Utah Is Still Showing Concerns Over The Furry Community But Should It?

For whatever reason, furries have been making the news across the nation and in Utah due to concerns in schools. 

Now, I’m sure there are some older generations, even millennials who are baffled and confused by these individuals but honestly, they’ve been around for years. It was just a common thing to see a few kids with tails or ears on when I was in high school and middle school.  

They participated just the same in school but tended to hang out in their own groups and ran around the halls like any rambunctious kids. They tended to be seen the same as the kids who played D&D or video games during lunch. No concern anyone.  

So, what is a furry? 

According to Merriam-Webster, a furry is a “person who identifies with and sometimes enjoys dressing as anthropomorphic animals or creatures”.  

There are communities all over Utah and the world that identify as furries. Generally, this doesn’t seem to harm anyone, and there are even adults in Utah who partake in the hobby. A Salt Lake Tribune article giving insight into the group up north spoke with those involved in the fandom. It is essentially a comic con with giant animal suits instead of Marvel characters.  

As a cosplayer and giant nerd myself, the discussions over furries seem to be overly concerning. This is just another hobby being villainized like D&D used to be in the 80s. It would be a shame to let some of the self-expression that has been allowed through this go away over some concerns without basis.