Link Not sure what to make of this - on the one hand it does point out that just because the two people who tried to commit murder met through a furry website doesn't mean that being furry is to blame, but on the other hand I'd say that it focuses too much on the fursuiting side of the fandom :/

Every article, TV show, clip, and so forth made by the media always focuses on the 'suiters and not the fandom at large. I've grown to accept and expect that. This was a decent read though, and shed a neutral viewpoint on the subject I think, rather than a bad one.

we can only immagine what people like the daily mail would have said!!!!
I don't know why is so bad. I think everyone has a bit a furry in them somewhere. I mean hell almost every person my age has had some sort of cartoon crush on a furry charature. Do i have to point to Washu from "Ahrisha Law" or maybe Sally form "Sonic Sat AM".

Exactly jaws! Everywhere I look I see anthropomorphic animals doing our advertising for us, so why not go that tiny step further?

The retort I use whenever I get anti-fur comments in public for wearing my tail is "At least I have imagination and haven't devolved into yet another cog in the monotony of corprate society." Usually shuts 'em up

Probably works better now that you no longer work at McDonalds


Being serious - it actually goes even deeper than that. Anthropormorphising animals goes way way back - just think of all the fables and fairy stories where animals are the protagonists and antagonists. Even the concept of transforming into an animal is a trope that's Older Than Dirt - e.g. lycanthrope is derived from the name of a king in Greek myth who was turned into a wolf as a punishment by the gods, and most, if not the entire, of the Egyptian pantheon was partially animal in some way aswell as having a fully animal form/representation/symbol/etc.

and lets not foreget all the moives. Werewolfs, Talking animals(Thank you disney) and many others. Not to mention the playboy bunnys and cat girls. If you had no furry in you you wouldn't find them attractive.

I've noticed quite a lot of anti-furry flak myself (being rather open about my involvement in the fandom) even in a small town like mine. I'd go to the grocery store wearing my tail and get a lot of "yiff in hell furfag" and other such comments.

I respond quite casually that I am "expressing the very rights our founding fathers fought and died for, rather than conforming to media driven stereotypes and trends", since the majority of those giving me flak are either rednecks to the max or wanna be gangsters with too large shirts, trousers with the waist worn down at their knees, etc.

To e honest Fen, considering where you live I'd be suprised if you got zero flak from people you meet in day-to-day life

*Burn!!!*

I set some weird looks now and then too. I would often walk to my Taekwondo lessons in my gear. I also dressed up as Saruman for a fancy dress day once and I came in holding the staff and carrying it around with. I thought i might have to walk home as i thought the bus driver wouldn't let me on (Just as well i didn't bring Sting with me too)