by Stella Oh
All it took was a flyer for QUT’s newest club, QUT Fur, and one snarky question: “Is QUT funding a kink?” That question pulled me down a rabbit hole, into the creative and often misunderstood world of furries.
Emerging in the 1980s, the furry fandom has evolved into a vibrant community, one that enjoys exploring and expressing aspects of animal characters through art, costumes, and community. They have a strong interest in anthromorphic, or human-like animals. Unlike therians or otherkin, who may believe they are non-human or partially human, furries do not identify themselves as animals. Many furries express themselves through a “fursona”, a character that blends human and animal traits to represent a part of who they are or who they’d like to be.
Despite its history, the furry fandom remains widely misunderstood. Decades on, rumours and conspiracy theories still dominate the popular narrative. From outlandish claims that furries are demanding litter boxes in schools to being labelled as sexual deviants—it’s clear we have a strange fascination with them.
Media outlets, conservatives, and the everyday joe seem to have so much to say about the furries. But one must wonder, in a community with thousands, if not millions of members—why aren’t the voices of furries predominant in their own story?
Curiosity got the better of me, so I went straight to the source: QUT Fur. The club began earlier this year, but it’s already pulled in around 150 members, making it one of the fastest-growing groups on campus.
I sat down with QUT students Grey and Teeto to learn more about their personal experiences and ask the questions everyone else seemed either too awkward or too nervous to ask.
Q: How did you get involved in the furry community?
Grey: I got introduced to the fandom itself online. What really…I wouldn’t really say sold it to me, but that’s the best way I can describe it, was seeing [protogens]. Because it was an interesting creature that combined something that’s cute and fluffy but technologically cool and interesting. People were physically making these suits that had expressive LED panels. It was really interesting to me, and I got into it at 15. It was an interesting way to explore this interest and get around people who were just more friendly.
Teeto: I always liked fluffy animals and there was a video game called League of Legends with a group of characters called Yordles, I was just very interested in them. After that, the pandemic happened and I was closed down in my room and basically discovered this rabbit hole and just went down that way.
Q: What does being part of the furry community mean to you?
Grey: For me personally, I don’t really take it as a form of escapism, but it’s just a way I can relax. So being around people who are genuinely quite friendly, who share common interests…it allows me to switch off from work and university. It is also a good way to socialise as well because you have your fursona, this artistic representation of yourself that makes socialising a little less intimidating and really allows you to express things quite well.
Teeto: For me, it’s like a form of personal expression. I like fur suiting because it’s kind of like putting on a mask and it’s like an insulation barrier between you and the outside world. It kind of aids your self-confidence and then you get to express yourself more.
Q: What are the biggest misconceptions people have about furries?
Grey: Well, you have to address the elephant in the room. A lot of people think it is a fetish or a purely sex thing. That is the biggest thing I see getting thrown around. My take on it is that furry fandom is a big community. You have lots of people and therefore, you know, you can get this lewd aspect. I feel that’s the biggest misconception because I don’t believe it’s just a sex thing. I firmly believe the community just has a lot of people and there’s many different aspects to it.
Teeto: It’s that we identify as animals? We don’t. Like I get asked this question every single time. Oh! And like putting freaking litter boxes in schools, that’s not true by the way— nobody does it.
Q: What do you wish people understood more about furries?
Grey: I’d say that we’re just normal people with lots of interests.
Teeto: I want them to know about the cool arts that we do and the diverse people we have inside the fandom.
Q: Where do you draw the line between just expressing yourself and crossing what society considers ‘acceptable?’
Grey: It depends on the sub-group and what it represents. Within the furry fandom, you don’t just have one big server. There’s not just one big group of people, you have multiple small communities that get together, either through Discord services or public groups. QUT Fur is one group, and the QUT Furs, you know, NSFW (not safe for work) content is not allowed. That’s a firm rule; that’s the QUT Policy. Some other communities may be a bit more lenient because it’s behind closed doors. We’re humans; we all have sexual desires.
Teeto: As long as you’re not actively disturbing the public, I would say that’s acceptable but then if you’re doing something that could create social instability, then that’s not okay. I think everyone should have the freedom to do whatever they want as long as they’re not causing trouble to anyone else around.
Q: If you could confront the biggest critics or haters of the furry community face-to-face, what would you want to tell them?
Grey: I would tell them I am a normal person. I am in university pushing for a degree I love in engineering, I’ve done all this, and I say I’m a respectable human being. So, painting me negatively or writing me off as ‘just being a furry’ throws away everything I have pushed so hard for.
Teeto: Mind your own damn business. Like, do the things you want to do and…just be you and leave us alone.
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This piece was written for the 2025 Annual Edition of Glass.
