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An autistic furry's musings about sometimes confusing ter...
a year ago
I want to preface!!! and stress that this is Not a call out nor a discourse angry post! more so It is just me rambling about how, in my time actively exploring the furry fandom and the submissions here, I find myself at times confused by the terminology artists use when referring to characters' bodyshapes and genders. I am a very trans furry guy so ofc this may just be me having a very fluid understanding of how the human(oid) body can be shaped in regards to someones gender. It's simply often enough that I've started to grow a bit lost and confused over it!
Like! YCHs! I love them. I think it's so neat to place a character into a pre-set role/pose in a scene. However, most of the YCHs I find are listed as being form "female" bodies only! and to that! I have to ask what do we mean by female? Do we mean has boobs and a curvy figured? But many will also have herm listed (and I wanna note that herm, as a word, is considered a derogatory term by many in the intersex community, due to its history as a medical term used to dehumanize and abuse people with ""nonstandard"" bodies in medical settings), which often leaves me wondering if a character like Angelito, who is an intersex man with breasts and a generally curvy plump figure, can be used! But often this is not the case, so My confusion grows!
There is also the matter that many of these YCHs will say "any body type" but then add that it's better to stay close to the default placeholder character's figure. And well. often these placeholders are drawn as Generally Skinny in terms of shape. Which is valid ofc! artists can draw whatever they want! this I understand and respect! I am just confused how you can say any body type is okay, but then subtly say you really only wanna draw the character skinny. This may ofc be a language barrier issue but! that just makes navigating and trying to figure out if my characters fit for these types of pieces all the more confuddling!
I don't know! If you are an artist who does YCHs and has ever limited them in these ways, I don't wish to make you feel guilty! This is just me rambling about how sometimes these things are unclear to me, due to a mix of autism and my own gender experience!! Perhaps feel free to provide your side of things in the replies? if you want to !!!
Like! YCHs! I love them. I think it's so neat to place a character into a pre-set role/pose in a scene. However, most of the YCHs I find are listed as being form "female" bodies only! and to that! I have to ask what do we mean by female? Do we mean has boobs and a curvy figured? But many will also have herm listed (and I wanna note that herm, as a word, is considered a derogatory term by many in the intersex community, due to its history as a medical term used to dehumanize and abuse people with ""nonstandard"" bodies in medical settings), which often leaves me wondering if a character like Angelito, who is an intersex man with breasts and a generally curvy plump figure, can be used! But often this is not the case, so My confusion grows!
There is also the matter that many of these YCHs will say "any body type" but then add that it's better to stay close to the default placeholder character's figure. And well. often these placeholders are drawn as Generally Skinny in terms of shape. Which is valid ofc! artists can draw whatever they want! this I understand and respect! I am just confused how you can say any body type is okay, but then subtly say you really only wanna draw the character skinny. This may ofc be a language barrier issue but! that just makes navigating and trying to figure out if my characters fit for these types of pieces all the more confuddling!
I don't know! If you are an artist who does YCHs and has ever limited them in these ways, I don't wish to make you feel guilty! This is just me rambling about how sometimes these things are unclear to me, due to a mix of autism and my own gender experience!! Perhaps feel free to provide your side of things in the replies? if you want to !!!
