Technic[Bot] wrote: ↑Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:07 pm
Bellhead wrote: ↑Sat Sep 25, 2021 4:53 pm
Also, cute fluffy huggable creatures. And an overwhelming sense of individuality. What's not to love?
Overwhelming sense of individuality? how so?
I found the whole fandom scene when I was in my early and mid teens. Earlier than I should have, sure, but still. And at the time, the IRL social climate was kind of at war with itself. 'Accept yourself for who you are' and 'Don't judge others' sexuality' and the like were gaining some serious traction where I was, and (as I remember it) there was a pretty decent number of people who disagreed with that sentiment. No graffiti, mind you, but the way everyone kept reinforcing that mentality made me think it was this big problem.
During that whole scene, I found Twokinds, and later, the fandom. Or, pieces of it, I should say. But wherever I went, there were people who could be open about themselves, their orientation, personal experiences, preferences, you name it. And there were always entire communities behind them who would stand up for them if anyone said something disrespectful or rude, but always did so without screaming or raging. At the time, I saw a fursona as being a way to be who -and what- you wanted to be, and experience life like that without fear of being alienated, bullied or hazed for it.
Since there is no official, set-in-stone definition of what is and is not considered "furry", the only real definition is "if you say you are, then you are". That kind of ambiguity lets people experiment and branch out, becoming more unique and individual because of it without being kicked out for not being "one of the group". Because of that, you almost never find two people in this fandom who have evolved and settled into the same exact character; each person's individuality has led them to create their own unique fursona.
Sorry for the text wall.