Being furry means that you have a creative mind that is always full of Ideas, but of course society is all about making people feel bad. XP

Rule 18 of the Internet (but also of life in general): everything that can be labeled can be hated.

Discrimination is in the human DNA.

@Nitrosparxx
Being a furry can mean many things:
1. You like animal anthropomorphism
2. You have a constant need to argue with furry haters
3. You like to think you're an animal (Rare case)
I like to go with #1

Anyway, being a furry does not necessarily mean that you're creative, because I don't think you can label that many people as "Being full of ideas"

...I sense sarcasm...

anyways, whilst my parents don't know, my friends certainly do.

...sorry...

Yeah I feel you Psykeout, worst part is I can't let any of my IRL buddies find out either... For they are Annonymous and consider me to be as well.

He does not forgive....
He does not forget...

Lucky you, when I tell someone here's the usual reactions:
"So you think you're an animal?"
"Aren't you into human girls?"
"Are you gay?"

So yeah, I just try to keep it in the internet.

The trick is to just not say "I'm a furry." Don't be secretive about what you are, just don't use the word. If they connect the dots, then they'll figure out you're a furry and they won't think anything of it. If they assume you have to be [insert misconception here] to be a furry, they won't think you're a furry. Either way, you don't have to deal with that stuff.

If this has been mentioned before, I am sorry. I don't really want to read through this whole thing. As a non-furry looking into this thread, I think it is kinda silly to let this kinda thing define you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most of the furry fandom is art and fiction based, right? Since when has someone been given a title based on what kinds of art/literature they like? I think the concept is neat, yeah. There are some fantastic peices of art that feature this art style, and many of the comics I enjoy happen to feature it too. So yeah, I like some furry art/comics/etc., I'm just not ready to let it define me.

Furry describes me, but it doesn't define me.

I somewhat agree with your criticism of the fandom as a whole, but that's mostly not the case here.

The fandom is just an interest. People never seem to get that. Though there are few people (2, Kage, Hali, Klisoura, etc) who help define the fandom itself, they cannot define all the people inside of it. Despite our common interest, we're all different. The same goes for Star Trek fans, Star Wars fans, skiers, bowlers, audiophiles, technophiles, and cheese enthusiasts.

A few bad apples do not define an entire bunch. When they attempt to, they are often (if not always) ostracized for it.

*Cough*

And I agree, "furry" is a really broad term that covers a group of vastly different people, which makes it hard to pin down one definition that can be agreed upon.

Edit: Also, Grape hat.

If people didn't treat it like some deep lifelong identity thing, no one would even feel the need to hold onto one concrete definition.

Yes, my parents know it, and they're completely cool with it. I even came up with fursonas for them: mom's a sea otter and dad's a dragon. Mom has yet to come to Rocky Mountain Fur Con, though; every year since 2008 she's kept flaking on me, but if my summer job goes through I won't be able to go either.

The way I see it, furry is just a way to express yourself. Some people like to express themselves through sci-fi or historical anachronisms (Civil War, Ren Faire, steampunk, etc.) or whatever; we like to express ourselves as animals. Nothing inherently wrong with it; it's just that some furrs make the whole fandom look bad with their fetishes.

Now they do, and their a little disappointed, because i kept it from them for 2 years..

atta boy Ian!

No mine don't, i didn't even think of myself as one until recently

Well, let's see... I showed my dad a few furry-based drawings of mine, and shared my story ideas about the same. Also, he wanted to see what I've been writing, so I linked him here. His response to all of this so far has been something along the lines of "'kay, cool." Same goes for the couple of friends I showed the drawings to.

Do I just know tolerant people, or does it help that I never once used the word 'furry' to describe myself?

Probably this second thing helps you

Mostly the second thing. Most people who aren't familiar with the stigma attached to the word "furry" don't have anything against it, unless they think adults and teenagers liking cartoons is weird and/or immature.

I think my parents know I'm a furry, as far as knowing I'm interested in anthropomorphic animals. As far as the term "furry" goes or the general stereotypical culture surrounding the term, they're oblivious. Even if they did know, though, they're both fairly intelligent enough to know better than to label me by the stereotypes if I were to describe the entire subculture to them. But, to be fair, I'm not exactly open about my interests with them. ^_^

Heck, for what it brings to the conversation, I found out I was a furry in high school and was fairly open about it before I realized the other implications this label offered. Even then, though, the most I heard from admitting this was "That's cool." (from the people who were indifferent), "That's weird." (from the people who attached it to cartoons, etc.), or "That's cute!" (from the psychopathic ditzy girls my school seemed to have so many of).

Yeah, my parents know that. It's hard to don't know when I go for a walk with a tail, a collar and a cat ears x3 ...well, when I go for a walk with other furries, of course. Moreover, I'm a furry about five years... x3
Mom don't think about it if I don't talk about my fursona. But daaaad... x3 Well he's cool and understands all my interests (even if they're... Strange for other people, huh), so... He's even calls me "fox" sometimes, or, when in good mood, "kitten" >.>

That is awesome. I'm wondering if some day I'll be out at a furmeet somewhere around town and my parents happen to be at the same place. They'd definitely figure it out that way! *giggles*

"Surprise! I'm a furry!"

sleet do u fursuit?

Similar scenario with me, except i never need to clear my history or hide files on my computers(since they're mine and locked up(thinkpads have insane security and either way what i have is not really volatile o 3o)), and no longer do i use furry wallpapers since my mom says all of it is a "demon" or looks too "provocative"(even a kitty, i know, bs <_<) and forces me to take it off. Otherwise my family's seen a few furry things and i've even explained part of one thing to my sister, and they don't care. :3

I don't think many, if any, parents are going to stop loving their kids because they're furry. If your parents would do something like disown you because of who you are then who needs em?

It's happened before. But that mostly just comes from the way it was presented. "Mom, dad, I have a confession. I'm... *deep breath* ...a furry." Is not how you go about it. It makes it sound so awful and weird!"There's a perfectly good reason why I'm dressed like this, I swear!"I wear a tail when I'm not around my family or people I know from college, and I'll soon get ears (and a larger, more correctly colored tail). I can't afford a fursuit (responsibly, anyway), and I wouldn't have enough opportunities to wear it to justify it.

I think it's really weird to hide from parents who you are. It's like... Wearing a mask of a fake yourself. Just like you lie to yourself .___. Furry is our soul - well, mine for sure. It's a lifestyle, a dream... Nothing to hide here I think.
When my parents have realized about my ex-boyfriend... THAT'S what you sometimes need to hide better. x3

I think I'd admit it if they said something about it.... I wouldn't just bring it up out of the blue

I don't think it's really "wearing a mask" to not be open about one of your hobbies.

Well, I've just started with this yesterday, so they don't know, the only thing they now is fact that in the last days I started drawing a lot and this is the only thing they noticed. My father behave as always, he came to my room, looked what I was doing (I was drawing), looked at my sketch like I'm abnormal and walked away. Mom just said that my pictures looks quite good (if you compare with this ones, which I made in past) and that's all. On the other hand, probably until I use term "furry", they won't even know what is this.

You're probably right. However, do you really feel better once you take that mask off? I hide about everything from my parents. To clarify, I don't really consider myself furry. I mean, I like anthropomorphic animals, but I don't fursuit, and I don't have a real fursona, but I do have a persona. But I hide from them that I'm gay, that I smoke, my grades, everything. Their reaction to any of that would be just horrible :S

I know how you feel, partly, at least.