Should I do a presentation about an introduction to the furry fandom for college?

[MainMain]

Little bit of context for this:

My college has this thing called Sex Week during this time of year where they talk about sex positivity and safe sex stuff. Well most of the stuff they do really revolve around hetero couples and focus less on LGBTQ+ couples. And since a majority of the furry community are on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, doing a presentation for next year's sex week about this community would fit in and bring more representation for them.

Would doing a presentation about this community be a good idea for this week event?

 

[Officer Big Mac]

It depends how you frame your presentation. As long as you're doing an honest exploration of the subculture then how could that be bad?

 

[Anderall]

Only if you do the entire presentation in a fur suit.

 

[Deleted member 22901]

sounds like a fun and unique topic, I say go for it OP.

 

[Iacomus]

Reading the title: No

Reading the context: Maybe.

There is an argument for presenting it in that context. If I remember correctly some people take furry subculture two ways; as a fetish or as a lifestyle. All I would say is becareful with phrasing it but also be honest about it.

 

[Sonicbug]

I once used furry artwork as a basis for a presentation in college. Just be prepared to be labeled 'that person' going forward.

I regret nothing. Do it with poise, grace, and confidence.

 

[Clefargle]

I thought the furry fandom spends a lot of breath trying to disassociate their community from the sex-in-fursuit angle. But what do I know

 

[bye]

Please do it and share your presentation with us, OP!

 

[MainMain]

It depends how you frame your presentation. As long as you're doing an honest exploration of the subculture then how could that be bad?

Click to shrink...

I do need some resources to look into. So yeah I'd personally want to go over a bit of history with the community, what are the popular LGBTQ+ sex comics, what terminologies the community uses, and conventions that are happening nearby.

 

[Officer Big Mac]

Maybe go post in the furry thread to get their reaction.

 

[Squarehard]

If you can provide a deeper context, and more nuance to the overarching discussion of the topic, then it's not bad idea, but make sure you start creating an outline now, and try to figure out how you would approach it, since you already know the what. The How and the Why will be important here.

 

[Lant_War]

If you want everyone to think you're a weirdo, go ahead

 

[Admiral Woofington]

OP only you can know the answer to this. If you've been to these presentations, know the general make up and attitude of the class and know this isn't going to get laughed out of by the students and/or teacher who feel uncomfortable over the topic then why not? I would try and make it as great of a presentation as you can because in context it sounds like you are taking part of an accepting group but you are likely fighting an upward battle to get this taken seriously with those who might not be familiar with the subculture.

 

[Deleted member 4212]

It will be fine if you treat it seriously and don't do a bunch of meme slides in your presentation or something.

 

[Baphomet]

If you want everyone to think you're a weirdo, go ahead

Click to shrink...

 

[Numb]

Only if you do the entire presentation in a fur suit.

Click to shrink...

 

[Fliesen]

Like, maybe skip the vore stuff ...

But seriously: i'm not really familiar with the furry subculture - i have no idea if furries would appreciate their 'thing' being framed as a fetish / sex thing - after all, you're presenting it during 'sex week'.

As i understood, it's not just a fetish but also some pretty harmless non-sexual 'role play' stuff?

Are you a furry / Do you know any furries in person, OP?

Like, try to do as much research as possible, so you don't only present the superficial cliché stuff; try to get a firm grasp of the subculture, if you wanna be the one introducing others to it.

 

[molnizzle]

If you want everyone to think you're a weirdo, go ahead

Click to shrink...

 

[MIMIC]

Reading the title: No

Reading the context: Maybe.

There is an argument for presenting it in that context. If I remember correctly some people take furry subculture two ways; as a fetish or as a lifestyle. All I would say is becareful with phrasing it but also be honest about it.

Click to shrink...

For me, I'm still slightly on the "no" side.

 

[Nepenthe]

You're treading some interesting ground. Assuming the worst of your colleagues here, I could be wrong: Presenting it during sex week is immediately going to strengthen the connotation that every single furry has a kink in fursuits or vore or whatever else unless you are willing to put a bunch of asterisks on the presentation, at which point you will start inherently undermining the premise.

I'm that kind of furry that likes to present the subculture in a benign context, but I also wouldn't stop someone denying the LGBT aspects of the fandom since the openness and acceptance is inherently part of the deal. My best advice to you would be to choose a very specific premise regarding LGBT expression within furry and go from there. The more broad you get, the more you risk leveling stereotypes, even unintentionally.

 

[Banzai]

To even have that thought you have to be pretty far gone, so might as well go ahead and do it.

 

[Charizard]

As a demisexual who is tired of a subset of furries thinking I want to fuck them irl just cuz I showed them porn of my character or something, I say go ahead cuz fuck everything

 

[Foxashel]

You only live once. So don't go and give a speech you will spend the rest of said life regretting. Time to get serious.

 

[obin_gam]

No

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Maybe stay away from the kink stuff. I know for most people the sexual parts of the furry fandom are what put them off.

 

[Jroc]

If you want everyone to think you're a weirdo, go ahead

Click to shrink...

This.

If you don't care what people think of you then why not?

 

[Deleted member 20630]

Only real flagrant assholes still think there's something wrong with furries or furry culture, so go for it.

One thing, please don't frame them specifically in terms of sex or kink.

 

[Tzarscream]

Maybe stay away from the kink stuff. I know for most people the sexual parts of the furry fandom are what put them off.

Click to shrink...

Isn't that the whole point of being a furry?

 

[MainMain]

I honestly want the presentation to be more on the LGBTQ+ representation. As in, focusing on people within the community that express their sexuality in a creative way. The reason why it would be during sex week is due to how open my campus is regarding that sort of stuff. So more or less not wanting to add additional stigmas that the fandom is only about sex, and more about bringing LGBTQ+ creators to the forefront.

 

[Deleted member 22901]

Isn't that the whole point of being a furry?

Click to shrink...

no, being a furry isn't inherently sexual. it's just a community like any other.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Might be tough to pull off in a respectful way but I don't see anything inherently wrong with it.

 

[dark_prinny]

Only if you do the entire presentation in a fur suit.

Click to shrink...

holy shit hahaha

 

[excelsiorlef]

I'd avoid presenting Furries in a sex week context as the community clearly already struggles with being identified as sexual fetish group when it's not.

 

[VISION]

I would suggest not doing that. Everyone who doesn't know you is going to immediately think of you as the furry guy. I just wouldn't invite that kind of attention on myself personally.

 

[Reeks]

I honestly want the presentation to be more on the LGBTQ+ representation. As in, focusing on people within the community that express their sexuality in a creative way. The reason why it would be during sex week is due to how open my campus is regarding that sort of stuff. So more or less not wanting to add additional stigmas that the fandom is only about sex, and more about bringing LGBTQ+ creators to the forefront.

Click to shrink...

Sounds like a good opening paragraph for you presentation.

I like the idea of focusing on the creators.

Edit: after reading other posts, maybe not. See how people in the community would feel about it. Present it another time in college, not sex week; or write a paper?

 

[Blue Sky Noise]

sounds like committing social suicide

 

[Kingpin Rogers]

As long as you're prepared for the potential of people making fun of you then sure do it.

 

[Deleted member 20630]

As long as you're prepared for the potential of people making fun of you then sure do it.

Click to shrink...

Younger millennials and gen Z are pretty chill, especially about furries from what I can tell. OP will be fine.

Lots of people in this thread applying the social stigmas and biases they grew up with like they are definitely still applicable. This isn't high school in the 90s or early 00s.

OP: Just keep it respectful and try meeting up with and hanging out with some furries on campus.

 

[MainMain]

I was thinking on making a furry club on campus possibly. Ohio has a pretty large furry community. Also being a junior here I don't personally care about my social status as that was long gone before this.

 

[lmcfigs]

don't do it op.

 

[Deleted member 19003]

Hmm yeah, I wouldn't do it. But you do you.

 

[Sordid Plebeian]

 

[Deleted member 11413]

I wouldn't do it during Sex Week OP. You are just playing into the stereotypes people already have about the furry community. And while sexual content/expression/etc. IS a big part of the community, it's not the entirety of it and those aspects are what usually lead to the ridicule and demonization of the subculture.

 

[SecondNature]

Know your audience. If most people have no idea what furries are it might be really weird or just boring. If you think you can educate on furries while focusing more on the LGBTQ+ part, it would be more relateable I guess? Dont use dumb insider memes and try to be a professional if educating people is your goal on a sub-community

 

[Rover]

There was a guy in one of my art classes who decided to make one of his presentations about furry fandom - but he tried to pass it off as something else at first.

He started by just bringing the head/mask part of his suit and showing the craftsmanship and how it worked (it had moving parts and everything), but he just tried to say it was something about "liking animals and costumes" or some bull like that. I think some people in the class caught on, but he tried to avoid the topic.

He had to follow up and eventually brought the whole fursuit and opened up about what it was really about. It was awkward, not because he was a furry, but because the whole thing hung on him like a giant shame. If he wasn't comfortable with the situation, nobody else will be.

The thing is, nobody in the class really thought less of him once the secret was out. On the contrary, once he finally crossed that theshold and let go of the shame, he opened up about himself, and people were endeared by his quirk and wanted to be his friend and get to know him better. He was truly a sweet guy who just needed some encouragement to be himself.

If you're gonna do this, just be sincere about it. Focus on the positive aspects, and just have fun with it. You're at a setting where people are openly talking about their sexuality already, and if you're bringing something that is ultimately consensual and something you can put away as a fantasy or a kink, I can think of far worse contributions to make.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

i know we don't try to kink shame here.... but this:

If you want everyone to think you're a weirdo, go ahead

Click to shrink...

/shrug

If you are going all in though. GO ALL IN.

 

[Jesse_and_the_rippers]

Reading the title: No

Reading the context: Maybe.

There is an argument for presenting it in that context. If I remember correctly some people take furry subculture two ways; as a fetish or as a lifestyle. All I would say is becareful with phrasing it but also be honest about it.

Click to shrink...

Title made me think this was for COM 101 or something, but yeah the context may actually be appropriate.

 

[Netherscourge]

Some topics just need to stay out of the mainstream sphere.

 

[Nappuccino]

In a perfect world, I'd say yes. But since you note that these presentations often overlook LGBTQ+ in general, maybe it would be a better idea just to focus on those groups? I do think the Furry community could use a little more love and acceptance in general, but that might be a fight worth exploring after some of the basics are laid out.

I wouldn't do it during Sex Week OP. You are just playing into the stereotypes people already have about the furry community. And while sexual content/expression/etc. IS a big part of the community, it's not the entirety of it and those aspects are what usually lead to the ridicule and demonization of the subculture.

Click to shrink...

This is also worth considering, imo.

 

[Dream Machine]

If you give it with a form of academic distance from the subject matter, and contextualizing it within a larger community, it seems like it would be fine. If it comes off as an excuse for your to talk about what kind of animals you find most attractive, or otherwise too inside baseball, people are going to think you're just some kind of weirdo exhibitionist with a captive audience.