Rakuen, this is a terrific article, and it's really nifty to see this discussed as a wider conversation.
I wanted to chime in with one clarification: I don't think that having a fursona, or engaging in identity play is required to be a furry, and I don't think that you're less of a furry is you don't have/do such things. That conversation with Perri you referenced demonstrates, hopefully, that I consider him to as much a part of furry as you or I. As I said in the article:
Furry is still close to its fandom roots, and reference points like The Lion King or My Little Pony are important for many furs. It’s even evident in the most common term used to describe our community: ‘furry fandom’. I want to make this clear because our readership includes plenty of self-described ‘furry fans’, and I don’t want to imply that they are somehow excluded from our collective furry excellent adventure.
I write this mostly because I'd hate to give the impression that I think a legend like Fred is somehow "not a furry". He, obviously, is.
Anyway, thanks again. It's pretty cool to exist in a part of the internet where criticism is thoughtful and measured.
Rakuen, this is a terrific article, and it's really nifty to see this discussed as a wider conversation.
I wanted to chime in with one clarification: I don't think that having a fursona, or engaging in identity play is required to be a furry, and I don't think that you're less of a furry is you don't have/do such things. That conversation with Perri you referenced demonstrates, hopefully, that I consider him to as much a part of furry as you or I. As I said in the article:
I write this mostly because I'd hate to give the impression that I think a legend like Fred is somehow "not a furry". He, obviously, is.
Anyway, thanks again. It's pretty cool to exist in a part of the internet where criticism is thoughtful and measured.