Am I a furry also whats the difference between a Xenophile and furry.

[PapaGreg096]

When it comes to art or "hentai" I sort of find myself to be attracted to characters who are consider furry or have inhuman qualities. Space Jam Lola bunny, Roxanne from Goofy movie,Demona, Hekapoo and etc. However I'm not into yiffing, dressing up in a fur suit or having a fursona. So would you say I'm a furry or a xenophile or a bit of both

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

There are different kinds of furries. I'm like you, much more interested in depictions of humanoid animals.
Actually, the difference could be said to be of a external/internal dichotomy. Fursuits and fursonas are more about being "you" or playing out a desired role, while attractions to Furry art is more about the other party being Furry, not you yourself. Sometimes it's mixed.
Only ears and/or tails is usually called Neko. While a full on animal form is more bestiality. Anything in between is more or less Furry.

Xenophilia is more about Alien stuff. Those that have an origin other than Earth. Another planet in the Universe.
There are some relations but it's a bit of a grey area.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Well, you know, if your interests include inhuman features in general and go past exclusively animalistic qualities I don't think you're a furry specifically. But then, to be fair, the definition of what a furry actually is goes from "someone who unironically fucks animals" to "someone who enjoyed Ducktales as a kid" so let's not put too fine a point on it.

I mean, I'm attracted to a lot of furry artwork but, let's be honest here, everything about furry "culture" is complete and utter cancer and I don't hate myself nearly enough to want anything to do with it.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

I'd say if you're not into the fursuit/"fursona" thing then you're not really a furry. Seems like its kind of part of the deal to me. I'd guess that means you're a xenophile then, don't know if there's a better term for it

 

[Drathnoxis]

No, I think if you don't have or want a fursona you aren't a furry. I seem to recall some furries on the site avowing that the porn aspect is just an unfortunate side effect of the culture and not really what being a furry is about.

Spoiler: This is my fursona

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

You don't have to have a fursuit or fursona to be a furry..

What the other posters are referring to are closer to otherkins.
Otherkins take it a whole 'nother step further..

You could say it goes Furry->Fursona->Fursuit->Otherkin..
The first simply being an attraction to fictional humanoid animals.
The second step involves wanting to play out another you in this Furry fantasy scenario.
The third step brings the fursona into the physical real world. (Sometimes done in light-hearted way and sometimes very seriously..This I were I would draw the line between innocent attraction/hobby and dangerously mental.)
The fourth step has you convinced that you are either a reincarnated animal or an animal born in a human body.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

There's a bunch of argument to this day about what REALLY constitutes a furry but you can hang your hat on this definition for now. A furry fan is simply someone who has an interest in anthropomorphic creatures. Most of the time, the interest is sexual, but you can definitely find people who are in the fandom simply because they like to draw them and/or simply that they like being around the community. At the same time, the interest can be more than sexual, having a unique draw on an individual that can't be explained by just simple sexual attraction. Unfortunately though, this too often gives way to the cringey behavior you sometimes see.

 

[Chessrook44]

[Cough] Right. Time for a furry to put their two cents in.

So of all the definitions and explanations put in up there, Arnox has come closest to what I think is the definition. And yes, it's what I think, because frankly, even inside the fandom if you ask three people what a furry is you'll get five and a half answers. Don't ask where the half came from, even I don't know.

In my eyes, a Furry is someone who has some form of interest in anthropomorphic, or humanoid, animals. Much like a trekkie is someone interested in Star Trek, or a Gamer is someone interested in Video Games. It can be the same kind of interest.

Just because you're a furry, that doesn't mean you need a fursuit or a fursona or anything like that. Nor does it mean you must have a sexual attraction to it. It's just an interest. Yes these things can be used, but regardless it is not a requirement.

 

[TilMorrow]

Remember to always refer to the furry scale.

Spoiler: 80% of people on the internet use this for reference

I'm Joking with that Statistic BTW

Though all jokes aside, I don't think you'd be considered a furry considering most characters you seem to peruse aren't straight up animals or ones made bipedal plus the fact you don't think about fursonas or any of that further supports the fact you aren't one. Though I wouldn't call you a xenophile either (considering it doesn't really apply) and from your given examples barring Lola Bunny, I believe you fit a Monster Girl enthusiast more than a furry considering Monster Girls are essentially majority regular women with bestial parts and isn't abnormal considering history. (e.g. Greek Myth, Supernatural Myth, Japanese Folklore, in other words pretty much every single culture has had some sexual fascination with it). Not to mention most furries and scalies seem to find that sort of thing "too vanilla" or

for their tastes so there's further proof there.

[Cough] Right. Time for a furry to put their two cents in.

So of all the definitions and explanations put in up there, Arnox has come closest to what I think is the definition. And yes, it's what I think, because frankly, even inside the fandom if you ask three people what a furry is you'll get five and a half answers. Don't ask where the half came from, even I don't know.

In my eyes, a Furry is someone who has some form of interest in anthropomorphic, or humanoid, animals. Much like a trekkie is someone interested in Star Trek, or a Gamer is someone interested in Video Games. It can be the same kind of interest.

Just because you're a furry, that doesn't mean you need a fursuit or a fursona or anything like that. Nor does it mean you must have a sexual attraction to it. It's just an interest. Yes these things can be used, but regardless it is not a requirement.

Recognising that you did say people within and without the furry community can all have different opinions about what constitutes being furry, I do think you're being a little too general when defining it by just saying "anyone who has an interest in animal based characters" is a furry.

I mean lets use a very easy media example as reference for this, MLP. So it's a show about female ponies that is intended to be viewed by children primarily girls but(according to some) is also written and designed in a way that it can be enjoyed by adults. Now if the children become interested in the show and watch it consistently when it comes on that doesn't make them a furry, same with the adults, simply showing an interest in media with Animal Based characters doesn't even come near to what furries are about. Additionally if those kids and adults start making fan art of the show that's not being a furry either, sure it's a more invested interest but it still nowhere near what a furry is.

Now if those kids and adults start applying aspects of the show to their life (phrases or words), their media viewing choices start to be skewed largely towards shows featuring animal or anthropomorphic characters and they exhibit a larger obsession with the show then that starts entering the furry categorization. Of course from there it's getting knee deep and diving in it when people start creating their own original characters/fursona based on their obsession, actively exhibiting a large part of their obsession through exploration of it as a fetish or in their daily interactions and vehemently seeking out more to further fuel their desire eventually leading to borderline animal poon. So yeah I'm pretty sure OP isn't a furry.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Recognising that you did say people within and without the furry community can all have different opinions about what constitutes being furry, I do think you're being a little too general when defining it by just saying "anyone who has an interest in animal based characters" is a furry.

I mean lets use a very easy media example as reference for this, MLP. So it's a show about female ponies that is intended to be viewed by children primarily girls but(according to some) is also written and designed in a way that it can be enjoyed by adults. Now if the children become interested in the show and watch it consistently when it comes on that doesn't make them a furry, same with the adults, simply showing an interest in media with Animal Based characters doesn't even come near to what furries are about. Additionally if those kids and adults start making fan art of the show that's not being a furry either, sure it's a more invested interest but it still nowhere near what a furry is.

Now if those kids and adults start applying aspects of the show to their life (phrases or words), their media viewing choices start to be skewed largely towards shows featuring animal or anthropomorphic characters and they exhibit a larger obsession with the show then that starts entering the furry categorization. Of course from there it's getting knee deep and diving in it when people start creating their own original characters/fursona based on their obsession, actively exhibiting a large part of their obsession through exploration of it as a fetish or in their daily interactions and vehemently seeking out more to further fuel their desire eventually leading to borderline animal poon. So yeah I'm pretty sure OP isn't a furry.

You're confusing what we said. What we said is an interest in ANTHROPOMORPHIC creatures, not just creatures or animals. The difference is very important.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Way I see it, the big definition of xeno is that whatever the xeno is, it's explicitly Not From Arond Here.

For example, if the world has, and has always had, animal people ala, say, Dragonball, that's not xeno until you get explicit off-worlders.

That said, Papa Greg is probably more "Fur Friendly" rather than being a straight up furry. (Course, I tend to lean toward the definition of "if you say your a furry than you are". It's nice, simple, and not forcing a label on someone).

Obligatory "being a furry isn't always a sex thing, either" statement. Some people just really like pretending they're werewolves or whatever. Heck, I know a dude that always plays elves in RPGs.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

I seem to recall some furries on the site avowing that the porn aspect is just an unfortunate side effect of the culture and not really what being a furry is about.

The porn isn't at all entirely what the fandom is about, but at the same time, you'd be a fool to say that it doesn't make up a big part of the fandom.

 

[TilMorrow]

Now if those kids and adults start applying aspects of the show to their life (phrases or words), their media viewing choices start to be skewed largely towards shows featuring animal or anthropomorphic characters and they exhibit a larger obsession with the show then that starts entering the furry categorization. Of course from there it's getting knee deep and diving in it when people start creating their own original characters/fursona based on their obsession, actively exhibiting a large part of their obsession through exploration of it as a fetish or in their daily interactions and vehemently seeking out more to further fuel their desire eventually leading to borderline animal poon. So yeah I'm pretty sure OP isn't a furry.

You're confusing what we said. What we said is an interest in ANTHROPOMORPHIC creatures, not just creatures or animals. The difference is very important.

Except I addressed that in the third paragraph of my post and my point was that saying a person is a furry if they simply have an "interest" in animal based characters (e.g. actual animals or anthropomorphic creatures) is far too general a classification.

 

[Chessrook44]

Except I addressed that in the third paragraph of my post and my point was that saying a person is a furry if they simply have an "interest" in animal based characters (e.g. actual animals or anthropomorphic creatures) is far too general a classification.

Oh I'm aware that it's incredibly general. However when people give answers like "People sexually attracted to anthropomorphic animals" "People who like the art of anthros" "People who enjoy characters related to it" "People who enjoy the furry community" "People who like dressing up as anthros" and several other options, I feel it's best to be general so that I can include all proper definitions. No, it's NOT a sex thing... for MOST. For some, it IS a fetish. Not the majority, but some.

That's why I include the clarifier "Like a Trekkie is someone interested in Star Trek or a Gamer is someone interested in Video Games". THAT, I feel, helps show the AMOUNT of interest that would be required to be considered a Furry.

Of course, I could have also gone with a definition used in a study on Furries done a while ago, which said "A Furry is someone who identifies as a Furry" which... seems circular but I saw where they were going with it.

Yet you see what I mean. There's tons of different definitions, many of them correct, so I just be general to try to include as many as I can, when many of those definitions are just many parts of a whole.

 

[American Tanker]

Not a furry, but I would like to ask if maybe there's room for a different classification that might give something of a middle ground for some people that aren't necessarily interested in full-on "furry" content but don't generally mind certain non-human aspects.

Myself, I'm actually not interested in characters that change the human form that much; most "monster girls" put me off because they add too many non-human elements for me to find them attractive anymore. However, well, I believe I've admitted elsewhere that I'd.... "do it" with a Gardevoir, well, provided I knew it was a female; but that said, a Gardevoir's the only Pokemon I'd go for in that sense. There are also all manner of girls that just have ears, a tail, maybe horns, like what Nile's image up there would classify as roughly 10% furry.

Then throw in the fact that I'd be willing to do an Asari from Mass Effect... It's not specifically the fact that they're aliens that turns me on, but there is something about them being so clearly different from humanity and yet so strikingly similar.

There's got to be a word for this...

 

[Buffoon1980]

"someone who unironically fucks animals"

Ha, is there a subset of people out there ironically fucking animals?

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

"someone who unironically fucks animals"

Ha, is there a subset of people out there ironically fucking animals?

I am fairly certain the majority of Furries don't really commit actual Beastiality, because if they did, we would have heard reports and articles of it from mainstream sources a long time ago like we would have had a Columbine level of notority by now.

Unless for all I know Beastiality is not big a deal compared to Pedophilia or at least not big enough to make news headlines?

 

[Drathnoxis]

I seem to recall some furries on the site avowing that the porn aspect is just an unfortunate side effect of the culture and not really what being a furry is about.

The porn isn't at all entirely what the fandom is about, but at the same time, you'd be a fool to say that it doesn't make up a big part of the fandom.

I was just assuming that it was pretty much the same as any other fandom. There's always rule 34, but most people in the fandoms don't want to say that it's what they are there for.

"someone who unironically fucks animals"

Ha, is there a subset of people out there ironically fucking animals?

Hipster is a very competitive field. You need to go to extreme lengths to keep that ironic edge over your peers. Can you even imagine the layers upon layers of irony that go into ironically screwing animals? Only the true masters can pull it off!

 

[sageoftruth]

Not a furry, but I would like to ask if maybe there's room for a different classification that might give something of a middle ground for some people that aren't necessarily interested in full-on "furry" content but don't generally mind certain non-human aspects.

Myself, I'm actually not interested in characters that change the human form that much; most "monster girls" put me off because they add too many non-human elements for me to find them attractive anymore. However, well, I believe I've admitted elsewhere that I'd.... "do it" with a Gardevoir, well, provided I knew it was a female; but that said, a Gardevoir's the only Pokemon I'd go for in that sense. There are also all manner of girls that just have ears, a tail, maybe horns, like what Nile's image up there would classify as roughly 10% furry.

Then throw in the fact that I'd be willing to do an Asari from Mass Effect... It's not specifically the fact that they're aliens that turns me on, but there is something about them being so clearly different from humanity and yet so strikingly similar.

There's got to be a word for this...

When it comes to figuring out where you stand on this, I think the important question to ask is, WHY you enjoy the mildly furry/nonhuman things. I frequent lots of fan art sites, and I have a tolerance for furry material, but I only look at it at all because the characters look somewhat human, kind of like a guy who goes to a sporting event, just to socialize and eat hot dogs. If I get nothing out of the actual sports game, then I'm no sports fan.

Back on topic, when you're appreciating the Asari, how would you feel if they were 100% human instead? Would you like them more? Less? If their Asari-ness adds to their appeal in any way, then that means you do have some appreciation for it at least. Otherwise, you're just like me. These fandoms often have a spectrum for these things, to describe how far from human a character can get before they become too off-putting for someone. However, I don't think they actually have labels for it, so in that case you'd just say that you're low on the furry/xeno spectrum.

 

[Abomination]

I would say the defining feature of a "Furry" is the possession of a "Fursona". That seems to be the clearest line in the sand one can draw the separate those who watch Thundercats and those who would attend a convention.

Everything else is greater or lessening degrees of obsession.