Accepting that the negative portrayal of Kage may be exaggerated, there does seem to be a huge problem at the heart of Kage's thinking that I don't think can be avoided. Namely that he only "tolerates" furs who hold furry as a core identity, but he does not accept them. And that when presented with a character like Boomer who clearly thinks differently from him, Kage doesn't want to know why Boomer feels the way he feels. That is incredibly dispiriting to hear from someone who has been appointed as "grand representative of furry fandom".
Put yourself in my shoes for a moment; you've just come out as furry and you're looking into furry fandom for a community where you can feel safe and respected by your peers. And then you discover that the most influential furry does not really respect you, and that by simply being open about yourself in the media (which everyone has a right to do), you could possibly end up having privileges taken away or find yourself cast out by members of the community. I said it before and I'll say it again; this feels really scummy.
And sure, I get that there are reasons for Kage behaving this way, both historical and financial. But lots of people have made historical or financial reasons for all kinds of prejudice; it doesn't change the fact that the behaviour is still wrong and scummy. Plus it's 2016; the human race is moving steadily towards a permissive society, and the grand irony now is that Kage is the one holding us back by encouraging less permissiveness.
Maybe my feelings are influenced by the fact that I'm British. Britain is generally a more permissive society than America; we aren't going through the "trans bathroom laws" bollocks that is going on in North Carolina. And I've come out as furry to several non-furries in my community, both young and old, and all of them have been more interested in, and accepting of, the idea of furry as a core identity than Kage seems to be. It just feels so bizarre to me that, as a furry, I can feel more respected outside of furry fandom than within it.
PS: Did I just hear the Knotscast people suggest that Boomer get medical treatment because he wants to express himself as a dog? *sigh*
Accepting that the negative portrayal of Kage may be exaggerated, there does seem to be a huge problem at the heart of Kage's thinking that I don't think can be avoided. Namely that he only "tolerates" furs who hold furry as a core identity, but he does not accept them. And that when presented with a character like Boomer who clearly thinks differently from him, Kage doesn't want to know why Boomer feels the way he feels. That is incredibly dispiriting to hear from someone who has been appointed as "grand representative of furry fandom".
Put yourself in my shoes for a moment; you've just come out as furry and you're looking into furry fandom for a community where you can feel safe and respected by your peers. And then you discover that the most influential furry does not really respect you, and that by simply being open about yourself in the media (which everyone has a right to do), you could possibly end up having privileges taken away or find yourself cast out by members of the community. I said it before and I'll say it again; this feels really scummy.
And sure, I get that there are reasons for Kage behaving this way, both historical and financial. But lots of people have made historical or financial reasons for all kinds of prejudice; it doesn't change the fact that the behaviour is still wrong and scummy. Plus it's 2016; the human race is moving steadily towards a permissive society, and the grand irony now is that Kage is the one holding us back by encouraging less permissiveness.
Maybe my feelings are influenced by the fact that I'm British. Britain is generally a more permissive society than America; we aren't going through the "trans bathroom laws" bollocks that is going on in North Carolina. And I've come out as furry to several non-furries in my community, both young and old, and all of them have been more interested in, and accepting of, the idea of furry as a core identity than Kage seems to be. It just feels so bizarre to me that, as a furry, I can feel more respected outside of furry fandom than within it.
PS: Did I just hear the Knotscast people suggest that Boomer get medical treatment because he wants to express himself as a dog? *sigh*