I am a "closet furry" because no one (to my knowledge) knows I am a furry and i have never told anyone. This is mostly because I am only into the porn aspect of the community and I just don't talk about my sex life in general. But even if I were the most vanilla furry on the planet, I'm not sure if I would ever tell anyone. Maybe only friends I'd know wouldn't look at me differently if I told them.

What about you guys? Do your friends and family know you're a furry? And how did you tell them if so?

Do not tell anybody about being a furry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7yWU-0PqO0

I don't keep it a secret, it's not the first thing I throw at others, if I meet them. But sooner or later they find it out. Basically all of my friends know it... ignoring the fact that 80% of my friends are furries themselves. My family knows it, but I am not sure if my grandma and my mom understood what it is. They probably think I am just weird.

With what i'm into? Yeah i don't think that closet's opening anythime soon, hell i'm pretty sure coming out as gay/bi alone would get me crucified where i live, let alone my family.

not even my out furry friends (brave souls) know i'm a furry

my fursona is an earth closet

Since always (decades) in every internet forum I participated the first thing that I declare is that I am furry. A fanatical furry.

That way, I consider them as properly warned, that I will flood the site with furry material... as much as the spam and porno rules of the site be respected.

xD

Regarding my family... of course there are criteria. For example, I know that I cannot come to my parents (old conservative people) and tell them that I am something like a "furry" (then, I would have to explain what it is, how is it relevant, etcetera). But I have never even wondered WHY should I do that, in the same fashion as to why you should, for example, talk to your family details about your sex life, just for example. Being a furry do not affect me in how I relate to other people, in the family, in work or in school. Eventually I will say it to someone I intimete just casualy, and then it never affected any relationship, as I could remember now.

With my young cousins, with which I share a great friendship, I have told them and they accept that completedly, because they know what it is and for them is just like being an "otaku", or a "gamer". They talk in internet with their friends, boasting about their "great furry uncle", and how we share things like music, or go to a bookstore, go shopping or to see some movies.

=).

If you have a good and sincere friendship with someone, being a furry should be no problem.

BUT... by default, I believe Lance Armstrong (above) gave a good advice, not to tell everyone you know or meet, that you are a "Furry".

;-).

Pretty sure most of my friends don't like furries, so I don't think telling them is worth the hassle. Family, absolutely not, considering I'm not sure they even know the right definition. Keeping a wide gap between everything irl and here is for the best.

I keep private stuff private. I don't want to know anyone else's kinks, and I'm sure nobody wants to know mine.

Also I uploaded Adolf Hitler's art on here... and that would just be weird to explain if someone found out... also having to explain some of my faves...

I don't think anyone would buy the whole "yeah... I look up furry smut on e6... but I only post art of historical/educational value on there!"; even though that's literally the case.

I came to the conclusion that I'm not a furry.

I was a closet furry in the early 2010s, but my mom saw my Anthrocon T-shirts and eventually I let it slip to my family. My job and friends found out and I don't keep it a secret on my Facebook anymore though I still have two accounts.

There are still plenty of people who make fun of furries, the whole annoying sexual misconception and whatnot but I don't get that a lot and people who are abusive just get blocked. I feel much more comfortable being open about it. It's part of my personality and I'm not going to hide it.

no, I'm a wardrobe furry

hexen said:
I came to the conclusion that I'm not a furry.

And, however, you have participated in this site for a a time. And we could define this site as "furry art site". Maybe we could define it in some other different ways, but...

Not criticizing that you define or see yourself as a furry or not. But maybe you could contemplate it this way: Maybe you could be a "furry" of your own definition. I mean, that "furry" is a fandom that is very loosely characterized. That you could think yourself as a furry, but one of a unique kind that suits only to yourself, and maybe, if that happens, to people that might think like you, if you like.

Just has there is not a unique definition of "furry", the experience of "being a furry" has not been the same to everyone. We know of people that have recounted in this very forum some awful experiences that relate precisely with telling others that they were "furries"… and that they enjoyed some kind of the most questionable art. And some of them even blamed the Furry for point less than ruining their lives.

=(.

But there are some other possible stories.... of artists that found a niche that allows them to creatively express themselves and support themselves. Of friends that are made for life, and people that join for good causes. Or about force found in beauty to cope with the harsh reality of some people.

I refuse to believe, that Furry or Furry Art is just all about "sexual deviancy" of porn that have to be browsed in the shadows... in the "basement of your parents", so to speak.

Sure... for the wellbeing of naive Furries, it is good to advice no to tell everyone you meet, that you are a Furry... even when chances are, most don't even know what it is. There is a bad press, and some bad reality, that still haunts this fandom. But I myself will also advice, that in the first place, I worth to make it for yourself a positive thing, in the extent that your inner conscience and inclinations allow. It SHOULD be a thing of personal growth, and not self-destruction. In my opinion.

Regards.

I don't mention it without someone else bringing it up first, which considering my co-workers probably have no idea what furries are in the first place, makes for a conversation I'm convinced won't happen.

Plus I'm too money-grubbing to justify donning myself in overtly 'furry' attire. So no questions there either.

I don't generally see much reason to tell people about it unless they ask straight up. I'm not subtle about it, though my more lurky interaction with the community makes it look like it, but it's also not something that comes up often anyways.

I have a policy about myself: "Keep silent until pressured with the truth." In other words, I would only tell someone IRL if they already knew or had enough damning evidence to out me. It's worked well enough that my friends and family don't suspect a thing.
I would suggest the same advice to anyone. There's no need to be so open with others esp. on things that may drive someone away.

I only go as far as to appreciate the art and occasionally upload to this site. I have no genuine interaction with the community and that's OK.