So.. What is a "Furry Fandom" you ask? Wikifur defines it this way:
Furry fandom (also known as
Furrydom, Furridom, Fur Fandom or
Furdom) refers to the
fandom
for the
furry genre
of literature, art and entertainment. Furry fandom is
also used to refer to the community of artists, writers,
role players and general fans of the furry art forms who
gather on the net and at
conventions.
Members of the furry fandom, known as furry fans, furries, or furs, particularly enjoy media that includes fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walking on two legs, and wearing clothing.
Characters that morph between human and animal form are also considered by some to be part of the genre. Even certain superheroes with animal derived powers are considered of furry interest by some fans. The general idea being a combination of human and animal attributes, for which there is no documented science regarding what degrees of mixture are required.
Ok, so what is the "Furry Community" then?:
The furry community as referred to by many in the Fandom is the virtual universe that is inhabited by all those who call themselves furry. The furry community should not be confused for one in the same with the Fandom though, it goes much farther than that, encompassing elements of its members lives like religion or lifestyle in general.
What do you mean by "Furry Lifestyle"? (Answer compliments of Wikifur again)
The furry
lifestyle, lived by those who call
themselves
lifestylers
involves a more pronounced expression of
what the
Furry Fandom
means to them in real life through their
actions and beliefs. Lifestylers tend to
identify more strongly than typical
furries with their furry avatars, and
often act out animalistic behaviors of
them. For example, a wolf furry
lifestyler might go out barefoot to howl
at the moon, and an otter lifestyler
might spend much of the day swimming.
Often this is coupled with a strong
belief in an
animal totem,
and many lifestylers feel their avatar's
spirit selected them instead of them
selecting their avatar of choice.
Fursuiting
and other costuming are popular with
lifestylers, as are verbalizations such
as "Murr"
and "Meef"
that express their furriness.
Furry lifestylers have a few distinct subgroups, such as the barepaws and the old TLKIAWOLers (A Lion King oriented version of FIAWOL or Fandom Is A Way Of Life).
While a select few weres or therians may also live a furry lifestyle, this is extremely rare. In fact many tend to ignore or look down upon lifestylers and even the furry subculture as a whole.
You've got to be joking right?:
No, not at all. One of the things I have learned over time is that people out there will always single others out for some reason or belief. Whether it makes themselves feel better or that they are more "normal", doesn't really matter. The fact is discrimination is everywhere. I am sure many of you out there have seen or heard stories about how furries are a bunch of nut jobs that dress up in animal costumes and go and do things with each other that shouldn't be discussed in polite conversation. I guess that there are folks out there who do bring their various fetishes into their own furry lifestyle but the actual percentage of people who do is fairly small. There are many folks out there who work normal jobs, drive normal cars and have normal homes who go out on the weekends dressed up in a fursuit or sit down and role play on a chat room or MUCK. I know because *I* am one of them. You would never be able to tell by looking at me that I am a furry. Once you got to know me you might suspect, but I am not out to get you, or tie you up and eat you or corrupt your children or anything like that. If you want to learn more, please drop me an email or IM me and I would be happy to discuss anything with you. Don't help to perpetuate a stereotype!