Furry lifestyler
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A furry lifestyler is a person who generally meets one or more of these requirements:
- Integrating a perceived animal nature into one's persona (gait, use of voice, personality, morality,...)
- Totemistic beliefs, specifically with regard to animal spirits. Often integrated with Paganism.
- Belief that animal powers/instincts exist within humans, regardless of whether they're separate, immaterial spirits, part of the genetic code or anything else.
- Fantasies, sometimes sexual, involving anthropomorphic animals.
A furry lifestyler may also take on physical attributes of an animal, although this is rare. Such attributes may be: hair style (including facial hair), tattoos, articles of clothing (e.g. a tail or ears), or jewelry.
Furry lifestylers generally refer to themselves as "furs", although this term is not exclusive to them, and is sometimes used by those who are interested in the furry fandom but do not consider it to be a lifestyle. Also, some people who might reasonably call themselves furry lifestylers choose not to do so for various reasons, including a desire not to be associated with particular people who do use the term.
Many furry lifestylers have a general dislike of humans and humanity, and some call non-furs "mundanes" with much the same implication as "muggles" in the Harry Potter stories, although others dislike the term as discriminatory to non-furs. Also, some furry lifestylers have a general dysmorphia, a strong, deeply rooted feeling that they are not in the right body. A few furs have gone so far as to use the term Species Dysmorphic Disorder, a neologism that puns on Body dysmorphic disorder, though the simpler "species dysmporphia" is a slightly more common phrase. These seem to indicate a disassociation with the psychological identity of the public at large.
A notable feature of the furry lifestyle is the very high proportion of its members who are gay or bisexual, especially the latter. Estimates as to the number of gay/bi furs range widely, and serious research into the subject is almost non-existent. One study based largely on data obtained at furry conventions (Rust, 2002) produced figures of 48% bisexual, 25% heterosexual, 19% homosexual and 9% uncertain. However, it should be noted that Rust did not restrict himself to interviewing furry lifestylers.
References
- Rust, David J. (2002). The Sociology of Furry Fandom (http://www.visi.com/~phantos/furrysoc.html). Retrieved 27 November 2004.