Furry lifestyler
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A furry lifestyler is generally considered to be a person who has one or more of these characteristics:
- Integrating a perceived animal nature into one's persona (gait, use of voice, personality, instincts, etc.)
- Totemistic beliefs, specifically with regard to animal spirits
- A belief that animal instincts exist within humans, regardless of whether they are separate, immaterial spirits, part of the genetic code, caused by reincarnation from a previous animal life, or anything else
A furry lifestyler may also take on physical attributes of an animal, although this is rare. Such attributes may be: hair style (including facial hair), tattoos, articles of clothing (e.g. a tail or ears), or jewelry. In a few extreme cases, some wealthy lifestylers have used elective surgery to effect a physical transformation.
Furry lifestylers generally refer to themselves as furries or furs, although this term is not exclusive to them. Also, some people who might reasonably call themselves furry lifestylers choose not to do so for various reasons, including a desire not to be associated with the term. (For example, a related community, the "were" or "therian" community, shares similar beliefs with the furry lifestylers but wishes to distance themselves from the furry fandom.)
Some furry lifestylers have a general dysmorphia, a strong, deeply rooted feeling that they are not in the right body. A few furries have gone so far as to use the term Species Dysmorphic Disorder, a neologism that puns on body dysmorphic disorder, though the simpler "species dysmorphia" is a slightly more common phrase. These seem to indicate a disassociation with the psychological identity of the public at large.
A common perception of the furry lifestyle is that a very high proportion of its members are gay or bisexual, especially the latter. However, some people dispute this, opining that furs are, as a rule, more likely than the general population to accept non-heterosexual orientations and that this, rather than any real difference in numbers, accounts for the perception. Estimates as to the actual proportion of gay and bi furs therefore range widely, but reliable statistics are absent since serious research into this subject is almostTemplate:Ref nonexistent.
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Origin of the phrase
The phrases "furry lifestyle" and "furry lifestyler" first appeared in July 1996 on the newsgroup alt.fan.furry during an ongoing dispute within that community. Essentially one element within furry fandom believed that any peripheral interests not directly relating to furry art did not belong under the furry umbrella, whereas others believed that the definition of what constituted furry was up to the individual. The newsgroup alt.lifestyle.furry was created in August 1996 to accommodate discussion not relating solely to artwork. Posters to this newsgroup quickly attracted the term "furry lifestylers".
Notes
- Template:Note The Sociology of Furry Fandom, David J. Rust (2001)