Does your family know you're furry?

[Haemish]

nope. No reason for them to know, and I am very happy with my "normal person" veneer.  My close non-furry friends know, I usually only tell people who already know me well and wont make judgments on it.

As for sexuality, I know my dad doesn't care, but my mom has wondered if I was lesbian ever since high school.  I enjoy screwing her prying questions, and I refuse to give here a straight (lol pun) answer. 
(for what it's worth, I don't identify as lesbian)

All my family is on the other side of Canada anyway.

[Taiga]

I don't care if they do or don't know.  I go about my life because I live MY life, not theirs.  If they don't like it, too bad.  I know it sounds harsh, but there's nothing worse than running around living a lie. Lies catch up with you in the end. ;)

[drewdle]

Children trust their parents with things based on their actions. If you see your parents saying something unpleasant about gay people or pornographic material or even a music band whatever it is, they will be terrified of opening up to their parents about the subject if it applies to them.

I'm not saying that parents should just let their children do whatever they want but I think parents shouldn't be so harsh about things especially if they don't what their children is involved on.

What pisses me off is that parents are such dumbasses when it comes to understanding their children.
They act in ways that scares away the child's trust in them then they get mad at them when they find out on their own without ever noticing it was their own fault for pushing their child away with their actions/words towards whatever it is they found out.

I personally think drugs/smoke or anything that is addictive and 100% sure to damage ones health should be a bigger issue than something completely harmless such as the choice to live life as an anthropomorphic creature or feeling love and urges for someone of the same sex. (even though its potentially harmful but that applies to straight people too so...)

Absolutely this. I know people my own age who have children who MUST read this.

[zenia]

Children trust their parents with things based on their actions. If you see your parents saying something unpleasant about gay people or pornographic material or even a music band whatever it is, they will be terrified of opening up to their parents about the subject if it applies to them.

That is why I never told my mother I am pansexual. She has always gone on and on about how homosexuality is a sin and a crime against God and nature. Now I don't even talk to my mother so it doesn't really matter what she thinks.

[Jay-Wual]

I don't have contact with most of my family... but I think they know and don't care. I don't think it is a big deal anyway. >3

same

[Silvermink]

They've known since I was 15 or so (i.e., half my life ago) and never cared. Mind, furry was a lot more obscure then.

[Violet]

Yup...  Since I was about 13...  They tried to play along with the idea making fursoanas for themselves.

:P

[Aphinity]

My family, coworkers, friends, and acquaintances know everything about furry.  There are FAR more diabolical things in the world to confess to, and personally, I find it silly when people think it's some kind of a life-altering thing to admit to enjoying cartoons, artwork, and costumes.  This is nowhere near as big as telling someone your sexual orientation.  Remember, Furry is NOT a kink!

Heck, I wore my fursuit at Christmas dinner, out of request by someone in my indirect family.  Yes, Christmas dinner.  To this day, my entire family tells me how much they loved the experience.

I mean, really, it's all in how you define furry for people.  Furry is as diverse as the people in it.  It can be whatever you want it to be, so why not tell people what it is to you?  The only reason others would be wierded out is because they are basing their opinion on what they saw on CSI or vanity fair.  Tell them why it's not like that, and most of all, tell them how FUNNY you think that version of it is!

Why tell them at all?  What happens if someone decides to troll you, or harass you.  Worse yet, say through an unfortunate sequence of events, you wind up on encyclopediadramatica through an unfortunate choice of words or actions.  These people WILL call your family, your friends, your landlord, your boss.  Yes, it's happened to a few people I know before.  Don't you think if people know this stuff already that the effect would be more like, "no, he doesn't do that.. he told me they look down on people who have sex with dogs."

See my point?

It's not only more fun when you can share your interests with people (in moderation), but it's safer too.

As you can tell, I'm a big proponent of telling others about furry.  I hope you can find a way to do it as well.  Remember, it's only weird to others if you act like there's a reason to be hiding it.  Is there?

[StickyTheDragon]

My family, coworkers, friends, and acquaintances know everything about furry.  There are FAR more diabolical things in the world to confess to, and personally, I find it silly when people think it's some kind of a life-altering thing to admit to enjoying cartoons, artwork, and costumes.  This is nowhere near as big as telling someone your sexual orientation.  Remember, Furry is NOT a kink!

Heck, I wore my fursuit at Christmas dinner, out of request by someone in my indirect family.  Yes, Christmas dinner.  To this day, my entire family tells me how much they loved the experience.

I mean, really, it's all in how you define furry for people.  Furry is as diverse as the people in it.  It can be whatever you want it to be, so why not tell people what it is to you?  The only reason others would be wierded out is because they are basing their opinion on what they saw on CSI or vanity fair.  Tell them why it's not like that, and most of all, tell them how FUNNY you think that version of it is!

Why tell them at all?  What happens if someone decides to troll you, or harass you.  Worse yet, say through an unfortunate sequence of events, you wind up on encyclopediadramatica through an unfortunate choice of words or actions.  These people WILL call your family, your friends, your landlord, your boss.  Yes, it's happened to a few people I know before.  Don't you think if people know this stuff already that the effect would be more like, "no, he doesn't do that.. he told me they look down on people who have sex with dogs."

See my point?

It's not only more fun when you can share your interests with people (in moderation), but it's safer too.

As you can tell, I'm a big proponent of telling others about furry.  I hope you can find a way to do it as well.  Remember, it's only weird to others if you act like there's a reason to be hiding it.  Is there?

Very nicely put. I would like to explain furism (that's what I call it) better to people. I think I'll start practicing.

[z00p]

Yeah, I tried to explain it to my friend, and told him I'm one.  He just said "ew" but was like "whatever floats your boat"

Didnt help that we both dislike this person who happened to be furry also =/

[Renwaldo]

My mother caught me looking at furry porn when I was 15.  :o It became an 'event' and there was a family 'discussion.'
At first my parents were disgusted and disappointed, my privileges to privacy were limited, I wasn't allowed on the computer without parental blocks and supervision. It sort of changed the way they thought of me ever since, unfortunately they viewed it as a sexual deviance.  ??? I got the impression my mother assumed I was turning to pornography because I was socially incapable of having a 'real' relationship at the time. Over time it became less of a huge concern and more of a family joke. I went from being the embarrassing family mistake to being simply the invisible retarded son.

Gradually they've gotten over it since then. Now I'm allowed some level of privacy on my own computer anyways, I'm not sure if they remember or what their reaction would be if I ever brought it up again.  :-\ I tried to explain it to them at the time that it was simply an innocent subculture based around the idea of animal personification, but for whatever reason they just thought I was some weird beastophile mental case.

[twotailz]

to anwswer the first question no but only becuase theres actaul addic....problems  i need to tell them and get dealt with first but other than that im sure they probly wouldnt care my familys pretty chill

[Jesse]

Im not to sure how my parents would react but im in no hurry to find out as I still live with them and it could make things really awkward.

[Buddy]

Yeah they do and they think its weird haha.

[furrybmxer]

Im not to sure how my parents would react but im in no hurry to find out as I still live with them and it could make things really awkward.

i asgree