12-Year-Old Is a Victim of Gossip

Papabear,

My enemy heard that I am a furry and now he is going to tell my friends that I am a weirdo. My enemy hates and thinks furries are stupid because he says that they are sex addicts (but I know they're not). Please, can you help me out? I need it, please.

Kit the Wolf (age 12, U.K.)

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Hi, Kit,

Okay, the issue here is gossip. Whether it is gossip about being a furry or anything else for that matter, you can deal with it in the same way. Usually. What is unique here is that this gossip—that you are a furry—is actually true. It's the details that are incorrect. Kind of like if people at the workplace outed you for being homosexual. Here are some things you can do....
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• First off, do not be ashamed for being a furry. If you act ashamed, you will attract more criticism and shaming.
• Head the "enemy" off at the pass by telling your friends you are a furry first and what that really means to you. Better they hear it from you than a cruel gossip.
• Prepare your arguments: if someone approaches you and says something like, "I hear you are a pervert furry and like to yiff dogs." You respond calmly by hitting them with logic, such as, "I know you got that information from John Doe Butthead. He's been spreading things about me that aren't true because he doesn't like me, so you should consider the source first. Second, you guys don't even get what a furry is. Let me give you an example: Did you go to see Zootopia in the theater? Did you like it? That's furry! It's just about fictional characters who look like animals but act like humans, that's all. Is there sex stuff on the Internet about it? Sure, but there is porn all over the Internet and I'm not into that. Anyway, I'm 12. I'm not having sex and I don't watch porn. Do you?"
• Only worry about arguing your case if you are confronted by it. If no one is talking to you about it, ignore it, and ignore that gossip jerk as much as possible. Just stay away from him or her.
• If it gets bad and you get harassed, don't be afraid to tell a school teacher or administrator. Tell them you are being bullied. Schools have gotten very tough on bullying lately and do not tolerate it (in Britain, confer https://www.gov.uk/bullying-at-school/the-law).

I hope that helps. Good luck! Write again if you need more help.

Hugs,
Papabear