Fandom ought to equal tolerance

[mikailborg]

Even though vt_komainu has already posted a link to this guy's entry, I want to quote this paragraph from Lay Off the Furries, OK?

"Fursuiters aren't hurting anyone. [...] They're role playing. I remember when more SF fans did this, and I miss it terribly. You know, maybe the fursuiters wouldn't be so remarkable if there were more space pirates, jedis, elves, ninjas, wizards, androids, zombies, Vulcans, barbarians, Klingons, starship pilots, and bounty hunters running around, like we used to have in the old days. When I first attended my first science fiction convention over 20 years ago, it was explained to us newcomers that we didn't have to create a fannish persona to attend. But we did have to do so if we were going to ever be accepted as one of the cool kids. Then fannish persona and consistent hall costuming declined precipitously, and now only the fursuiters and the anime cosplayers still do it. Well you know what? That doesn't mean that they're sick and weird. It means that the rest of us suck."

Hear, hear!

Comments

[pathia.livejournal.com]

If you haven't read it yet here's the con report of Michel Gagne. Who seemed to have been quite wary of attending a Furry con at first.

http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/misc/conventions/Anthrocon/Anthrocon.htm

Stan Sakai also apparently enjoyed himself quite a bit, but sadly neither are making it next year because AC keeps falling really close to ComicCon. Oh well, maybe 2006 =)

(Oh and rainbowsaber and I happen to be in one of those pictures if you look close enough ^_-

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

At this point it's like... I almost don't consider myself even a part of fandom. I mean, clearly I am because I'm not normal, but I've just seperated myself from that kind of fantastical role-playing so much that I hardly even understand it anymore.

Either way I will keep this in mind in future fandom interactions. I generally try not to mock anyone, understanding fully what it is to be mocked. But I have certainly heard the pervasive sentiment that "furry is just that one step too far". I've heard it expressed in detached, more sympathetic tones and I've heard it expressed in the height of rudeness. But like many things I get an urge to feel some sort of judgement about, the most I will say is that I don't understand it. And watch out for people who are condescending and rude about it.

This crap about "seeing the sickness in you" I don't buy at all though. Sorry.