Editorial: Objections to a GFA Nominee

[Papabear note: Over the course of the last week, I have received mail protesting a nominee for the Good Furry Awards. Below is my response.]

[From a person who describes themself as a "greymuzzle investigator"]:

I would like to speak as a person who has observed the behavior of Sotalo. With evidence from Dogpatch Press (Screenshots of Sotalo's penchant for drama), I've also personally experienced him. He's a hostile person who tries to destabilize anyone who disagrees with him or exposes his behaviors. He's childish and attacks people quickly. I discovered him through my own connections, a furry I've been tracking for years who is a well-known pedophile. By proxy, said furry (Tuskyn) had come in contact with people that Sotalo has been in contact with, and features in his museum if I recall (I have not personally visited it). Sotalo has gone on record multiple times saying he wishes the age of consent was lower than 18.

Furthermore, I have to ask... Why do you allow people to nominate themselves in such a way for such rewards? This just reeks of self ego inflating. That should disqualify, these awards should be nominations by their communities, by those they've touched, not themselves. I saw where his draft of his self nomination was.

His museum is not unique. It also does not cover 'the fandom', but people -he- personally finds interesting or 'worthy of being historical'. This includes many people who have a foot fetish who perk his interest, as well as those who are associated with the Furry Raiders or other pedophile furries.

In recent drama, Sotalo was part of a PR representation of a convention that wasn't even in his own state, and he frequently got verbally violent with anyone who questioned him. The PR was brought because the convention welcomed the Furry Raiders, well known Nazi furs (complete with red armbands) who allow pedophiles into their groups (This is part of ANOTHER Tuskyn connection, since he is part of the raiders now as well.) He claimed Dogpatch Press was spreading misinformation by linking literal screenshots of Sotalo's own messages in an open group. He claimed that the convention failed because of him, and not the fact that they welcomed the Furry Raiders, a group that the fandom has long sense rejected for their hate, as well as one of them that brought Fox News into the convention the year prior against con-goers' consent being welcomed back. He was forced to defend the convention's image, and defend literal nazis by doing so. I do not use the term 'nazi' as an insult or lightly.

This man still attacks dogpatch, as well as anyone who dares speak up against him or offer a means of him to act more mature. He also attacks anyone who questions his comments on wanting to marry/have sex with teenagers under 18.

You will have a lot of people losing faith in your awards you select this man.

And I will say once more... Why do you allow people to nominate themselves? It feels like it is done in bad faith.

* * *

Dear X:

​First of all, Sotalo did not nominate himself. I personally know the furry who nominated them. Sotalo did not know he was nominated until I told him. (Also, I never "allow" people to nominate themselves; it specifically says in the rules you cannot do that.)

Another accusation I got from someone else was that the nomination was written by AI. It was not. If the grammar looks too good, it is because I clean up the text. I'm a professional editor.

Thirdly, I have investigated the claims I have heard. I have also spoken with people I respect (including Rod O'Riley) who have defended Sotalo. I also know that the late great Mark Merlino believed that the museum was well done and just needed some additions.

I have also spoken with Sotalo at length. I am satisfied by our long discussions that he in no way supports the FR or Nazis. How do I know? Because if you support the FR, you don't say, "Why would anyone support Nazis?"

By the way, it is highly interesting to me that you yourself say you have not visited the VR Furry Museum, yet you are disparaging the contents of a museum you haven't even seen. Also, you assign guilt to Sotalo for apparently coming into contact with people who have come into contact with Tuskyn. By such logic, I'm guilty too, because I probably know someone in the fandom who knows someone who knows someone who knows Tuskyn.

Also, you might not be aware, but the age of consent in 15 states in the USA is under 18. Many people feel it should be 16. So, if it is indeed Sotalo's position that the age of consent should be, say, 16, he is not alone and that doesn't make him a pedophile.
​​
What we have here in Sotalo is someone who is not adept at social situations. As Rod explained to me, Sotalo can has been known to behave in inappropriate and even aggressive ways that turn people off. But he is not a Nazi lover. I believe he is on the spectrum. People on the spectrum can have outbursts and be difficult to deal with (I have a grandson who is, so I know from personal experience.) People on the spectrum can also react frightfully bad to OTHER people on the spectrum for perceived bad behavior.

For the last several years, I have also observed furries having knee-jerk reactions to what they believe to be a person associating with bad actors (either fascist or communist) and then proceeding to try and trash their reputations out of some ill-conceived, egotistical belief that it is their job to gatekeep the fandom. It is not. This is the same attitude that has made our society malignant with the likes of the Tea Baggers, MAGAts, and TERFs.

You and others who have threatened to trash the reputation of the Good Furry Awards are behaving like gatekeepers. (Yes, you did. It was an implied threat.) The nominees are chosen by people in the fandom, not me. If you don't like the museum or have a personal beef with Sotalo, then don't vote for him. If nobody but one or two furries likes Sotalo, then that certainly means he will not win an award.

I sincerely doubt you actually care about the reputation of the GFAs (or the fandom in general). I believe you and others are trying to weaponise the awards to alienate and disenfranchise people you personally do not like.

I fully suspect that leaving Sotalo's nomination up will result in his haters launching a campaign against the GFAs. That's okay. I've dealt with behavior like this before in the fandom, and I am sure I will again. I've seen other people who are my friends get trashed too. Oh, and someone threatened to dox me once! LOL that is not a threat. Literally everyone knows I am a sexually open gay furry bear. They know my address, phone number, email etc. etc., too.

It might profit you to spend a little less time hating others and a little more time trying to find the good in your fellow furries.

Blessed Be,
Grubbs Grizzly, Admin, the GFAs

P.S. Just for the record: Of course, if someone has a criminal record or other documented illegal activity, they will not be given a space in these awards.