Fursuiting in Public Tips

Hello there:

I have an animegao mask and a fursuit. However I usually wear them only on the conventions, and at home for pictures and video chats. Last year though, me, my little brother and my mom did a photoset (I also made him a fursuit head).

However, I want to fursuit more, outside of the conventions. I'm alone, only with a little brother, and I am afraid of exposing my things to children who aren't even aware of what anime or furry is. All they see, is just a group of cute characters, and to them, every animation is a cartoon even if it's South park or Death note - though I don't like them both, and none of my characters are from these shows. They're mostly into Soviet cartoons, and very rarely Disney and Nickelodeon.

Parents would think that I am a professional actor who charges for money for pics, and nothing else. But I am not. I really want to play for free, gently, not rough, just like in Disneyland resort.

That's why conventions to me are more preferred even though nobody understand that kind of cosplay... Conventions are usually attended by the guys who dislike children's entertainment, fandoms portrayed there are usually for adults and teens only. Very rarely you can see kids cosplaying Pokémon, Card captor Sakura etc. Which is what I luv.

Yet my friends and those who call me a stalker, they fursuit in public freely and have fun. They don't need any rationalising. They're using the fact that kids don't care and only see cute characters to the mutual advantage. They just have fun.

I guess I can't have fun anymore. Maybe it's because I took too much Risperidone as a kid/teen, and the mesolimbic pathway just can't let dopamine in, which is something that prevents me from having fun.

Please tell me how come.

HikaYama

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​Hi, HikaYama,

There are opportunities to fursuit in public outside of furcons (and meets), but I would do so in an organized fashion. These days, with parents afraid of stalkers and kidnappers and with the fear of terrorism (you're wearing a mask), there are some restrictions. For example, don't walk into a bank or government office wearing a fursuit LOL.  Unless you want to be tackled to the floor by security.

Some public parks can also be restrictive, and some not. I used to go to a park furmeet near San Diego where furries were in suit and everyone was fine with it. On the other hand, I've heard that a fursuiter once got in trouble with police at a park in the San Francisco area (he wasn't arrested, but was told not to do it again). Therefore, one thing I would do is always check.

At public parks, contact the local Parks and Recreation Department and ask them about costuming on their grounds, what their policies are and such. Cosplayers are common in many parks (e.g., Lord of the Rings cosplayers at Griffith Park), but other parks are fearful of them. Check a few parks in your area. Another place is at events such as festivals, the Renaissance Faire, etc. I have often seen furries at Ren Faires, so they are pretty cool with that. I've been thinking about contacting Palm Springs City Hall about fursuiting at the street fair they have weekly (although I have done it before without complaint). I also once had a local business hire me during Halloween to dress up and promote their ice cream shop. Oh, and Halloween and Mardis Gras are great places, too.

You can also do volunteer work. A number of fursuiters I know do that for various charities, especially kids charities. You can also do so at children's hospitals; just contact their Volunteer Service department and inquire as to whether they are looking for entertainers and what their policies are. Doing it for free, of course, is often persuasive to charities. And don't forget things like animal rescue and wildlife conservation societies who could be open to your services.

Hope this gives you some ideas. Happy Fursuiting!

Papabear