"I agree with everything in this article, except that there is pressure on anyone to create a Furry avatar or fursona. There isn't. A lot of people on Fur Affinity have no avatar at all, or list their animal type as human. It's not a big deal to anyone."
Not entirely true. We are just as any group when it comes to our feelings towards 'outsiders'. We have those that are fine, but there are others that shy away at best or shoo away and make feel uncomfortable at worst.
I'm surprised you'd use FA as the example and ignore another community which I know goes against this statement, one which you are certainly a part of: the Second Life community.
Go to any populated furry hub, such as the GYC, and human avatars stick out all the more than some avatar on a webpage. Indeed, a furry avatar at the GYC will instantly cause suspicion for those furrys in the club that the person is a griefer and they'll make sure someone on staff is present because they are there.
It's sort of like a black Florida kid walking alone near a white gated community (Travon Martin case), or a white guy going to a club in Harlem (story from a coworker on him being suspected of being a cop). You stick out as an 'outsider'. While not all the people around are going to suspect you just because you're different, there is going to be a few that do.
It's nothing unusual in any group dynamic, and furry is no different in this regard. It's unfortunate, but it's what causes continual voluntary segregation even after the government has banned legal segregation.
"I agree with everything in this article, except that there is pressure on anyone to create a Furry avatar or fursona. There isn't. A lot of people on Fur Affinity have no avatar at all, or list their animal type as human. It's not a big deal to anyone."
Not entirely true. We are just as any group when it comes to our feelings towards 'outsiders'. We have those that are fine, but there are others that shy away at best or shoo away and make feel uncomfortable at worst.
I'm surprised you'd use FA as the example and ignore another community which I know goes against this statement, one which you are certainly a part of: the Second Life community.
Go to any populated furry hub, such as the GYC, and human avatars stick out all the more than some avatar on a webpage. Indeed, a furry avatar at the GYC will instantly cause suspicion for those furrys in the club that the person is a griefer and they'll make sure someone on staff is present because they are there.
It's sort of like a black Florida kid walking alone near a white gated community (Travon Martin case), or a white guy going to a club in Harlem (story from a coworker on him being suspected of being a cop). You stick out as an 'outsider'. While not all the people around are going to suspect you just because you're different, there is going to be a few that do.
It's nothing unusual in any group dynamic, and furry is no different in this regard. It's unfortunate, but it's what causes continual voluntary segregation even after the government has banned legal segregation.