I'll preface this by saying that I am actually a fan of cub art. Not sure if I'd ever draw it or write it, but I certainly don't mind it when it comes around. I'm a big fan of artists such as WolfBlade and SparkleMotion, and I love the writing of WhyteYote on the topic. So take that for what it's worth.

I'm immensely disappointed in Dragoneer and the FA staff for the recent decision to ban cub art from FA. Not only is this a move to suffocate a host of vibrant artists, but this is a personal attack on the personal freedoms of everyone that participates in any way in the furry fandom. I personally feel my right to free speech and the right of free speech of many of the artists on FA has been forcibly robbed from them. This is undoubtedly the wrong course of action for Dragoneer and FA to have taken.

Let me state off the bat that I very much respect Dragoneer and FurAffinity for what they do. They've created a place which has inspired a generation of artists to create and share fantastic works of creativity and ingenuity with thousands upon thousands of furs. FurAffinity has helped thousands of new furs discover the fandom and discover themselves. It is a cherished resource for furs, and we should (and do) hold it in high esteem for this reason.

And that makes this all the more saddening, that a place that was meant to be a home for people that didn't fit it elsewhere is now becoming exclusive to only the ones that "fly right". We've now hung a sign on the door of furry that says "We don't take your kind here". It frightens me that the direction furry seems to be going may not be a place that we want to be.

Dragoneer stated on the FA forums that the reason for this decision is that AlertPay, an online payment service similar to paypal, has refused to render services to FA because they host cub porn. Dragoneer has said that FA's advertisement system depends on AlertPay to function, and therefore FA cannot afford to display cub porn. I frankly don't buy that. AlertPay seems to work well at what it does, but it is just one payment service. There are other means of acquiring payment from users wishing to post ads. If AlertPay is wishing to censor the internet, then they are harboring prejudice which has no place in the furry fandom. I would suggest all furs cease using alertpay. There are many other services on the internet that provide similar amenities, and I'm certain some of those services don't have a history of trying to control the internet through refusing to render service.

I still cannot believe, especially in a fandom so open towards gays and bisexuals, would be so stifling towards any persons sexuality. There are people in this fandom that with one breath will scold our government for withholding crucial personal rights to gays and lesbians, and with the next breath turn around and scold cub-artists for posting their works. Face it, we cannot control what we are sexually attracted to. The fact that anyone, MOST ESPECIALLY FURRIES, would ever try to judge someone based on something they cannot control really blows my mind. I do not believe that anything that people can enjoy consensually without harming anyone should be judged or outlawed. What gives you a boner is not something that you can choose.

And let us remember that cub art is NOT illegal. This is FANTASY. If people were drawing pictures of human kids in realistic situations, my sentiments might differ, and I'd also say that I'd be completely disinterested in such art. The fact that it's furry, and as such FANTASY, is really what makes it worth looking at in the first place. We're all into weird fantasies here in the furry fandom. I don't judge you because you like herms, or women with 12 breasts, or inflation, or macro, or micro, or vore, NONE OF WHICH I personally like. Don't judge me because I like cub porn.

And if your a furry, you should be worried about this growing trend on the internet of people starting which hunts, hunting for the next BUZZTOPIC. In the 80s it was Mapplethorpe and his picures of "LE GASP" gay people having sex! How fucking terrible! Censorship was a bad idea then, and it's a bad idea now. Remember Censorship is a gateway drug. Once one thing becomes censored for the good of mankind, it sets a precedent for the future. The next time something is seen as a threat to the common good, it can be wiped clean from the internet, made illegal. Don't be too sure that one day in the future that Furry itself is seen to be something that is a threat to young people. Today it's cubs. Tomorrow it's beastiality, and from there it's an easy jump to censor furry in its entirety.

I feel this is a sad day for the furry fandom. I will continue to speak out against censorship in all it's forms, as I feel it's the biggest threat to personal freedom across the globe. The internet has been a tremendous force for knowledge and independence for everyone on earth. If we want it to stay that way, it must remain uninhibited. So yes, FA should have cub porn. This was a poor decision, and I think that we'll be regretting it down the line.

To anyone else who supports art in all it's forms, I'd recommend also following artists on websites such as SoFurry and InkBunny, as well as the artists on FA. I will be writing notes to as many artists as I can that I know draw cub art, and telling them that I still appreciate their art and hope they will continue making it.

For anyone that would like to have an intelligent adult discussion, please feel free to note me or comment below, I would enjoy discussing the matter with you.