Shared from my Twitter account - @pervertlion

Since my account is awaiting activation and I don't want to lose my train of thought, I'm going to post my statement to eurofurence here.

Babyfurs: they are the furry subculture that everyone loves to hate. They were onesies. They suck pacifiers that not at all resemble pacifiers people toy with at EDM parties. They dress in infantile clothing -- so pedophilia, naturally. And worst of all, some wear diapers. Not the "Oh look! It's the New Years baby!" kind. More like the "Your fursona isn't a skunk, but somehow you smell like one" kind. For all intents and purposes, babyfurs are your worst nightmare.

But so are zoophiles who bring their "seeing eye" canine companions to the convention when they're not blind.

So are fursuiters who spend days walking around the convention lobby, sweaty and grimy without the occasional and totally reasonable shower.

So are businesses who table a booth between age-appropriate vendors, bust out a box full of horse dildos, and wonder to themselves, "How come the outside world thinks we're a bunch of freaks?"

So are the people who dress down to revealing swimwear, jump into a pool with oversized, animal-shaped pool toys with suspiciously fuckable holes.

So are people who walk into a convention dressed head to toe in rubber, walking their scantily clad "pup" on a chain leash because it's clearly the same "clothing" they wear to church.

These people have appeared at Eurofurence, and will continue to appear at Eurofurence for years to come. But heavens forbid if a babyfur defecates in one of your imaginary elevators.

In America, we call this phenomenon "Tuesday."

But in Eurofurence, it should be called "SOMEONE behaving badly." That's because everyone from every fetish or interest subculture within the furry fandom has the capability of jeopardizing a furry convention's reputation. The mainstream media has spent years trying to dissect the reasons why furries bother dressing up in animal costumes. Why would a bunch of adults dress up in silly costumes at a designated period of time? Suck it, Halloween! Screw those awkward costume parties at work where your boss dresses up as Bilbo Baggins, and you're forever resisting the urge to call him a name that distinctly rhymes with Bilbo.

But that's exactly the point. There are a lot of misunderstandings about the furry fandom and why certain furries derive pleasure from certain activities. Similarly with babyfurs, there is the notion that babyfurs have a complete disregard for societal norms. Wear a diaper? It's definitely going to be dirty when they drop their bass, wink-wink nudge-nudge. It's not like people recognize that there are severe ramifications for not adhering to standard hygiene practices, including but not limited to being expelled from a convention that they were looking forward to attending for months; after clearing their work and personal schedules to spend one week with friends, partners and other con-goers. It's more likely than not that any babyfur who violates the convention's code of conduct would be in the absurdly slim minority. If they behave badly, they would unceremoniously be placed in the "fucking stupid" category with every other furry that has ever behaved badly at a convention.

So why the hate? I'll answer this clearly rhetorical question with a simple trick answer: It doesn't make any fucking sense.

While you're urging your staffers restraint when people civilly rebuff your asinine bullshit, perhaps you should recognize that it is your professional responsibility to ensure that all attendees are welcome -- and that they all abide by the same rules. And that those rules are enforced for everyone. It's not hard, and saying, "We're sorry!" -- without making any remarks that further undermine the apology -- doesn't hurt either. And if you think you're being unfairly targeted for being a bunch of whiny, self-serving twats, run a good convention. Prove us wrong. Hide the dildos and bring some changing tables.

Then we'll talk.