I agree with both of you, and let me explain why. The genre is very loosely defined, but by far the largest amount of stories deal with bipedal anthros. Many in the fandom love this for several reasons. Anthropomorphism adds a weird layer of cuteness to it. Also, anthropomorphism may emotionally affect furries more than it would other people. Having anthros gives a layer of protection, as well; even though subjects may be disturbing, the world is clearly more fictional. These reasons alone are enough for anthros to appear in stories.
However, I really want to find some deeper reason for anthropomorphism to be there, and I know others feel the same way. Whenever I find a furry story that does just that, I become ecstatic; to people outside the fandom, the genre makes a little more sense when this connection is established. I believe that the more stories we have making this connection, the more that anthro writing will be recognized as a reputable genre. Not everyone wants this, but I do.
So... yeah. I think having furry characters is completely fine, but I also prefer stories that explore human/animal connections, discrimination, sexism, identity, and other human issues. Again, this is a personal preference, and I can still really enjoy stories that don't explore those themes if they're written well ^_^
I agree with both of you, and let me explain why. The genre is very loosely defined, but by far the largest amount of stories deal with bipedal anthros. Many in the fandom love this for several reasons. Anthropomorphism adds a weird layer of cuteness to it. Also, anthropomorphism may emotionally affect furries more than it would other people. Having anthros gives a layer of protection, as well; even though subjects may be disturbing, the world is clearly more fictional. These reasons alone are enough for anthros to appear in stories.
However, I really want to find some deeper reason for anthropomorphism to be there, and I know others feel the same way. Whenever I find a furry story that does just that, I become ecstatic; to people outside the fandom, the genre makes a little more sense when this connection is established. I believe that the more stories we have making this connection, the more that anthro writing will be recognized as a reputable genre. Not everyone wants this, but I do.
So... yeah. I think having furry characters is completely fine, but I also prefer stories that explore human/animal connections, discrimination, sexism, identity, and other human issues. Again, this is a personal preference, and I can still really enjoy stories that don't explore those themes if they're written well ^_^