I was just sent this fantastically written article about furries and I it really resonated with me:

"My First Furry Convention Helped Me Feel More Human"
https://intomore.com/culture/My-Fir.....d942abba3b4807

I absolutely love how he wrote the article. It's one of the best that I've seen on the topic and it mirrors a lot of the reasons why the fandom attracted me into it in the first place, and why I don't see myself leaving it any time soon. The community is so open and accepting in a lot of ways, allowing people the freedom to just be themselves even if broader society normally wouldn't accept them as they truly are. When I first joined the fandom back in 2009 I was welcome into it so quickly and openly that it was actually pretty jarring. There are a lot of friendly people in the community to where it's basically one big family.

Even though I was a part of the fandom for over 4 years beforehand, going to my first convention felt like I was introduced to the community all over again. It was unforgettable and entirely indescribable, and I feel that it was really the turning point in discovering who I am and who I wanted to be as a person. Of course, being a part of it in the first place was a substantial part of that as well, but being physically immersed in it and surrounded by such an incredible community, it does something that I'm honestly struggling to put into words. I'm not being pressured by common society to fit some norm. I'm just, well, myself. And, amazingly, even going into my 6th year of conventions, I'm still excited to be a part of it and always leave the conventions feeling refreshed and at peace with where I am in the world.