RealFurryHours

So, this is getting kind of weird. You don't own a fursuit and don't know what it's like, but you posted earlier that you had taken murrsuit pics. You're posting what you say is OC here, but you've also apparently never drawn?

And now you're asking us what it's like being a furry, even though you told your boyfriend you were one before now. You also say you've been in the fandom for a decade. You even have a sona, one you said a fursuit maker had basically copied. Assuming this post is a genuine question and disregarding what you've said about yourself, you've created two furry communities here and are basically their sole contributor, so it's hard to imagine you don't think of yourself as one.

So I have to know, are you just grabbing posts from somewhere else and throwing them on here as yours? Are you just making stuff up and trying to see what sticks?

I lurk and share art/Yiff on Lemmy, that's basically all that qualifies me as a furry. Is that enough? Idk, it's all up to you

It's just a label that you can pick up and drop off whenever you feel like it's convenient. The "furry" umbrella is so gigantic that calling yourself a furry doesn't really mean anything in particular. I think this aspect is rather utilitarian as well, since all the furry subgroups are stronger and more connected under this general identity. It reminds me of how LGBTQIA+ bands together instead of fighting for "gay rights" and "trans rights" individually.

One of the more interesting perks of including yourself in the furry fandom is that everyone is welcome and usually furries are happy to help each other out just for wearing the label. Most furries lean left politically, a vast majority are queer to some degree, and usually they're quite tech-literate, so there's a good chance you'll have good personality compatibility with any given furry. It's an easy way to make friends, especially in a time when the world is so closed-off and cynical.

It's worth noting that some people feel like they're "born furry", but others pick it up intentionally or just as a passing interest, so don't be afraid that putting the label on is some sort of commitment or reveals something about you as a person. In practical terms, I would guess you probably have a pretty good idea of what specific corner of the furry fandom interests you, and I would explore more in that direction to see if there's anything else that you might like.

All of these are entirely up to you. There's no entrance exam.

Fursuits are completely optional. Get one, don't get one, get one that's not even your fursona but that you just like. It's all good.

Some are way into their species and collect knickknacks featuring it. Others don't care much, or flip between species multiple times before settling. Some never settle and have whole collections of fursonas.

Some actively low-key (or high-key) act out their furriness IRL. Some only do it online. Or at conventions. Or all of the above, or never.

Essentially: what about your own identity feels furry to you? What ways of reaching for that part of you feel right to you? There's no prewritten answer. Only you can find out what furriness means to you.

Welcome aboard. It's a wild journey, but the company is delightful. :)