so-great people in this community, like the Confederate Flag Furry, but in part that is because the community is so open and welcoming to all people regardless of political leanings, race, religion, gender, or sexuality. For the most part, the Furry community is probably the friendliest community you’ll ever come across. Oftentimes there have been hate crimes against people who are openly part of this community. So, hopefully, the next time you hear of this community you will accept them instead of outright bashing and hating on them.