Furry representation in pride parade

[Coal Silvermuzzle]

 I am posting this, not for this year (to late), but just to get an overall idea of general opinion.

  There has been talk about furries and representation in Vancouver pride. Although there has never been a full poll done on this site as far as I know, about local representation at pride. I do know that the furry community has been represented in other pride parades in places around the world, with a fairly good review and media coverage. What I would ask is that you take a look at what was said about furry representation in pride other places in the world and vote what you think personally without pressure of others in this community. 

[Acco]

Like last year, I still say whatever, leaning towards no. I'm not about to say no, full stop, as its up to the individuals that want to.

I don't care for media attention, positive or negative, and I'd rather furry stay out of mainstream consumption. But in the end, I don't care because I'm not around for the pride parade. /shrug.

[Renwaldo]

I like pride parade.
I like bc furries.

However I don't think I want to see the two in conjunction with one another. There's just something about scantily clad men and women that doesn't sit well with the idea of fur suits. I feel our community is perceived as perverse enough as it is.

Individual suiters are free to do whatever they want. I don't want to see anybody marching with a bc furries sign or anything though.  :P

[Kaji]

I can understand the fact that putting furries side by side with scantily clad people and sexually suggestive floats could be a bad thing, however with the amount of people who attend the parade and watch everything go by, I'd be curious as to how many new furries would join us, knowing that we exist. I'm sure there are still quite a few out there that don't know a local furry community exists. I'd say yes just for that fact.

[JazzyLament]

Well...I'm going to say everything is best in moderation...
I have generally stayed away from the pride parade mostly because it's a bit too extravagant. Seeing Furries pulled into the mix kinda seems like going overboard. The parade always was colorful but I think looping Furries into the mix seems a little bit needless...then again my opinions on the pride parade have never been to favorable. I just don't feel, for all it's effort, the parade really speaks what being gay means to me; a quiet walk on Ambleside with your loved one would explain it much easier than five men in rainbow speedos on a float. Adding Furries into the mix would pretty much also not support what furry means to me.

In the end I suppose it's up to the individual. Some people like going out and having fun in the pride parade, I don't blame them, they look like they are having fun. If Furries want a piece of that cake, I guess they can somehow try and find a wayto do so, and I don't think the onlookers would protest, it's all part of the spectacle and fun right? I personally don't see how the two relate to eachother much though...

[Raghnall]

I am tossing in my two cents worth... I am new so I don't know the dynamic of this group and the people who post here but my suggestion is to just keep having people attending the parade but not put anything official into it.  I think that Pride and Furries are both great things and I saw plenty of furry and furry-friendly people at this year's Pride but I don't think it would be a good entry into the Parade.

I hope this made sense and again I don't know everyone but that was just my individual opinion.  I usually March with the CMBC/CAW 111 float (the big decorated bus).  Did anyone see me this year?  Even though you don't know what I look like I was running around in front of our bus waving and giving out stuff.  It was fun!

.:Raghnall:.

"Respect is the foundation on which all civilization should be built."

[Lupinrager]

I haven't been involved with furs that much to know the dynamics, nor have I ever been to a pride parade.
but from what I can gather is, that the pride parade is kinda like celebrating the stuff that makes us who we are (i'm just pulling this definition out of my ass), so technically speaking there's no reason the fur community can't be represented. An outdated survey I remember mentioned that more than half of the fur community is homosexual (I do not claim the survey is valid, nor up to date, I can't even remember where I saw it).

However, even if we represent ourselves, something as niche as furdom is at risk of being seen as a joke, or at least not taken seriously. There's that risk of overblowing the representation, like we can't be too crazy about things. The problem is, what is 'too crazy?', I dunno.
So I guess careful planning and whatnot, but it's not the first time that furries and pride has been discussed, there was that Simpson's episode with Moe and his gay bar, with the group of furries rooting for him
http://torakhan.livejournal.com/457941.html

So technically speaking, Furries could be represented in the pride parade. It'll be as tasteful as everything else that gets there, treated as a niche subculture as much as bears, leather, and what else is celebrated at pride. Of course not all Furs are gay, and Pride is commonly synonymous with the gay lifestyle...and there goes my attention span.

tl;dr. no problem, it'll probably be the same as other sub cultures at Pride

[velvetkytten]

if furries were in the pride parade, they would most likely be the most covered people there ! LOL I too don't attend pride mostly because it doesn't seem to show pride but more ego of sexual fetishes. I would love to see more family orientated floats then the genitals of strangers. But that's just my feeling on it.

[Malikai Wolf]

I dont think we shouldnt for the reason that people might think all furries, or atleast us here in BC are ALL gay/bi/les. I no there are plenty people on there that are but im sure i cant be the only one that is straight on here. And i dont feel like being mislabled or made fun of, some days it sucks being a red head.

[Selkit]

My opinion on this is still the same, Coal; I personally do not want to get dragged into it. I don't give a damn what you personally want to do, but please don't go and try to represent the community at a sexually-charged event in full view of the media. It never, *ever* ends well for the fandom. Never has in past, and it isn't likely to start. Given that Pride itself has been labeled as 'vulgar' by certain moronic media loud-mouths, and admittedly it isn't the most family-friendly event, openly representing an entire community at it without the consent of the vast majority of that community probably isn't a good idea. It might generate PR. You won't get to control what kind of PR it generates (Modern media is nasty that way; They can and will portray you however they want to, by hacking up, editing and otherwise tone-twisting what you've said). It might bring new members. It might also alienate several existing members; There's already fourteen clear-cut "No" votes according to the poll, and at last count, those votes outnumber the "Yes" votes two to one.

As much as I've seen you try and be the voice of a whole community, Coal, please take minimal offense to this? You really don't have the same sort of grasp on past events to understand just why some people are nervous about things like this. I'm personally growing more and more annoyed with you clinging to this peculiar idea of promotion and... well, fandom evangelism. Some of us have been around long enough to remember being tarred by a pretty broad brush held in the hands of someone else claiming to represent "what it's about". It's crass, it's really inconsiderate, and while it probably won't stop, at least consider that it doesn't need to start again here. My annoyance right now has little to do with Pride as your chosen venue, and a lot to do with this weird notion that it somehow has to be promoted, or explained, or otherwise dragged out before the public.

TL;DR?

My fandom isn't your fandom. "Furry" is a different thing for each and every one of us. Representing it as a whole is at best, pasting your label on the rest of us. At worst, it's handing narrow-minded and media-swayed individuals an entire stack of labels, and I'm tired of having to scrape them off conversationally because the latest Chewfox did exactly what you're trying to do despite repeated requests not to.

[Gizmo]

My opinion on this is still the same, Coal; I personally do not want to get dragged into it. I don't give a damn what you personally want to do, but please don't go and try to represent the community at a sexually-charged event in full view of the media. It never, *ever* ends well for the fandom. Never has in past, and it isn't likely to start. Given that Pride itself has been labeled as 'vulgar' by certain moronic media loud-mouths, and admittedly it isn't the most family-friendly event, openly representing an entire community at it without the consent of the vast majority of that community probably isn't a good idea. It might generate PR. You won't get to control what kind of PR it generates (Modern media is nasty that way; They can and will portray you however they want to, by hacking up, editing and otherwise tone-twisting what you've said). It might bring new members. It might also alienate several existing members; There's already fourteen clear-cut "No" votes according to the poll, and at last count, those votes outnumber the "Yes" votes two to one.

As much as I've seen you try and be the voice of a whole community, Coal, please take minimal offense to this? You really don't have the same sort of grasp on past events to understand just why some people are nervous about things like this. I'm personally growing more and more annoyed with you clinging to this peculiar idea of promotion and... well, fandom evangelism. Some of us have been around long enough to remember being tarred by a pretty broad brush held in the hands of someone else claiming to represent "what it's about". It's crass, it's really inconsiderate, and while it probably won't stop, at least consider that it doesn't need to start again here. My annoyance right now has little to do with Pride as your chosen venue, and a lot to do with this weird notion that it somehow has to be promoted, or explained, or otherwise dragged out before the public.

TL;DR?

My fandom isn't your fandom. "Furry" is a different thing for each and every one of us. Representing it as a whole is at best, pasting your label on the rest of us. At worst, it's handing narrow-minded and media-swayed individuals an entire stack of labels, and I'm tired of having to scrape them off conversationally because the latest Chewfox did exactly what you're trying to do despite repeated requests not to.

I have to admit I think I may have been wrong ... this year, I decided that I was going to go to this 'pride' parade and the subsequent displays at Sunset Beach after the parade - with a different perspective; one with a furry angle. I was absolutely shocked!!! I never realized what you were all talking about until I took the time to REALLY see what was going on!
I couldn't believe that the Girl Guides (with all their sexual scandals) were trying to recruit at Pride! Don't get me started on all the religious organizations that are their to push their agenda! We all know what a sex pit Telus is - why they would risk the public exposure by being represented at Pride! I can wait for the fallout of the giant phallic symbol that WestJet paraded down the street (we'll probably hear about that one for years!). didn't they all see the dozens of television cameras and microphones eager to display all their disgusting agendas?  I came home that day eager to watch all the scandal unfold on the television ... to see all the balloons (clearly a way the gays recruit for more of their disgusting lifestyle), loud music (not sure, but I am guessing there is subliminal messaging going on), hand drawn signs taunting us to come and join them in their orgy piles.
I for one would NEVER want our Furry Community to be a part of all that! We should retreat from any public exposure for fear of what the mainstream media could possibly come up (as they did with all the numbers of organizations at this years pride). We need to be careful who we tell and caution anyone planning to hand out fliers at public events - THE MEDIA IS WATCHING!

[Coal Silvermuzzle]

  Ok guys this is a poll, not a comment thread like the other one that was already closed off by the sysop.  Pride is over for this year, and before the parade a week agoI dropped the discussion. Deciding on my own to attend pride parade, which I did in suit, had a great time of it.  :thumbs:

  The reception I got was incredible and friendly, great fun, open arms and hugs all around. Even been invited to hold an event at one of the clubs, also asked if we would like to help out at some fund raisers.  :highfive:

[Ember]

The basis of this entire argument glosses over a fundamental flaw in the way that furries view their own fandom. There is no shortage of furs who will preach a sanctimonious view that somehow the fandom needs protecting; that this fandom is some holy creation that must be protected at all costs; that the public must view us in a good light.

We are a fucking counter culture.

The whole point of entering into a subculture is that we hold ourselves to different values and views of the world. The obsessive maintenance of public image points to furs attempting for the fandom to gain mainstream acceptance when the entire original point was that we pull away from mainstream people.

So what I recommend is that people take on the following path of action:

1) Stop giving so much of a fuck about how furries are viewed- people will always think that we are weird no matter what we do.
2) Start having more fun with the fandom, and maybe you wont feel so guilty that you're a part of it.

[Karo the Dingo]

I'm tired of hearing about this...

The bottom line is; Gay pride Parade is a FETISH thing, anyone who says its not is blind. (if you are blind im sorry)

And we don't need Furries to be pushed into the Fetish world anymore then it already is.

[Carthage]

So what I recommend is that people take on the following path of action:

1) Stop giving so much of a fuck about how furries are viewed- people will always think that we are weird no matter what we do.
2) Start having more fun with the fandom, and maybe you wont feel so guilty that you're a part of it.

Y'know what? You're right.

I don't have a problem with furries at pride or furries being a part of the community at large or furries trying to be accepted just as much as everyone else.

My problem is, and throughout this entire debate has always been, a small group of people going out and trying to present themselves as representatives of "The Furry Community."

My fandom isn't your fandom. "Furry" is a different thing for each and every one of us.

This is probably the best way of putting it. Furry really does mean different things to each person and having two or three people trying to run a booth explaining what "Furry" is just isn't going to work out. While you can try to explain what it isn't and may even be successful, the best way to have people understand what furry is is for them to learn for themselves. That's something they can only do if they choose to either come to a convention, or become a part of the furry community. Either way, a booth at pride isn't going to work.

I'm glad a few people went out in suit last weekend, and I'm glad the reception was positive. Maybe next year more people will feel comfortable going. That still won't warrant a booth, or pamphlets, or organized representation because we really don't need it and it's obvious that very few people want it.