Majira Strawberry, a furry influencer, is one of the many people popularizing the furry community on the Internet.
Israa Zayed, Features Editor
The furry hate is unwarranted and unjustified. Let me explain.
People who are interested in humanlike animal characters, or “furries,” are looked down upon and judged by society as weird, gross, and even dangerous in some cases. Sometimes, furry hate has even gone to the government. Former Nebraska State Sen. Bruce Bostelman apologized after spreading debunked rumors that grade school students would dress up as animals and use litter boxes that schools would provide.
But that assumption is unfair. When furries come together they dwell in unity, showing off their costumes, creating art, and existing in an environment where they feel like they can be themselves without fear of harm or judgement.
Furries foster an environment where people can feel free to be themselves without judgment, which is something everyone should have the right to. They are friendly to those who are not in the furry community. Editor-in-Chief Chloe Wright (C ‘27) has interacted with furries since childhood and has had significant positive experiences. “One of my cousins is a furry, and they’re one of the strongest, most intelligent and kindhearted people I’ve ever met,” she said.
The creation of a fursona (a furry personality) is yet another way for people to artistically express themselves and embrace their differences. This helps them build a stronger sense of identity and community, furthering their bonds and building the understanding that we are all human and allowed to fit outside the mold. The furry community is also noted as a place where LGBTQ people feel comfortable. According to Pink News, there is a lot of overlap between the queer and furry community, and some queer or transgender furries feel more welcome in an already accepting environment such as the furry community.
Due to the fact that many people who are a part of the furry community in any way have been socially excluded, they have an ability to share their lived experiences without fitting in. This helps even more when building relationships in the furry community. Everyone in the community knows, in some way, what it is like to feel left out and makes sure that is not the case for those seeking new furry connections.
When people look at furries, they see freaks who do not belong with the rest of the “normal” people. Because they dress up and enjoy their own hobbies centered around being furries, they also get labeled as jobless and lazy, as if they are an illness that plagues society when that is far from the truth.
Furries actually work in a diverse range of industries and many of them pull their weight just like anyone else does to keep society running. Go on X, and scroll through furry scientist Chise’s profile. She helped develop Moderna’s COVID vaccine.
There is no reason for furries to be looked down upon the way that they are. There are definitely some weird characters along the way, but that is the case in every community. It is often due to our desire to find a universal thing to crowd against that we find ourselves turning on what is oddest in our eyes.
If you feel negatively towards furries, it may be time to ask why? Is it because of what society tells you to think? Is it because you are uncomfortable with something outside of the conventional norm? When dealing with situations like this, it is important to put actual thoughts behind opinions because the perpetuation of harmful beliefs hurts more people than one might think. It is unfair to judge a whole community of individuals without even meeting them first in most cases.