His Friend Asked Him Not to Tell His Family about Being Furry

Hi Papabear.

I just started getting into the fandom as my New Year’s resolution after being inspired and shown by a fur on Twitter, as if a whole new world opened up before me, something that I came to realize over the years that I jokingly sorta refused in a way XD LOL. Anyways, I told my best friend about it since our relationship is very, "Frodo-Sam, Red-Andy Dufrense" (I tend to sleep over at his house on rare occasion). I told him that I was a furry and that he didn't really care or seem to mind and was pretty much cool with it, I even showed him the documentary regarding furries, and he completely understood what furries seem to be however weird, bizarre or odd they can be at times.

Overtime, little by little, I told some of my friends and family about it, and they seem pretty cool with it! They don't really care. In fact, I just recently got a commission done on FA with my fursona and I love it a lot, even showed it to my cousin! (Taking a first step in a new world) ;)

However, as time went by, my best friend is the only person of his own family to know that I was a furry. So I asked him when I would be able to tell his family, and he said that he doesn't want me to tell his sister or his sister’s boyfriend; he also said that she would rather have me come out than be a furry. Can you believe that?! We're still friends and we always will be, but the problem is is that he's afraid what will happen if I told ANY of his relatives of it, particularly his sister and boyfriend. :I

I don't know the whole story of it all, and maybe it’s just stigma or bitterness of what they possibly experienced at the time before I would come to know of it, if any at all. I'm afraid that if I don't tell them, they'll find out sooner or later through terrible truth and they might do something. But if I do tell them and be sincerely honest, my friend is still anxious to what they might do, since they technically own the house, though we live some miles apart. Not to mention the stories that he told me regarding some of his own friends past experiences with possible furries.

What do you think I should do? Keep it a secret, though it doesn't really hurt anyone, respecting my friend’s wishes, which I would do, however, in fear of them figuring it out anyway, or tell them without his consent and see what happens, though doubtful anything remotely negative would happen.

Wolfthorne

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Dear Wolfthorne,

This one is simple: respect your friend’s wishes not to tell his other family members you are a furry. After all, he’s your friend and you shouldn’t go behind his back or do something contrary to what he asked. You have already told your own family, but his family is really not your responsibility to inform.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to hide it if you don’t wish to. You have the right to be yourself, and if your friend’s sister saw you wearing a tail, for instance, and she asks if you are a furry, it would be silly to deny it. But don’t go out of your way to reveal who you are to them.

Don’t fret about his family finding out, though. You have the right to be yourself, if you want to. If his sister is a jerk about this, that's her problem. You seem to imply that your friend is going to be kicked out of his home because you’re a furry. That’s ridiculous. Why would they kick him out? He’s not a furry. Worst cast scenario is they demand he not see you anymore because of this “terrible truth” you speak of. Good Lord, even you sound ashamed of being a furry and you should not be. 

On the other paw, you seem to believe nothing bad will happen, so I'm a bit confused as to what you really feel will go on if his family finds out.

If you ask me, your friend seems a bit embarrassed that you’re a furry and is using his sister as an excuse. I could be wrong about that, but it occurred to me.

So be respectful of your friend's wishes, but don’t take any extraordinary measures to hide who you are, either.

Stay Furry!

Papabear