By Voluntary Association Alone

The Furry Fandom is rapidly evolving, and I do not like the sights on the horizon.  It is not a surprise to anybody close to the community that it isn’t what it once was.  There are extremists.  There are agitators.  There are reactionaries.  There are scalpers, scammers, thieves, liars and frauds.

I plan to write an extensive piece on this emerging problem at a later time, but In a glimpse of inspiration, I have been driven to use this medium to give a reminder of some things that have been true, and will remain true until the end of time:

• The Furry Fandom is, in fact open to anybody.
• There are no attributes or conditions to this identity.
• There is no membership applicable to this community.
• You were never recruited, but may have been introduced.
• The decision to identify as a Furry is your own.
• You do not need to be gay or even sexually active to identify with this community.
• You are not inducted into this community by anybody else.
• Because of above, nobody has the power to cast you out.
• Public opinion is irrelevant to the status of your affiliation with the community.
• Popularity is a commodity, and it’s never going to define your status.
• This community is not a commitment, and you do not have to stay.
• People and interests change, which is normal.
• Leaving is not an inconvenience.
• We’ll be here if you decide to return.

Your identity in the Furry Fandom is by voluntary association alone.

There are hundreds of thousands of Furries on this planet.  Each of them speaks for a single person, and that is themself.  Nobody can give you this title.  Nobody can take it away.  You make the sole decision to affiliate.  The only criteria for being a Furry is for you to agree that you are a Furry. The moment you make the decision “I don’t think I am a Furry anymore” and act on that decision, is the moment you leave.  It really is that easy.

Since this fandom began, it has always been that way.  If this looks cool to you, and you vibe with it, you associate with it, then it applies to you.  The moment it loses its appeal, or you have to sideline this hobby for something more important, then that is how it is.  For over 30 years, that has not, and will not change.

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I will be writing a series of some stories, tips, advice and things applicable to the Furry Fandom.  If that sounds neat, make sure you check back from time-to-time.  Following my Twitter is the easiest way to know when I write again.