FA+
Shop
Oklacon 2014 Meme!
Posted 11 years agoWhere are you staying?
Western Inn
Who will you be with?
My mate
and 
What will you be doing?
Probably hanging out with my mate and
Do you do free art?
No art from me
Do you do trades?
Newp.
Do you do commissions?
Heck no!
Do you have prints/CDs?
No
Do you do badges?
No
Will you have art in the Art Show? General or Adult sections?
No
What is your gender?
Panty Dropper
How old are you?
23
Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
Happily taken and in a wonderfully committed and closed relationship.
Can I touch you?
Are we friends?
Can I touch your friends?
If I know them, probably not..
Can I invite you out for food/fun/etc?
Sure! As long as you invite Flo and Zeph, we're golden.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
If you're invited, of course!
Can I talk to you?
I'm quiet, but ok X3
Western Inn
Who will you be with?
My mate
and 
What will you be doing?
Probably hanging out with my mate
and Do you do free art?
No art from me
Do you do trades?
Newp.
Do you do commissions?
Heck no!
Do you have prints/CDs?
No
Do you do badges?
No
Will you have art in the Art Show? General or Adult sections?
No
What is your gender?
Panty Dropper
How old are you?
23
Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
Happily taken and in a wonderfully committed and closed relationship.
Can I touch you?
Are we friends?
Can I touch your friends?
If I know them, probably not..
Can I invite you out for food/fun/etc?
Sure! As long as you invite Flo and Zeph, we're golden.
Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
If you're invited, of course!
Can I talk to you?
I'm quiet, but ok X3
Comment for comments X3
Posted 13 years agoI was dared by 
to do this thing where you comment and I reply~
I don't usually take dares but... whatever it looks fun X3
1. Tell you something I learned about by looking at your FA page for 13 seconds.
2. Tell you a colour you remind me of.
3. Tell you my first memory of you.
4. Ask you a question.
5. Tell you something I like about you.
6. Tell you the object that is to the left of me.
7. Dare you to do this yourself in your journal.
to do this thing where you comment and I reply~I don't usually take dares but... whatever it looks fun X3
1. Tell you something I learned about by looking at your FA page for 13 seconds.
2. Tell you a colour you remind me of.
3. Tell you my first memory of you.
4. Ask you a question.
5. Tell you something I like about you.
6. Tell you the object that is to the left of me.
7. Dare you to do this yourself in your journal.
The Results are in!
Posted 13 years agoFirst off, sorry for the wait
Second, I would like to thank everyone that participated~ I really appreciated your comments and am glad that so many thought that this was worth thinking about~
So! If you want to know how the class reacted to my presentation, Read just below. If you want to see my critique on the fandom, read a little lower. My critique is a bit long.
The reaction that I got was mixed. I got quite a few questions over us from people that seemed interested, though more interested in us than my critique. Some obviously saw CSI and I made sure to discredit it. My partner was very helpful because she explained that she had also seen the episode and found that we are not like we were portrayed. No one was verbally hateful, but I saw a few faces that were less than appealing. Overall, I think I left a good impression of the fandom.
Now for the critique. I am just going to copy and paste what I submitted. It is a 5 page paper. I do not wish to receive critique of it as it is already submitted and critique will do no good. It is my opinion of the fandom. Not everything may apply to you. I encourage you to think critically about the fandom, and I do not recommend taking my critique as the final word, just as something to think about. Please enjoy.
“Wannabes, Goths, and Christians,” by Amy Wilkins, critically analyses a few subcultures for ways in which they deal with issues of gender and sexuality. Goths were one subculture that she analyzed that was interesting because of how different they were when it comes to such issues. Goths have somewhat defined rules of social behavior that have positive outcomes, but according to Wilkins’s analysis, they may also have hidden inequalities. Her analysis of Goth culture can be a useful model to critically study other subcultures that she did not analyze, such as Furries. Posting a list of questions concerning gender, sexuality, race and other issues revealed that, like Goths, Furries challenge many rules of society that regulate gender, sexual orientation, gender roles, and other social boundaries, but may also have inequalities that go unnoticed.
First, it is important to define what a Furry is and is not. A person that identifies themselves as a Furry is, first and foremost, a person that enjoys art involving anthropomorphic characters. The term anthropomorphic is a broad term that encompasses a wide spectrum of characters. In its broadest use, it is anything that is given a human quality such as intelligence, human emotion, or human facial expressions. This definition includes characters that are well known to society. Bugs Bunny and Simba the lion are just two examples. Inside the Furry Fandom, the characters created by their owners, the members of the fandom, range from being nearly completely animal, termed feral, to almost completely human, termed anthro. Regardless of whatever form of anthropomorphic character the person enjoys most, all are considered equally to be Furries. The group of Furries that I chose to examine was that of the largest furry website, FurAffinity.net, which is often referred to as “The Fandom.” I provided a list of questions and received around one hundred replies from Furries indicating what they thought of issues about gender, sexuality, and what they thought it meant to be a Furry.
The reason that many Furries enjoy being a part of the Fandom is usually that it is fun, accepting, or relaxing. Some said that the Fandom is a place where they can be silly and fun loving instead of having to be serious and focused in their daily lives outside of the Fandom. Others described it as a way to stay connected to a piece of their childhood and enjoy some innocence that comes with being playful. The Fandom is also a place where people can express themselves and relieve emotional stress through art, called vent art, or through posting a journal entry to talk about what is bothering them. Whatever the reason, the Fandom provides its members with something that would not usually be appropriate outside of the Fandom in the everyday lives of Furries and their non-Furry friends.
Furries are not, however, defined, as many people are lead to believe, by those who wear fursuits, which accounts for only 18% of Furries according to a youtube video created by a Furry. They are also not defined by sexual practices of promiscuity as most, according to research and testimony of Furries, are monogamous outside of any art demonstrating otherwise. It is true, however, that many are sexually experimental, much like Goths, and enjoy exploring their sexuality with each other. It is through artistic sexual experimentation that many rules of society are challenged. It is important to note that whereas Goths purposefully choose to challenge rules of society through sexual experimentation or other methods, Furries do not. Any differences in the Fandom from the rest of society are not due to deliberate attempts.
The most noticeable challenge to society rules by the Fandom is the widespread acceptance of homosexuality. I noticed that homosexuality is not merely accepted as an interesting phenomenon, but as completely normal and commonplace. This may be so because of the high involvement of homosexuals, and their high involvement may be due to the Fandom being a place that they can express themselves without being judged negatively because of their orientation. The widespread acceptance of all sexualities may also be due to Furries’ acknowledgment that Furries, like most people with non-heterosexual orientations, are often viewed negatively outside of the Fandom, and as a result have common ground and find support and acceptance with each other. This extends not only to homosexuals and other sexual identities, but gender transgressors as well. There are many examples of men and women in the Fandom that are much more feminine or masculine than society would allow. Many men are feminine, and many women are masculine in the Fandom. The willingness to be open about these issues inside the Fandom may be because of the diversity of peoples’ interests. If someone posts art of a very feminine boy, for example, there is a good chance that someone else will enjoy it as well, leading to a feeling of acceptance that is harder to find outside of the Fandom.
Women and racial minorities, to a lesser extent, also have benefits to being inside of the Fandom. Often times, women and minorities can easily become popular through their artistic abilities and character designs. Unlike society’s hierarchy, which is influenced by how a person appears and what gender and race they are, the Fandom’s hierarchy is easier for women and minorities to climb. This may be, in part, because the Fandom is online. This means that people do not always initially see that another Furry is a woman and she is free to gain support and recognition before she reveals herself as a woman. But whether they are known to be a woman or minority or not, the distance that the internet creates allows people to judge and be judged more, it seems, on artistic ability and creativity rather than being prejudged by certain stereotypes.
Women are also freer from the pressure to be feminine inside the Fandom. As stated earlier, there are many examples of masculine women and feminine men. In some couples, the woman is dominant over her submissive male partner. This is a complete role reversal of many couples outside of the Fandom. One such couple explained that their relationship was more accepted inside of the Fandom, even though their relationship was formed outside of it, because of the sexual undertones that are imposed by people outside of the Fandom. For example, if she snaps her fingers and tells her male partner to come over in front of her non-Furry friends, they will think that she is being more commanding and sexual, making it less acceptable or appropriate. But if she does the same thing in front of Furries, they will see it as more playful and fun. Both of them enjoy their relationship, but also know that those outside of the Fandom will find it inappropriate. As a result, they are limited in when they can express their relationship to when they are with their Furry friends, or when they are alone.
Even though arguments can be made for greater equality towards women inside the Fandom, many still express that they are still treated unequally. One woman expressed that she felt that one cannot be as popular unless one is a gay man or a transsexual, expressing not only a suppression of women, but of heterosexuals and, possibly to a greater extent, lesbians. There does seem to be a high level of involvement of gay men within the Fandom. The hierarchy mentioned earlier is based on art. In this way, it is much easier to climb the hierarchy if one is willing to accept and post gay art. This indicates that there is a pressure to accept homosexuality and it is not completely done at will. One heterosexual couple in particular, the same mentioned earlier, expressed that when they became a couple, they experienced bullying for it because the man had previously identified as being attracted to men and then posted art that indicated that he was attracted to women as well. After they became a couple, much of the art that he posted was of he and his female partners’ characters rather than art between his character and other male characters. The very negative, often hateful, response that they received from much of the Fandom indicates that there is at least part of the Fandom that disapproves of heterosexuality.
The woman of the bullied couple explained that she believes that the condemnation of heterosexuality, as well as monogamy and of women in general, comes from a sense of entitlement that is common inside of the Fandom. What this means is that the members of the Fandom feel they deserve what they want, gay oriented art. Since the man in the relationship no longer posted this kind of art, many may feel that something has been taken away from them.
The voiced disapproval of heterosexuality by some members of the Fandom is in direct conflict with the feeling of tolerance and acceptance that almost all of the Furries interviewed said was a positive part of the Fandom that society could learn from. It would be unwise to assume, however, that all members of the Fandom disapprove of heterosexuality and this indicates that the Fandom is not a unified community with set rules of conduct that everyone follows. The Fandom is very diverse and has members from all over the world and from many kinds of religious and national backgrounds. With such a large and diverse group of people in one place, there are bound to be discrepancies and conflicting interests.
The Furry community on furaffinity.net is comparable to the Goths that Wilkins analyses in many ways. The gender roles within both subcultures are very different from those outside of their respective subcultures and in some cases challenge them. However, if you look deeper, there are hidden features that work against what both groups claim are positives within their subculture. Both subcultures have something that they can contribute to society, but neither of them should be used as a complete model.
Second, I would like to thank everyone that participated~ I really appreciated your comments and am glad that so many thought that this was worth thinking about~
So! If you want to know how the class reacted to my presentation, Read just below. If you want to see my critique on the fandom, read a little lower. My critique is a bit long.
The reaction that I got was mixed. I got quite a few questions over us from people that seemed interested, though more interested in us than my critique. Some obviously saw CSI and I made sure to discredit it. My partner was very helpful because she explained that she had also seen the episode and found that we are not like we were portrayed. No one was verbally hateful, but I saw a few faces that were less than appealing. Overall, I think I left a good impression of the fandom.
Now for the critique. I am just going to copy and paste what I submitted. It is a 5 page paper. I do not wish to receive critique of it as it is already submitted and critique will do no good. It is my opinion of the fandom. Not everything may apply to you. I encourage you to think critically about the fandom, and I do not recommend taking my critique as the final word, just as something to think about. Please enjoy.
“Wannabes, Goths, and Christians,” by Amy Wilkins, critically analyses a few subcultures for ways in which they deal with issues of gender and sexuality. Goths were one subculture that she analyzed that was interesting because of how different they were when it comes to such issues. Goths have somewhat defined rules of social behavior that have positive outcomes, but according to Wilkins’s analysis, they may also have hidden inequalities. Her analysis of Goth culture can be a useful model to critically study other subcultures that she did not analyze, such as Furries. Posting a list of questions concerning gender, sexuality, race and other issues revealed that, like Goths, Furries challenge many rules of society that regulate gender, sexual orientation, gender roles, and other social boundaries, but may also have inequalities that go unnoticed.
First, it is important to define what a Furry is and is not. A person that identifies themselves as a Furry is, first and foremost, a person that enjoys art involving anthropomorphic characters. The term anthropomorphic is a broad term that encompasses a wide spectrum of characters. In its broadest use, it is anything that is given a human quality such as intelligence, human emotion, or human facial expressions. This definition includes characters that are well known to society. Bugs Bunny and Simba the lion are just two examples. Inside the Furry Fandom, the characters created by their owners, the members of the fandom, range from being nearly completely animal, termed feral, to almost completely human, termed anthro. Regardless of whatever form of anthropomorphic character the person enjoys most, all are considered equally to be Furries. The group of Furries that I chose to examine was that of the largest furry website, FurAffinity.net, which is often referred to as “The Fandom.” I provided a list of questions and received around one hundred replies from Furries indicating what they thought of issues about gender, sexuality, and what they thought it meant to be a Furry.
The reason that many Furries enjoy being a part of the Fandom is usually that it is fun, accepting, or relaxing. Some said that the Fandom is a place where they can be silly and fun loving instead of having to be serious and focused in their daily lives outside of the Fandom. Others described it as a way to stay connected to a piece of their childhood and enjoy some innocence that comes with being playful. The Fandom is also a place where people can express themselves and relieve emotional stress through art, called vent art, or through posting a journal entry to talk about what is bothering them. Whatever the reason, the Fandom provides its members with something that would not usually be appropriate outside of the Fandom in the everyday lives of Furries and their non-Furry friends.
Furries are not, however, defined, as many people are lead to believe, by those who wear fursuits, which accounts for only 18% of Furries according to a youtube video created by a Furry. They are also not defined by sexual practices of promiscuity as most, according to research and testimony of Furries, are monogamous outside of any art demonstrating otherwise. It is true, however, that many are sexually experimental, much like Goths, and enjoy exploring their sexuality with each other. It is through artistic sexual experimentation that many rules of society are challenged. It is important to note that whereas Goths purposefully choose to challenge rules of society through sexual experimentation or other methods, Furries do not. Any differences in the Fandom from the rest of society are not due to deliberate attempts.
The most noticeable challenge to society rules by the Fandom is the widespread acceptance of homosexuality. I noticed that homosexuality is not merely accepted as an interesting phenomenon, but as completely normal and commonplace. This may be so because of the high involvement of homosexuals, and their high involvement may be due to the Fandom being a place that they can express themselves without being judged negatively because of their orientation. The widespread acceptance of all sexualities may also be due to Furries’ acknowledgment that Furries, like most people with non-heterosexual orientations, are often viewed negatively outside of the Fandom, and as a result have common ground and find support and acceptance with each other. This extends not only to homosexuals and other sexual identities, but gender transgressors as well. There are many examples of men and women in the Fandom that are much more feminine or masculine than society would allow. Many men are feminine, and many women are masculine in the Fandom. The willingness to be open about these issues inside the Fandom may be because of the diversity of peoples’ interests. If someone posts art of a very feminine boy, for example, there is a good chance that someone else will enjoy it as well, leading to a feeling of acceptance that is harder to find outside of the Fandom.
Women and racial minorities, to a lesser extent, also have benefits to being inside of the Fandom. Often times, women and minorities can easily become popular through their artistic abilities and character designs. Unlike society’s hierarchy, which is influenced by how a person appears and what gender and race they are, the Fandom’s hierarchy is easier for women and minorities to climb. This may be, in part, because the Fandom is online. This means that people do not always initially see that another Furry is a woman and she is free to gain support and recognition before she reveals herself as a woman. But whether they are known to be a woman or minority or not, the distance that the internet creates allows people to judge and be judged more, it seems, on artistic ability and creativity rather than being prejudged by certain stereotypes.
Women are also freer from the pressure to be feminine inside the Fandom. As stated earlier, there are many examples of masculine women and feminine men. In some couples, the woman is dominant over her submissive male partner. This is a complete role reversal of many couples outside of the Fandom. One such couple explained that their relationship was more accepted inside of the Fandom, even though their relationship was formed outside of it, because of the sexual undertones that are imposed by people outside of the Fandom. For example, if she snaps her fingers and tells her male partner to come over in front of her non-Furry friends, they will think that she is being more commanding and sexual, making it less acceptable or appropriate. But if she does the same thing in front of Furries, they will see it as more playful and fun. Both of them enjoy their relationship, but also know that those outside of the Fandom will find it inappropriate. As a result, they are limited in when they can express their relationship to when they are with their Furry friends, or when they are alone.
Even though arguments can be made for greater equality towards women inside the Fandom, many still express that they are still treated unequally. One woman expressed that she felt that one cannot be as popular unless one is a gay man or a transsexual, expressing not only a suppression of women, but of heterosexuals and, possibly to a greater extent, lesbians. There does seem to be a high level of involvement of gay men within the Fandom. The hierarchy mentioned earlier is based on art. In this way, it is much easier to climb the hierarchy if one is willing to accept and post gay art. This indicates that there is a pressure to accept homosexuality and it is not completely done at will. One heterosexual couple in particular, the same mentioned earlier, expressed that when they became a couple, they experienced bullying for it because the man had previously identified as being attracted to men and then posted art that indicated that he was attracted to women as well. After they became a couple, much of the art that he posted was of he and his female partners’ characters rather than art between his character and other male characters. The very negative, often hateful, response that they received from much of the Fandom indicates that there is at least part of the Fandom that disapproves of heterosexuality.
The woman of the bullied couple explained that she believes that the condemnation of heterosexuality, as well as monogamy and of women in general, comes from a sense of entitlement that is common inside of the Fandom. What this means is that the members of the Fandom feel they deserve what they want, gay oriented art. Since the man in the relationship no longer posted this kind of art, many may feel that something has been taken away from them.
The voiced disapproval of heterosexuality by some members of the Fandom is in direct conflict with the feeling of tolerance and acceptance that almost all of the Furries interviewed said was a positive part of the Fandom that society could learn from. It would be unwise to assume, however, that all members of the Fandom disapprove of heterosexuality and this indicates that the Fandom is not a unified community with set rules of conduct that everyone follows. The Fandom is very diverse and has members from all over the world and from many kinds of religious and national backgrounds. With such a large and diverse group of people in one place, there are bound to be discrepancies and conflicting interests.
The Furry community on furaffinity.net is comparable to the Goths that Wilkins analyses in many ways. The gender roles within both subcultures are very different from those outside of their respective subcultures and in some cases challenge them. However, if you look deeper, there are hidden features that work against what both groups claim are positives within their subculture. Both subcultures have something that they can contribute to society, but neither of them should be used as a complete model.
Opinions for class! Please read
Posted 13 years agoI have to do a presentation over something related to gender studies and I chose the furry community~
Please answer my questions! It will help me do the project~ I also plan on dispelling some myths about the fandom~
If you want to remain anonymous, send your response by note~
If you do not want to answer all of the questions, no problem, just answer the ones you feel ok with answering~
If you have any questions or something seems unclear, let me know and I'll clarify~
Demographics:
1. What is your IRL biological gender? (male, female, other (be specific))
2. What is your IRL sexual orientation?
3. What is your ethnicity IRL?
4. What country/state do you live in?
5. How old are you IRL?
6. Do you own or wish you owned a fursuit? If so, why?
Opinion:
1. Do you think stereotypes about furries are correct in any way?
2. In what ways do you think they are wrong?
3. What do you think it means to be a furry?
4. Do you think that the furry community challenges any norms of society? Which ones and how?
5. Do you think women are more “free” inside the furry community? In what ways?
6. Do you think homosexuality is more acceptable inside the furry community? In what ways?
7. Do you think heterosexuality is repressed inside the furry community? How and/or why?
8. Do you think heterosexuality is still as dominant as it is outside of the furry community?
9. Do you see any kind of power struggles or hierarchies inside the furry community? Describe them.
10. In what ways, if any, do women benefit from being in the furry community?
11. In what ways, if any, do LGBT benefit from being in the furry community?
12. In what ways, if any, do minority groups benefit from being in the furry community?
13. Do you think all groups of people, such as women or LGBT, are welcome in the furry community?
14. Do you think that society as a whole could benefit from any ideals found in the furry community? What might they be?
15. Do you have any other comments on the furry community relevant to sex, sexuality, gender, gender equality, etc.?
It would be appreciated if you let others know about this too~ Please send them my way~ :3
Please answer my questions! It will help me do the project~ I also plan on dispelling some myths about the fandom~
If you want to remain anonymous, send your response by note~
If you do not want to answer all of the questions, no problem, just answer the ones you feel ok with answering~
If you have any questions or something seems unclear, let me know and I'll clarify~
Demographics:
1. What is your IRL biological gender? (male, female, other (be specific))
2. What is your IRL sexual orientation?
3. What is your ethnicity IRL?
4. What country/state do you live in?
5. How old are you IRL?
6. Do you own or wish you owned a fursuit? If so, why?
Opinion:
1. Do you think stereotypes about furries are correct in any way?
2. In what ways do you think they are wrong?
3. What do you think it means to be a furry?
4. Do you think that the furry community challenges any norms of society? Which ones and how?
5. Do you think women are more “free” inside the furry community? In what ways?
6. Do you think homosexuality is more acceptable inside the furry community? In what ways?
7. Do you think heterosexuality is repressed inside the furry community? How and/or why?
8. Do you think heterosexuality is still as dominant as it is outside of the furry community?
9. Do you see any kind of power struggles or hierarchies inside the furry community? Describe them.
10. In what ways, if any, do women benefit from being in the furry community?
11. In what ways, if any, do LGBT benefit from being in the furry community?
12. In what ways, if any, do minority groups benefit from being in the furry community?
13. Do you think all groups of people, such as women or LGBT, are welcome in the furry community?
14. Do you think that society as a whole could benefit from any ideals found in the furry community? What might they be?
15. Do you have any other comments on the furry community relevant to sex, sexuality, gender, gender equality, etc.?
It would be appreciated if you let others know about this too~ Please send them my way~ :3
